Katie Hunt has had pivotal roles in a number of wonderful firms, together with Warby Parker, Hinge, and Showfields. Issues have been going nice for her career-wise till she confronted what she describes as “an epic fail.” Her enterprise shut down and he or she was compelled to maneuver again residence together with her mother and father.
She was down, however not out. After some much-needed relaxation and reflection time, she obtained a LinkedIn message that she first thought was a prank, nevertheless it led to her co-founding a brand new firm, Oh Norman!, with fellow canine lover Kaley Cuoco. Their mission: “make joyful, cutting-edge merchandise that enhance the lives of the animals we love.”
With well being and wellness choices like “Your Breath Effing Stinks!” and “Calm the Eff Down!,” Oh Norman! has amassed a loyal following of pet mother and father who love the science-backed outcomes of the merchandise, the cheeky vibe of the corporate, and Oh Norman!’s charitable efforts to assist animals in want.
I chatted with Katie on a latest episode of How Success Happens about her unpredictable profession path, the expansion of Oh Norman!, her recommendation to founders, and to get the definitive reply to the age-old query: who is healthier, canine individuals or cat individuals?
Hearken to the whole episode right here or wherever you get your podcasts. And take a look at highlights from our dialog beneath, which have been edited for size and readability.
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Dan Bova: Please give us the elevator pitch of Oh Norman!
Katie Hunt: Oh Norman! makes wholesome AF merchandise that give again. Our merchandise are sustainable, moral, vet-approved, and all-natural. It’s the issues that Kaley and I needed for our canine however weren’t discovering available on the market, so we determined we needed to do it ourselves.
Do you know something about making pet food earlier than you went down this highway?
In no way, and I really assume that there is an unbelievable alternative when you do not have a bias moving into. When you do not know what you’ll be able to’t do, typically you attempt issues differently. That naivete means that you can take better dangers, which was nice for us with Oh Norman! It does not all the time repay. I used to be one of many co-founders of Showfields. We had 5 areas at scale, and we have been working with a thousand direct-to-consumer companies earlier than COVID hit. And what you do not know is how laborious it’s to really function a bodily house. If I may return in time, I’d’ve completed one other direct-to-consumer enterprise and never opened a bodily house. It was an epic fail. However everybody wants one, although.
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How did you deal with that failure?
It was heartbreaking on the time. You are placing your effort and time into this concept of one thing being larger than you. I used to be 36, single, and will not afford my lease in New York. I moved residence with my mother and pa to Rhode Island. And I had this second of “that is what epic failure actually appears like.” It was laborious to lose the enterprise, to lose the condo, to lose the life that you simply had been constructing. And it was the very best factor that ever occurred to me.
How so?
For the primary time in a really very long time, I used to be really proud of my life slowing down a little bit bit. It was compelled upon me, however I had been operating at 1,000,000 miles an hour for therefore lengthy that once I lastly was compelled to decelerate, I assumed it was gonna drive me loopy. I assumed I used to be gonna be so bored. However in actuality, I used to be like, “Oh, wow. I am lacking out on a variety of issues that different individuals are doing. I’ve simply been working. There are all these different features of life.” So I had this time the place I obtained to mirror previous to assembly Kaley and beginning Oh Norman! I used to be ready to consider what I’d need my life to appear to be if I have been to return into startups once more.
How did you and Kaley join?
She needed to begin a enterprise, and he or she put her group accountable for discovering individuals who may have the ability to assist her do this. And so I obtained a LinkedIn message that was one thing like, “Have you ever ever considered co-founding a star firm?” It felt like a prank to get that message, however I responded and ultimately discovered that on the opposite aspect of that is Kaley Cuoco. Now she is without doubt one of the highest-paid actors of all time. She made, like, billions for The Large Bang Principle. She doesn’t must have an organization in any manner, form, or kind, however she has a rescue farm with over 200 rescue animals. That is her true ardour in life. She needed to create an organization that offers again from day one. And so once I met her and he or she advised me all of the issues that she needed to do, it was similar to a lightweight bulb that went off for me. I assumed, “This particular person is precisely who they are saying they’re.” I believe what sealed the deal for us is that we’re two of the one individuals who rescue aged chihuahuas. We each have a love for these pungent, toothless canine, and we expect they’re completely stunning!
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The place did the title come from?
Norman was Kaylee’s first rescue canine. This complete firm is devoted to Norman. “What would Norman do?” is kind of our ethos. For those who may think about constructing an organization the place a canine based it, what would they need? You’d be sure that the whole lot you are producing is in sustainable packaging. You’d be sure that each particular person, end-to-end, who touches the product is handled ethically and is paid pretty. And you’d use all-natural substances. You’d by no means use something that would damage an animal. That is baked into the DNA as a result of it is what Norman would need.
For individuals fascinated by beginning their very own factor, what’s your high recommendation?
There are unbelievable communities on the market which you could faucet into — Reddit, your pals — the place you’ll be able to put concepts on the market and get suggestions. Do not create in a vacuum and do not attempt for perfection. Go on the market with the messy concepts. You do not know what you do not know. I believe too many entrepreneurs waste money and time attempting to get one thing excellent earlier than they get suggestions on it. After which it is too late. They misplaced an excessive amount of money and time to iterate.
How did getting suggestions steer you?
Earlier than we ever created a product, we created a group. And look, we have now a really unfair aggressive benefit with Kaley — we had 150,000 Instagram followers earlier than we ever even dropped a product. However the purpose we put a lot effort and time into creating that group first was that we then went to them with limitless questions. What’s incorrect together with your canine? What would you modify? What flavors does your canine not eat? You’d assume you realize the reply to these issues, however we uncovered a variety of knowledge that we weren’t anticipating, and it has led to our roadmap.
Vital query for you: canine individuals versus cat individuals, who’s higher?
Oh gosh. I’ve had cats, and I’ve had canine, however I’m a canine particular person. I spent 15 years chasing my cat round and attempting to get it to sit down on my lap. And I spent the final 15 years attempting to get my canine off my lap as a result of they’re there always. I like being chased [laughs].
Katie Hunt has had pivotal roles in a number of wonderful firms, together with Warby Parker, Hinge, and Showfields. Issues have been going nice for her career-wise till she confronted what she describes as “an epic fail.” Her enterprise shut down and he or she was compelled to maneuver again residence together with her mother and father.
She was down, however not out. After some much-needed relaxation and reflection time, she obtained a LinkedIn message that she first thought was a prank, nevertheless it led to her co-founding a brand new firm, Oh Norman!, with fellow canine lover Kaley Cuoco. Their mission: “make joyful, cutting-edge merchandise that enhance the lives of the animals we love.”
With well being and wellness choices like “Your Breath Effing Stinks!” and “Calm the Eff Down!,” Oh Norman! has amassed a loyal following of pet mother and father who love the science-backed outcomes of the merchandise, the cheeky vibe of the corporate, and Oh Norman!’s charitable efforts to assist animals in want.
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