We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kareemah Moment a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kareemah, thanks for joining 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.

The pet bakery started as a hobby. I began baking and cooking for my dog Ghost( Mister Finley). Although Ghost has never been a picky dog he suffered from skin allergies and a sensitive stomach. It was a chore finding affordable dog treats and food that wouldn’t trigger Ghost allergies or stomach issues. I have always been very creative and had the attitude I could do anything so I did just that. I researched nutritional facts and recipes then began making dog food. I would prepare Ghost’s meals on a Sunday for the week. Ghost was eating better than me on most days. I wanted to create healthy, tasting and affordable treats for dogs and I have been doing just that for the last five years. I get ideas for new flavors from human favorites like pizza which inspired our 4 inch pizzas and pizza bones. I knew I was on the correct path because of the response I was getting. With the holiday season approaching I’m excited to bring holiday themed treats to the markets.

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 background and context?

Mister Finley started out of love for my dog Ghost. I wanted to find a solution to my dog’s allergy/sensitive stomach problem. I soon realized how therapeutic baking was. After trial and error plus long night of research I began selling treats at Tower Grove Farmers Market. It was at the famers market I was able to make connections while building the brand. I have met so many great people and dogs because of our drool worthy treats. What I most proud of is being able to maintain those connections even during the pandemic. When Im not doing markets or baking Im working as psychiatric nurse and currently in school. I enjoy baking because it allows me to be as creative as I want and I allow Ghost to judge for taste. Mister Finley has tasty treats for both dog and cat. Human and pet tested.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Word of mouth has helped me build my reputation in the pet market. I like to make connections with customers and potential customers. The feedback and every order I receive makes me smile. I really do a happy dance. I’m forever grateful for the support of the Finley Pet family.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

I watch a lot of Eric Thomas videos. His videos help me stay focused and inspired on days I lack motivation. I also enjoy podcasts. Two of my favorite podcast shows are Sarah Jakes Roberts (Woman Evolve) and Slay Girl Slay. These are great listens for business and personal.

Contact Info:

• Website: misterfinleypetbakery.com
• Instagram: misterfinleypetbakery
• Facebook: misterfinleypetbakery
• Twitter: misterfinleypetbakery