Today we’d like to introduce you to Eduardo Machado.
Hi Eduardo, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I came to the U.S. from Venezuela as an international student with a very clear and traditional plan: study abroad, gain experience, and return home to help run my family’s business. That was always the goal. But while I was studying, Venezuela’s political and economic situation worsened with every passing year. What was meant to be temporary slowly turned into a series of difficult decisions. Each year, I delayed my return home—not because I didn’t want to go back, but because stability and opportunity were disappearing. At the same time, I was hustling in the U.S., navigating visas, work permits, and constant uncertainty.
I attended Suffolk University in Boston, where I graduated with a double major in Marketing and Entrepreneurship and a minor in Accounting. On paper, everything looked right—but real life was far more complicated.
After moving to Miami, my path became a decade-long exercise in reinvention. For nearly ten years, I moved between jobs, industries, and business ideas—not because I lacked ambition or direction, but because my immigration status kept resetting the clock. I lived year to year on temporary work visas, constantly under the uncertainty of the H-1B lottery, which I was never selected for. That instability forced me to adapt quickly, learn fast, and rebuild myself repeatedly.
Professionally, I started in sales as a sales representative for a plastic bottle manufacturer, then joined a small telecommunications company where I became Director of Sales and Marketing. Just as momentum was building, my first OPT expired. Instead of stopping, I went back to school and earned a master’s degree in Process Improvement at Nova Southeastern University.
During my master’s program, I launched a cryptocurrency mining solutions company in 2017, right at the height of the crypto boom. The company scaled rapidly—we had an office, a warehouse, and six technicians on payroll. For a brief moment, it felt like I had finally found stability. Then the market collapsed. Bitcoin fell from nearly $17,000 to under $2,000, and the business shut down almost overnight. That experience was a major blow. It took months to process how something so successful could disappear so fast, but it permanently reshaped how I think about risk, resilience, and leadership.
I pivoted again, this time into a bean-to-bar chocolate distribution business. We sold high-quality products and built meaningful customer relationships, but the market reality was unforgiving. Competing against mass-produced chocolate on price and perceived value proved unsustainable long-term.
After completing my master’s degree, I received another one-year OPT work permit. During that period, I worked briefly in real estate finance, collaborating with city halls across the greater Miami area to identify properties with liens and violations. I then joined a security technology startup, followed by an opportunity during COVID to help commercialize a cold-pressed juice brand, opening and managing accounts throughout Miami.
Looking back, many of these roles could have turned into solid careers. But there was a clear pattern: I was always building for someone else. I stayed out of responsibility and loyalty, but the work never fully aligned with who I was. After a few months, the repetition and lack of ownership drained my motivation. I realized I wasn’t lacking discipline—I was lacking purpose.
Around this time, life began connecting dots in unexpected ways. I was living at The Harbour, where Howl Nation now operates. During daily walks with my dog, I kept running into Alejandro. We talked almost every day, and it didn’t take long for me to notice how disciplined, trustworthy, and genuinely kind he was. He had left the aeronautical industry because he hated the environment and was supporting himself by walking dogs in Sunny Isles. When he shared his numbers with me, I realized he had built a real business at just 18 years old—purely through hustle, consistency, and care.
Around the same period, my mother-in-law Adriana decided to pursue dog grooming. She had always dreamed of becoming a veterinarian but never had the opportunity. Grooming became her way of working with animals from a place of patience, respect, and love rather than speed or pressure.
Without forcing it, the team was suddenly there—three people from different backgrounds, united by one shared belief: dogs deserve better. Adriana leading grooming with empathy and patience. Alejandro running walks and daily routines with structure and calm. And me overseeing boarding, daycare, and operations—finally building something that felt aligned with who I was.
It was only after that team naturally formed that the idea for Howl Nation truly emerged. In 2022, we decided to turn those shared values into something real. Once we committed, it took roughly eight months to secure the retail space, build the business plan, and navigate city permits before opening our doors.
Howl Nation was built on a simple principle: dogs deserve real care, not shortcuts. Four outdoor walks a day are our standard—not an upgrade. We hire people who genuinely love dogs. We use filtered water, play calming music throughout the facility, and groom slowly, never by force. If a dog isn’t ready, we stop. Trust always comes first.
We also believe transparency builds confidence. Dog parents receive constant photos, videos, and updates—walks, playtime, funny moments, and immediate messages if anything feels off. No guessing. No anxiety. Just trust.
Now, almost two years in, more than 500 dogs have passed through our doors. We’ve never had a dog fight, never had a serious incident, and the most meaningful feedback we receive is when dogs don’t want to leave when their parents arrive. That’s how we know we’re doing it right.
Today, Howl Nation has become both a business and a source of fulfillment. What keeps me motivated is the positive impact we see on the dogs themselves. Dog parents often tell us their dogs seem calmer or “trained,” when in reality, we’re simply providing structure, consistency, and a healthy routine—something many dog parents still underestimate.
For the first time in my career, I wake up motivated not by obligation, but by purpose. The journey wasn’t linear, and it wasn’t easy—but every delay, pivot, and setback led me exactly to where I am today.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not at all—it has been a very challenging road. That said, I wouldn’t change a single part of it. Every struggle shaped what Howl Nation is today, which I genuinely believe is the best dog hotel out there. I say that confidently because it’s the only place where I would leave my own dog if I weren’t the owner.
One of our biggest challenges came before we even opened. We signed a long-term lease—ten years with an option for another ten—and immediately began the permitting process, only to discover that the City of North Miami Beach didn’t legally allow dog hotels. Not because they were against the idea, but because when the city’s zoning code was written decades ago, dog hotels simply didn’t exist. The closest definitions were “kennels” or “breeders,” both of which were prohibited uses.
To move forward, we had to apply for a Special Conditional Use and essentially help create a brand-new legal definition for what a dog hotel is. We were told we needed a zoning attorney, and the quotes came back around $80,000—with no guarantee of approval. That wasn’t an option for us. Every dollar we had went into the lease deposit and the construction of the facility.
So I took it on myself. For an entire year, I worked directly with city officials, planners, lawyers, the mayor, and commissioners. During that time, we were paying rent with zero income from the dog hotel. To survive, I started another small business in a corner of the space just to help cover expenses. We rewrote definitions, got rejected multiple times by city attorneys, revised everything again, and eventually succeeded—not just in getting approval for our location, but in helping establish standards that now allow dog hotels to exist citywide.
Construction was another major hurdle. What was initially quoted as a $40,000 buildout quickly turned into nearly $100,000 due to changing requirements, inspections, and county and city regulations. Everything had to be done in parallel with permits, which made the process slow, expensive, and mentally exhausting.
On top of that pressure, Alejandro and Adriana—my partners—were counting on this business not just emotionally, but financially. That responsibility weighed heavily on me.
Once we finally opened, the challenges didn’t stop. We were learning everything from scratch, building systems based on instinct, observation, and what we believed dogs truly needed. We couldn’t afford industry consultants, so we relied on common sense, high standards, and honestly, my own obsession with doing things right. Two years later, when we finally spoke with a professional consultant, they told us that not only were we doing things correctly—we were exceeding industry standards. That was a huge validation.
Today, after countless obstacles, we have an incredible team, loyal customers, and the most rewarding part of all: dogs who don’t want to leave when their parents come to pick them up. That’s how we measure success.
At the end of the day, our true clients are the dogs—not the humans who own them. And every struggle along the way was worth it to build a place that puts them first.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Howl Nation Boutique Dog Hotel & Groomer?
At Howl Nation, our brand is intentionally built to serve dogs first—not their human parents. That may sound unusual, but it’s the core of everything we do. Sometimes well-meaning owners want things they believe are good for their dogs, but that actually aren’t. Many places will say yes just to keep a customer happy. We won’t. If something isn’t in the best interest of the dog’s physical or emotional well-being, we simply don’t do it.
What truly sets us apart is that we invest in what dogs actually need: structure, routine, social balance, and calm leadership. Most dogs today lack consistent routines, yet they crave them. At Howl Nation, dogs become part of a pack. They learn where they fit, how to coexist, and how to regulate their energy in a healthy way. Without formal “training,” we see dogs come back home calmer, more confident, better on leash, less reactive, and more balanced overall. We often tell clients that we’re not a dog hotel—we’re more like a school for dogs—and we don’t charge extra for that education. We only charge for their stay.
Our approach is holistic and rooted in respect. Dogs are never yelled at, forced, or mistreated. Everything is done through repetition, consistency, and healthy routines. The result is an environment where dogs feel safe, fulfilled, and understood.
Service-wise, we offer dog daycare, boarding, walking memberships, sitting, grooming and bathing, non-anesthetic dental cleaning, and free consultations to help owners better understand and care for their dogs. We also prioritize transparency and trust through constant updates, photos, and videos, so parents always know how their dogs are doing.
Brand-wise, what I’m most proud of is our integrity. We don’t upsell basics. We don’t cut corners. And we don’t compromise our standards. We’ve created a boutique dog hotel where love, structure, and accountability come before profit—and where dogs genuinely don’t want to leave.
That’s what we want readers to know: Howl Nation isn’t built around convenience or volume. It’s built around doing what’s right for dogs, every single day.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
What I love most about Miami—and the greater Miami area—is the lifestyle it offers. The weather and landscape are hard to beat: clear blue skies most of the year, water everywhere you look, and rain that usually passes in minutes. It’s a city that invites you to be outside, which is especially meaningful when your life and business revolve around dogs.
Miami’s culture is also evolving quickly. The food scene, creative energy, and diversity are growing in really exciting ways, and it’s becoming a place where entrepreneurs and small businesses can truly build something special. On top of that, it’s one of the most dog-friendly cities I’ve ever experienced—parks everywhere, dog stations with bags and water, and a community that genuinely includes pets as part of daily life.
If I had to name a downside, it would be traffic. It can be intense, and with it sometimes comes a bit of impatience and pretension. But that’s also part of a fast-growing city. Overall, the positives far outweigh the negatives, and Miami has been an incredible place to build Howl Nation.
Pricing:
- Doggy daycare: $28 1/2 day, $38 full day
- Dog boarding: $55 – $69 per night
- Grooming: $30 – $250 varies to size and breed
- Dog walks: starting at $10 per 10 min walk
- 25% discount on first visit for your readers
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.howlnation.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howl.nation?igsh=NDF3OTJ0anFmMTJu&utm_source=qr
- Other: Email:info@howlnation.com/phone: 3054543130
