Pups. Planet. People.™

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in pet care but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Lucy Cullen, founder, and CEO of EarthPup, located in Toronto, ON, Canada.

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

EarthPup is a Toronto startup addressing the food waste problem in Canada by turning nutrient-dense food otherwise destined for landfills into healthy, drool-worthy dog treats. In Canada, 40% of food is wasted, and juice companies are responsible for an estimated 600 million pounds of nutrient-dense pulp sent to landfills. We turn amazing, healthy juice pulp into natural dog treats! To date, we have upcycled over 1,500 pounds of vegetables. We are also proud to be Canada's first certified Plastic Negative pet brand offsetting 200% of the plastic in our operations.

You can find EarthPup available online and in 50 stores across Canada. Our customers are dog parents (typically millennials and baby boomers) who care about their dog having healthy food that also aligns with their environmental values.

Tell us about yourself

I worked in the hospitality industry for over 12 years. I grew so frustrated with the amount of uneaten food thrown out every day into the garbage. Everybody kept telling me, "It's just the way it is." That wasn't a good enough answer for me, so I have dedicated my career to ending food waste. What motivates me every day is knowing how much food we throw out and wanting to do everything I can to help change that.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Definitely helping to rescue 1,500 pounds of food from going to landfills! And second, to that would be launching our new packaging at the end of 2021. This really helped to set us apart.

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

I hate to say it, but supply chains! Trying to navigate supply chains, especially pioneering one that uses upcycled ingredients, is really hard. We've had months over COVID where we can't produce products at all because of supply chain problems. It's certainly been difficult, but we got through it. And at the end of the day, it's very rewarding knowing that we are helping to rescue food from going to landfills.

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

Don't be afraid to launch a product that might not be perfect yet, so you can start testing it out.
Connect with a community of other entrepreneurs on a similar journey. These connections can be really helpful!
Go for it! There's no time like the present.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.earthpup.co/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/earthpupco
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/earthpupco/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/earthpup/

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.