Interview with Janine of Pussy and Pooch

hello i'm jan mccarthy and you're listening to the life of an entrepreneur coming to you from skid row studios.com in downtown los angeles and i want to thank all of you for tuning in we are here every tuesday at 11 a.m at pacific standard time on skid row.com and skid row studios.com and this is real radio on the internet and my show is dedicated to entrepreneurs i'll be sharing business tips and various topics and talking with other entrepreneurs about uh what they're doing and and how they made it happen i'm an entrepreneur i'm founder of entrepreneurial voice i'm also an artist and a professor and a designer and tv host and writer and i've got my fingers in all kinds of different things and i also have the franchise for ladies who launch of los angeles and orange county and i'm the partner for crave la and i'm very excited to be here today because we're going to be talking with janine who is the founder president and pet petrepreneur of pussy and pooch pet house and pet bar and we'll also be talking about standing out so welcome janine i'm so happy to have you here with us today thanks for having me jen so standing out that's a great subject that all entrepreneurs need to be aware of and uh what does it take to stand out in today's marketplace and i think uh you are a you're a master at many things and that's one of the things that i think you've really done is stand out and stand out in the marketplace and i think the best way to stand out is to stand out generally meaning generally meaning generally meaning generally meaning generally meaning generally meaning generally meaning generally generally meaning generally meaning generally meaning generally Pooch, Pet House, Pet Bar. So how did you come up with that name? Pet House and Paw Bar. And Paw Bar. Yes. Sorry. It's our claim to fame. Yes. In fact, I think you told me one time that you actually have that trademark too, right? Yes. Yes. Paw Bar. Sorry. I don't have my glasses on. That's okay. The name came about primarily because I'm really more of a cat person than a dog person historically. And so there's a huge void in the marketplace for really awesome cat products. And when the idea came about to actually do the store and started thinking of concepts, obviously picking your name is almost as important as picking your location, right? Right. And how many ways can you creatively say cat and dog that hasn't already been done? And one of the main reasons why we created Pussy and Pooch was to create an amenity for the downtown community. Really no other reason. We didn't aspire to be in the pet industry per se. It was really about creating an amenity for downtown LA. And so taking a look at the area and kind of knowing who our target demographic was, we really kind of thought we could stick with something that was edgier. And if you look back through the decades, Pussycat was never a naughty thing. And so we always tell people to just get your mind out of the gutter. But we do have a lot of fun with cheeky little descriptors for things, of course, you know, taking our cue from the Pussy and the Pussy and Pooch. But that was really sort of the origination of it was that we really wanted cat and dog to have equal emphasis. We wanted to create something that was different and on the edge, out of the box, and something that would speak to our customers. Well, I think that you really touched on something that's so important for every entrepreneur to to know, and that is to know your audience, know who your customer is. But before we talk about that a little bit more, I want to make sure that our listeners know that there's a phone number that they can call in if they have questions for you or me. And that number is 1-800-893-9562. And if you'd like to talk to Janine and you have a question for her or myself, Jan, then please give us a call. Again, 1-800-893-9562. So that is really important that you understood who your customer was, that you could use a name like that and not be completely run out of town. Because if you'd tried this in a suburb. Or Ohio, where I'm from. Or Ohio, you probably would have been closed down before you even got started. Yeah, my best friend there, she was just pleading with me. You are smart, I know you're a businesswoman, you're so creative. Please, please do not pick that name. You're making the biggest mistake. And I just was like, no, I have to trust my gut on this. I'm convinced that it's going to be amazing. Well, you know, that actually is one of the questions that I had for you. And it was, it is, what do you say to the naysayers? And so I really appreciate and admire that you had this confidence to say, you're a businesswoman, you're a businesswoman, you're a businesswoman. I have great instinct about this. I know that this and really believe that this will work. And so what did you say to her? Well, other than insisting that I knew better than she did. And you know, she's living in Ohio, and I'm in LA. And if you know, anything was to work anywhere, you know, it would be in LA. And to just trust me. You know, I think that I don't necessarily think that I was always meant to be an entrepreneur. I think that I was meant to be an entrepreneur as much as a visionary. So to me, that's a slight differentiation kind of a thing. Like entrepreneurs are very much about creating something and contributing something and all that. But to me, it's not, it's much more than just working for myself. It's about creating something bigger, that's to be enjoyed by a lot of people. And to be able to do that, you have to be a certain level of visionary in order to foresee how something could be different, better, more special. And I think that's a really important thing. And I think that's the meaning behind the meaning meaning meaning meaning meaning meaning meaning meaning It really embodies the standing out. Your name stands out. People don't forget it. Almost everyone has heard that I've ever talked to for downtown has heard of your store. And I think that was really smart business. We talked last week about whether entrepreneurs are born or whether they're made. What do you think? I think they're definitely born. Okay. Especially for the visionary part of it because not everybody has that skill to be able to look at something and say, I can make that 100 times better just by tweaking something. And I think that's what we did for the pet industry. I mean, for sure for downtown L.A. and the retail scene and within the community, but also for the pet industry. We really set ourselves up to create a pet lifestyle experience with our stores and with our brand. And I think that's part of why we're successful. Why don't you go ahead and tell everyone how they can look up your store? Store online and get more information about it, too, by the way. Well, Jen, we actually rank number one for Pussy Los Angeles. Which is, we have quite the list of search terms, let me tell you. But other than that, I guess, you can find us directly at our website, which is pussyandpooch.com. And you can also find us on Twitter at Pussy and Pooch. We're on Instagram. Pussy and Pooch. And Facebook as well, Pussy and Pooch. We've definitely got the social media going there. So you are really quite a pioneer. And whenever you all opened up your location in downtown Los Angeles, I'm sure that you did all of your studies and you knew that most everybody downtown has a dog or a cat. But that's still not necessarily enough to guarantee that you're going to be successful. And you opened up in a new... Not an unusual, but not a part of town that was actually the hippest yet or where you felt the most safe. And I'm sure that you had naysayers for that, too. Like, why that location? For sure. And yet now... Still do. Now it's really pretty thriving down where you are. So what made you decide to go with that location? How did... I mean, I'm sure that you had a vision. You had a vision with that, too. But I admired that as well, that you were such a pioneer in that area and also helped to kind of put you on the map, too, and put that area on the map. For sure. For sure. That corner was not activated at all at the point at which we moved in. But again, I moved here from Cleveland, Ohio, 17 years ago last month and came to go to school at FITM. And really have been in and around the downtown area for 17 years, whether going to school, working, and or living in. I've really been down here for a very long time. And so I've seen the tremendous amount of changes that were taking place, which is kind of what gave me the idea that at some point that there needed to be a store like this to cater to people such as myself and the other pet-owning people in the city. And I lost my train of thought. Well, why you picked that location. I mean, the fact that you were a pioneer with that. Yes. And so having seen the changes and knowing what was going on, at the time at which the idea for the store was hatched, I was living at 4th and Main, which notoriously had been one of the worst corners in all of downtown. And so because of the old bank district and them being able to turn that corner, I started to turn my attention further down the street to 6th and Main, where there was nothing going on. And that space there in the Santa Fe building just really spoke to me because it had a built-in patio. So part of what the idea or the vision was for Pussy and Pooch from the very beginning was definitely to create that interactive experience, that pet lifestyle experience, where I wanted it to be a hangout place where the pet community could come and we could be a resource for them. So having that built-in patio that was elevated off of the sidewalk that provided sort of a safe space for our socials, for adoptions, and just in general for people to sit outside on the patio and enjoy a beverage or a drink or whatever. And so I was able to do that. I didn't have to go to the pet store or some computer time or time reading a book with their animal. It was just at the time there weren't many patio places in downtown. So I just knew that that, other than being a corner location, which usually most people desire, it had that really unique characteristic. So I was just, I was locked in on it. Like I refused to consider any other space. Great. So you really had a vision of what you wanted your store to be like, how you anticipated your customers interacting with you, and that's what drove you to select a location that would accommodate all of those? Exactly. And then the other thing too is that we're right in the midst of Gallery Row. And from the very beginning, I mean, my husband and I were one of the first people attending Art Walk way back in the day before it was thousands and thousands of people. And so when we opened the store, we had a section of it at the time that we hadn't built out that was a mixed-use space that we used for training classes and parties. And it functioned as a gallery for a year and a half. And so again, we knew that right from the very beginning. Like the month that we opened, we opened with an art show in that back space and had several successful shows and sold lots of animal-themed artwork. And again, I think that was a, you know, a unique thing about us and part of also what created that lifestyle experience. Yeah, great. Now you've been open almost six years now, right? It'll be six years in December. Congratulations. Thank you. So what would you say is the, I guess, what made you even decide that you wanted to become an entrepreneur? Did you just graduate college and say, this is what I want to do? No, no, no. I had been working at FITM for a very long time, and I love the place dearly. And I just was ready for a bigger opportunity. That just wasn't available at that time. I had been working in the marketing department for quite some time and just was really ready for my big thing. And so sometimes to get that big thing, you need to go and do something else first. Right. That's kind of always been in the back of my head is that I needed to go do something else first and then come back with a different set of skills and experience that might make that bigger thing happen at some point. But obviously the store is totally taken off, you know, and three locations and more to come coming. You know, I don't know, you know, if there is yet one more career path for me in my life, or if this is still very young. You never know. But, but I, you know, from the moment we opened, I've had my hands full with all sorts of goodness that keeps falling out of the sky. And we do feel very blessed and we're very humbled. And we're just very inspired by all the relationships that we've had. All the relationships that we've made with our neighbors and, you know, new people that we're meeting and it's kind of like children, right? So when people come in with their new little one, you know, we watch that new little one grow up and sometimes they move away and sad and sometimes they come back and sometimes they get a new one. And so we develop relationships with all these people and how much we have helped or improved their lives in some way is what continues to drive us. So again, it's not that we aspire to be in the pet store. We're not in the pet industry per se. We just wanted to create something for downtown and then decided to combine something that we loved with what downtown needed. And the whole thing just blew up and became amazing. Which is really incredible and a lot of entrepreneurs don't always think that way. No, they do not. You know, they just think of kind of what is this thing that's going to make me money or... Absolutely. Or just go with something that they're very, very passionate about, which you were very passionate about your pets. And the lack of... Well, that and I think creating something because I am a creative person. So much like yourself, I have always had my hand or my fingers in different pots. And so for me, enjoying this whole process of creating something and being my own creator has been probably some of the most rewarding aspects of the whole experience. How has it evolved? So when you first had this idea that this is what we want to do and I'm sure there were naysayers in... Maybe not in your concept, but maybe in your location or in your name or that kind of thing. How has it evolved from how you originally envisioned it to where it is now six years later? Oh, I don't know. I mean, we've all had like a really solid plan. Like it was two plus years in the making. So like to your earlier point, you know, some entrepreneurs are just interested in making money and just doing whatever. I'm a firm believer you only go into business if you're really able to do something different or better. Otherwise, in my opinion, don't bother because... Great advice. You're not contributing anything unique and wonderful to the world. So that said, we had a very solid plan of what we wanted to do. In fact, when I look back on it, I haven't been able to do all the things because I don't have enough time. That's my biggest challenge as an entrepreneur is the time management aspect. But sometimes things just do take time. Like for example, this October, we're finally launching a promotion that hatched in my brain in 2008, which is barking for boobs. So breast cancer awareness being in October totally conflicts with Halloween. And Halloween is one of the biggest opportunities in the pet industry to make money and to have a really good time hosting events and the merchandise and it kicks off the holiday season, all that. So in wanting to also do good for the community and to do something with breast cancer, which has nothing to do with animals, but how can we incorporate animals and do something for the community? So we always had this idea to do some kind of a fundraiser. Never had five seconds to pull it off. Well, this year we finally said, you know what? We're just going to do a simple dog cookie. So in partnership with our neighbors at Semi Sweet Bakery, we had them create a little pair of boobs that's a dog cookie. And 100% of the proceeds go to benefit Keep A Breast Foundation. But honestly, if you go back and you look at my little note book, you see my little logo for the little promotion and the ideas all sketched out of what we wanted to do. So sometimes it just takes a while, but we've been chipping away at that list a little by little. Well, I think what I really noticed about what you're saying too is that you had a really solid plan and not that things might not vary or things might not work out, but you had a really solid plan and you didn't rush it. You said it was two and a half years in the making. And a lot of times, sometimes when entrepreneurs get an idea, they can't wait to go and execute it as soon as possible and maybe miss a few things. So really sitting down and thinking very clearly about what that long-term plan is and not just that immediate plan is very helpful. Well, and that's I think where the strength of my husband comes in, who's my partner on this, is that we complement each other quite nicely. So his background is, you know, finance, and accounting, and all the boring things that I'm not good at or don't have an interest in. And I do all the creative. And then where we overlap is in the marketing. And so he is creative as well, but it's more so in the marketing aspect of it. So I come up with all these ideas and then he figures out how to make them work. So we're a good pair that way. And that's where the long-range planning comes in. You know, if somebody was to come over and look at our home office and look at all of our spreadsheets and our documents and our meeting notes, it would make anybody's head turn, especially if you're a creative person, because it's just not fun. But it keeps us on track with what we're trying to do. And yes, it's an ever-evolving plan as well. Well, I've always said that I think you're a marketing genius, and I've always been impressed with all of the marketing strategies that you've had and how you've executed them and implemented them so successfully. But you bring up an important point, that it's really good to know what your strengths are and to capitalize on those. And knowing that your biggest strengths are the creativity, and it certainly shows in your store and in all of your marketing materials, and also that you're really great at marketing. And like you said, you went and got experience and skills, even working at FIDM when you did. And then having a partner. Partner is important. Now, I don't know that you had much choice in that matter, but you might could have gone out to her and looked for a different partner in business. And that's even another subject about how that could probably be a whole radio show of how do you work with your husband in business. But you also recognize what his strengths are too, and yet sometimes you wear the same hat. Now, did you always have, in mind that you wanted to expand the store? I mean, originally you thought downtown. Was it always in your game plan? No, not at all. I mean, we just, you know, taking it day by day and doing our thing and trying to do as much as we could. And, you know, through Art Walk and through meeting a great customer who was living in the Long Beach area, she was the one who was, you know, really singing the praises of the area and how pet friendly it was. And, oh, they need a pussy and pooch. I mean, literally, there's not a week that goes by that we don't get an email from somebody saying, oh, I have to have a pussy and pooch here. I have to have one here. Can you make one here? And, you know, so that's obviously awesome and flattering. And so we were kind of like, oh, well, we should probably go to the west side. And it's just the timing and the opportunity just presented itself. And so although we had considered if we were to expand, the west side seemed most natural. We decided to go the Long Beach route because it's kind of the underdog. It is part of L.A. County, but it's often forgot. People lump it together with Orange County. It's really not that far away. And surprisingly, there's a lot of overlap between downtown L.A. and Long Beach with people either living and working in one and then commuting to the other. And so we were very surprised when we opened our second location in 2009 in Belmont Shore area of Long Beach. That we actually had people who've been shopping in both. Wow, has it been that long? It has. So we're celebrating four years this week. Yesterday, I think, October 7th, I think, was the day we opened in 2009. Congratulations. Thank you. And so we had originally considered the downtown Long Beach area, you know, the same kind of a concept as the downtown L.A. It was developing. The people who live there kind of fit a similar demographic. Ultimately, we passed on it at the time in favor of Belmont Shore because it was more established. And just earlier this year, in April, we opened a third mini location that's just focused only on food and supplies in the downtown Long Beach area. That's great. Now, so it's really taking, because your store, for our listeners, why don't you tell them a little bit about what you do. I mean, not only do you have, I had a loss for words. Awesome stuff. Awesome stuff. Yes, you do have awesome stuff. You have toys and you have beds and you have clothes and you have leashes and you have collars and all of those things. And then you added food and you also have, my pet is no longer, so I haven't been there in a little while, but a place where you can, you know, a place for you to come and wash your pet and things like that. So what are some of all the things that you offer? And that evolved over time that you didn't open it with that originally. Oh, yeah, we did. With all the food? All of it. Oh, yeah. Okay, I guess I didn't remember because you've got a whole section for food now. You've certainly expanded that. Yes, I mean, that just, that goes back to the planning and analyzing where the need is and adjusting your business accordingly. So the space was kind of interesting. We took a double space. And so the front space was fully built out and was the quote unquote boutique part of it. And the second half of it with the mixed use space with the gallery was in the back and it was kind of more industrial chic. And that also had the self-serve pet wash area. And so as we, you know, started going on, there was more and more of a demand for full service grooming. So little by little, we started offering that service and eventually did a small renovation in the back to, I think, accommodate the full service grooming. And in doing that, the food sales had totally jumped off. And we basically, our whole strategy has always been about trying to just have everything on the floor and not a lot in back stock. And we sold so much food that our back stock section was bigger than the front. So we had to do something about that. So the beautiful gallery space that we had, we basically turned that into the meat market. And so people, when they saw it, were thought, oh, you didn't used to have all this. Well, no, we did. It was just behind a wall. We didn't see it. It was in our stock room. We were constantly filling it like little elves because the way we built the store out initially, you know, we just took a more conservative approach of how much food and supplies we needed at the time. And as downtown has grown, we've grown with it. We offer, you know, over two dozen brands of traditional pet food, alternative diets, raw diets, tons of, you know, tons of supplements and vitamins. We're very nutrition and health conscious. And we advocate for natural diets wherever possible. So the food and the nutrition has always been a huge part of what we do. It just now, it actually looks like it versus way back in 2007. Well, you did have one unique thing that really helped you to stand out too, apart from other pet stores. Ah, the paw bar. From other pet stores. And I know when my dog was alive, he certainly enjoyed it. Let's talk a little bit about the paw bar and how you conceived that and just how, what it is. Well, it was conceived right in the same conversation that Pussy and Pooch, the name, was conceived. And we had started brainstorming about all the things we could do and that we would carry and that were important to us. And with nutrition being very important to us, we had recently, um, uh, started doing a raw food diet with our animals. And it was increasingly difficult to find. You had to drive to one side of town or another to find it. And when it was there, nobody could tell you about it. And if you do your research, there's lots of different ways to go about it. There's not a one-size-fits-all solution for that. And so, we kind of came up with this idea that, you know, how do we get more people to learn and understand the awesome benefits of what this provides? And in an unintimidating kind of way. And so, we came up with this idea to create the Paw Bar, a little like a sushi raw bar. And, uh, so the idea was you can see it, smell it, try it before you buy it. In addition to it being a social experience. And in addition to it being a nutritional tool. So, it's for sampling, it's for interaction, and, um, it really is the place to go to learn about how to feed your pets the best diet. And it has just been amazing. It's, I think it's incredible in terms of, uh, just the food looks amazing, like something that we would want to eat. I mean, the presentation is awesome. You even have dog beer, I think? Yeah, we have dog beer. We have organic frozen yogurt. Um, we've gone through, you know, several different types of fresh prepared diets. Um, we have the raw food diets. Um, we sometimes have special things that we actually make, like dog sushi. Uh, I've made liver, uh, cat cakes before for some of our socials. So, I've actually made liver cake at home, but made it into cute little cupcakes for cats. So, most of the things are things that we sell in the store, but then we plate it and present it in such a way just to make it special. And, uh, and then, uh, some of the things I've prepared at home and actually brought in. So, it's just kind of a combination. But it's a lot of fun, and it's gotten us a lot of attention in the media and worldwide because it is truly something that we've invented. And we didn't, I mean, at the time we thought it was awesome, and, you know, we didn't realize we were actually inventing something. I mean, other than taking the precautions to trademark the name, um, you know, we didn't know how awesome it was going to be. Yeah. I'd like to remind our listeners that if you'd like to call in and talk to Janine and have any questions for her or myself, Jan, the number's 1-800-893-9562. And we'd love to hear from you if you have any questions. So, give us a call. Um, so going back to the, the PAW Bar, you have social events. Can you tell us a little bit about that? We have been told that we have more social events than some nightclubs. Especially now with relocations, we literally have an event a week, which is crazy to keep up with. Since the very beginning, we started something that's called a Mutt Mingle, which is a monthly social slash happy hour, yappy hour, however you like to refer to it. And it's really an opportunity for the owners to get together with their dogs, let the dogs run around off leash, have some cocktails or not, and, you know, have a snack and just be social. You know, before downtown was what it is right now. I mean, there definitely were no parks to go to. There were no parks to go to. There wasn't much you could do. You weren't really meeting people on the street. You know, the residents would sometimes meet each other in their building if they were lucky enough to have a dog run. But that was usually the extent of it. So these social events have really become an outlet for the community to get together. And we put our creative spin on it, and we make it fun, so that it's not just the same old wine and cheese, beer and chips. Like, we do it right. Like, we have fun, we have different themes that have to either do with the holidays or crazy made up holidays like International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day. We did a tea party, a tea and biscuit party. And one of the years I even dressed up in an Alice in Wonderland costume when the movie came out and we raffled off tickets to the movie. So we really just, we try to make it as much fun for the humans as well as the animals. Like, the dogs don't know the difference, obviously. But as a creative person, I know the difference. For those who really believe their pets are their children, they may beg to differ. I don't know. I think the dogs really enjoy it. They seem to always have a good time. Oh, for sure. They do. Because they run around and they make friends. And it's, you know, it's a clean, very well smelling place. It's a safe place. It's a very different experience than going to the dog park and running around. And it's pleasant for the humans to hang out, you know. And that's why we do so much to cater to them as much as to the animals, because we want them to feel comfortable. And a couple of years ago, we started to do the cat socials called Meow Mingles. So it's the same like a Mutt Mingle, but you bring your cat. So we've had cats come in carriers, in strollers, in slings, and in people's arms, although we don't recommend that. And we've had as many as 20 something cats all socializing in the store at the same time. Wow. Which is kind of a feat. And people, you know, cats are known as being antisocial and whatnot, which is, true to a certain extent. But it's partially because they've never really been given the opportunity to see anything outside of the house, except for a scary vet appointment. And, you know, this is neutral territory for all of them. And so they really just are kind of a little bit uncomfortable, but it's kind of good for them to break them out of their shell. So some of them adjust very well and are very social. Some are shy and kind of nervous. And the best part is, is that the humans are actually in some instances much more social than the dog owners, which was something I found very surprising. They came at the beginning of the mingle. They stayed until the end. They conversated with everybody. They pet everybody's cats. You know, they were a really great group of people. That's really interesting. And I hadn't thought about that, about cats not being as social. I mean, I know that... Because they're territorial. Yeah. That's really neat that you're doing that. I love that. That's great. That must have been quite the picture seeing 20 cats. Oh, I... Well, you know, being... You must have been in heaven. Oh, I was completely in heaven. Yeah, no, it was awesome. So we're always looking to do really unique, creative things. I mean, we've had, you know, live music sets. We've had book signings. We do adoptions. We've had fashion shows. All sorts of things. I love how creative you are. And I love that you are so true to your brand. When you talked about your store being a lifestyle, and you've really incorporated everything into that by creating these outlets that allow the pet owners to get to know each other, to understand each other. I mean, you think about how many, like for parents of children, human children, they have all of those outlets to join baby groups and mommy and me groups and are able to exchange information and just feel that kinship with like-minded people who have the same kind of problems and concerns that they have. And you're creating that environment for them. And I'm sure that it translates into your bottom line. And it also really helps to build your brand and helps you to build those relationships with your customers. Right. The relationships are the number one thing. We see those events not as sales events, but as... relationship building and customer retention or customer appreciation. So, you know, and it's like some don't hardly cost anything. Some, I put a lot more effort into it, like the holiday ones, you know, and I custom make all the decorations and I make swag bags. And, you know, we had pictures with Santa last year and, you know, all sorts of things. And so, yes, those things do cost, but that goes back to what you said, like as entrepreneurs, our singular focus is not, how do we make money? It's not, how do we make the most money? And I think a lot of people might be surprised to actually hear that because they have a tendency to want to look at us and think that we're fancy or we're this or we're that. But true at heart, like we're about the community, we're about the animals, and it's, I mean, sure, it's great to make money, but we're about building relationships. All those other things can come. Well, they will come and they should come. Right, when you're doing good for the community. Right, right. And you're building those relationships. Right. Was there a moment when you owned it being, saying, I am an entrepreneur? Or did you just always feel that from the very first moment that you had this concept that you were going to? I don't know. I still struggle with that. Do you? I do. Three stores later and... I do. Now why? Why do you think that is? I don't know because I'm not an entitled person. I don't feel entitled. It's sometimes very weird for me. I mean, I would rather have staff and to have people look at me a certain way, like I forget, like I think I'm one of them. Or if we have other people who are working for us who are working on a project, like contractors or something, and they're looking at me like, yes, ma'am, like, it's very... What am I supposed to do? It's very weird. I mean, that's just me being really honest. Like, it just, it makes me uncomfortable because I'm such a doer. I've always been a doer and a hard worker. And so to be in that position now where I have other people doing things for me, it's not so much that it's a controlled thing. control thing. It's just, it's like, I almost feel a little uncomfortable. Well, I think that's something that a lot of entrepreneurs face though. And that's why I asked that question. Do they admit it? I don't know if they, well, the women that I come in contact with, a lot of the women and men I come in contact with do sometimes, but, and I think women can just struggle with it a little bit more than, than men. But I think it's, it's an interesting question because why is it that we don't own it? Or, or even, you know, many entrepreneurs, they have a hard time saying that. And maybe it is because it, it has a lot of responsibility with it, with that term. But I think, I think it's good to be able to look at what you've created and to be able to recognize the contributions that you've, you've made. And entrepreneurship is really just a state of mind. And you have, you embody all of the, the characteristics so easily of what I think makes an entrepreneur. And I think you're born with those characteristics. There are a lot of people who have those characteristics, but they don't necessarily become entrepreneurs. But I do think those characteristics are really necessary to be a successful entrepreneur. And certainly you fit that category. So I think it's just maybe changing your mindset and recognizing that this is something you created and, and embracing it. Embracing it fully. Maybe that's why I like the word visionary better. Maybe. Because that sort of doesn't imply ownership of anything. It's just somebody who's a masterful thinker. Well, you are a masterful thinker and visionary. And those are, those are very important characteristics and qualities of a, of an entrepreneur, I think. What do you love about entrepreneurship or being a visionary or, or masterful thinker? What do you, what do you love about this? This place that you're at. Not needing to ask permission for anything. I hate being told no for anything. And so if I can do it, I can do it. If I can do it myself, or if I can ask somebody to do it and they do it for me, it's, it's that freedom of not being told no and not having to ask permission. Well, And I don't think that's narcissistic either. No, no, no. I just think it's, it's, it's a perk with, you know, being creative and making your own way. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. There are a lot of people out there like that. And, and yet they don't recognize that they can become an entrepreneur. And so they just remain frustrated and, and upset. And that doesn't mean to say that there aren't lots of obstacles that you still have to get around and people say, no, you can't. Or as my husband would say, foot stomping. I'm famous for that. Well, you know, it gets the job done, right? Sometimes. Right. So, I know, I think it's good. It's good to recognize that about yourself because if you're, you know, I'm all about really trying to help entrepreneurs and, and helping them to recognize what it is that they want and not being stuck in, in a, a job if, if that's not really where they want to be and recognizing that they can be an entrepreneur. But does it take certain skills and does it take certain characteristics? Yeah, absolutely it does. But knowing that about yourself that you don't want to be sitting. In a job with someone else telling you what to do every day. That's knowing that you don't have to be resigned to that kind of life, I think is very encouraging. And knowing that that's something that you really love about what you're doing is very important too, because otherwise, why would you be doing it if you didn't love it? Right. So, and I think the other thing is just the flexibility to, you know, every day is not the same. I mean, although I kind of have a routine, you know, I don't know if it's part of it's just my characteristics. I don't know if it's because I'm as artistic as a creative person or if it's because I'm an Aquarius, but I don't like to do, I don't, I don't like to be told what to do and I don't like to do the same thing every day. So being an entrepreneur allows you the flexibility to, to have a varied schedule and. Well, I also see it because I know you, I see also the fact that you're able to put your creativity to work. You know, you're really able to have this vision and then to be able to implement it. And to be able to be creative with it. And a lot of times if you worked in a big corporation, I mean, truth be known, if you came up with some of the ideas that you come up with, you'd have to go through a series of cost analysis. And that's not to say that you and Rob don't do that. Right. But you have so many people that have to say yes before it can actually happen that a lot of times those kind of things aren't able to happen. For sure. Because you've got too many people who don't understand the vision or don't see the vision. And, and. And, you know, just too many people that have to say yes before it can actually happen. Well, that too. And, and the fact that because I do all of our own, you know, my own creative for everything and because that's a huge part of our brand. You know, if I need a sign, I make a sign. If I need a piece of collateral, I make a piece of collateral. You know, I'm, you know, the buck stops with me on that. And so it's, it's very fulfilling to know that I can quickly get something done because I can, because I can do it. Because you can do it. I don't have to ask a department to do it. I don't need to hire. Somebody to do it. You know, I'm just doing it. Right. So eventually at some point, somebody else will probably have to be helping me. And right now I'm able to. Well, and that's a great, great strength to have. And, and I've, I've seen your, your store obviously. And just seeing how you change out your windows. And I know that you have created most of that. You haven't gone out and hired someone to come in and create those windows. You've done it yourself. And not everybody has that skill or has that strength. And, and, and so that's. It's good to know about yourself. That this is something I can do. And this is where I can save cost. And I think as an entrepreneur, you really need to be in the mindset that you're always kind of bootstrapping a little bit. Yeah. So otherwise you're, you can just be spending money willy nilly. And that's not always a good thing. Knowing what you know now, would you do it again? Of course. I don't have any regrets. Good. I like it. I just wish I had a job. I wish I had a giant truck of cash so that I could do more faster. And clone yourself, right? Yes. I need a mini me. So if there's anybody out there listening who would like to be an assistant, I definitely need to hire one in the next year. And yeah, I just, there's no limit really to what we can do or what the ideas we have to push pussy and pooch forward. It just really comes down to resources. And there just never seems to be enough time. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Yes. to hear from you uh give us a call be happy to answer your questions what's the most dissatisfying part about being an entrepreneur dissatisfying uh that's a tricky one i think it just has to do when people have the incorrect perception of you you know i but i think you know you know celebrities and artists and other people you know when they're judged harshly by some people like i think it's just it's difficult to process when when um it's really an attack on you so even though it's in a business like if somebody is dissatisfied with the business or they have an incorrect perception ultimately it's hard for me to separate that and not make it personal for me right does that make sense it does and and that doesn't happen that often but it has come up in the last six years anytime it does it's i feel really bad because i've disappointed somebody and that's not the impression that they should have had of us as a company or a brand or the intention behind what and pooch is well i think it kind of goes back to what we were talking about earlier and the fact that once we become an entrepreneur we do take on that full responsibility like i said the buck stops here but it's not just the money flow it's everything else too so if creating what that perception should be or or making sure that every customer is happy which is actually an impossible job uh you know that that does that there is there is a a big responsibility in that and that can be very difficult sometimes for people and i think it's important to know there's many many many wonderful things about entrepreneurship and like we talked about you know the flexibility and being able to answer to yourself and and uh being able to be creative and let that creativity flow and being able to implement it and all of those things but there's also the dark side too that you need to be aware of going in because if you go in thinking it's this shangri-la then it's you're going to ultimately be unhappy and for those who do prefer to have everything regimented and and and there's nothing wrong with that um and being able to not take on that responsibility at five o'clock go home you know um then then maybe you know i think it's important to go in with your eyes wide open so it's good to recognize that and there's always there's always some there's always something that yeah and i think our struggle is as we continue to move forward and grow obviously my husband and myself aren't in the stores as much because we're busy at home and working on the grand master And do you miss that? And I do miss it. And it's difficult because you're now relying on the employees to do their job that they've been trained to do. And so if something doesn't quite go right, it's the struggling with that. Well, if I was there, that wouldn't have happened or maybe that wouldn't have happened. But, you know, you can't grow and continue to move forward unless we put these people in place. Like it's just impossible. That's the difference between just, you know, only aspiring to just be a mom and pop and do your thing. Like we are trying to do something bigger and better for more communities and more people. And the only way to achieve that is with staff. Right. So you lose a little bit of the control there. And that's scary or dissatisfying sometimes. Right. For the most part, they do. It's scary too. They do an excellent job. So I can't fault our staff. But it's just, you know, you're always like, well, you know. Yeah. Well, it makes it hard, I'm sure. But, you know, you have to, people need to be clear about what their vision is. And so knowing whether they wanted to stay a mom and pop or, and again, there's nothing wrong with that, or whether they want to grow. And you stated right off that you wanted to really serve a large community. You wanted to help a lot of people. You had a big vision for that. And I think that's important to know. And I love that about you. Yeah. What's been the biggest hurdle you've had to face when you started out that kind of surprised you? Like, oh, I didn't expect that. Like finding your space or coming up with funds or, you know, just those kind of things that, you know, we sometimes are. I don't know. I mean, I don't want to say that it's all been rosy. I mean, we've had our patches of. Frustration, for sure. But we did such an excellent job with planning that we tried to really, you know. That's a key point that you just made. What's the word that I'm looking for? To not expose ourselves to that much risk because we've done so much planning. So as far as hurdles, I mean, yeah, we've had things here and there. But I think just the biggest hurdle is just the, for me personally, perhaps not my husband, is the time management aspect of it. And just the. Being patient and knowing that there's so much more we want to accomplish, but it's just a matter of resources to get us there. Yeah. You know, like we already have business plans set and ready to go, fully vetted for three other things that are pet related and would be a tangent to what our brand is. But the timing, the money truck, the people like it's just it hasn't completely fallen into place yet. Right. Right. And I think those are important. Those are important things to know. I. That's going to only help you. And you brought up such a key point of it being your planning. And I think you can never plan too much. No. Put it out there. It may not happen. You may go around or whatever, but put it out there. Well, I am so excited that you've been on our show. We're coming to a close here soon. Yeah. And. Again, this is this is Janine and she's with Pussy and Pooch. And you can look them up online, PussyandPooch.com. And they're they have three locations, two in Long Beach and one here in downtown Los Angeles. And if you have a cat or if you have a pooch, go see Janine and Rob at at their store. Participate in their. Mutt Mingles and their Meow Mingles. Get that right. You did. And if you're interested in becoming an entrepreneur, take a few lessons from Janine. I think that we we talked how important it was to plan. And so thank you very much. Thanks for having me. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.