Today we’d like to introduce you to Shannen Lawson.
Hi Shannen, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Analyzing problems, executing solutions, and mobilizing change — that’s what I’m all about.
I’m one of those people who never let their circumstances limit their outlook on capability and opportunity. I could sit here and tell you a sob story about everything that went wrong in my past, but that wouldn’t be beneficial. And if anything, it all made me who I am today, so I’ll just start with that person.
I graduated from college during the pandemic (May 2020). I had a full-time offer in finance, so my career path was pretty set, but I always dipped and dabbled in entrepreneurship. In college, I hosted financial literacy programs across three states, even getting some help from Microsoft’s community development teams. I also independently published two books, my favorite being an awesome children’s book called Our Saving Secret. But somehow, with the world seemingly falling apart, that didn’t seem like enough. I wasn’t fulfilled.
At the beginning of quarantine, my family dog-sat the sweetest little Shih Tzu named Daisi. One week turned into a month, and before we knew it, Daisi was ours. Her family could no longer keep her, and we had grown so used to her companionship that we couldn’t imagine giving her to anyone else.
In building our relationship with Daisi, Pawsse was born and this online pet shop was my newest endeavor, bringing innovation to the modern pet owner.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Entrepreneurship is everything but smooth, but it’s the fulfillment you get when you hear your phone ding with an order, get a positive review of your products, or something as small as a follower on Instagram that really keeps you motivated.
I’ve struggled with everything from ideation to supplier issues. There were many times when I just wanted to give up and say forget it all, but their isn’t much diversity in the pet industry and that alone makes it worth it– the fact that someone may be able to see themselves in my experience, relate to my reels on Instagram, or generally like the design and innovation of my products.
I’m not only a woman but a woman of color, and as a Black woman, it’s really hard to just go with the flow. Everything is not always your best work. You want things to be perfect before you take it to market. You try to tweak things a million times and sike yourself out. That’s just not business and frankly, it’s not productive. You just have to be willing to fail and mess up a billion times, but keep getting back up knowing that each time you’re getting a little bit better.
I’ll leave you guys with a quote that always helps me when I’m struggling:
“Be humble enough to suck for as long as it takes to get better.” – Rachel Hollis: Girl, Stop Apologizing!
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Pawsse, LLC?
Ever saw someone get completely uncomfortable around dogs, like “flinch when they bark and avoid getting sniffed or licked” uncomfortable? Sadly, I used to be one of those people and it’s probably because I’ve gotten chased by more dogs than I’d like to admit during my childhood. I guess you could say I wasn’t really a pet person. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, that all changed.
At the beginning of quarantine, my family dog-sat the sweetest little Shih Tzu named Daisi. One week turned into a month, and before we knew it, Daisi was ours. Her family could no longer keep her, and we had grown so used to her companionship that we couldn’t imagine giving her to anyone else.
In building our relationship with Daisi, Pawsse was born.
Pawsse is an online pet shop for people who love their pets. Located right at the intersection of health and functionality, we are committed to bringing the most innovative pet products right to your doorstep, making life easier for not just you, but every member of your pawsse.
Our staple product, the 4-in-1 Pet Travel Bottle, is designed for health and crafted for functionality. It’s stacked with the following:
– Ergonomically designed with a 300ml water container and O-shaped drinking bowl, equipped with a reflowable water lock.
– Portable food compartment directly under drinking bottle makes rewarding positive training and cool tricks easy when you fill the bottle with your pet’s favorite treats.
– Optimized with poop bag storage and a poop shovel, our bottles simplify cleanup into a 3 step system. Just wrap the shovel with a bag, scoop the poop, and flip bag inside out. Easy as 1-2-3, plus your first round of bags are included on me!
We also offer a wide range of pet-themed tees for toddlers, youth, and adults, with sizes ranging up to 4XL.
Plus, 10% of all monthly profits is donated for the purpose of feeding pets.
Any big plans?
In the future, we hope to expand our product offering. We value innovation, and I specifically like to test out products with my dog before bringing them to the masses. Daisi and I have had a fun-filled summer with tons of new goodies, so you may see some new items coming soon.
Pricing:
- 4-in-1 Pet Travel Bottles: $27
- Adult Tees: $23
- Youth Tees: $18
- Toddler Tees: $16
Contact Info:
- Website: pawssepetshop.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/pawssepetshop
- Facebook: facebook.com/pawssepetshop
Image Credits
Robert Dean
