#86 From Target Buyer to Nationally Launching Upcycled Pet Brand Shameless Pets with James Bello

Today we have a special episode for you to celebrate the launch of the pet channel in the Startup CPG Slack! The number of pet brands in our community is growing and we wanted to create a space dedicated for pet brands to discuss unique challenges and regulations. We thought who better to join us than one of our early Slack members, Shameless Pets, who I’ve personally been following for quite a few years. James Bello is the co-founder and CEO of Shameless Pets and is a former Target Buyer with lots of wisdom to share that’s relevant to all CPG brands. Shameless Pets makes healthy dog and cat treats and foods that utilized upcycled ingredients in an effort to fight food waste. As of our recording date, they’ve saved about 1.2 million pounds of food from going into landfills.Listen in as James shares about:His journey from Target buyer to brand ownerGetting started in upcycled ingredients before the Upcycled Food Association even existedHow pet food regulations differ from human food and the process of setting up their supply chain and manufacturingLaunching in Whole Foods, Central Market, and Target, and how they used seasonal endcaps to manage establishing relationships with big retailersNavigating when to start taking a pay check as foundersMarketing levers they rely on including in-store promotions and campaigns with Social NatureThe debate on who the original Shameless Pet isAnd more!To get the invite to our new pet Slack channel, go to startupcpg.com, sign up for our emails at the bottom of the page, and then grab the Slack link at the top of any email from Startup CPG. Once inside, head to “All Channels” or “Channel Browser” to find the pet channel. That sounds like a lot of steps, but it takes less than 5 minutes and is free! See you there!This episode was sponsored by Social Nature. Go to business.socialnature.comEpisode Links:Shameless Pets websiteJame’s LinkedIn & email [email protected] mentioned: Upcycled Food Association, Social NatureSocial Nature Links:Social Nature websiteSocial Nature team email: [email protected] from & get to know the Social Nature team: Episode #50 The Data Behind the Modern Wellness Consumer with Social Nature's Jessica MalachOverview of Digital Sampling with Social Nature founder Annalea KrebsEpisode that mentions a Social Nature campaign: Episode #66 Sharing is Caring: How Alison Cayne & Haven's Kitchen share cooking confidence and industry knowledge (Social Nature discussed at 41:15)Show Links:Join the Startup CPG Slack community (12K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Jessi's Linkedin or websiteQuestions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at [email protected]