Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in pet care but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Vicky Glisson, Owner of Heaven Sent Healthy Pet, located in Burgaw, NC, USA.

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

Heaven Sent Healthy Pet is a pet health food business. I focus on teaching and mentoring families who are looking for a healthy, natural alternative to kibble foods, as well as helping restore health to sick pets with herbal supplements.

Tell us about yourself

I have always been a bit of a health nut. In 2004 our family was sick of being sick all the time. I had 4 small children, and we were always sick. We found a "Raw" diet (for people) and decided to give it a try. We juiced and ate raw foods for 2 years. In those 2 years, I learned so much about the body and how to keep it in optimal health. That raw diet improved our health by 1000%, and we no longer got sick. I personally have not been to a doctor for anything since! That's almost 20 years! We no longer eat a raw diet, but the benefits from those 2 years have paid off tremendously. Not only in the current state of our health(still healthy) but in the knowledge and understanding of health, diet, and the body that came with the learning curve!

Now, how the business started. Around 2009 I wanted to breed a type of dog called a Cane Corso. Like everyone else, I fed them kibble(even though we were eating healthy). One day I had an epiphany...." if there's a healthy diet for people with so many benefits, is there one for dogs?" I Googled and found there was a healthy raw diet for dogs. Well, I found some raw food in my town and started feeding my dogs this raw food. They LOVED it. I did run out one time and had some kibble stuffed in the pantry, fed it, and my girl Sally turned her bowl over, buried the kibble, and looked at me like I had lost it. So, from then on, I fed raw food to my dogs.

By 2018, I had 20 dogs and a successful professional Cane Corso breeding business. I went through a divorce in late 2019 and took the kids and dogs to our new home. I was given the opportunity to take over the raw food distributorship in my area, so I did. I started building the distributorship that was nearly down to nothing, built a website, and began marketing all-in-one raw food packages to my puppy families. My business and market have grown by leaps and bounds each year and, truthfully, are still in their infancy and foundational building stage. I have BIG plans for this business, as we have already helped so many sick pets and pet parents at the end of their ropes. This is more than just a business for me; it is truly rewarding to see a very sick pet go from complete misery to vibrant, happy, and healthy!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment to this point is knowing I could start a business from the ground up and build a rewarding business that financially supports me and helps others. It was not easy; I was divorced, with 5 children in tow, 20 large breed dogs to feed, and less than $2,000 in my pocket. With new rent, bills, and groceries to buy, I was scared to buy a loaf of bread! Yet, I said yes to a failing dog food distributorship. Scared to death, I jumped in and was immediately responsible for $3,000 a month of dog food to sell and an old walk-in commercial freezer to buy, with only an inkling of an idea of how I was going to do it.

I prayed A LOT, and my prayers were answered every single month! Bills got paid, everyone got fed, and I soon had more ideas on where I was going with this business than I had time to initiate. I am still in the foundational building stage, as doing it all on your own is not really a way to 'run' a business, but I have plans for 2023 of hiring and going commercial/retail. Truly a backyard garage 'hobby' business to a full-fledged retail store(s). Until then, I am successfully shipping thousands of pounds of raw dog food from Coast to Coast.

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

The hardest part of being a business owner for me is time management. I am so driven by ideas and the love of building a business that I HAVE to make myself stop and spend time with my family or take time to go visit friends or just take time to do nothing(I am unable to do nothing so that never happens). I just love the process and spend just about every waking hour on it. Other people see me as 'working' all the time, but they don't understand that it's not work for me; I love doing it. I don't need to stay motivated; I just always am. I wake up each day and go through my list of what needs to be accomplished and what new idea to begin or continue developing. That's it; I create what I want and love life creating. What more motivation could I possibly ask for?

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

  1. Find what you love to do. You're probably already doing it but haven't seen it as a 'business.' It doesn't matter if you think there's a 'market' for it; it doesn't matter if no one else is doing it. It doesn't even matter if you know how to make it into a 'business.' What matters the most is your passion for it. If you're passionate about something, you will create a niche for yourself, and the market will tell you what they want. As the saying goes, "Find a need and fill it, I say, create a need and fill it."
  2. Just start. Nothing is accomplished by just thinking about it; you have to take a step forward. When you take the first step into an unfocused, unrefined goal.... the next step appears, and a goal begins its refining process. It's like magic, and it happens every time; take a step, and the next one appears. Before you know it, you're off running with a clear goal in mind. Don't let tech or anything else stop you. You can always learn something new (like building a great website), or thousands of people freelance (like building your website, virtual assistants, graphic designers).
  3. Take an internet marketing course. I took one, it was inexpensive (it only cost me $100), and it helped me with online marketing tremendously. It's one thing to have a product, but it's a whole new ballgame when you can add value to that product and know just a little about how to get it out there. Knowing the little nuances in marketing is well worth the time and money to learn.

That's a start. As you grow, your business grows. I've never taken out a large loan to 'start' a business; it's always grown organically. If you take this approach, you won't be stressed over making the loans, and your creative juices will flow freely. In today's market, everyone is a specialist, and people want specialty items. It's all about your intentions, vision, and plans....and walking them out.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.heavensenthealthypet.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeavenSentHealthyPet
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heavensenthealthypet/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.