Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in pet care but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Nick Coy, founder of Breck & Bailey, located in Morrison, CO, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

We're a Colorado-based fresh delivered premium dog food company; our meals are crafted with love by our chefs using whole food ingredients and formulated by Veterinary Nutritionists.

We're also poised to be much more than a dog food company. We're cooking up some interesting, innovative new products and ideas that we hope will shape the future of the pet industry. We believe that dogs are more than just these furry weird things that roam around our houses. To my entire team and me, we view them as family members, and if we wouldn't eat our food, then we wouldn't feed it or sell it to our customers' furry families.

Tell us about yourself

Our pup Tulo started having seizures about every 14 days. We were committed to doing whatever we could to help him; we researched everything. We talked to numerous specialists. We eventually paired up with a talented Veterinary Internal Specialist, who identified the likely root cause of his seizures. She said there was a chance that it could be helped by adjusting his diet and managing his meds properly. Around that time, we also started feeding our other pup Z fresh food, and it's amazing how soft and healthy she is for an 11-year-old; she's like a puppy. Best of all, Tulo is still kicking and hasn't had a seizure now in over five years!. I'm no doctor or scientist, but I truly believe that they're both as healthy as they can be, and their diet plays a large role in that. My mission is pretty simple; I just want more people to have more years with their pals and live long, healthy, and, most importantly, happy lives.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

We're launching an innovative recurring donation program that will support shelters and rescues across the country. We've started piloting this program with a few local shelters, and so far, so good! We're excited to see if we can create a new type of business model that is both profitable and serves the greater good.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Self-doubt, I truly believe that every job life experience that I've ever had has prepared me for this opportunity and that I'm just the guy to do it. But sometimes I feel like I don't know what I'm doing because I don't know what I'm doing, and that can be terrifying at times, but it's kinda fun, and you can learn anything on YouTube.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Keep going, but don't be a fool... If you believe in your product/company and, more importantly, if potential customers believe in whatever you're doing, try to keep going even when times get tough; you have to be scrappy. It's hard to be successful, and it should be, but it's easy to quit…
  2. Help is on the way, but you have to earn it and ask for it. When you have 26 jobs in your business, remember that if you keep working hard, you'll be able to chip away at that workload by building a team around you of good people. Then maybe you'll only have 11 jobs... Your main job as a CEO is to be a good HR person and to keep the ship steered correctly.
  3. It's all about the brand, it always has been, and it always will be. Everything your company touches matters. Pretty much everything is a commodity these days, so your brand needs to set you apart.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I'm always looking for ways to partner or collaborate; please feel free to reach out.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://breckandbailey.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/breckandbailey
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/breckandbailey/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/breckandbailey
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickcoy/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.