History of Grandma Lucy’s an Interview with Breann Shook, founder of Grandma Lucy’s
Celebrating 25 Years:
Congratulations on 25 years! How does it feel to celebrate such an incredible milestone?
Breann: It still feels unbelievable, I feel like we’ve been doing this forever, and at the same time, that it was just yesterday that we started out with just my husband Eric and I in our small kitchen, figuring out how to make freeze-dried food for my dog Lucy, who had food sensitivities. We were so passionate about helping pets that we decided to start a business to help other pet parents who struggled with the same issues. We never thought this business would grow to the size it is now. Some people say we are lucky to work for ourselves, but we would say it’s not luck, it’s hard work.
Looking back, what inspired you to start a freeze-dried dog food business?
Breann: It was 1999, and my English Cocker Spaniel, Lucy, was a picky eater. She suffered from skin issues, and if she ate the wrong food she would get a reaction. We tried every dog food on the market and nothing worked for her. We wanted to give her something natural like meat, which we knew she would love, but in 1999 pet stores didn’t have fridges and freezers to stock fresh food for pets. I finally found one product that worked for Lucy - tubs of freeze-dried liver, but there were a ton of warnings on the label. At that point I started researching pet food and was horrified to learn about the harmful ingredients in most pet foods. To keep meat the number one ingredient, my husband and I decided to freeze-dry our treats so we did not need refrigeration or preservatives and the next steps seemed natural. We created our business to bring healthier food to pets to create longer and happier lives together because pets are true members of the family!
Many entrepreneurs talk about the importance of learning from failure. What have been some of the obstacles you have encountered in starting Grandma Lucy’s, and what did you learn?
Breann: There have been so many! But we don’t look at them as failures, because one of our company values is that we are always willing to try new things – whether it’s a new product, or a new way of doing things. Because we don’t shy away from innovation, we give our employees the freedom to experiment and try new things as well. Maybe we’ll fail, but every fumble has been important to our growth as a company.
My advice to anyone starting a business: Pick everyone’s brain, talk to people, look at free resources online! There is so much available now. My husband and I started our business when we were young - I was 19! We didn’t have the wealth of resources available that are easy to access now. From books to podcasts to YouTube, there are so many great business resources for free with invaluable advice. I am always learning, and constantly listen to business podcasts, getting inspiration from other entrepreneurs’ stories, to incorporate those lessons into Grandma Lucy’s operations.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your journey in building a family-owned business?
Breann: For me, the most rewarding aspect of running a family-owned business is having a shared project. Even though work does come home with us, my husband Eric and I love that the kids have learned about hard work. It has taught them that if they want something, they have to put in the effort to go after the goal. And I have seen both my kids grow up right along with the growth of Grandma Lucys’; my son Gage is now in high school, and he is entrepreneurial minded - he’ll dig in and fix any problem that gets in his way. My daughter Alex is now in college, and she has worked in just about every area of the company, from shipping to sales to marketing. This has helped her on her college path as she chooses her major, and we have great discussions about topics she is learning in her business classes.
Being family-owned for 25 years is a huge accomplishment! How has being a family business shaped Grandma Lucy’s journey?
Breann: Grandma Lucy’s doesn’t have investors, so whatever we decide to do as a company, we do it because it makes sense for the customers and the best thing for pets. As a family-owned business, we have the freedom to make decisions based on what we feel is right, and not to please investors.
We celebrate the successes of our competition and have formed a strong bond with many other companies in the pet food space. The freeze-dried pet food market did not exist when we started out, and as more products are created, the more awareness will be created for pet parents. As more pet parents discover the benefits of freeze-dried dog food, all of us benefit.
What’s something your customers might not know about your company or your process that they’d find surprising or fun?
Breann: I think our customers might not know how involved my family and I still are in the business. My husband and I are still leading the company and are on site five days a week (sometimes more). All our pet food is made by us in our facility, which is unique in the industry. Many other companies contract with manufacturers, and their food is made in large facilities, often the same ones. This is a huge issue, which we encountered back in 2007. There was a pet food recall and as there were only five major pet food manufacturers in the US, pet owners were left without a trusted source for healthy, safe food. We had pet owners calling us directly to verify that Grandma Lucy’s food was safe. This was actually a big turning point for our business. Prior to the recall, we were only making freeze-dried pet snacks – the meatballs were our biggest seller. After the recall, we decided to develop a freeze-dried pet food, which is how the Artisan line was born. Since then, we have expanded to four different pet food lines, each uniquely targeted to different pets’ needs.
You’ve done so much to give back to the community. Can you tell us more about the charitable initiatives you’re most proud of?
Breann: The organization I’m most proud of is Project Pet RAK, which I founded with my daughter Alex in 2019. We started the organization to reward others for completing random acts of kindness, and support pets through pet food donations. It has now grown into so much more! We are now serving four key areas: service dogs, pet food banks, disaster relief, and K9 literacy programs. My son Gage has now taken over, and he has created a Project Pet RAK club at his high school. His goal is to expand to other high schools by providing a program that is easy for other teens to replicate with satellite clubs across the country.
As you celebrate 25 years, what are your hopes and dreams for the next 25? Any exciting plans or new innovations you can share with us?
Breean: My hope for Grandma Lucy’s is that we will continue to be a small, family-owned business that my children can one day run. I am excited to expand internationally to help bring quality, solution-based food to dogs all over the world. I’d also love to grow the philanthropy side of the business through Project Pet RAK, and continue to support pet food banks and service dogs.
Breann’s Learning List for Entrepreneurs:
Podcast links:
- Wisdom From The Top – Guy Raz
- How I Built This – Guy Raz
- Masters of Scale – Reid Hoffman
- The Founder Hour
Book links: