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the life of a cpg founder
In 2017, I quit my stable job without having much of a plan other than that I knew I needed to start my own business. It has simultaneously been the most difficult and most rewarding professional adventures of my lifetime. See more of our history below!
our Journey
The inspiration
I will be the first to say that getting a dog was one of the best decisions I ever made. Not only is Madison my ride or die homie, she's the inspiration for our upcyling mission, never letting even the slightest of morsels go to waste.
The prototype
As with all recipes, it started in the kitchen! Though Madison was the ultimate taste tester, I would walk the streets of Boston with treats in my pocket, gathering feedback from every willing participant (with permission, of course).
the scale up
I used my expertise in the "human" food industry to source raw materials and the manufacturing capabilities to scale our dog treat recipes. With my on-site supervision, we produced our first batches of 5 different recipes.
Our portfolio is now comprised of over 30 "everyday" & "seasonal" dog & cat consumable products.
the hustle
Though I went into this brand with primary expertise in R&D, there is no limit as to what is expected of a CPG Founder.
From initial brand & product development, to contract manufacturing vetting & management, to logistics & operations, to content creation & customer service, to team development & management, system creation, & business strategy, to sales, podcasts, & pitches - I've either done it and/or continue to do it all, admittedly some of these things better than others!
And though there's been plenty of bumps in the road, my personal growth through this experience has been undeniable and I intend to leverage every ounce of that for anything I take on going forward.
The success
Creating product is only a small part of the battle. Getting on (and off!) the shelf is what every CPG lives and dies by.
Since our humble beginnings, we have distributed products nationwide at one point or another through retailers like Whole Foods, Target, Walmart, Petco, Petsmart, Costco, and Sam's Club.
The evolution
Though our core messages and mission have always remained the same, since the very beginning, our brand, our products, and our team have constantly evolved as we've stumbled and learned along the way. And though we continue to face challenges as any business in today's environment, I'm nothing but grateful for this wild ride and excited about our future.
our awards
