Today we’d like to introduce you to Nana Pfeifer.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Beau was our first pup and she’s the reason we began Homescape Pets. When I adopted her, she had been terribly abused by her previous owner. I promised her I’d give her the best life I could. And we did.
So when she was diagnosed with cancer at age 12, my husband, Marcus, and I began a deep dive into pet health and we found a void. Conventional medications came with a high price tag, harsh chemicals, and awful side effects. Even the natural products and foods on the market contained a laundry list of unrecognizable and unnecessary ingredients and artificial flavoring.
We knew there had to be something better.
Through a holistic veterinarian, we were introduced to clean, natural supplements, CBD, and fresh food diets. We saw an immediate improvement is Beau’s quality of life. We could only imagine how much better her life would have been if we had known about this years earlier.
We were too late to help Beau, but we realized that we could help other dogs and cats. We could not only create natural supplements and chews, but we could also educate pet parents on how they improve their pets’ lives simply using just the foods that are in their house right now. That’s how Homescape Pets started in 2018. We’ve since brought home 2 more dogs and these girls have the best, healthiest life!
Today, we create limited-ingredients supplements and CBD to help with inflammation, anxiety, and mobility – the 3 most common issues pets face. We also offer single-ingredient chews and treats that are slow and low-dried for maximum nutrition.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
No! It’s been a wildly bumpy road. From having to find a veterinarian that would even consider supplements and fresh food or raw diets to learning and navigating the confusing ins-and-outs of the CBD industry, we’ve faced it all.
Early on, we hired a marketing firm that inadvertently created ads for CBD and Facebook banned us. Since then, we’ve struggled to advertise. Fortunately, we’ve had a wonderful, organic customer base, who are happy to spread the word about our products and how well they work.
Pet supplements are not on most people’s radars until their pet is sick or ailing. Every day, we face an uphill battle to get pet parents to recognize that they should be more proactive about their pet’s health. It will save their pet the aches and pains and save them some money if they start paying more attention to their pet’s health now rather than later.
Running the business with my husband can be tough. Not only do we have different ideas, we never get away from the business to just be a couple.
Those are just a few of the struggles. But we forget about those pretty quickly when we see a dog or cat that had been limping or struggling with their health in the past, and now they’re active and energetic again.
As you know, we’re big fans of Homescape Pets. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We create all-natural pet supplements designed to help dogs and cats with the 3 most common health issues pets face: Anxiety, Inflammation, and Mobility. We have a line of supplements and CBD that are easy to administer and work wonders for pets of all ages.
We also offer chews and treats that have functional benefits as well as being incredibly delicious, according to ALL THE DOGS AND CATS. They help with mental engagement, oral/dental health, and replenishment of minerals and nutrients. Our chews include lamb hide rolls, beef tendons, duck feet, pork tenderloin jerky, and more. These are single-ingredient chews and we air-dry them at low temperatures for extended time to maximize the nutritional value.
What sets us apart is that our supplements have 3 or fewer ingredients. Ingredients that you recognize, can pronounce, and that have been used for decades. We don’t use preservatives, chemicals, or artificial flavors. I mean what is “bacon-flavored”? We try to help pet parents question things like that. What does it mean when something is “flavored”? It means chemicals, that’s what. And your pet doesn’t need it. Ever.
We are most proud of our pet parent community. They haven’t just supported us, they’ve supported their pet. They see the value in keeping their fur-family healthy and every day, they make a commitment to ensuring they stay healthy. When we see their pictures or videos, we are so proud to be a part of that family. That’s what pets are to us: Family.
Homescape Pets is an Austin brand. We moved from Austin to Colorado to learn the CBD industry and promptly moved back home to Austin. It’s where our community has grown and our hearts are here.
You can get our products on our website HomescapePets.com.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I don’t do well with networking in the traditional sense. I prefer making real connections and friendships. Austin is great for that.
I recommend tapping into organizations that align with your brand or have like-minded members. For example, we’ve found an incredible set of mentors through the natural products community, namely Naturally Austin. I’m also a member of Beam, formerly Women @ Austin, where I can connect with and learn from other women entrepreneurs. As a minority, I am also a member of the M/O SKU program for minority-owned businesses.
Pricing:
- Supplements range from $17 to 41
- Chews range from $9-14
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@homescapepets.com
- Website: www.HomescapePets.com
- Instagram: http://www.Instagram.com/homescapepets
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/homescapepets
- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/homescapepets
