Women in the Pet Industry: Meet Donie Yamamoto of Vital Pet Life

LOS ANGELES — Important Pet Life began in 2017 as a “facet enterprise” for Founder Donie Yamamoto. He has since remodeled the model right into a full-time enterprise with the objective of tackling frequent pet well being points with sustainable, clear and efficient merchandise. Yamamoto leverages his earlier expertise as an entrepreneur and involvement in varied trade communities to gasoline the continued development of his small enterprise.

“As quickly as I opened a enterprise, I realized from expertise that ladies entrepreneurs are decided, empathetic, pioneering, brave and susceptible,” she mentioned. “We’ve a robust emotional intelligence that makes us pure founders, managers and coaches.”

Within the Q&A bit under, Yamamoto shares how she began Important Pet Life and the way she overcame latest challenges, in addition to her proudest achievements, development plans, and recommendation to different feminine leaders.

PFP: Inform us about your job or profession within the pet trade.

yamamoto: Important Pet Life is a pet well being model launched in 2017 by my husband Kyle and I.

I used to be born and raised within the Philippines. I used to be an entrepreneur earlier than I moved to america. I used to be within the trend trade and once I moved to america I believed I might proceed my profession in trend. Once I was in manufacturing to begin my clothes enterprise, I used to be fearful that there wouldn’t be sufficient cash coming in throughout manufacturing, so I began researching generate further revenue and got here throughout an e-commerce webinar. Because of the webinar, I realized begin an e-commerce enterprise, and mixed with my information of trend sourcing and manufacturing, I had the boldness to attempt it. I had discovered salmon oil for our canine Tuxedo and considered bottling it and beginning an organization. It was positively a facet job whereas engaged on my trend line. I quickly realized that my pet model had outstripped my trend model and the movement was for Important Pet Life. Specializing in VPL full time was an apparent turning level for us.

I’ve at all times been an animal lover, proudly owning canines, and captivated with researching and discovering the most effective merchandise to assist them thrive. This curiosity about which dietary supplements and meals are probably the most nutritious and finest help for which pets is mirrored in every little thing we formulate at VPL. It’s based mostly on a mission to ask how we can assist them stay their finest lives.

PFP: How did you get began within the pet trade and the way has this expertise introduced you to the place you are actually?

yamamoto: We began the pet trade not deliberately, however by chance. Our canine Tuxedo was the explanation we began Important Pet Life. After we first acquired him, his coat and pores and skin had been extraordinarily dry, uncomfortable and itchy. I dived deep into the seek for sustainable options to alleviate it and found the therapeutic powers of salmon oil. I ordered it and gave it to my family and friends who’ve pets to see in the event that they prefer it too. Therapeutic Tuxedo was the inspiration to begin Important Pet Life.

Within the Philippines, there are many stray canines roaming the group with out anybody pondering they have to be rescued or cared for. Once I was a child, not having the ability to do something for these animals at all times bothered me and made my coronary heart ache. These recollections resurfaced once I began eager about beginning a pet well being model, asking myself why I felt so strongly about serving to animals. A big a part of our firm provides again to native rescue shelters. Particularly, we associate with Wags & Stroll, a Los Angeles-based rescue shelter.

We even have a Slack channel for our 5-star critiques. This can be a mounted thread. At any time, we are able to see feedback and photos of our prospects explaining why they use our merchandise and the way their pet’s drawback is solved. That is why we launched Important Pet Life to make an actual distinction.

PFP: What was your greatest problem, personally or professionally, associated to your job within the pet trade?

yamamoto: Provide chain issues that began with the onset of the pandemic had been each an impediment and a possibility. Because it was simply my husband and I (together with just a few contractors), we had been within the trenches with all the provision chain hurdles, however we had been fortunate to have very shut relationships with our suppliers who helped us.

The pandemic has additionally given us time to achieve out and join with all of our prospects within the Important Pet Life group. I suppose that is what separates us from the large pet manufacturers. Kyle and I are immediately concerned in each resolution and motion taken at our firm.

Our intention is to be aware of the merchandise we deliver to market. We don’t purposely fill the cabinets with a lot of merchandise.

PFP: Inform me a couple of skilled achievement within the pet trade that you’re pleased with.

yamamoto: Inc. It has been an honor and a validation to be part of the 5000. It allowed us to affix a bunch of 4,999 different manufacturers that we may relate to. Inc. Within the two years we had been on the 5000 checklist, it has been very helpful for us to have the chance to share and study methods and tricks to develop our manufacturers. Being a part of various skilled communities is essential to our development and enlargement.

Important Pet Life, Inc. with a three-year development price of 1,364%. It was ranked 348th on the 5000 2021 checklist.

Our model has grown by remaining revolutionary, small and versatile. These are on the core of our success and allow us to stay to the sustainability, transparency and traceability that make sense to us. We select to associate with folks and corporations that develop and enlighten us. For instance, we work with a brand new Canadian provider for our fish oils and ensure we provide actually traceable and sustainable oils. Our Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification is a part of our dedication to create optimistic change and is proof that sustainable fishing is feasible. Seafood is a altering and evolving trade. Maintaining with the newest know-how and information is essential to us to create accountable, clear and sustainable merchandise.

Moreover, I’m proud to be a licensed member of the Ladies’s Enterprise Enterprise Nationwide Council (WBENC). WBENC supplies a useful resource for me with occasions, networking, provider specialists, in addition to monetary info on how I can develop my model by way of financing and loans. WBENC can also be a group the place we share new developments, challenges, and particular methods which have labored for us as we construct our manufacturers. Being part of varied skilled communities has been integral to my development as I’m a small household enterprise and work exterior of my dwelling. I’m decided to take pet well being to the subsequent stage.

PFP: What’s most necessary to you and/or your small business within the trade proper now?

yamamoto: Sustainability and transparency; it paints an image of how sourcing positively impacts the local weather, by not simply portray an image of the place our substances are sourced from, however by whom.

Moreover, within the subsequent 5 years, we hope to develop in numerous marketplaces, focusing not solely on Amazon but in addition on different e-commerce platforms and real-space shops in america and North American markets. Our objective this 12 months is to enter the shop working in not less than two actual areas.

PFP: For those who may choose three developments affecting the trade at this time, that are an important and why?

yamamoto: Transparency, sustainability and belief.

Final 12 months it was all about danger administration for us as we delved deep into the seafood trade. Deficiencies in key substances just like the Wild Alaskan salmon we use for our fish oils have pressured us to think about sustainability as we attempt to perceive how local weather impacts provide and demand. We’re actually targeted on how we could be extra sustainable going ahead, and it is necessary to be in keeping with a fishery that can assist us obtain our targets.

Transparency is essential to us – animals and pets are a household and we’ve a accountability to ensure what we put in our bottles is simply as we are saying it’s. Partnering with MSC actually helps with traceability. We’re small however very bold.

PFP: What’s one factor concerning the pet trade that individuals exterior the trade could not notice?

yamamoto: The pet trade presents many alternatives to make an influence and do nice issues for others. I’m honored to be a part of a group and trade that’s altering lives not only for pets and animals, however for folks as nicely. Our pets imply a lot to us, they bathe their love, empathy, kindness and instinct on us. I’m so grateful to get again to them by creating clear merchandise that help and assist their improvement.

PFP: What recommendation would you give to younger folks beginning their careers on this trade?

yamamoto: Comply with your ardour. There are lots of totally different and interesting methods to discover within the pet trade. I discovered it each with our fish oils and whereas researching sustainability our packagingwe have found extremely insightful sources and sources that take us on new and thrilling paths.

PFP: Only for enjoyable, do you see your self as a canine particular person or a cat particular person? Or when you’ve got pets of your personal, inform us a bit of about them.

yamamoto: My husband Kyle and I’ve a terrier combine named Tuxedo so we’re canine folks proper now. However that mentioned, we additionally love cats. My canine ​​Tuxedo was the explanation we began Important Pet Life. He has an enormous character and can also be our model’s mascot.

PFP: Do you may have one final piece of recommendation for different girls within the pet trade?

yamamoto: Keep true to who you might be. Entrepreneurship was not inspired for younger girls rising up in a patriarchal society. As quickly as I opened a enterprise, I shortly realized from expertise that ladies entrepreneurs are decided, empathetic, pioneering, courageous and susceptible. We’ve a robust emotional intelligence that makes us pure founders, managers and coaches. As a feminine entrepreneur, I try to elevate different girls in any trade. Empowering girls is necessary for constructing a robust model.

Donie Yamamoto based Important Pet Life together with his spouse, Kyle, in April 2017. He began his profession within the trend trade within the Philippines, the place he took his first steps into entrepreneurship. After shifting to america in 2012, Yamamoto turned to pet trade e-commerce as a “facet enterprise” to help his trend enterprise. By 2017, she had turned her facet job into her personal full-time enterprise. Important Pet Life incorporates salmon oil for canines and cats, liquid glucosamine and at last a mobility powder supplement.

Preserve studying about different feminine leaders featured in our journal. Women in the Pet Industry series.