How did Ruby Balaram go from being a reluctant dog mom to pet industry CEO? You don’t want to miss this episode.
Like me, Ruby grew up in a house where she wasn’t allowed to have pets - except that one time she & her mom tried to sneak in a cat! So when Ruby met her partner, Turk, he came with a dog and she wasn’t so sure about jumping into the Dog Mom Life.
But when Turk’s dog got a second cancer diagnosis, Ruby witnesses the power of feeding fresh real food to dogs when the grumpy old Doberman started running around with puppy-like energy. Ruby & Turk were so amazed that they wanted to start a company to make fresh real food accessible to all dog owners.
Ruby shares their early entrepreneurial journey with us and all the pivots they made along the way to form Real Dog Box in 2015.
No matter what diet you feed your dog, Real Dog Box is an easy and affordable way to add fun and healthy variety to your dog’s bowl. And you definitely don’t want to miss out on the fun of the Secret Shop!
Ruby & her team have now launched the Feed Real Institute which was born out of all the questions they’ve received from Pet Parents over the past 8 years. Creating digital courses for both Pet Parents and Veterinarians, Ruby wants everyone to have access to the scientific-backed information showing the healthiest food choices for our dogs.
Interested in checking out Real Dog Box for your pup? Save $10 off your first order when you order here: https://real.dog/erinthedogmom
Ruby & I discuss:
Ruby’s childhood experiences with pets;
Becoming a reluctant dog owner;
The first time Ruby witnessed the power of feeding fresh food to a dog;
Real Dog Box’s origin story (with sound effects!);
Learning the healthiest choices we can make for our dogs’ diets;
What is the Feed Real movement and how did it start?;
What’s it like to be CEO of your company?;
Lessons we’ve learned from our dogs;
Feed Real’s nutrition courses for Pet Parents and Veterinarians;
Concerns from veterinarians about Pet Parents who feed fresh food to dogs and how Feed Real can help;
All about the Secret Shop;
Is there anything that Ruby gets grossed out by?
Find Ruby, Real Dog Box and Feed Real:
Real Dog Box: https://real.dog/
Real Dog Box on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realdogbox/
Feed Real Institute: https://feedreal.com/
Feed Real on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/feedrealmovement/
Links Discussed:
Dr. Tom Lonsdale: https://www.thepetfoodcon.com/
Anatolian Shepherd Dogs: https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/anatolian-shepherd-dog/
Kimberly Gauthier of Keep the Tail Wagging: https://keepthetailwagging.com/
Let's Connect:
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Instagram: @erin_the_dog_mom
Email: erin@believeindogpodcast.com
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