We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alexandra Johnson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alexandra, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
Jack and the Pack started because I fell in love with dog-powered sports like bikejoring, canicross, and dogsledding but had a difficult time acquiring the correct gear and learning the basics. My dog Jack and I would try harnesses and they wouldn’t fit right, or we’d waste money on products we didn’t need. There was also a growing interest in the sport, and no one to show beginners how to get started. After coordinating MN’s first Dryland Race in 2021 I knew it was time to open a business to provide equipment and beginner lessons. We opened online in April 2022 and should be opening our storefront by January 2023! Our products are made by trusted brands in the dog sporting world, coming from as far as Norway, and as close as local Minnesota small businesses. We’ve been thrilled with the support and success so far, and have been a vendor at 12 events within Minnesota and Wisconsin. It’s exciting to help so many people and their dogs with proper harness fittings, and training tips, because then they know they’re keeping their dogs safe and healthy. We love attending group runs or races to see everyone utilizing the gear, and encouraging new teams to try this activity.
Alexandra, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is AJ, and I started Jack and the Pack to give dog owners a way to exercise with their dogs, using bikes, scooters, running, and more. I was a teacher for several years, and then in 2017, a good friend introduced me to dog-powered sports. We fell in love, and I helped coordinate MN’s first Dryland Race. It was a success, and I wanted to introduce more people to this activity and provide high-energy dogs with an outlet. Getting started in anything new can be challenging and I wanted to alleviate some of the stress, so I created introductory classes and started offering all the products. This gave people access to everything that had taken me years to understand. There aren’t beginner classes offered anywhere else in the twin cities, and to my knowledge, within Minnesota. It’s exciting to see people grow in the sport, and some even decide to race in the midwest. If you’ve been following our journey, we appreciate the support, and we’re hoping to open our storefront soon. We are also expanding to other dog sports, like agility, disc, flyball, dock diving, nose work, and more, and we would like to be the one-stop-shop in the Twin Cities area.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been told, “No!” in life. As a cis female in her 30’s it’s common for people to underestimate me, but I believe in this business and have already seen steady growth. Getting this business started was nerve-wracking because I wasn’t sure how necessary it would be, or if people would even be interested. Banks, sponsors, and even friends and family were hesitant at times, but they believed that I had enough grit to pull it off. Sometimes it’s difficult for people to embrace newness, and a dog-sporting goods business isn’t the most common endeavor, but we’re so excited to see the local support. We’ve also had customers in Georgia, North Dakota, Iowa, and Wisconsin, so the word is spreading and social media marketing is working. There are a lot of moving pieces in a new business, and what I thought would take a few months, has ended up taking about a year. There’s a huge learning curve, and I’m constantly finding new ways to conduct business that saves time and energy.
Have you ever had to pivot?
For several years I was a teacher in the public school setting. I taught choir for 5th-12th grade students over the years, and while there were many inspiring moments, I had really burnt out by year 5. I felt that if I didn’t change careers, I would be doing a disservice to my students because I wasn’t operating at my own full capacity. I needed to have enough energy to be able to give to others, so I stopped working in public schools and sought out new ways to be a teacher. First I found Outdoor Recreation Education, and that was a blast! Helping people kayak, try archery, and learn wilderness survival was so rewarding, and the best part was I could be outside! However, this career doesn’t quite pay the bills, so I ended up taking a job as a real estate agent in the Twin Cities. This gave me time to figure out my next move. Eventually, I decided to make my hobby in dog sports a career, and I haven’t looked back. I still get to teach, enjoy nature, stay active, and play with my dogs! There’s nothing better, and I will be forever grateful to everyone who helped me find my passion.
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Patty Salls Lisa Peterson