Anyone who believes starting your own business is a walk in the dog park is sadly mistaken! The CEO and Founder of Puppy Cake, Kelly Costello, shares her story and advice to new entrepreneurs on the WAM (Women and Manufacturing) podcast to Frances Brunelle, founder of Accelerated Manufacturing Brokers.
Kelly discusses with Fran that starting Puppy Cake was not an instant success. She explains there is a lot that happens in the “and then.” Many people believe Kelly started her own business in her apartment and then she did multi-million in sales but that’s just not true. In 2007, Kelly started Puppy Cake in her one-bedroom apartment in Bellevue with just a few flavors and mixed and packaged everything herself. Kelly then had the opportunity to appear on the popular television show, Shark Tank, and pitched her idea to five titans of industry who turned their own dreams into lucrative empires. This opportunity sparked a fire in her to take her dream and passion to the next level. Lori Greiner told Kelly, “I think you have a good product but I don’t think you have a good business.” That piece of feedback helped Kelly readjust and develop a portfolio that would be appealing and impressive to distributors.
Later in the interview, Fran asks Kelly to give the listeners some advice if they are looking to start their own business. Kelly replied with, “a tip I give other entrepreneurs as they’re growing their business is that if you can have your product be the answer to a search, there’s a strong possibility you’re going to be very successful.” Kelly also discusses with Fran that starting out slow is not a bad thing. Her production team has poked fun at her love of garage sales, but she claims this one of the keys to her success. There is no need to buy something brand new if something used will get the job done. Lastly, Kelly reminds young entrepreneurs that this is not a sprint and you have to be in it for the long haul. Building a successful business takes time but if you continue to make unique and quality products, distributors will see that your company can stand the test of time!
Overall, Kelly is happy that she has been able to build a brand from her love of baking quality and safe treats for dogs. This company is her passion and it shows in the amount of detail that goes into every homemade recipe and every product she launches. Puppy Cake is a company that treats dogs like they are a part of the family, which means they deserve the very best. Kelly Costello and the team at Puppy Cake will continue to provide safe and healthy treats for dogs that their pet parents feel good about serving them!
To listen to the full podcast click here!
Don’t forget to be on the lookout for Puppy Cake’s new line of ice cream for dogs, Hoggin’ Dogs! This line of dog-friendly ice cream has four flavor options, which include Peanut, Banana, Cheese, and Bacon! Can’t decide what to try first, no problem! We have created a sample pack so you don’t have to choose!