Howdy, y’all!
We sure hope the start of 2023 has been treating you well!
Happy Women’s History Month, everypawdy! As many of you know (and many of you don’t know), Pet Project LA is woman-owned! Yeppity doo dah day!
Owner of Pet Project LA, Rachel Long, pictured in store. Photo taken by Max Wunderlich.
I, Rachel Long, am the proud owner of Pet Project LA and as Women’s History Month comes to a close, I decided to do an interview with myself! So, here we go!
"Pet Project LA is all about adding joy to the everyday moments people have with their pets."
Q: How did Pet Project LA start?
A: There were two rounds of owners before me that saw the need for a pet supply store that offered the Downtown Los Angeles pet community high quality goods for their BFFs. I was lucky enough to find a job right when I moved to LA and worked under the second round of owners starting in 2016. Shortly after becoming the manager, I became the owner in November of 2017. Since then, I have been researching small brands from all over the world that make the best products for people and their pets and slowly curating our store’s collection of offerings.
Q: What is Pet Project LA all about?
A: Pet Project LA is all about adding joy to the everyday moments people have with their pets. We combine fun, fashion, and function with the products we stock so that every pet owner can find what they need for their bestie(s).
Photo of Rachel Long walking Paco and Shakespeare. Photo taken by Saige Lee.
"I have been able to be myself and have lots of wonderful community-building moments with other women in the pet realm. For that, I am grateful!"
Q: What does being woman-owned mean to you?
A: In the pet world that I am exposed to (small businesses not S&P 500), the majority of us happen to be females, even at the top. Of course there are exceptions to this, but in Downtown LA alone, there is a group of amazing woman-owned and operated businesses in the pet realm.
I was especially grateful to connect with Janet and Lisa from Oh Hello Dog during my start as a new business owner. They, too, were just opening up and taking on new roles. I have really fond memories of visiting OHD and promoting ourselves together (we even had a pop-up shop in OHD for a little bit!).
Because of my experience in the pet world where there are a lot of other women in the small biz scene, I haven’t experienced the adversity that my female small business owner peers have in more male-dominated domains. Instead, I have been able to be myself and have lots of wonderful community-building moments with other women in the pet realm. For that, I am grateful!
Q: What is some advice you would give to a new business owner/entrepreneur?
A: The advice I would give to someone just starting out (and something I need to constantly be reminded of myself) is to try to have fun. There are a lot of things one must do in business that are not “fun” tasks, but if you can focus your energy on the fun parts that are a part of all small businesses, it will help a lot with not getting bogged down by the day-to-day.
Another word of advice is to tell and show your staff how much you appreciate them. It is crucial that they know their work is valued.
Photo of Rachel Long walking Paco and Shakespeare. Photo taken by Saige Lee.
Q: What is one area where you think the pet supply world is lacking?
A: The pet supply world (and every world) needs to do a better job about sustainability and recycling materials. A lot of food, treat, supplement, and home goods brands are already making an effort to source meats that are sustainable, use recycled material for cushion inserts, etc., however there isn’t the same effort being made in terms of pet accessories. In fact, I can only think of two brands that make pet clothes and other accessories that use recycled material (yes, we will bring them in soon). That would be the one area that I would love to see grow.
"People trust us with what to get for their besties and with what they’re experiencing in life. It’s a really cool thing."
Q: What is your favorite thing about running a pet supply store?
A: My favorite thing about owning and operating Pet Project LA is my interactions with the dope-ass people I get to call my customers and their amazing BFFs. I love that we are a safe space for all people and that folks feel like they can tell us anything. People trust us with what to get for their besties and with what they’re experiencing in life. It’s a really cool thing.
Welp, that’s all folks! Hope you enjoyed learning a bit more about Pet Project LA and owner Rachel Long’s (my) experience as a woman business owner! Feel free to comment below with any questions or thoughts!
Thanks so much for tuning in! ‘Til next time! <3
