Grace Wang
Founder of Petphoria
What inspired you to start your business?
Beni, my dog, is the inspiration behind my business. He has truly made the biggest impact on me and has helped me cope with my anxiety. He is my best friend, my backbone, someone who I can go to and just an overall, cute pup! He’s seen me struggle and has helped me through every situation. I know I can’t be the only one who feels this way, so I wanted to start a business in the dog industry. I just didn’t know what that looked like, until the idea for Petphoria came to mind. Petphoria not only makes Beni’s tag wag (his little tail knub is the cutest thing, wagging back and forth) but also brings dogs to their euphoric state!
What three traits define you?
Ambition – really wanting something in order to succeed and never settling for second best
Humility and willingness to learn – I love learning and growing along the way, there is never a time to “stop learning”
Bravery – always pushing myself out of my comfort zone and straight into challenges
What do you see as the coolest or most important trend in your industry?
That everyone is interested and wants to feed their dogs the best! Nourishment for your dog is super important so I’m glad that we are seeing a trend in increased awareness for dog ingredients in both food and treats!
What are the biggest obstacles you see for young female entrepreneurs?
I consider myself a young female entrepreneur. Creating a network is the biggest obstacle I see myself and other young female entrepreneurs having to overcome. As a young female entrepreneur, I am just starting out in my career and growing my network. I’ve been very fortunate to have worked with incredibly talented people.
What do you love about being a business owner?
Wearing many hats and being able to utilize a variety of my skills every day. Whether I am creating content, strategic planning, interacting with our furfriends, working on product development or figuring out financials, there is never a dull day at Petphoria’s headquarters. I will say that being able to be around dogs and getting dog pics has to be the cherry on top of being a dog business owner.
What’s your favorite career moment?
Launching Petphoria! There is no explanation to the incredible feeling when what you’ve worked so hard on gets into the hands of customers. It’s surreal when I go online and people are talking about Petphoria. What really gets me is seeing Petphoria being given to celebrity dogs, I always yip when this happens and thoughts go through my head similar to “WHAT?! How is this real life?! I am just a girl from Madison, WI who proceeded to work towards a dream”
What’s the best way to start your day?
I would have to say the best way to start my day is first, dog cuddles and kisses, but then getting up and taking some time for myself before diving into work!
How do you unwind after a long workday?
SNACKING! I love snacks, so a great way to unwind after a long workday for me is to snack! And when I say snacks, I mean multiple and a variety of snacks not just one type. Yummy!
Fill in the blank:
When I face a challenge, I… am excited and can’t wait to successfully complete the challenge.
If I could go back in time, I would tell myself… you don’t need all those expensive clothes, save it for your business!
The one thing I couldn’t live without is… Beni.
By this time next year, I will be… “living my best life.”
To get my creative juices flowing, I… explore the area around me with Beni or walk around a craft store.
PETphoria
Petphoria is committed to providing delicious and nutritious luxury dog treats, bringing them to their euphoric state, one treat at a time. In addition, they are committed to providing people living with disabilities, the opportunity to learn basic job functions as they individually hand make all of our treats.
