Isabel Klee NEVER IMAGINED HER lifelong love OF DOGS WOULD BECOME a career.

What began as volunteering at an animal shelter in college evolved organically when she started sharing the stories of her foster dogs online. Her heartfelt videos have resonated with millions, inspiring countless followers to foster and adopt rescue animals of their own.

Klee has built a brand rooted in authenticity, using her platform to spotlight the realities of animal welfare while staying true to her values. That work has opened doors far beyond social media, including her forthcoming memoir and a television adaptation of her story. Still, the messages that matter most are the ones from viewers who say her content motivated them to give a rescue dog a home. For Klee, that impact is the indicator of success. Read about Isabel Klee’s journey in her C&C 100 interview below.

When you were first starting out, did you imagine that your love of dogs could turn into a career?

Never in a million years! I’ve always loved dogs and started volunteering at an animal shelter as soon as I got to college, but working with dogs was never something I ever even considered. It really unfolded in a very natural way.

When did you realize your dog content had really taken off? Was there a video that went super viral unexpectedly?

Honestly, the foster content took off from the very beginning - the first foster I shared online was a heeler named Ken, and sharing his story was the first time I realized how much people liked to hear these stories. My most viral foster was Tiki, who truly took the world by storm. I could never have predicted how much his story would resonate with millions and millions of people following along.

What is the hardest part about building your brand, and how do you stay motivated to post consistently?

I think balancing growth with also staying true to who you are and your morals can be tricky to navigate, especially in the beginning when you’re hoping for opportunities. I feel so lucky that I can be more selective about the direction I go in, and only moving forward with a project if it really aligns with what I believe in.

How do you draw the boundary between who you are in front of the camera and who you are IRL?

It’s so funny, I just did an interview and the interviewer said they didn’t realize I was funny in real life. I think my videos can be really serious sometimes, because animal welfare is a very serious topic. It’s hard to show all sides of my personality in such short little clips, but I’d like to get better at it!

On the business side, what advice would you give to emerging creators about owning their value in brand negotiations, even without a large following?

Build a team that you trust, and trust their expertise. I would be nowhere without my managers, my literary agent, and all of the people who have guided me and helped me along the way. I truly believe that you need to admit when something is not in your wheelhouse, and find a person who is better at it to point you in the right direction. You can’t grow if you’re doing everything on your own.

What’s a piece of content that surprised you with how well it performed?

My most watched video was a total fluke - it was when I was recording a video with my dog in our backyard and a bird fell out of the sky and died right in front of us. I think it has over 25 million views!

What is the most common thing that lands in your DMs?

I get so many messages from people saying that my videos inspired them to foster or adopt. Those messages are the reason why I do what I do!

What kinds of doors are you hoping your content will open in the future?

Honestly, creating content has already done so much for me – my memoir is coming out on April 28th, and we just announced that it’s going to be turned into a TV series. It’s all beyond my wildest dreams. I just hope I can continue advocating for rescue animals and raising awareness every step of the way.