We were lucky to catch up with Rachel Meyer recently and have shared our conversation below.
Rachel, appreciate you joining us today. So, one thing many business owners consider is donating a percentage of sales or profits to an organization or cause. We’d love to hear your thoughts and the story behind how and why you chose the cause or organization you donate to.
Our story began when we adopted a puppy at the beginning of the pandemic. He was anxious and picky eater, so I started making treats for him using the same superfoods and adaptogens I use regularly in my own wellness routine. Carnaby loved the treats so much I started sharing them with the neighborhood dogs and selling them a local market. One thing led to another and Botanical Bones was born. Because this business would note exist without the amazing work that local shelters do to save animals in need we decided to donate $1 for every pack of treats sold to animal rescue. Giving back and saving animals is an important part of our mission.
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
A big part of my identity is being a momtrepreneur. I have 7.5 year old kiddo named Joel and of course our 3.5 year old pup, Carnaby. Prior to having kids I worked in marketing and brand strategy. After my baby was born I stopped working to stay home and spend time with him for what I thought would be about 1 year. The more time went by the more I felt irrelevant as a marketing professional. I had a lot of anxiety about who would hire me when it was time to look for a job. Suddenly 4 years went by in a flash and the pandemic hit.
I always had the entrepreneurial itch, so everything fell into place when we adopted Carnaby, sparking my idea for Botanical Bones. My fears around needing to go get a job were put to bed when I created my own business. I was able to really lean on my marketing marketing to build a vision behind the brand. Even though I know that my passion and creativity played a role, it was the community of fans who fell in love with our treats that really deserve the credit for where Botanical Bones is today!
Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?
A bootstrapped the business and went very slowly in the beginning. I developed all the recipes at our kitchen at home. When we started selling I worked out of commissary kitchens where I didn’t have to commit and could pay by the hour. Keeping overhead low was essential in those early days. I had to hire someone to help me make the treats because we were hand-cutting and the process was very labor intensive. I knew we were losing money on every pack with this process but it helped us to prove out the concept and make sure there was a market for the product. Once I had regular sales, my husband and I put some family money into the initial packaging design. I found a machine to help speed up our process and scale the business. In the Spring of 2022 we applied for a local grant and won $50K to put towards building out our own facility. CPG businesses are extremely capital intensive so growth requires regular cash injections. We are at the point where we are now looking for an angel investor to help us scale up!
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
social media :)
Contact Info:
- Website: botanicalbones.com
- Instagram: botanicalbonesco
Image Credits
@rosieandpennyy @maedayoutpost @oreoloveslola