We were lucky to catch up with Mai Tran recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Mai, thanks for joining us today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

I started Cavology when I was searching for accessories for my own dogs and saw something was lacking. Rope leashes were getting very popular in 2017 and I couldn’t find exactly the ones I wanted to use. I did some research, purchased some materials and started dyeing and assembling leashes in my tiny kitchen condo. From there we slowly expanded our product offering to harnesses, leashes, collars, human apparel, dog-friendly candles, dog shampoo bars. We offer accessories that are fashionable and functional, designed with the modern dog parent in mind. Everything that Cavology offers is something I would personally use on my dogs.

The biggest decision was to leave my stable lawyer job to focus 100% of my time to the business.

I took the leap and it’s been the best decision.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Cavology was inspired by my two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Herky and Milton. The brand is “the study of unconditional love”. I am just a dog mom that loves her dogs and whose dogs inspire her to create incredible, unique products for other dog parents.

I guess you could say Cavology is a social media brand. Back in 2018, it was easier to set yourself apart because there was less competition. Today, we see new brands left and right, all doing amazing and unique things themselves. It gets harder to differentiate yourself and stand out from the lot of amazingness. I also feel like consumer trends have changed since then with the pandemic and economic times. We face different challenges every day and running a business is a learning curve. There are days when I just want to fold and think “wow, I cannot do this.”
But what’s important is remember to take one day and one challenge at a time. I have also learned to set realistic expectations for myself.
Once you overcome a challenge you can look back and says “I survived that.”

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

Cavology is a social media-born brand and community has always been its main priority. We stay connected to our customers through Instagram and post on there daily. Every quarter, we revise strategies to engage with followers more and ultimately get them to the mailing list where we convert the most to sales.

As a consumer myself, I understand the buying trends and try to cater to that. When social media trends and buyer tendencies change, your business strategies also have to change.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I just outgrew my condo and had to get a bigger space. It’s such a scary decision to make because of the added expenses of a warehouse. But once you do it, you look back and think “how did I ever live in that space?”

The big decisions in business are hard but you always know when it’s necessary.

Separating your living space to your workspace is a good step for your mental health also. It allows you to separate personal life to work life and you can disconnect when you want to.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.cavology.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cavologybrand
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cavology
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mai-tran-741844115?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Cavology-brand