We recently connected with Denise Clifton and have shared our conversation below.

Denise, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

Business to me is art in action. I am a very creative, passionate multi-faceted, and idealistic person with a strong drive to use my time here on the planet to make a difference. Growing up I knew that a traditional job would feel suffocating and unfulfilling. A career that required years of additional time spent in college, also was unappealing to me. At 18 I was in a hurry to begin living and experiencing life as an adult, and more school was simply repelling to me.

I entered the workforce my senior year in high school and by the time I was 23 I had developed a knack for retail. I enjoyed creating an inviting atmosphere for guests. I enjoyed interacting with lots of different walks of life. I liked that retail offered me an outlet for my creativity in endless ways through displays, graphic design, writing articles, you name it. What I was grappling with was the fact that traditional retail had absolutely no soul! I could not see how selling women beautiful clothing was going to pave a path for me to make a difference in the world.

So I made the decision to be open to a new opportunity. The next thing I know, one of my friends reaches out to me,to see if I would be open to interviewing for a job with her company, a small chain of 5 pet nutrition stores. I followed my intuition that this door opening was not a coincidence. I met with the owner and we instantly hit it off. I joined the company and first day of training I was taught how to read pet food labels. That day changed my life. I learned that there were abominable ingredients that are legally being used in pet food, and I was stunned. I could not believe what I was learning. And all I could think about is how I had trusted those commercials and fell for those pretty marketing ploys. I was dooped along with most of the pet loving community. That day ignited a passion within me that has given me the purpose I was looking for.

A year later the owners decided to sell off their pet stores and immediately I knew it was my opportunity to own my very own retail business. My own creative platform to educate, inspire, empower, and co-create a neighborhood space that feels like home to all that enjoy time there, especially the pets.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Since the day we opened in 2005, we have helped tens of thousands of pet families feel good about the foods they feed their pets. We have a highly curated selection of brands that are made by micro and small companies that honor the importance of good stewardship.

Our team members are highly versed and trained in pet nutrition and are able to help you source solutions to common ailments through food, herbs and other natural remedies

We offer local delivery through our website or via phone, and we will be launching a selection of our favorite items to be available for national shipping in Spring/Summer 2022..

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Word of mouth has always been such an integral piece of my business growth.

I believe each customer that walks through my doors is a guest in my home. And I will not have any guest in my home feel anything less than warm, safe, seen, and glad they decided to visit. It is this energetic attentiveness that I believe has really driven the ardent level of referral and recommendation we receive by our community.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

The customer is always right.

That little insidious adage is so toxic and enabling. As a retailer, if I allowed every customer to tell me how to run my business, I would be out of business.

Set yourself up for success by making your boundaries with customers clear and in writing, posted in very visible places so that you are empowered to enforce your policies if you need to.

Contact Info:

• Website: pupologie
• Instagram: @denisecliftonofficial

Image Credits
Xenia Mateiu