Navigating the Shift to Subscription: Lessons from the Pet eCommerce Journey

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

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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: 

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Follow Bryan MacDonald at:

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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!