In this episode of the ASOM Pod, hosts Jimmy Kim (CEO of eCom Email Marketer, formally Founder of Sendlane) and Amer Grozdanic (CEO of Praella) chat with Natalie Yung, founder of Doggielawn and Bark Potty to unpack her 15-year rollercoaster from flops to full on success in the pet world. From spotting a quirky pain point and turning it into a subscription business, to scaling without taking a single VC check, Natalie spills the real story behind building a profitable, passion-fueled empire.
You’ll hear about the messy middle like operational headaches, testing ideas on the cheap, and building a workplace people actually love showing up to. Natalie also gets candid about giving back to shelters, creating products that change life for pet owners with special needs, and teaming up with her husband as a strategic partner. This is a real look at the wins, losses, and lessons of staying self funded and mission driven.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
- Why keeping your day job while testing ideas might be your smartest early move.
- Strategies to manage multiple brands without losing focus.
- How to build a supportive team culture that boosts retention and growth.
- Ways to balance passion projects with profitability and scalability.
- How self-funding can mean more freedom and far fewer headaches than chasing VC money.
If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur (or just a sucker for a good dog story), this episode is loaded with practical advice, unfiltered founder wisdom, and inspiration to build something that lasts.
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Big shoutout to our sponsors who make this podcast possible!
Omnisend — With 125,000+ eCommerce merchants, Omnisend is the all-in-one email & SMS marketing platform built to deliver seamless, personalized experiences via email and sms with ease. Learn more at https://www.omnisend.com/
LiveRecover — Live Agents for eCommerce — Get more out of your revenue strategy with real-time SMS engagement and sales recovery for higher ROI. Learn more at https://www.LiveRecover.com
Kintsugi — AI that monitors, files, and optimizes sales tax for you. Eliminate your tax headaches forever. Mention ASOM for 3 months free at https://www.TryKintsugi.com
Subscribe at https://asompod.com
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00:00 Teaser Trailer
02:01 Welcome to the ASOM Pod
02:41 Meet Natalie Yung: Serial Entrepreneur
03:18 The Birth of DoggyLawn
06:34 Embracing Failure and Learning from It
12:05 Challenges and Strategies in Entrepreneurship
14:28 Subscription Model Success
17:11 Managing Multiple Ventures
25:58 Customer Feedback and Business Growth
27:53 Team Dynamics and Employee Retention
29:11 Building a Village: Management Style and Trust
30:51 Company Structure and Team Dynamics
32:16 Balancing Multiple Brands and Projects
32:52 Employee Growth and Career Path
35:10 Leadership and Conflict Management
38:22 Partnerships and Personal Dynamics
50:31 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
53:01 Future Plans and Concluding Thought
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Follow Jimmy Kim at:
X: https://www.twitter.com/yojimmykim
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yojimmykim
IG: https://www.instagram.com/@yojimmykim
Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yojimmykim
Follow Bryan MacDonald at:
X: https://www.twitter.com/bryanomaspride
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-macdonald-ct
IG: https://www.instagram.com/@anythingbutasalad
Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@anythingbutasalad
Follow John Roman at:
X: https://www.twitter.com/@JohnMRoman
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-roman/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/@johnnyromes
Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@johnmroman
Follow Amer Grozdanic at:a
X: https://www.twitter.com/@AmerGrozdanic
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amer-grozdanic
IG: https://www.instagram.com/@amergrozdanic
Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amergrozdanic
Contact us at hello@asompod.com for sponsorships, appearance requests, interviews, or general information!
