DVA Member Profiles – Cathy Brooks – April 2019

4/15/19
Cathy Brooks, Chief Human Officer of the Hydrant Club, and her 70-pound Labradoodle came to Las Vegas on vacation in the summer of 2012. She answers a few questions about her subsequent move:
Where are you from originally, and how did you land in Las Vegas?
I like to say I’m genetically bi-coastal. I was born and raised outside of Philadelphia, PA but spent the majority of my life in San Francisco, CA. In the summer of 2012, I came here on vacation, invited by my friend, Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh, to check out what was then the very nascent efforts of the Downtown Project to revitalize the Fremont East section of downtown Las Vegas. When I came on that vacation in the summer of 2012, I wasn’t alone. I brought my 70-pound Labradoodle, Truman, with me. Over the course of my 10 days here, I had no fewer than 3-4 conversations a day about the role of a dog community in this fascinating landscape of downtown. By the end of my trip I’d committed to submitting a business plan for what now exists at The Hydrant Club.
What led you to create the Hydrant club and why did you choose downtown Las Vegas for the location?
To go a bit further into the story. Though my previous “life” was primarily as a communication consultant in Silicon Valley, for a number of years I’d been working on the side as what I describe as a lay dog trainer. I had several clients with whom I worked on basic obedience and behavioral stabilization training. In 2001, after testifying in a murder trial where a woman had been brutally torn apart by two dogs that lived in her apartment building, I deepened my engagement on the topic of dog behavior and more importantly the evolution of the domestic dog and most importantly how to be responsible stewards of dogs in urban environments.
This was my passion and “hobby” work from about 2001 until my vacation to Vegas in the summer of 2012. On that trip, the magic of serendipity pulled together a perfect storm of opportunities – seeing a market with an enormous need for education – both for dogs and people; the need for a safe space where that learning could take place; and a redevelopment effort through the Downtown Project that was willing to invest in my idea. The location was largely due to my business partner (they already had the land on which to put the business) but more than that, the idea of having the opportunity to play a central role in revitalizing a neighborhood and helping bring together a community was too good to pass up.
Why did you join the Downtown Vegas Alliance and what do you hope to get out of membership?
As a small business owner, partnerships and alliances are crucial for the stability and growth of the business. When I first moved here, I thought most DVA members were located downtown to the West of Las Vegas Boulevard and in and around the Fremont Street Experience. In the last year or so I attended some functions and noticed that the DVA’s reach extended into Fremont East as well as the Arts District. In addition, there was a considerable growth of smaller businesses participating. Joining this group is as much about what I can give back into this community as well as what my business and I might enjoy in return. It has been an honor to be one of the first to lay groundwork in Fremont East and I’m excited to work with others – existing and new – to continue this growth.
What are your favorite locations / activities for a laid-back Sunday afternoon downtown?
Well, The Hydrant Club, of course! Fewer things are more lovely than laying in a thick carpet of green grass in the shade of an enormous tree with my dogs! If not here, I love Vesta Coffee Roasters and PublicUS for a snack. Always nice to sit on the patio at either Atomic Liquor or Three Sheets Craft Beer for a beverage with friends.