Dog Chefs of America - Pet Business Interview

Filed Under Pet Business Interviews |

Hope you enjoyed our first interview yesterday. Our second comes hot on it’s heels and we have the pleasure of hearing from Micki Voisard the owner of Dog Chefs of America. Dog Chefs of America is a kitchen, gallery, and dog park in Tubac, Arizona just south of Tucson.

At the kitchen Micki holds cooking classes that show dog owners how to prepare nutritionally sound meals for their pets. She advocates that improvements in your pets diet can improve their health and behavior.

1. What kind of pet business do you run?

My Dog Chefs of America business is 4 fold - it is a Dog Chef Cooking School, where people learn what natural food works for their particular dog and how to prepare it - and how to buy meat and other food that is inexpensive and healthy.

The 2nd part is the dietary consultations I do, usually over the phone for an hourly charge. People fill out a consultation form and tell me the problems that their dog is having with his present food and we go from there. It’s real popular, since most people will never be able to come to my Kitchen in Arizona and take a Cooking Class.

The 3rd part is my speaking - I get paid to travel and speak around the country and many places around the world on Cooking for Dogs. This is my favorite part.

The 4th part are the sales of my book, Becoming the Chef Your Dog Thinks You Are and my 4 DVD’s on Cooking for Your Dog and why one would want to do it.

2. How long have you had your pet business?

I created Dog Chefs of America in 2000 but have been involved in dog health and food for 28 years, working for many years in shelters and dog rescues.

3. Why did you choose to start a pet business?

A pet care business was always a natural transition for me since I have been involved with pets since I was 8 years old. I’ve done other things in my life but always came back to pets on some level.

4. What advice would you give someone about to launch a new pet business?

Make sure you know your avenue real well. I see a lot of people in the pet care business who know very little about dogs but are just following the latest trend or money. That doesn’t work well, since working on any level with dogs can have liability problems - so volunteering at shelters, dog walking, and fostering are good ways of learning about many different dogs.

5. What has been the greatest challenge in growing your business?

Staying clear and focused

6. What are the pros and cons of your profession?

Pros: I get tremendous rewards working with people and their dogs and seeing the changes that happen pretty quickly when changing a dogs food from heavily processed to a natural diet.

Cons: Lots of resistance from the pet owners and unwillingness to make changes.

7. What daily tasks do you enjoy most?

My consultations - each one is different and like a mystery puzzle.

8. If you could have done anything differently what would it have been?

Nothing really. I firmly believe that everything I do and what happens to me - whether I perceive it as positive or negative - is all in the big picture and has led me to where I am today. I don’t look backwards - I’ve learned to live like a dog - in the moment!

9. Did you have a mentor or business coach?

Every pet owner was a mentor. I never wasted that energy - even if they were not receptive - somehow, I did not communicate my information properly or the timing was off for one of us.

10. What form (s) of marketing have you found the most effective in reaching pet owners?

I stayed away from the obvious - never do pet expos or shows - those are for people in the business of selling a product. I’ve always stayed on the “fringes” and it has always worked.

11. Do you offer clients incentives to give you referrals?

No I don’t offer incentives for referrals - I like people who come to me on their own accord.

12. At what stage of your business growth did you choose to take on help?

My dog Carlos, is my only employee. He just shows up with me and acts like Carlos, goofy and cute. Will not take on help unless I need something I cannot do, then I hire independent contractors.

13. How do you differentiate your business from other local competitors?

I don’t have competitors like most dog businesses, but I always change my approach every 2 years and never ride the wave where everyone else is. The media loves that approach - they are always seeking me out because I am always 10 steps ahead of the curve.

Thank you so much Micki for your time and for letting us learn about another unique pet business.

Please visit Micki at www.dogchefs.com to learn more about nutrition for dogs.

If you would like to see your business interview here at Working with Pets please email me at daniellechonody@gmail.com

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