Bruno 1, Howard 0: How a Fluff-Powered Doodle Taught Us a Lesson About Safety

By Howard Aronson, Workify Chief Executive Officer

A lighthearted tale of canine chaos — and how it reminds us of what really matters.

More than our mascot. He's Bruno the Wonder Dog.

If you’ve seen me lately, you may have noticed I’m rocking a rather large bandage on my hand. No, I didn’t get into a bar fight. No, I wasn’t injured in a tragic construction accident. And sadly, no — I don't have a dramatic story involving saving someone from a burning building.

The truth?

I tore a ligament in my finger… playing with my dog. His name is Bruno. He’s a massive, lovable, 90 lb. Golden Doodle who thinks he’s still a 12-pound lapdog. After one enthusiastic game of tug-of-war, followed by surgery commonly referred to as "Closed Reduction and Percutaneous Pinning for Mallet Finger", I’m now typing this with one hand and being laughed at by my entire team.

At our recent Workify team meeting, this quickly became known as the CEO’s “On-the-Job Injury.” Cue the jokes. Suddenly, everyone’s offering to carry my coffee, type my emails, or bubble wrap my office. It’s been humbling. And hilarious. And kind of inspiring.

But here’s the thing:

While my injury is a little ridiculous, it got me thinking about something we take very seriously at Workify — SAFETY.

Unlike my Bruno-induced mishap, our workers face real, daily, non-negotiable safety risks. They’re operating in busy, complex, high-stakes construction environments, from elevated scaffolds to high-voltage equipment to heavy machinery. One misstep, one distraction, one overlooked precaution can change everything.

That’s why safety isn’t just a policy at Workify. It’s a core principle. It’s something we talk about every single day. It’s built into our vetting. Our client communication. Our toolbox talks. Our culture.

Because every worker deserves to go home in the same condition they showed up. No bandages. No broken bones. No hard lessons.

We partner with contractors who value this mindset and reinforce it on every site. We work with skilled trades professionals who know how to stay aware and keep each other accountable. And we coach our internal team to stay alert — not just to the risks, but to the people behind every hard hat.

And hey, maybe if I had taken some of that training myself, I’d still have ten fully functioning fingers.

So yes, laugh at your CEO with the oversized finger cast. But also know that under the jokes and the dog stories, we’re 100% serious about protecting the hands, backs, shoulders, knees, and lives of every single tradesperson we’re lucky enough to represent.

Stay safe out there. Pet your dogs gently. And if you see me struggling with a coffee cup, just offer to help.

I won’t say no.