175 | Are Pet Products Evergreen? | with Adam Baker

Adam Baker had a vision a few years ago. He wanted to fill an empty space in the dog toy market and make toys that were tough, innovative, and do it in a way that was safe for dogs and the planet.

It took some twists and turns to succeed but now, SodaPup is turning out toys that are FDA compliant, all made in the USA. 

Baker is not only Head Dog in SodaPup, he’s the toy designer, social media and marketing manager (that means he sits in bed at 11:30 at night and posts to Instagram), janitor (occasionally dragging the vacuum cleaner from home in to clean the office carpet), packaging designer, photographer, and jack-of-all trades.

SodaPup manufactures durable natural rubber dog toys in the USA. SodaPup uses natural, sustainable, FDA compliant and non-toxic materials in their products. 

Because SodaPup products are made in the USA, they are made in a socially and environmentally responsible way.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

[00:00] Intro[01:17] Where the idea of dog toys come from[03:17] Pivoting early on and finding a manufacturer [05:04] SodaPup’s early go-to-market strategy/sales model[09:27] Blending the branding in subscription boxes[12:32] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io[12:52] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa[13:36] Sponsor: Gorgias gorgias.grsm.io/honest[15:03] Sponsor: BeProfit beprofit.co[16:34] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest[17:21] SodaPup going strong amidst decline in sub boxes [19:00] Figuring out how to sell their own products[19:51] Instagram opened the brand to a global audience[20:42] The emergence of digital selling platforms[23:13] SodaPup still owns the customer[24:16] Adam’s love-hate relationship with Amazon[26:27] Selling on Amazon is a different skill set[27:57] What makes SodaPup different[31:44] Entrepreneur vs executive skill set[33:00] Where to find SodaPup

Resources:

Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on YoutubeA veteran-owned business that makes tough dog toys in America sodapup.comFollow SodaPup on Instagram @sodapupdogtoysConnect with Adam linkedin.com/in/adam-baker-b9235311Scale your business with electriceye.ioDownload Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesaLevel up your customer support gorgias.grsm.io/honestVisit beprofit.co and use code HONEST15 to get an exclusive 15% off any plan for the lifetime of your planGet started with a free account at klaviyo.com/honest

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