We were lucky to catch up with Reggie Carter recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Reggie, thanks for joining us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

Going from idea to execution was where hard work first came into play. An idea without execution is just an idea, and without hard work and discipline you will never accomplish your goals. Taking an idea and turning it into a business takes self motivation, dedication and a strong team. Early mornings, late nights, being laser focused and working around the clock is what it takes to be an entrepreneur. I never take for granite a solid team and Must be Ruff wouldn’t be where it is without every member that’s involved.

Reggie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hi, I’m Reggie Carter and I am the owner of Must be Ruff dog treat bakery. We are based out of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota and are happy to serve our neighboring communities in the Twin Cities.

In early 2021 when I created the company, we had recently welcomed Kirby, a black and tan European Doberman to our family. We wanted Kirby to be healthy and to live her best life and one way to do that was to hand-make all of her treats. Growing up on a farm in Mississippi, I knew that I wanted Kirby to be as healthy as the dogs and animals I was surrounded by as a kid.

So I set out to find a way to make treats that were inexpensive, high-quality and loved by dogs in Minnesota. After sourcing the ingredients, testing new recipes, and hoping for Kirby’s approval, Must be Ruff was born. Thanks to the community, we have been able to bring these treats to thousands of dogs and you can find our treats at the Minnesota State Fair, breweries and farmers markets in the metro area.

How’d you meet your business partner?

Susan Carter is my business partner, wife and forever friend. We have celebrated 10 years of being happily married and she has been with me from the beginning. We started Must be Ruff together and I couldn’t have asked for a better business partner. We met 12 years ago when I first moved to Minnesota from Mississippi. We dated for one year before I proposed to her. When you know you know! Together we have grown leaps and bounds, raised two handsome boys and started a successful gourmet dog treat company!

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Starting a business is never easy, and the hard work that’s required to make it successful is often underestimated. When I started Must be Ruff I was working a full time job, my wife and I have two small children and a 75lb Doberman. To be a successful entrepreneur you have to dedicate 100% of your time and energy to your passion. There isn’t enough time in the day but God has blessed me with a beautiful, supportive family and if it weren’t for them Must be Ruff wouldn’t be where it is today.

Contact Info:

• Website: mustberuff.co
• Instagram: must.beruff
• Facebook: facebook.com/mustberuff

Image Credits
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