065: From Corporate Burnout to Boutique Pet Brand with Chavarne Wright of Le Paws

Speaker A: At Founder, uh, we're on a mission to democratize entrepreneurial education and on the way to building one of the largest online schools in the world for entrepreneurs, we interview some of the greatest founders of our generation to find out how they did it. So you can too. However, in this series, we're working with our students in the community who are deep within the process of building their own successful business. These are the founders of tomorrow who have stood where you are and on the way to building the business of their dreams. Now, before we jump in, our lawyers have told us to tell you this. Of course, we. We can't guarantee you will have the results like some of the stories we're about to share. And as you know, with any business, it's a lot of hard work in addition to completing any online course. With that said, welcome to From Zero to Founder. Hey, guys. Molly here. I'm founder's community manager. And welcome back to the series From Zero to Founder. Today, I'm sitting down with a start and scale student Siobhan Wright, who has made an incredible, luxurious pet brand. She goes into everything about branding and product development, and she has such great insights. So let's jump straight in. Hi, Siobhan. Welcome. Thank you so much for being with me today. Let's start by introducing yourself and telling me a little bit more about your business.

Speaker B: Thank you, Molly. It's really great to be here. Uh, thanks for asking me to join this podcast to talk to you and the listeners about my startup journey and about, uh, my brand, Le Pause. So my name's Siobhan. Um, I'm from Sydney, Australia, originally born in Melbourne. Um, have been living in Sydney for the last five. Uh, my brand, Le Pause, is a pet boutique brand. We're an e Comm store. Um, and it started, uh, well, during COVID lockdown last year. Uh, I started the brand in the brand design and the brand planning in June 2021, and we launched at the end of November 2021.

Speaker A: Amazing. And it seems like such a great, um, kind of success to come out of COVID I think a lot of people kind of realized, okay, I want to do more or less. What was the turning point for you to realize? I want to start my very own ecom business?

Speaker B: Yeah, great question. So I, um, I've been working in the corporate world, uh, for a number of years, nearly 10 years. And my last job that I had was. It was a very fulfilling role. However, I did reach burnout in that job quite quickly. Um, out of hours work was required, and so was Weekend work. And I just really lost that balance and that drive and that passion to keep going in the corporate world. And I had always been interested in starting an E Comm. Um, obviously I was more interested in E Comm rather than a physical bricks and mortar store because I just knew that that was the way of the future and a way to be able to connect to more customers globally too. So I hit pause on my corporate career. I was a part of the great resignation and it really gave me that uninterrupted focus, time to be able to dive in and start some research and planning as to what industry I wanted to get into. And always been passionate about anim. Um, and so I thought, why not try and combine a passion and turn it into a profession.

Speaker A: Mhm. And it's such a great outlook to have in a time where everything was up in the air for a lot of people. So it's really, really a testament to who you are to have that mindset of just trying something new. And it has definitely worked out for you. Your products are absolutely amazing, which we will touch on further in our conversation. Um, but I would love to know more about how you discovered m this because you yourself, you have a beautiful cat named Daisy. Is that correct?

Speaker B: That is correct, yes.

Speaker A: And how did Daisy play into the idea and evolution to start le pause?

Speaker B: Oh, absolutely. So she's our little muse, our um, little chief meow officer, as I call her on our socials. Um, so yeah, the product idea. So at the moment we currently sell a single signature product, which is our Daisy Dining Mat, um, otherwise known as a pet feeding mat. Um, when I was looking for her feeding station bowls and um, a mat, I really struggled to find something that was ethical, functional, and stylish as well. So after doing a lot of market research, not finding the product that I was after, I actually decided to go, okay, well, maybe this is, maybe there's a market for this. Maybe this is an area that I can jump into. And you know, I've always wanted to start a business. This could be the idea, this could be the product that helps start my business. And so that, you know, having a gap in the market, sourcing the product myself and going, well, if I'm looking for this product, maybe there's other people that are also looking for, uh, a product similar to the Daisy Dining Mat.

Speaker A: And it's such a great way to have an ideation around a product because like you said, it's something you're very passionate about, which then in turn just makes you want to Try and strive to get the success of your company, which is exactly what you've done. And I myself am very lucky that I was gifted my beautiful bulldog his own uh, little placemat. So the quality is definitely there. It's amazing that it's customizable and you can reverse it. You've got two different colors. Like I think it's really, really great in the way that you've sourced this and I'd love to know what the journey looked like in finding a manufacturer and finding the sample that really worked and kind of created that end product for you.

Speaker B: Yeah. Awesome. So as Greta recommends in the start and scale course, you know, Alibaba, um, is a global manufacturer and supplier. And so there are just hundreds and thousands of suppliers in there for any product that you are looking for. You will find it. It's a one stop shop destination. And so for me that was where I naturally gravitated towards. I did try some other platforms. Um, I also tried looking onshore in Australia as well but didn't have the luck in finding the product that I was after at the price point, but also at the quality too. So I jumped onto Alibaba and um, did a lot of research, reached out to manufacturers. I made sure they had things like the gold star had really good reviews too. Because when you're, you're only communicating online you have to have really good communication, be really crisp and clear with what it is that you're looking for. But then you also have to understand that there are going to be cultural barriers and language barriers too. So for me I went with a support um, that was great at communicating, really quick and prompt and had good reviews too. But also, you know, they offered to send me a sample product for free including air shipping. So to me they went above and beyond and that was something that really appealed to me.

Speaker A: Mhm. And I think that's so true and such great advice because a lot of people that might be watching this might m be in a position where they're at that manufacturing stage and they're unsure what to look for or when sourcing a manufacturer. And there's such great tips that you've just provided there as well. How important to you do you feel like your relationship when you're with your manufacturer is when you're starting your first

Speaker B: business, uh, super important you. I probably reached out to about 10 to 15 different suppliers so I really broadened my horizons and when I'm going to give myself the best opportunity here. And I went with somebody who felt like they aligned with Me personally, and who would align really well with the La Pause brand, The manufacturer that we ended up going with, um, they're a part of the Cedex ethical trade group, which means that, you know, Le Pause is an ethical, um, and eco friendly brand. So it was really important for me to find a manufacturer, um, that was also, you know, classified as ethical. So somebody who was prompt at replying, who had really, you know, high quality in standards in the products that they produce, really good communication, um, they were really important things for us to be able to, you know, decide on that supplier and move forward with manufacturing.

Speaker A: So. So true. And I think also like, you know, you're giving your pet something, you want it to not have chemicals, you want it to not have a smell, you want it to not have any coatings or, or anything like that because it's literally going where your beautiful beloved pet will be eating and drinking from. So I think that's 100% true that you really need to do the research, especially when it comes to this industry. But speaking about the pet industry, it's insane how much it has boomed because a lot of people know that they'll probably spend more money on their pets than themselves. And I am definitely part of that big, big boom. When you are considering breaking into the pet space, as you mentioned, it is quite oversaturated. Were there any challenges that you kind of faced starting that maybe would have deterred you?

Speaker B: So it's really interesting, Molly. I think the perception is, is that it's a really oversaturated market, but it's actually not. So the stats are that there are 4 million pet cats in Australia alone and there's around about 5 million pet dogs in Australia alone. So when you're looking at those, you know, those numbers of nearly 9 million pet animals, of cats and dogs in Australia, the brand, the number of brands that are out there are actually really, really low in comparison to, um, you know, baby products, for example. So yes, it is a, it is a popular market, um, and it's a market that is definitely growing, um, with trajectory, uh, because of, you know, the COVID boom and people spending more time at home and you know, they have time to spend with animals or new pets now. So it just felt like a really good match for me to jump on that bandwagon, um, and try and probably what would have taken me, you know, maybe six to eight months to get Le Pause up and off the ground, I was able to do in a really focused, concentrated way because I wasn't working full time So I really capitalized on that opportunity, definitely.

Speaker A: And I think you made such a great decision. How did you go about validating your product after, you know, maybe you got your first sample and things like that? Was it you sending it to other friends that you knew were pet owners or how did you go about the validation process?

Speaker B: Yeah, so I sent it to, um, friends and family. Um, you know, nearly everybody we know has a pet cat or dog. Um, so I put, when I did my stock order, I automatically ordered an extra hundred. Um, and those extra hundred that I ordered were put away as, you know, gifts for friends and family for them to be able to help me validate my product idea. Um, and the feedback that I got was just people were actually, I told them that the quality was good. I told them that it was, you know, it had so many great features and functions, but when they actually had it in their hand, they just went, oh, my gosh. The quality is even better than what we thought because it's that dual sided. So it's reversible. We have one on one side and then another color that might be a little bit more of an everyday color on the other side. It gives it that extra sturdiness, durability and thickness, um, which makes the quality much higher as well. And you know, pets, um, you know, scratch, bite, chew at things. And we hope that we've found a product that is pet proof.

Speaker A: Definitely. And I know for a fact when my messy bulldog used it, he loves to bump his plate around and move it all around. So it's really great that it stays in one spot too, as you mentioned, because of that durability and having that thicker materials, which is great when you think about it, because I'm sure there would be many other ways to make one that's very thin one color, and you could probably sell them for a little bit less and, and churn them out a little bit faster. But I think it's really great that you've gone the quality route and I think it definitely shows in your product. So after the validation process and you knew that you were onto something and you've got your stock order, uh, how did you go about marketing? Because I know branding is very, very strong for you.

Speaker B: Yeah, absolutely. So definitely another factor, uh, from the start and scale course that I picked up on and something that's always been really important to me is having a strong brand and a strong brand identity. And Greta really talks about that, um, in the course. And so to me, I had toyed with the idea of drop shipping Interestingly, but it just, uh, it just, something just didn't sit well with me and I think it was because I wanted to physically be able to see and inspect and touch the products before sending them out to the customer. You know, I'm, I'm, I'm a perfectionist when it comes to my brand. It's, it's my baby. Um, and so I, I want the customer to be receiving the best quality mat that we have with no blemishes and imperfections whatsoever. Uh, and so to me that's when I decided, no, I'm going to create this brand and I'm going to bring the stock literally to my house. Um, I'm going to, you know, hand press and craft all the personalizations myself. But then even more so about that was because the product is a little bit more of a luxury and premium product. Um, it needed to have a really strong brand identity, full of cause attached to that. So anytime you see us, you know, it's through our logo, through our color palettes, through our images, our social media, ah, our website, right down through to our packaging. You will get the brand experience. So we really hope we've gone the extra mile to give our customers, you know, a truly unique, um, experience with our brand.

Speaker A: Mhm. And branding is definitely something nowadays that sets other brands apart from like minded, maybe competitors or other different companies that might be selling the same thing. For anyone that's listening, that thinks I want a brand, but I just don't know where to start. Where did you start when you were conceptualizing what lepor's branding and the whole um, experience was going to be?

Speaker B: Yeah, so I think brand name is a really important place to start. Um, it's how people search for you, it's how they find you, it's their first point of contact with you as a brand. And so I've come across brands where, you know, they've got this name but it has nothing to do with their business. Um, and so it's quite, it throws me off quite a little bit. And so for me I went la pause. Um, you know, I did a lot of searching and a lot of different combinations of name choices. And because I wanted my brand to be a little bit more luxury and premium, the Le, um has a bit of a French sound to it and pause. You know, it really draws you back into, you know, who we are and what to expect from us as a brand. So yeah, I think that branding, um, that naming convention is really important for you. It's simple, it's short it's easy to remember and it's easy to pronounce as well.

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Speaker A: Let's go back to your launch because I feel like that's obviously a very important time. Did you find that maybe your experience in the corporate world really helped you with the structure of your launch and kind of where to jot your I's and cross your T's to have success when launching?

Speaker B: Yeah. Yes and no, I think is the totally honest answer. Um, by nature, I'm a very structured and organized and planned person, but I tell you what, it's totally different when you're creating a startup company. You can have the best intentions in the world for everything to go to plan, but it just won't. Um, we actually had to shift our launch date six times. I originally wanted to launch, um, at the end of September 2021. We didn't end up launching until the 23rd of November 20. Um, and so I think, you know, a piece of advice for anybody looking to start up a business, be flexible. Um, don't be so rigid. Don't be married to a set way of doing things or a set date. I did have to. I tried to do a lot of it myself. I probably did about 80% of the work for La pause myself. But setting up my website through Shopify, the coding, manufacturing, um, there are just some things that you naturally have to outsource. So be a little bit flexible, um, because it is different to the real world.

Speaker A: It's such great insights and it's very true. That's one thing I've learned from speaking to so many amazing start and scale members is that you have to have that flexibility because you could have a launch plan one way and it might 100, 360 pivot or 180 pivot. And that's the exciting thing about having a startup, though. It'll Never be exactly what you think. And I think that's. That's true testament to what happened to you having to move it six times. But once you finally got to the 23rd of November, do you remember the feeling of finally selling a mat to someone that you didn't know, like a complete stranger that purchased?

Speaker B: Oh, definitely. It was just sheer elation that I would have been happy to sell one. Um, for the first customer that we sold to, she bought two for both of her cats. Um, so it was not only did we sell 1m, but we sold 2 to the single. You know, to a single customer. And to me, ah, I was just ecstatic going, oh, you know, outside my friends and family who were my sort of focus group, there were real customers that this is connected with, um, that they also wanted something like this, and they've connected to La Pause and they've resonated with the brand enough to buy two for both of their pets. And that's something that we've noticed through our selling that, you know, the max we've sold is we've sold three to one person for each of their dogs. So there is an appetite and a want for our brand. And we're just so pleased that people have received it the way that we. We intended it to be launched and branded.

Speaker A: And it's incredible. And with your launch, did the success kind of hit the metrics maybe that you personally were setting for yourselves? Did you have a goal in terms of a revenue number that you were like, okay, I really want to hit this out of the first month or the first week?

Speaker B: No, to be totally honest, um, I just wanted to see organically that there were customers, um, and a community out there who really liked and embraced Le Pause. So I didn't set a financial target for the first three months, um, anything. Any sales that we made were a bonus. Um, just while we were getting off the ground, we didn't launch to a huge following. We didn't launch to a huge email marketing list. So we're not one of those brands that had that huge launch success. And maybe that's, you know, a detriment to myself that I didn't, you know, place enough importance. But I think for me, I really wanted to push to launch before Christmas to try and capitalize on that gifting season. And so to me, that was my one little goal that I had. Launch before Christmas and sell anything that we sold was an added bonus.

Speaker A: And how did you perform going into Christmas? Did you brand it as, you know, Christmas gifts for your pets or Was there a different sort of marketing tactic that you used with that goal to launch before Christmas?

Speaker B: So it was a bit of a, it was a part of our launch campaign because we launched a month before Christmas. And so, um, we launched with a Christmas giveaway which was a really interesting process to go through to um, generate some, um, you know, some follow up, some social followings and some additional followers and support from a community that we hadn't yet reached. Um, so we did a launch giveaway to one pet cat and one pet dog which was great. Um, and from that we also got some user generated content that we were able to reuse on our website as well. So that was one aspect of it. And then we also did a discount, so we did a 20% launch offer, um, which I think was received really, really well. And something that La Pause will continue to do because we are a bit at a higher price point. But uh, pricing perception and quality go hand in hand. So we always will do a small discount of some sort for our brand going forward.

Speaker A: Incredible tactics there. And I think giveaways is, as you mentioned, a great way to not only help reach different communities and different audiences, but also help you get those email list collections and those, you know, those followers. How are you going in terms of your social media and your email list now compared to when you first started? Is that uh, something that you're focusing more on growing?

Speaker B: Oh, definitely. So this year 2022 for me and full applause is all about growth and brand awareness and generating and creating that brand awareness for us to become a known and trusted Australian boutique pet brand. And so we really are on the right trajectory for that brand awareness. Um, our social following, you know, continues to grow, um, although it might be small compared to some brands. Knowing that we've already launch four months ago, um, it is starting to grow nicely and so is our email marketing list, which is wonderful. So we're doing some retargeting campaigns at ah, the moment.

Speaker A: Incredible. And is that through like paid advertising on Facebook as well as Instagram or is this all organic growth for now?

Speaker B: So today, um, up until the start of this week, everything that we had done had been organic. And I thought I think it's time to maybe dabble in some Facebook ads. So I've sort of taught myself I'm by no means an expert or a, is it this? But I thought let's just put a little small amount of money, um, that we're happy to have no return on just to test the waters to see um, what reach we can get with some Facebook ads. So we're four days into running our first Facebook ad campaign. It's going really well. We're getting some really great clicks and views.

Speaker A: Incredible. And are, uh, you finding that you're using that user generated content, as you mentioned, that you'd received earlier with your paid advertising? Is that the tactic that you're going through with?

Speaker B: Yes, because a trend that I've noticed is user generated content tends to be most popular amongst the audience that I have and the pet communities. So although I am trying to build a brand around the pause and I've got different content pillars that I dabble in while building my Instagram and social medias, it's always the user generated content. Content with, you know, pets that have purchased from us, um, giveaways, uh, friends and family that always get received the best and, you know, the most likes essentially. So, yeah, really interesting watching what doesn't work or get likes and follows.

Speaker A: Definitely. And I know myself, I'm a big animal lover. If there's any dog that comes up on any form of feed, I am liking that photo. I am looking at that dog and I'm appreciating what it is that they're selling. So, yeah, I think it's a really, really great point that you've said that you've kind of recognized that your user generated content is converting for you and hopefully it will continue to convert. Um, but another thing I'd love to highlight, which is an incredible success, is the Vogue feature that you've got. And I would love to hear the story about how this came about because for a brand that launched only recently and you've had such great success, I would love to know more about how that story happened.

Speaker B: Oh, thanks, Molly. It's such a cool story. And I still have a moment of. I need to pick my jaw up to, you know, say Vogue and la pause in the same sentence. Um, I just, it wasn't even on my radar. Ah, full stop. At all. Ever. Um, I just didn't think that it would ever be possible. So if somebody had told me, I probably would have laughed and gone, yeah, thanks. You know, I'll set myself up to fail now. But what happened was, um, it was the 21st of Jan. So just a little bit earlier this year that I woke up one Friday to an email subject titled British Vogue Campaign Invitation. And I think I was just a little bit in shock and disbelief and I was quite skeptical to start with. Um, the email had so much information about the campaign. Um, you know what it would what the opportunity would be for La Pause. Um, and it just went into a great amount of detail. The thing that really struck me the most was that there was nothing about payment in there. I mean, let's be honest, these opportunities don't come for free unless you're a well known, loved and trusted brand. But for a very small brand like Lepore's that had started in November, um, this opportunity to get that publicity and to get that growth and to get that brand awareness, as I spoke about earlier, which is a big focus for us, just went, do I feel like I can say yes to doing this campaign and do it with conviction? Well, I don't know, but I'm not going to say no to an opportunity to work with Vogue. So I just went, say yes and make it work and figure out the rest. So I think that that's a little bit of my philosophy in this startup business too. So back to my skeptical side coming out. I went and did a lot of research that day. I sat on the email and I never replied to it. I went and did a lot of research until I was truly satisfied that this actually was legitimate. So I sent off a big email back, um, and you know, um, said what an honour and a privilege to be considered on brand with one of the most iconic fashion publications in the world. Do you mind telling me why Le Pause? What was it that, you know, our brand struck out to you as, you know, being considered Vogue, um, and within, working on opposite time zones. And so, you know, 12 hours later I had a reply from this lovely lady, um, and she said it was your luxury aesthetic and your focus on sustainability that we really think would ring true to our readers and our affluent viewers. Um, and I just went that I needed her just to tell me my brand back for me to go, okay, this is it. And so we did, we signed up to the campaign. Um, it's a three month campaign commitment. Um, so we've already featured in the March 2022 print and digital editorials, the April edition. Um, print and digital editorials have just launched a week ago and then will also be featured in the May. So the reason why they said go with three campaigns is because it creates, um, a trust with the readers with the brand. If they're seeing it repetitively, it'll create that trust, familiar, you know, that familiarity with your brand to become that known and trusted household brand. So super, super exciting. Um, never ever would have thought that it was possible. So now I'm in a process of working out my other goals, but doing them backwards now. So got to be fluid.

Speaker A: Yeah, that's such an incredible story and I think it just rings true to how strong you were about your branding and how strong you knew exactly what you wanted and envisioned for your brand from the start. Because you never know who's watching, you never know who's on your social channels or consuming your brand. So I think that's such a testament to you and your hard work. So congratulations on you know, landing that three month. It's. I can't wait to see it and I think it'll be very exciting. And in terms of working towards wrapping up, what do we have coming for La Pause, Whether that's products or goals as you mentioned, for the next six to 12 months.

Speaker B: Yeah, for sure. So we've definitely got some growth, um, and expansion and some scale up plans that we'd love to do. So naturally the next step for us is going to be to launch into a new product range. Um, I'm happy to talk about what that is because that'll be coming in around June, July and that'll be pet feeding bowls. We feel like it's a great natural progression to go with our pet dining mats. Uh, that way we can sort of, you know, retarget customers that have already purchased our dining mats as well. So we can do that retargeting campaign. But we can also sell bundle deals too. So that'll help with our, you know, our Ah, UVPs, our KPIs, um, and our average, you know, sale point too. So that's the immediate plans for our growth. Um, we are also looking at going wholesale too. So I'm currently in the works of creating a pitch deck, um, to go to wholesale suppliers. Um, we think that now having the backing of Vogue, having featured in British Vogue, that it's a really great opportunity to now approach the likes of. You know, for me it would be David Jones, uh, Myer, Petstock and some other smaller ah, pet retail E Com brands too. So that's probably in the next 12 months and then eventually within the next two to three years. We'd love to be a bit of a one stop shop for all your pet needs. Um, yeah, so exciting times definitely is

Speaker A: and I think that's so, so smart. And as they always say, it's work smarter, not harder. And I think it's really great that you've kind of gone with the obvious choice of doing those pet feeding bowls to go with those mats. Because it's one thing to have a luxurious mat placemat, but to have that bowl on top would really set the scene. And I think that's really, really amazing and quite smart what you've done there. And getting into David Jones and Maya would just send home that brownie of that luxurious feel as well. So I can't wait to see what happens. Um, and the last question that I love to ask all people that are on this is if there's anyone listening that might be in a similar situation where they just want to get out of their nuts to five, start a passion project and a company that they can fully emerge themselves in. What would be the piece of advice that you would provide them?

Speaker B: Do it. I wish I had done it sooner. Um, obviously life happens and sometimes we don't get those opportunities. But just start. Know what you're passionate about, look for gaps in the market or, you know, for me, it's always been about not reinventing the wheel, but finding the piece of the wheel that isn't working right. And so that's how I found the Daisy dining mat and created that. Find that niche, something that sticks out to you, something that you've been looking for but you can't find, and just start research, start and have a go. You won't have any regrets and obviously only go in with your financial commitment that you're comfortable with. Um, there is no guarantee that anything in this world will work, but just having a go, and if you feel strongly and passionately about it, there's likely other people will as well.

Speaker A: Yeah, that's such great advice. And thank you so much, Siobhan, for spending today with me to talk about le pause and going through all the exciting goals that you have coming in the future. I can't wait to see them come true and, um, hopefully we can catch up again in the near future.

Speaker B: Thank you so much, Molly. It's been an honor to be able to talk to you today. Thanks.

Speaker A: Hey, guys. We hope you're loving from zero to founder and you're getting a ton of value from it. If you want to access the exact free training that led today's founder to where they are now, head to founder.com or head to the link in the show notes.