The Rise of Boss Nation: Inside the Premium Pet Product Brand
Join Isabel and Basel "Vasili" Nassar of Dog Boss and Cat Boss brands to discuss the evolution of the Boss Nation Brands of pet lifestyle products. From premium pet food to supplementation and tactical gear, Basel and his team are solving pet parents' problems and providing the utmost value to their pets. In this episode, we get to know Basel's journey from Greek yogurt business leader to pet industry disrupter. Forget "kibble and bits," Basel and the team at Boss Nation are putting quality and wellness at the forefront. They are slowly but surely revolutionizing the way we feed our pets and how we share our lives with them.
Listen to Episode #110 Now:
BIO:
Basel "Vasili" Nassar is the founder and Chief Executive Officer at Boss Nation Brands, Inc., founded in 2018. A skilled executive with over 25 years of experience building industry-leading innovations, focused on both consumable and non-consumable goods. Not limited to one industry, he has built multiple brand pillars, overseeing a variety of highly innovative segments and concepts. Mr. Nassar co-founded 3 Greek Gods, LLC, (The Greek Gods) a leading brand within the Greek Yogurt retail space, in 2002. 3 Greek Gods, LLC was acquired in 2010, where Mr. Nassar maintained an executive role as VP of Operations of the refrigerated division, within the Hain Celestial Group. Mr. Nassar and his team of professionals grew the brand portfolio to over $100 million in net sales with operations in North America, Europe, Asia, and the elsewhere, in under 5 years post-acquisition. Mr. Nassar, a true entrepreneur, is still actively working closely with his team to innovate and acquire market share, in both broad and narrow segment markets.
Transcript:
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Announcer: This is Pet Life Radio.
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Announcer: Let's talk pets!
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Welcome to Covered In Pet Hair, a boozy show for pet lovers on Pet Life Radio.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I'm your host, Isabel Alvarez Arata, and today I have the pleasure of having a drink and a chat with a guy who's leading the way in the specialty pet lifestyle area, specifically in the digestive health space.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Don't go anywhere, we're gonna hear from our sponsors, and when we come back, I'll tell you all about him and introduce you.
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Announcer: Let's Talk Pets on petliferadio.com.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Welcome back to Covered In Pet Hair.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I'm your host, Isabel Alvarez Arata.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: And today, I have the pleasure of having a drink and a chat with a pet parent, an adventure seeker.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: He's a road tripper, a world traveler, a fitness fanatic, who was born in Seattle, Washington, lived abroad in the Middle East, and now resides in Southern California.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: He has a wife named Ilse.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Did I pronounce that right?
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: A daughter named Maria and a son named Evan.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: He's dog dad to Kelby, Toby, and Layla.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: He's cat dad to Nico.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: And he also has a bird named Maxie and a tortoise named Otis.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: He is the founder and CEO of Boss Nation Brands Incorporated, which is the home of Boss Dog and Boss Pat.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: His name is Basel Nassar, also known in the pet space as Vasili.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Welcome.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: It's so good to have you on the show.
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Basel Nassar: Thanks for having me.
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Basel Nassar: We're really excited to be here.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I'm so excited to see your brand again.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I met Shay and all of your team while I was at Super Zoo.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: We miss each other at your booth, but I enjoyed your booth very much.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I have so many questions about how you came to found such an amazing brand with so many products, so many solutions for pet parents in such a short amount of time.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: But before I get into your story, I want to introduce our drinking game today.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So anybody participating in our drinking game, anytime you hear this word, the secret word is Rampage.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Take a drink of whatever you're enjoying, but please be over 21 in the US to partake.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Never drink and drive and always drink responsibly.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So what are you joining us with today?
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Basel Nassar: Oh, I just have a little light beer here today.
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Basel Nassar: So I'm just trying to stay good.
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Basel Nassar: It's a little early here, so two o'clock, but you know, saying five o'clock somewhere, why not?
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Always.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: It's always five o'clock somewhere.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Well, I'm actually having a drink named after your brand.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: This is a real cocktail that exists.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I looked it up on Google.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: This is the Boss cocktail, and all it is is some bourbon and some amaretto.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So it's a stiff drink today, and I'm very much enjoying it.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Cheers.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Thank you for being on the show.
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Basel Nassar: Cheers.
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Basel Nassar: Thank you for having me.
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Basel Nassar: Really excited about our talk today.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Me too.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I can't wait to dig in to everything there is to know about your brand.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: There is a lot to know.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So to get us started, I would like to introduce this show with a game, and this is called Boss Nation History.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So you're going to get an A+, because you know all the answers.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: It is a quick fire challenge.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So your only challenge for you is going to be keeping it quick.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Do you think you can make that happen?
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Basel Nassar: No problem.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: All right.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Here we go.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: The first question is, what was the first product you created under Boss Nation?
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Basel Nassar: Boss Dog and Boss Cat Greek-style frozen yogurt treats.
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Basel Nassar: Three billion probiotics per cup.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: You aced that one.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: What role did you first hire someone to take over or do?
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Basel Nassar: Tammy Samuelson.
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Basel Nassar: She's been with me for over 15 years.
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Basel Nassar: She used to run my back office when I ran a Greek yogurt company for humans.
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Basel Nassar: And she was my first call.
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Basel Nassar: We actually pulled her out of retirement.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Oh, is she still working with you?
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Basel Nassar: Oh yeah, she's my right hand.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So what is retirement anyway?
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: She doesn't need to do that yet.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Alright, what is your favorite product that you've ever created?
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Basel Nassar: I'm really proud of the dog and the cat meal systems.
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Basel Nassar: Creating something that's genuine and unique within what I call the kibble and bits world is hard to do.
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Basel Nassar: Coming up with a formula that met AFCO requirements and added value, as you've heard me say, was really important and that presented somewhat of a challenge over and above treats and supplements.
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Basel Nassar: So I'm very proud of our meal system formulas.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: That is awesome.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: That really is something to be proud of because it is very difficult to find value and quality in pet foods.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So congratulations on that.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Alright, so what was the hardest product to bring to market?
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Was it the meal systems?
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Basel Nassar: I think probably one of the more challenging to bring to market was the Pet Gear line.
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Basel Nassar: So we launched Boss Tactical, which is an ultra-premium pet gear, collars, leashes, harnesses.
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Basel Nassar: That was an interesting challenge only because the supply chain was disrupted during the launch window.
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Basel Nassar: So for all of 2020 and 21, we were working 10 times harder than we usually do to get an item to market because of those challenges.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: For sure.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I have heard that from a few product manufacturers.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: What are the dogs?
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: You have three dogs.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Helby, Toby and Layla, what are their favorites?
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Basel Nassar: Well, we rotate protein at the house, just like we rotate our meals at home.
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Basel Nassar: So we use a similar mentality.
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Basel Nassar: I don't want to eat chicken breast every night.
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Basel Nassar: So usually we'll do like a lamb freeze-dried meal system for all of them.
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Basel Nassar: You know, we keep it assembly line.
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Basel Nassar: And then we'll rotate into our fish recipe, maybe our beef, maybe our chicken.
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Basel Nassar: And sometimes I'll even blend the proteins depending on the dog.
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Basel Nassar: But because of the transition…
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Basel Nassar: My dogs have been eating raw for so many years now, it's a non-issue.
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Basel Nassar: But for dogs that haven't, we're very easy to transition to raw food because of the digestive component.
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Basel Nassar: So a lot of pets that go straight to raw, generally, you know, everything's fine the first day, the second day, they're worried about things that are coming out of every which way, but we typically don't get those complaints.
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Basel Nassar: But yeah, all of our dogs are well adapted to raw and rotate protein.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Amazing.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: And how about your cat, your cat Nico?
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: What is his favorite thing from your Boss Cat brand?
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Basel Nassar: Nico is a very finicky cat.
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Basel Nassar: And I have to tell you, he's a fan of both the turkey and the chicken in the frozen format.
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Basel Nassar: So we have the Boss Cat frozen entrée.
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Basel Nassar: It's a scoop and serve.
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Basel Nassar: And then usually we'll use that as our base.
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Basel Nassar: And then the freeze-dried cat formula is a topper.
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Basel Nassar: So we'll sprinkle a little bit of that on.
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Basel Nassar: You know, they're getting over four to 500 million probiotics per serving with that one meal.
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Basel Nassar: So there's no need to add a multitude of supplements to try to make sure your pet's getting everything they need.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Yeah.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: And that can get expensive for sure.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: What made you focus on digestive health specifically?
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Basel Nassar: That's a great question.
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Basel Nassar: 20-plus years ago, I founded a Greek yogurt company for humans.
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Basel Nassar: We scaled that business to a global size brand.
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Basel Nassar: I sold the business in 2010.
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Basel Nassar: And for eight years after we sold the company, my team, very much the team that I have with me today, had the pleasure of working with a great regulatory group.
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Basel Nassar: I mean, you have to imagine the team that, the group that acquired us was a $4 billion market cap group.
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Basel Nassar: They had tools and things that we didn't have at our disposal.
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Basel Nassar: So over the course of that eight years post-selling our Greek yogurt, we learned and mastered the infusion of probiotics.
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Basel Nassar: And we learned what types of probiotics to use, what strains, which quantity, when to introduce them during the manufacturing process to make and maximize survivability.
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Basel Nassar: I've did that in yogurt, ice cream, soup bases, dressings.
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Basel Nassar: And I thought, why not for pets?
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Basel Nassar: And that's when in 2018, I turned to my top people and I said, let's launch a pet food company that focuses on digestive health.
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Basel Nassar: And it's one of the top items that consumers are looking for today, because the number one complaint that you typically have with a pet, typically a dog or a pet, is a stomach disruption or a stomach complaint.
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Basel Nassar: So I thought, this is what I know about.
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Basel Nassar: We've got 20 plus years of credibility.
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Basel Nassar: And we used Greek frozen yogurt treats as our entry point, but we've expanded well beyond that now.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Yeah, I have to ask, are you Greek?
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Basel Nassar: I'm half Greek.
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Basel Nassar: Yeah, half Greek, half Greek.
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Basel Nassar: Yep.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: All right.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Yeah, that makes perfect sense.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I mean, I bet you were raised on Greek yogurt, right?
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: That was like a staple in your house.
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Basel Nassar: Yep, we used to strain it in cheesecloth, actually.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Oh.
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Basel Nassar: We'd incubate it in the oven, because typically a Greek yogurt is a longer set.
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Basel Nassar: You want to incubate it, let it ferment, and then strain the way out.
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Basel Nassar: We've found ways to do that effectively commercially.
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Basel Nassar: But you're right, I did nothing but eat Mediterranean food my whole life.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: The last time I was in Spain, I was just telling you, I was in Spain last month.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Everywhere we went, there was homemade yogurt on the menu with like a little bit of just jam or something that they had.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Amazing.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: It is such a treat.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: It is so a dessert more so than a yogurt or a breakfast like we think of it in the US.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So I love that you are passionate about yogurt like I am.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I'm actually hoping to learn how to make my own.
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Basel Nassar: Well, we can help you with that.
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Basel Nassar: Just let us know.
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Basel Nassar: We can walk you through it step by step.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Amazing.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I love that.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Last question of the game.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: When did you start making Tactical Gear and why did you go ahead and go into that space?
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Basel Nassar: Tactical Pet Gear launched a week before Thanksgiving 2020.
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Basel Nassar: I'll tell you exactly why.
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Basel Nassar: One, it suited my lifestyle brand strategy.
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Basel Nassar: I didn't want to just be meals and treats.
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Basel Nassar: I really wanted a solution for the whole house in every area.
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Basel Nassar: I have a 170-pound Rhodesian Ridgeback.
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Basel Nassar: I think he's the biggest male Ridgeback in the US.
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Basel Nassar: I've never found one bigger.
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Basel Nassar: The collars and leashes would fit him, and those that did would break if he decided to pull on it.
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Basel Nassar: He's an extremely strong dog.
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Basel Nassar: So I said, why not create something that the Mastiffs, the King Corso's, the German Shepherds, the giant Rhodesians, the Weimaraners, standard poodles.
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Basel Nassar: So we created a line from medium to extra-large size dogs, and we're talking 750-pound tensile strength, 1250-pound leash recoil.
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Basel Nassar: So just a lot of great functions, and that was the motivation.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Yeah, I saw them at Super Zoo, Shay gave me, I shared a video on my Instagram of your products and Shay giving me a little tour of your booth, which was beautiful, by the way.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: And we are going to talk about your booth, Super Zoo, everything about Super Zoo, the next part of the show.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: But for now, I want to ask about, you have Boss Nation, and then you separated your products into Boss Dog and Boss Cat.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: And I think I know the answer as to why you did that.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: But for somebody listening who doesn't understand, why not just keep it under Boss Nation or Boss Pet?
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Why make it specific to the species?
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Basel Nassar: Well, you know, again, with the vision is, we're not limited to just the two brand pillars.
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Basel Nassar: But to answer your question, for one, I think it's cool to be able to say, I've got a Boss Dog and a Boss Cat.
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Basel Nassar: Any pet.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Right.
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Basel Nassar: But more importantly, I wanted to formulate items that were specific to the species.
00:12:59.845 --> 00:13:07.805
Basel Nassar: And I know there's a lot of brands that either try to find utility in either creating hybrid solutions, of which we have a few.
00:13:07.865 --> 00:13:12.005
Basel Nassar: But when you're talking meal systems, you need to be very specific.
00:13:12.025 --> 00:13:14.585
Basel Nassar: There's certain things that both dogs and cats need.
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Basel Nassar: Like, for example, we use kelp in our dog formula, but psyllium husk for cats.
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Basel Nassar: A lot of people don't know why.
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Basel Nassar: Why is it helps prevent hairballs?
00:13:25.325 --> 00:13:34.365
Basel Nassar: So a slight adjustment in that formula, where their proteins are very similar, the veggies and fruits are really similar, but you have to have distinctive differences.
00:13:34.385 --> 00:13:42.125
Basel Nassar: So I think that's really the motivation to segregating all the brand pillars, so I can focus on each species individually for what they need.
00:13:42.485 --> 00:13:47.965
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Since 2019, how many products have you all developed and brought to market?
00:13:48.005 --> 00:13:48.785
Basel Nassar: It's head-spinning.
00:13:51.445 --> 00:14:00.325
Basel Nassar: I mean, I look at my old Greek yogurt company, and at its height, we had, I think, 15 SKUs, very high-velocity SKUs.
00:14:00.985 --> 00:14:13.125
Basel Nassar: At the end of this year, I think we're at about 260 SKUs, 11 product segments, two brand pillars, and so it's definitely been a far more accelerated project.
00:14:13.345 --> 00:14:18.905
Basel Nassar: And I think it's largely due to the– and I won't go into detail on this, but the barriers of entry.
00:14:19.245 --> 00:14:24.385
Basel Nassar: It's very hard to make a splash in pet without being noticed.
00:14:24.845 --> 00:14:36.085
Basel Nassar: And I felt that if I was just to stay in one lane for two to three years, it just wouldn't get me where I needed to, because I have certain expectations I'd like to bring the team to in terms of the level.
00:14:36.405 --> 00:14:39.485
Basel Nassar: And then this little thing called a global pandemic hit.
00:14:41.985 --> 00:14:47.645
Basel Nassar: I don't care who you are, if you're a startup, it's pressing.
00:14:47.665 --> 00:14:50.985
Basel Nassar: If you're a legacy brand, you probably can get through it.
00:14:51.005 --> 00:14:53.745
Basel Nassar: So I'm just proud of us for getting through those two years.
00:14:54.065 --> 00:14:56.245
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Yeah, that was a rough start time.
00:14:56.365 --> 00:15:00.645
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And you have not only made it through, but you're thriving.
00:15:00.685 --> 00:15:05.365
Isabel Alvarez Arata: If your success at SuperZoo says anything, is that you are unstoppable.
00:15:05.665 --> 00:15:07.165
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So I'm going to take a break right here.
00:15:07.225 --> 00:15:14.125
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And actually, we're going to dig into SuperZoo, your experience, all that you did and all that you brought to the experience for the rest of us.
00:15:14.365 --> 00:15:15.205
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Don't go anywhere.
00:15:15.225 --> 00:15:24.565
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I will be right back with Boss Nation Brands, Boss Dog, Boss Cat, and this boss right here when we come back from our messages from our sponsors.
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00:16:34.233 --> 00:16:35.953
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Welcome back to Covered In Pet Hair.
00:16:35.953 --> 00:16:58.753
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I'm your host, Isabel Alvarez Arata, and today I'm having an awesome conversation and a strong drink with Basel Nassar, also known as Vasili, who is the founder and CEO of Boss Nation Brand of Pet Lifestyle Solutions, who is overseas the two brand pillars known as Boss Dog and Boss Cat.
00:16:59.033 --> 00:17:14.373
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And not to say that they might not have a boss bird and a boss turtle in the future, but we're going to focus today on Boss Nation's experience at SuperZoo, which is, as if you followed me for a while, you know is my best week of the year.
00:17:14.393 --> 00:17:26.073
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I get to see all my pet loving peeps, my people, my circle, and I get to learn about all these amazing brands like I did with Basel and his team this year at SuperZoo.
00:17:26.373 --> 00:17:29.313
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So Basel, I want to play a second game with you today.
00:17:29.373 --> 00:17:33.353
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And this one is called, Did You, SuperZoo 2023?
00:17:33.373 --> 00:17:37.393
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So I'm just going to ask you some questions about what you did or did not do at SuperZoo.
00:17:37.453 --> 00:17:38.253
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Are you ready to play?
00:17:38.893 --> 00:17:39.453
Isabel Alvarez Arata: All right.
00:17:40.593 --> 00:17:43.653
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Did you have any issues setting up your booth?
00:17:43.873 --> 00:17:45.293
Basel Nassar: It was a brand new booth.
00:17:45.753 --> 00:17:46.073
Basel Nassar: No.
00:17:47.753 --> 00:17:50.313
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Cause it was a big setup.
00:17:50.493 --> 00:17:57.213
Basel Nassar: We just had a tough time erecting the 22 foot boss dog, Wolf, which probably won't be joining us to the next show.
00:17:57.233 --> 00:18:00.593
Basel Nassar: We'll have something even more fun to look at, but we like challenges.
00:18:00.653 --> 00:18:01.553
Basel Nassar: We don't want boring.
00:18:01.853 --> 00:18:02.313
Isabel Alvarez Arata: No, no.
00:18:02.333 --> 00:18:03.733
Isabel Alvarez Arata: You did an amazing job.
00:18:03.753 --> 00:18:04.933
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Your booth stood out.
00:18:04.953 --> 00:18:09.633
Isabel Alvarez Arata: It was packed full of product, packed full of activity, people everywhere.
00:18:09.653 --> 00:18:10.673
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I loved visiting.
00:18:10.813 --> 00:18:12.313
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Did you wear the right shoes?
00:18:12.373 --> 00:18:16.953
Basel Nassar: 30 years as a serial entrepreneur, I would say I figured that out about 10 years ago.
00:18:16.973 --> 00:18:18.013
Basel Nassar: So I did wear the right shoes.
00:18:19.093 --> 00:18:21.013
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Always wear the right shoes, guys.
00:18:21.293 --> 00:18:24.293
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Did you meet your step goal for the day or did you exceed it?
00:18:24.613 --> 00:18:32.013
Basel Nassar: I answer that question with some reservation because a lot of people ask the question at the show, how's the show going for you?
00:18:32.033 --> 00:18:35.653
Basel Nassar: And I used to answer, well, it's pretty good, but now I don't answer it anymore.
00:18:35.853 --> 00:18:37.453
Basel Nassar: I say, I have no idea.
00:18:37.653 --> 00:18:39.373
Basel Nassar: I'll let you know after the show.
00:18:39.693 --> 00:18:47.253
Basel Nassar: And I still feel that two to three months after a pet specialty show is incubation time for the deals that you did.
00:18:47.273 --> 00:18:53.613
Basel Nassar: So I would say I'm happy, but we always want to get more return out of those shows because they're not cheap.
00:18:53.853 --> 00:18:55.593
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Did you spy on competitors?
00:18:55.993 --> 00:18:57.553
Basel Nassar: I don't spy on competitors.
00:18:57.633 --> 00:19:01.833
Basel Nassar: I think we both glean off of each other.
00:19:01.853 --> 00:19:06.433
Basel Nassar: I'm not somebody that goes out and does me too innovation.
00:19:06.693 --> 00:19:11.693
Basel Nassar: I've been subject to it though in the past where people come up and grab ideas from us.
00:19:12.373 --> 00:19:12.733
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Yes.
00:19:13.033 --> 00:19:15.293
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I mean, that's kind of half of Super Sue.
00:19:15.313 --> 00:19:19.133
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I feel like I go as press, which is nice because everybody wants to talk to me.
00:19:19.493 --> 00:19:23.933
Isabel Alvarez Arata: But I do feel like there's some people spying, trying to get ideas.
00:19:23.933 --> 00:19:25.453
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Obviously there's some retailers.
00:19:25.993 --> 00:19:29.373
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Probably, you know, stressful for people entering the market.
00:19:29.393 --> 00:19:33.773
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So I get to go and just enjoy myself, which is the best part for me.
00:19:34.013 --> 00:19:34.433
Isabel Alvarez Arata: All right.
00:19:34.433 --> 00:19:39.633
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Did you meet anybody that you wanted to connect with that was kind of like on your radar?
00:19:39.733 --> 00:19:40.593
Basel Nassar: Yeah, absolutely.
00:19:40.613 --> 00:19:45.293
Basel Nassar: Yeah, there's some key buyers there that I have done a lot of email exchange with.
00:19:45.533 --> 00:19:54.553
Basel Nassar: And I'm finding we're in an interesting time where communicating with people, either by phone or emails, becoming very challenging.
00:19:54.573 --> 00:19:59.613
Basel Nassar: So whenever you get an audience with somebody for just a few minutes, it seems to make a difference.
00:19:59.693 --> 00:20:02.893
Basel Nassar: So I was happy to run into some of those digital people.
00:20:04.053 --> 00:20:05.273
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Yeah, that's so true.
00:20:05.293 --> 00:20:06.113
Isabel Alvarez Arata: It's really hard.
00:20:06.113 --> 00:20:09.333
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And then you kind of connect on an obviously more human level in person.
00:20:09.413 --> 00:20:14.613
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Did you recognize any pet influencers, like any famous pet, while you were there?
00:20:14.853 --> 00:20:15.773
Basel Nassar: Yeah, actually I did.
00:20:15.793 --> 00:20:23.773
Basel Nassar: There was, we had one at the booth, Madani the Malinois, me and Tyson and Robin the Handler all took a bite.
00:20:23.853 --> 00:20:36.053
Basel Nassar: So we had our sleeve on and each of us took a bite from Madani and a couple of affiliate Doberman Shepherds or Doberman Pinschers were there and a couple of German Shepherds.
00:20:36.073 --> 00:20:39.433
Basel Nassar: So we met a lot of people that we're familiar with online.
00:20:39.453 --> 00:20:40.853
Basel Nassar: Yeah, it was great meeting them in person.
00:20:41.033 --> 00:20:42.713
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And that's one of my favorite things.
00:20:42.813 --> 00:20:53.893
Basel Nassar: And just seeing those dogs, how well they're trained and the love and the respect that the Handler and the dog have for one another and the control, you know, it's essentially a weapon.
00:20:54.073 --> 00:20:58.353
Basel Nassar: So we were very respectful of that and very honored to take those bites.
00:20:59.293 --> 00:21:01.173
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Yes, that is so cool.
00:21:01.193 --> 00:21:02.893
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Did you feel anything through the sleeve?
00:21:03.233 --> 00:21:10.573
Basel Nassar: I won't lie, I had one actually get through and penetrate a little, but, you know, it's well worth it.
00:21:13.753 --> 00:21:14.573
Basel Nassar: No complaints.
00:21:15.853 --> 00:21:17.093
Isabel Alvarez Arata: That's amazing.
00:21:17.293 --> 00:21:22.653
Isabel Alvarez Arata: When I was looking at all these dogs, there were very few that I was like, that dog's not comfortable here.
00:21:22.993 --> 00:21:28.853
Isabel Alvarez Arata: These dogs are so well trained and so comfortable with so many people around, other dogs around.
00:21:29.313 --> 00:21:30.813
Isabel Alvarez Arata: It really is pretty impressive.
00:21:30.833 --> 00:21:34.873
Isabel Alvarez Arata: It gives you a whole other perspective on the dog that you're raising at home.
00:21:34.893 --> 00:21:39.233
Isabel Alvarez Arata: You're like, that dog can't even go to the corner without freaking out about wind.
00:21:39.533 --> 00:21:44.453
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And then this dog is over here performing pirouettes for like an audience of 200.
00:21:45.053 --> 00:21:45.333
Basel Nassar: Yeah.
00:21:45.893 --> 00:21:51.773
Basel Nassar: I'll tell you, in under 10 seconds, my ridge back, if I take him out in the street, he's a very alpha male dog.
00:21:52.833 --> 00:22:00.733
Basel Nassar: He'll nudge to try to show that he's got an authority with any other dog out there except law enforcement and military working dogs.
00:22:00.733 --> 00:22:04.853
Basel Nassar: I could take him to a show and they'll walk right by each other and no conflict at all.
00:22:04.993 --> 00:22:06.333
Basel Nassar: There's a mutual respect.
00:22:06.353 --> 00:22:07.593
Basel Nassar: They know they've been trained.
00:22:07.613 --> 00:22:08.913
Basel Nassar: They know they have capability.
00:22:08.933 --> 00:22:11.693
Basel Nassar: And it's just like humans, I would think.
00:22:12.933 --> 00:22:15.153
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Bunch of bosses walking past each other.
00:22:18.233 --> 00:22:19.053
Isabel Alvarez Arata: That is awesome.
00:22:19.073 --> 00:22:20.793
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I love to see a boss dog for sure.
00:22:20.813 --> 00:22:21.553
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And boss cats.
00:22:21.733 --> 00:22:25.473
Isabel Alvarez Arata: There were a lot of boss cats there, which I met Mavi.
00:22:25.493 --> 00:22:28.053
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I met, oh gosh, so many cats.
00:22:28.073 --> 00:22:29.933
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I'm forgetting that Kitty Boy was there.
00:22:29.953 --> 00:22:41.233
Isabel Alvarez Arata: There's so many super cool cats that are like giving high fives, just sitting in there like stroller, chilling out, which I mean, I have a young cat that I could potentially train to do that, but I'm too lazy.
00:22:41.413 --> 00:22:44.833
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So hats off to those people who train their pets that well.
00:22:45.493 --> 00:22:51.233
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I just love my pets to live with me and share my life with me, but I don't need them to do all that.
00:22:51.833 --> 00:23:03.313
Isabel Alvarez Arata: What product– this is my last question of the game– what product that you do not carry, that has nothing to do with you, caught your attention the most while you were browsing the halls?
00:23:05.033 --> 00:23:13.653
Basel Nassar: I like what I'm seeing in the functional meal system innovation.
00:23:13.673 --> 00:23:22.253
Basel Nassar: Brands are getting better at creating food specific to either the breed or the size of the animal.
00:23:22.493 --> 00:23:28.773
Basel Nassar: And I think it's because you're seeing what I call the premiumization of the pet specialty channel.
00:23:29.393 --> 00:23:33.513
Basel Nassar: You have 50 plus years of Kibble and Bits and more than that.
00:23:34.113 --> 00:23:43.033
Basel Nassar: And now, I can tell you there's probably two dozen brands competing for raw, fresh, frozen or freeze-dried space.
00:23:44.313 --> 00:23:46.253
Basel Nassar: So that's, I think, the most impressive thing.
00:23:46.273 --> 00:23:50.733
Basel Nassar: Competition generally promotes real innovation.
00:23:51.213 --> 00:23:55.573
Basel Nassar: And then you go through a Me Too phase again, where everybody wants to copy the success.
00:23:56.233 --> 00:24:02.813
Basel Nassar: And then, hopefully, within the next decade, somebody comes out with something that really kind of disrupts.
00:24:02.933 --> 00:24:07.113
Basel Nassar: Because I think in this industry, you definitely need to be disruptive to be noticed.
00:24:07.473 --> 00:24:08.073
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Absolutely.
00:24:08.133 --> 00:24:10.753
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And pet parents are counting on you to be disruptive.
00:24:10.753 --> 00:24:14.473
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Because what we are paying our good money for is not quality.
00:24:14.493 --> 00:24:22.133
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So we're looking for brands like yours that are going to bring value, like you said, to the industry so that we have more choices.
00:24:22.573 --> 00:24:34.733
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Right now, the people who are feeding Kibble feel like they are just between a rock and a hard place, between budget and quality and not really knowing what's in things because marketing, it's a tough place to be.
00:24:34.753 --> 00:24:40.673
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So thank you for innovating and for bringing better stuff to us, the pet parent, the consumer.
00:24:42.093 --> 00:24:44.973
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So what was your overall impression of Super Zoo?
00:24:45.453 --> 00:24:47.353
Isabel Alvarez Arata: You've been there five years now.
00:24:47.893 --> 00:24:48.593
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Is it better?
00:24:48.613 --> 00:24:49.773
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Was it better this year?
00:24:49.793 --> 00:24:52.473
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Do you feel like it's growing?
00:24:52.493 --> 00:24:53.673
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Tell me about your impression.
00:24:54.373 --> 00:24:56.753
Basel Nassar: Well, I won't compare it to the two years that it was off.
00:24:57.393 --> 00:24:57.853
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Right.
00:24:58.093 --> 00:25:04.393
Basel Nassar: But I will say Global was the last show that I did before 2020.
00:25:05.233 --> 00:25:09.953
Basel Nassar: And that show was a bit depressing.
00:25:11.333 --> 00:25:13.473
Basel Nassar: It had less than half the attendance there.
00:25:13.493 --> 00:25:15.473
Basel Nassar: The international delegates weren't there.
00:25:15.993 --> 00:25:19.713
Basel Nassar: And this was prior to it becoming a US pandemic.
00:25:20.313 --> 00:25:24.233
Basel Nassar: So I'm extremely encouraged at what I saw at SuperZoo23.
00:25:25.193 --> 00:25:27.273
Basel Nassar: You saw international back buying.
00:25:27.793 --> 00:25:29.353
Basel Nassar: People were asking questions.
00:25:29.373 --> 00:25:32.453
Basel Nassar: There was a lot of supply chain inquiry.
00:25:32.933 --> 00:25:37.953
Basel Nassar: Where I probably had a dozen people that want to make my pet gear line for me.
00:25:37.973 --> 00:25:44.133
Basel Nassar: Whereas a year ago, Global, that was pretty non-existent.
00:25:44.153 --> 00:25:45.473
Basel Nassar: So very happy.
00:25:45.493 --> 00:25:47.053
Basel Nassar: I was a big thumbs up on this year.
00:25:48.053 --> 00:25:50.693
Basel Nassar: But I'm also a big believer in you got to work those shows.
00:25:50.713 --> 00:25:59.193
Basel Nassar: You can't just go and set up your booth and every year we try to get more creative on how to give the retailer a reason to visit us.
00:26:01.273 --> 00:26:04.593
Basel Nassar: So yeah, that's my overview on Super Zoo.
00:26:04.613 --> 00:26:06.333
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Well, y'all did a really good job.
00:26:06.333 --> 00:26:09.753
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So the first thing I'm going to say is I don't know if you saw this.
00:26:09.793 --> 00:26:15.553
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I may have forgotten, but I know you had mixed martial arts icon Rampage Jackson there.
00:26:15.573 --> 00:26:16.753
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And you know how I know this?
00:26:17.293 --> 00:26:19.533
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Because I took a picture with him.
00:26:19.553 --> 00:26:20.993
Basel Nassar: All right.
00:26:22.413 --> 00:26:24.093
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I saw that's how I met Shay.
00:26:24.113 --> 00:26:28.973
Isabel Alvarez Arata: That's how I found out about your brand and your booth is because they were walking around.
00:26:29.333 --> 00:26:37.133
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And I, as a journalist, as I am, I had read that you were bringing this mixed martial arts icon to the show.
00:26:37.153 --> 00:26:38.693
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I have a six-year-old son.
00:26:38.713 --> 00:26:41.573
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So when I saw him, I said, I need a picture with him.
00:26:41.873 --> 00:26:43.113
Isabel Alvarez Arata: They were all so gracious.
00:26:43.613 --> 00:26:46.113
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So tell me why Rampage Jackson?
00:26:46.133 --> 00:26:49.593
Isabel Alvarez Arata: What about him made him a right choice for your brand?
00:26:49.673 --> 00:26:52.913
Basel Nassar: You know, we're always looking for quality affiliates.
00:26:53.533 --> 00:26:55.653
Basel Nassar: We're in the business of building a brand, right?
00:26:55.673 --> 00:26:56.773
Basel Nassar: This is a business.
00:26:57.873 --> 00:27:00.653
Basel Nassar: It's not vanity in bringing these people in.
00:27:00.673 --> 00:27:05.253
Basel Nassar: It's trying to find an association that connects to both retail and the consumer base.
00:27:06.113 --> 00:27:10.013
Basel Nassar: I wasn't actively looking for celebrity affiliates.
00:27:11.473 --> 00:27:14.733
Basel Nassar: Brant Page was introduced to me by a friend of a friend.
00:27:15.673 --> 00:27:19.153
Basel Nassar: And, you know, I wanted to just have a phone call.
00:27:19.173 --> 00:27:21.573
Basel Nassar: He was very determined just to sit down and have dinner.
00:27:21.593 --> 00:27:25.053
Basel Nassar: And I'm glad I did because he's one of the nicest human beings I've ever met.
00:27:25.253 --> 00:27:32.553
Basel Nassar: Born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, you know, bootstrapped himself all the way up to the top of the UFC division.
00:27:32.913 --> 00:27:34.493
Basel Nassar: A very imposing guy.
00:27:34.513 --> 00:27:38.653
Basel Nassar: You know, I'm 6'1, 220 and I look small next to him.
00:27:40.713 --> 00:27:46.993
Basel Nassar: He's just a great human being, you know, and so I started talking to him about what I'm doing with tactical pet gear.
00:27:47.213 --> 00:27:51.553
Basel Nassar: And that's really the association between Rampage and what we're doing.
00:27:51.653 --> 00:27:58.253
Basel Nassar: And I just thought, you know, this guy who's, you know, a street soldier, tough guy, and, you know, he's the boss in the ring.
00:27:58.273 --> 00:27:59.953
Basel Nassar: I said, what a perfect fit for Rampage.
00:28:00.073 --> 00:28:04.073
Basel Nassar: So, you know, we don't want the brand to be considered too masculine.
00:28:04.353 --> 00:28:05.233
Basel Nassar: It's just clear.
00:28:05.253 --> 00:28:05.933
Basel Nassar: It's strong.
00:28:05.953 --> 00:28:06.273
Basel Nassar: It's durable.
00:28:06.673 --> 00:28:09.533
Basel Nassar: And if Rampage can't break it, nobody can.
00:28:10.033 --> 00:28:10.873
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Exactly.
00:28:10.873 --> 00:28:11.893
Isabel Alvarez Arata: No, it's so true.
00:28:11.913 --> 00:28:12.433
Isabel Alvarez Arata: But you know what?
00:28:12.453 --> 00:28:14.513
Isabel Alvarez Arata: You guys did a great job of balancing it.
00:28:14.533 --> 00:28:17.913
Isabel Alvarez Arata: You have like a light purple tactical collar and leash.
00:28:18.133 --> 00:28:21.573
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So you're doing a great job of appealing to all of the masses.
00:28:21.853 --> 00:28:26.693
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And it was so funny because in this picture, I actually did a feature on Super Zoo.
00:28:26.713 --> 00:28:33.473
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I don't know if I sent you this or told Shay about this, but I did a feature about Super Zoo in Low Country Dog magazine.
00:28:33.513 --> 00:28:35.173
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I just guest wrote for them.
00:28:35.473 --> 00:28:41.333
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And I couldn't help myself but adding this picture because Rampage is, I am all smiles, I'm giddy.
00:28:41.753 --> 00:28:46.693
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And then there's Rampage just like looking like, like he's ready to go step in the rake again.
00:28:46.693 --> 00:28:48.213
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So I thought that was so funny.
00:28:48.233 --> 00:28:51.153
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And my editor obviously did as well because he put in the feature.
00:28:51.293 --> 00:29:02.073
Isabel Alvarez Arata: But also one of the things that was just a happy accident for me, because I am a boozy pet lover, is that I went to see your booth right in the middle of happy hour.
00:29:02.073 --> 00:29:03.693
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So who came up with that idea?
00:29:03.953 --> 00:29:05.873
Basel Nassar: That was Shea, our VP of Marketing.
00:29:05.913 --> 00:29:13.353
Basel Nassar: I told her I'm just very big on having a reason for people to come visit you besides getting a discount on your product.
00:29:13.373 --> 00:29:15.853
Basel Nassar: So we attempted that for a while.
00:29:15.853 --> 00:29:19.953
Basel Nassar: I think there's some certain permits you have to ask for.
00:29:19.973 --> 00:29:23.253
Basel Nassar: But anyway, I think it served its purpose.
00:29:23.253 --> 00:29:24.753
Basel Nassar: People seemed to really love it.
00:29:24.853 --> 00:29:25.853
Basel Nassar: I know I had a good time.
00:29:26.713 --> 00:29:26.913
Basel Nassar: Yes.
00:29:26.933 --> 00:29:31.333
Basel Nassar: I was going to tell you just very quickly, and you'll appreciate this story with Rampage.
00:29:31.613 --> 00:29:35.393
Basel Nassar: We did a photo shoot here, a video shoot at what I call Boss Ranch.
00:29:35.813 --> 00:29:37.733
Basel Nassar: That's where we have the tortoise and everything.
00:29:37.873 --> 00:29:40.233
Basel Nassar: We're actually bringing in mini donkeys and everything.
00:29:40.253 --> 00:29:41.153
Basel Nassar: I can't wait to show you.
00:29:43.053 --> 00:29:49.993
Basel Nassar: We're doing the video shoot, and Rampage, the videographer says, hey, I got one more shot I want.
00:29:50.273 --> 00:29:55.373
Basel Nassar: I had Rampage was holding one end of the leash, the side that you clip on the dog.
00:29:55.393 --> 00:29:57.113
Basel Nassar: And I had the handle side.
00:29:57.473 --> 00:29:59.613
Basel Nassar: And I said, we don't have much time, but let's go.
00:29:59.613 --> 00:30:02.673
Basel Nassar: And I went to pull him, and I was completely cognizant.
00:30:02.693 --> 00:30:06.993
Basel Nassar: Here I am trying to pull this 6'2 behemoth of a man on the leash.
00:30:07.173 --> 00:30:08.013
Basel Nassar: I just dropped the leash.
00:30:08.033 --> 00:30:09.533
Basel Nassar: I go, Rampage, it's all you, man.
00:30:09.873 --> 00:30:12.513
Basel Nassar: But that was the closest we ever came to an altercation.
00:30:13.953 --> 00:30:16.713
Isabel Alvarez Arata: But now you know that your tactical gear really works.
00:30:16.733 --> 00:30:22.253
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Because if you had really tried, at least maybe you wouldn't have survived it, but your leash would have.
00:30:22.253 --> 00:30:23.373
Basel Nassar: My leash would have, right.
00:30:25.473 --> 00:30:28.773
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So any tips for people attending Super Zoo 2024?
00:30:29.653 --> 00:30:35.593
Isabel Alvarez Arata: As attendees or as exhibitors, what is your top tip for either party?
00:30:35.853 --> 00:30:45.473
Basel Nassar: I think the attendees is there are certain retailers that are very good about visiting the core brands and giving each of the brands time to showcase.
00:30:46.033 --> 00:30:51.033
Basel Nassar: So from an exhibitor standpoint, that's what I would want from the attendees.
00:30:51.373 --> 00:30:56.513
Basel Nassar: From an exhibitor standpoint, I would say, if the budget permits it, don't be boring.
00:30:57.313 --> 00:31:03.193
Basel Nassar: Shay and I walked the show about a year ago, and we were trying to figure out what our new booths were going to be.
00:31:03.213 --> 00:31:08.473
Basel Nassar: I looked around and I said, there's just nothing here other than the $400 million company booths.
00:31:08.853 --> 00:31:15.253
Basel Nassar: So we thought the tactical trailer was really kind of a nice way to bring something exciting and fun to look at.
00:31:15.273 --> 00:31:23.153
Basel Nassar: Because if you think about it, these retailers are shutting down for three or four days or stepping away from their business to come here.
00:31:23.413 --> 00:31:24.773
Basel Nassar: That would be my advice, I think.
00:31:24.953 --> 00:31:26.533
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Yes, wow us.
00:31:26.553 --> 00:31:36.913
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And it's true because you see the smaller booth, which is your typical booth at Anywhere, and then you see these huge brands that are in every store you can think of.
00:31:37.273 --> 00:31:42.973
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And they have their living room set up where people chit chat and talk business.
00:31:43.333 --> 00:31:55.473
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And then you have the ones that are unique and creative, like the Happy Hour, the appearance from the dog or the cat or the famous celebrity or whatever.
00:31:55.913 --> 00:31:57.593
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And those things draw you in.
00:31:57.653 --> 00:32:03.253
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Obviously, if the budget's not there, creativity sometimes is the cheapest asset you can have on your team.
00:32:03.593 --> 00:32:08.233
Isabel Alvarez Arata: It comes from somebody on your team that is given the opportunity to work their magic.
00:32:08.593 --> 00:32:09.693
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I completely agree with you.
00:32:09.713 --> 00:32:11.973
Isabel Alvarez Arata: The creativity goes a long way in these things.
00:32:12.073 --> 00:32:14.693
Basel Nassar: Wait till you see what we're doing at Global 24.
00:32:14.973 --> 00:32:17.133
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Oh my– Global's in Orlando, right?
00:32:17.153 --> 00:32:19.933
Basel Nassar: Yeah, we got some brand new and exciting happening there.
00:32:20.153 --> 00:32:24.033
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I got to find out the dates because I really would love to go.
00:32:24.053 --> 00:32:27.353
Isabel Alvarez Arata: The only trade show I've been to is Super Zoo.
00:32:27.373 --> 00:32:32.813
Isabel Alvarez Arata: But obviously, as a journalist and writer specializing in the pet industry, I should go to more.
00:32:32.973 --> 00:32:33.773
Basel Nassar: You need to be.
00:32:33.873 --> 00:32:34.513
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I need to?
00:32:34.613 --> 00:32:35.193
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Is that right?
00:32:35.213 --> 00:32:35.973
Isabel Alvarez Arata: You think I need to?
00:32:36.153 --> 00:32:41.153
Basel Nassar: I think you need to go to Global, which is March 20th through the 22nd of 2024.
00:32:42.253 --> 00:32:43.113
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Oh my gosh.
00:32:43.153 --> 00:32:43.553
Isabel Alvarez Arata: All right.
00:32:43.573 --> 00:32:44.953
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Well, we'll see what I can make happen.
00:32:44.973 --> 00:32:48.233
Isabel Alvarez Arata: But tell me, what is next for Boss Dog and Boss Cat?
00:32:48.433 --> 00:32:51.653
Basel Nassar: Well, I can give you kind of a little bit of an inside scoop.
00:32:52.153 --> 00:33:00.133
Basel Nassar: I'm not sure if it's going to happen at the beginning of the year or the middle of the year, but you will see the introduction of Boss Bird this year, this next year.
00:33:00.153 --> 00:33:04.873
Basel Nassar: We have recently brought home a Golden Conyer.
00:33:05.653 --> 00:33:08.293
Basel Nassar: For those that are in the Conyer, they're very rare.
00:33:08.313 --> 00:33:12.193
Basel Nassar: It wasn't our intention and it just needed a home.
00:33:12.213 --> 00:33:14.873
Basel Nassar: And we love this little thing.
00:33:15.133 --> 00:33:19.733
Basel Nassar: She sits up at night and nipples on my ear for an hour.
00:33:19.733 --> 00:33:21.433
Basel Nassar: We just give our animals a lot of love.
00:33:21.853 --> 00:33:24.633
Basel Nassar: Anytime I do something, I like to do it right.
00:33:25.113 --> 00:33:30.773
Basel Nassar: Generally, we have the animals at home when we innovate so we can see what they like and what they don't like.
00:33:31.193 --> 00:33:36.913
Basel Nassar: I would say, look for really strong extensions on the Boss dog pillar first.
00:33:37.113 --> 00:33:41.993
Basel Nassar: More treats, more supplements, new unique proteins for the meals.
00:33:43.693 --> 00:33:53.453
Basel Nassar: A lot of it is really to complement the new organic raw goat milk wine that we just extended with the spinach, the cranberry, the pumpkin and the carrot.
00:33:53.773 --> 00:33:59.013
Basel Nassar: We're bringing out concepts to complement our savory solution supplements.
00:33:59.313 --> 00:34:04.073
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Quickly, very quickly, what can you tell us about why people should be giving goat's milk to their pets?
00:34:04.293 --> 00:34:05.953
Basel Nassar: Oh my God, there's a billion reasons.
00:34:05.973 --> 00:34:07.213
Basel Nassar: I'll give you the top five.
00:34:08.573 --> 00:34:09.873
Basel Nassar: One, it's an appetite stimulant.
00:34:10.593 --> 00:34:17.773
Basel Nassar: So you could have the most boring food in the bowl, and raw goat milk will make it super exciting.
00:34:18.493 --> 00:34:21.913
Basel Nassar: Ours has a billion probiotics per two ounces.
00:34:22.033 --> 00:34:27.133
Basel Nassar: So one reason, they're getting their probiotics for more than they need for the day.
00:34:27.373 --> 00:34:29.473
Basel Nassar: Three, it's a moisture retention.
00:34:29.813 --> 00:34:37.873
Basel Nassar: So it allows them to retain far more moisture, thereby limiting the amount of, I'll be just candid, feces.
00:34:39.013 --> 00:34:40.153
Basel Nassar: And yard waste.
00:34:40.673 --> 00:34:42.993
Basel Nassar: And so they start absorbing more of the nutrition.
00:34:43.013 --> 00:34:51.153
Basel Nassar: And then we added organic cinnamon, turmeric and ginger for antibacteria, anti-inflammation.
00:34:51.633 --> 00:34:56.593
Basel Nassar: So in addition to all the other benefits in the goat milk, we also added DHA and taurine.
00:34:57.533 --> 00:35:05.853
Basel Nassar: It was at the time we launched the goat milk right around the horizon where DCM was a crisis and everybody was concerned about taurine deficiency.
00:35:06.913 --> 00:35:17.353
Basel Nassar: Most of our products– the raw goat milk, the Greek frozen yogurt treat, the ProBytes tripe treats and the ProBalls meatballs– are good for either dog or cat.
00:35:17.653 --> 00:35:21.673
Basel Nassar: So you can give them this supplement or treat for either of them.
00:35:22.013 --> 00:35:24.713
Basel Nassar: The meal systems are very specific to the species.
00:35:25.033 --> 00:35:26.073
Isabel Alvarez Arata: That's fantastic.
00:35:26.093 --> 00:35:40.613
Isabel Alvarez Arata: As somebody who has both a cat and a dog at home, I love being able to buy obviously different foods because they're different species, but something that they both enjoy and that I can give them both equally because I don't want anybody getting jealous and I also don't want to store a million things.
00:35:40.633 --> 00:35:41.793
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So I love that idea.
00:35:41.993 --> 00:35:46.633
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So tell us, how can my audience learn more about Boss Nation, Boss Dog and Boss Cat?
00:35:46.673 --> 00:35:50.073
Basel Nassar: Well, you can follow us on all the standard social media platforms.
00:35:50.093 --> 00:35:51.933
Basel Nassar: Instagram, I think, is our biggest one.
00:35:51.953 --> 00:35:56.733
Basel Nassar: Facebook, at Boss Dog Brand or at bosscatbrand.com.
00:35:57.173 --> 00:36:01.633
Basel Nassar: Then, of course, you can visit us at bossnationbrands.com.
00:36:02.393 --> 00:36:06.513
Basel Nassar: And either BossDogBrand or bosscatbrand.com will get you there as well.
00:36:06.533 --> 00:36:16.173
Basel Nassar: So we've got a very user-friendly website, tons of recipes, store locator, just pop in your zip code and it will give you all the stores in your neighborhood.
00:36:16.333 --> 00:36:22.213
Basel Nassar: If they don't have the product you want, there's a request in there to hand the store owner and ask them to bring it in.
00:36:22.873 --> 00:36:34.273
Basel Nassar: And then I know that my team, we call the Boss At Your Service Team, will respond in usually under 14-15 hours if we get an email at our info contact email.
00:36:34.553 --> 00:36:35.373
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Amazing.
00:36:35.393 --> 00:36:37.433
Basel Nassar: I'm very big on communication.
00:36:37.873 --> 00:36:38.793
Basel Nassar: Let's move quickly.
00:36:38.813 --> 00:36:39.773
Basel Nassar: People have questions.
00:36:39.793 --> 00:36:41.033
Basel Nassar: We want to give them answers.
00:36:41.493 --> 00:36:42.033
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Amazing.
00:36:42.053 --> 00:36:46.873
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Well, I just want to propose a toast to you and your team for wowing me at SuperZoo and for joining me today.
00:36:46.893 --> 00:36:47.613
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Thank you.
00:36:47.773 --> 00:36:48.913
Basel Nassar: Thank you for having me on.
00:36:48.933 --> 00:36:49.733
Basel Nassar: I had a great time.
00:36:50.013 --> 00:36:51.213
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I'm so happy to hear it.
00:36:51.273 --> 00:36:54.833
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I also want to propose a toast to my executive producer, Mark Winter.
00:36:54.853 --> 00:36:55.373
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Thank you, Mark.
00:36:55.633 --> 00:36:58.693
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And to our audience for joining us for these awesome conversations.
00:36:58.713 --> 00:37:00.413
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did.
00:37:00.593 --> 00:37:04.013
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Here's to a life covered in pet hair, because there's no better way to live.
00:37:04.053 --> 00:37:04.513
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Cheers!
00:37:05.493 --> 00:37:16.033
Isabel Alvarez Arata: To learn more about covered in pet hair, please visit coveredinpethair.com or petliferadio.com and don't forget to like and subscribe on YouTube and to rate us on all your podcasting platforms.
00:37:16.533 --> 00:37:18.273
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Thanks again and I'll see you next time.
00:37:18.973 --> 00:37:25.013
Announcer: Let's Talk Pets , every week , on demand , only on petliferadio.com