Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Marisa Garza. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Marisa, thanks for joining us today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?
With the various name ideas that I was brainstorming, Simply Pawsitive spread the word easily as we encourage everyone to stay positive. We believe that our puppies/cats help us stay positive and easily brighten our days. So to give back, we create natural and healthy treats, care products, and fun accessories to spoil your Fur-baby with. Our name comes from the kind of business we pride ourselves to be – A Pet Brand that uses very limited ‘simple’ but high quality ingredients and products that will leave a “PAWsitive” impact on all furbabies!
Marisa, 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?
Hi my name is Marisa, a 22 year old entrepreneur who enjoys traveling, discovering new places and spend time with family and friends. My favorite thing to do is being at home with my dog and cat, Sienna and Sassy. Animals are truly the best companion anyone can ask for. I’ve been a pet lover ever since I was younger so creating Simply Pawsitive, my company, has become a dream come true.
I originally got into the Pet Industry during 2020, the most challenged year for everyone, because I noticed there was a dramatic increase in pet owners that year due to the pandemic, many of us were forced to stay home. Being home for 3 months straight not working, I was spending all of my time at home with my furbaby Sienna. I took the idea and thought about what I could do to bind my love for animals and the passion to become my own boss? That is when Simply Pawistive was born, a Pet Brand that specializes in home-made Natural Pet Products and Accessories. I’ve always been a do-it-yourself person so being able to create safe home-made products for mine and other furbabies is amazing to me. I’ve always been cautious in what I feed my furbaby and it blows my mind into what was being labeled as safe on the shelves, but in reality, was not. I think
everyone should invest and be careful with our animals to make sure they’re here a little longer with us. What makes us different from other brands is that we use simple and limited ingredients in all recipes while leaving a positive impact on our pets, the simpler the better.
We want to ensure customers excellent quality and that they don’t have to worry about harmful elements when shopping with Simply Pawsitive, to earn a safe dog brand is the goal. Our pets are the new kids, so we know that even dogs and cats need to get their nutrients in one way or another. Fresh fruit, vegetables and protein is what we normally add into our treats/cakes, we want all furbabies to be healthy and flourishing while growing. Our best seller accessory, Reversible Pet Bandanas, is made with high quality fabric and we add snaps on the ends to easily put on your dog or cat. Which we found is the most convenient for our customers, was the easy but adjustable application. I love receiving pet selfies with our pet gear, they all look adorable! We are currently in the middle of upgrading our CBD Pet Line to help relax your furbaby naturally with a yummy treat, a top seller at the moment.
Im very proud of how I managed to stay consistent and willing to learn more about my business/industry every day and not give up when I feel discouraged. I was never the one to stick to one thing but starting a business takes discipline, it taught me to stay humble, look at life in different perspectives and to never stop educating or investing in myself. My dream became a reality and I couldn’t feel happier to keep doing what I love. As I begin my third year as an entrepreneur, I have learned that random people become your greatest fans. The amount of people who look up to me and support me is the reason why I continue. The feeling I get when people recommend my products and services to others is amazing. It truly means the world to a small business owner that people genuinely love what I create. We are determined to expand our brand and continue to enhance quality in all areas. i want future customers to know that our products are made with love and we promise to value you and your furbabies needs and wants.
Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.
Recently my side hustle has transitioned into a full time business. The beginning of 2020 was the year I set a goal to start a business and earn extra income and in November, Simply Pawsitive was founded. I was determined to make a difference in my life, being a 19 year old college student not knowing what she wanted for herself but knew she did not want to work for anyone. After the pandemic, I decided to quit college because online classes were difficult for me and I had no interest in finishing since my side hustle and part-time job was consuming all my time. Sometimes, I do wish I completed but I believe everything happens for a reason. End of 2020 I showcased my products at a free pop up market and was out of my comfort zone for the first time. That was the beginning of my milestones because I was never the type to put myself out there. Joining these markets became so fun to me, it did not feel like work andI wanted to join them every weekend. Around that time I was working at Planet Fitness and my schedule was no longer flexible, they were requiring me to work weekends but events were being held those same days. I was willing to quit that job on the spot but realizing that was not the smartest idea financially. Realistically, I had no idea what I was doing but I knew I was meant to be my own boss because I would rather work on my own business on the weekends than there. I decided to find a different job that was better suited for me and I did. I started working at a nutrition spot, became a distributor for Herbal Life and was making 3 sources of income. After being employed there for almost 2 years, I decided recently that Simply Pawistive is my priority. I want to use all my time to learn my industry more and do my best to improve my products, marketing skills, time management, future collaborations, etc. My goal is to keep Simply Pawsitive growing and add more exposure in the Pet Industry, it is a lot of work but I am willing to learn. I want become financially independent, create a successful business, teach others that everything great takes time and to enjoy life. Surrounding yourself with like-minded people makes a difference, staying consistent, understanding yourself and being patient is key. Some milestones was the friendships that were made, getting known in the Houston area, being referred to magazines articles, building my own community and so much more. My goal is to open a pet shop/bakery, increase traffic on my website and of course keep your furbabies spoiled with our homemade products and accessories. I did not expect all of this to happen in less than 3 years but I’m grateful to have the support and help that I get. It truly takes a village to create something spectacular!
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
Simply Pawsitive is not the only company that I own, Boss Babes Empower was created in 2021. The most crazy idea I had was to start a second business on top of everything I was juggling. I became a marketing coordinator hosting an Women Owned Market, as I mentioned I was participating in many markets and I thought they were so fun that I wanted to start my own. Living in a small town I first felt the need to stay in the Houston area to vend at events because it was common but I wanted to bring that to my side of town, Baytown, Tx. I admire every small business owner I meet and respect the effort they pour into their business, it is not easy taking the risk of being self employed or putting themselves out there. I made an observation that majority of them were women owned/ran. That is when I decided I wanted to create a unforgettable Women’s Market to help them gain more exposure to their businesses and hopefully to inspire others to start something of their own or just make extra income. Our first market went better than I imagined but I realized I couldn’t do all this alone. I immediately asked my cousin Melanie Castillo to join me, she is self employed and has a background of business management so I knew she was the perfect business partner. We are now going on our second year and we have learned so much along the way and have grown tremendously. Our different backgrounds compliment each other and I believe that is why our business has been growing, two minds are better than one! She has brought many great ideas, like creating a Boss Babes Empower Scholarship for young entrepreneurs to jump start their future business. Our goal is to keep growing the Small Business Community, we want to support all Boss Babes.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.simplypawsitivellc.biz
- Instagram: @simplypawsitivellc
- Facebook: @simplypawsitivellc
- Other: https://linktr.ee/simplypawsitive