Today we’d like to introduce you to Cassandra Morrison.
Hi, Cassandra; we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Hello! I’m Cassie, a 30 year old woman from just outside Toronto, Ontario. I traveled to Florida on a solo vacation in early 2018 and met my now-husband at Wekiva Island on that trip. He was born and raised in central Florida. After a few years of being in a LDR he asked me to marry him. Saying “yes” meant immigrating to America as he was in the Army and unable to be a resident of Canada due to that commitment. After lots of paperwork and planning I immigrated to the US about 2 weeks before the country went into lockdown due to Covid. It was a rocky start to my journey here as my green card and work authorization were both majorly delayed. I used this time to “dream up” a business of my own since I could not be employed. I was constantly brainstorming venture ideas trying to find the intersection of what I am passionate about, what I am good at and what could improve the life of living beings.
At the time, we had just rescued a dog that needed a lot of love put into her health. As someone who has always been passionate and knowledgeable about holistic wellness I was confident I would be able to help her. That being said, I was disappointed by what was available in the commercial dog food market. I wanted high-quality, clean whole foods but I also needed it to be financially accessible. I decided to prepare her food myself when I realized what I was looking for just didn’t exist in the market. I went back to school to learn about holistic nutrition for dogs and began offering our dog a holistic, balanced, raw diet from scratch. Once I got the hang of doing this and saw first hand the significant health benefits in my dog, I decided to offer the same option to other dog owners in our community. Today I can say that I am the founder and owner of “Holistic House Wellness,” a company that produces custom raw meal prep for dogs, dog treats made with clean, whole foods and nourishing meal toppers all made by hand and heart. We are also an authorized distributor of Four Leaf Rover, a line of holistic dog supplements for targeted wellness support and have other holistic wellness products for dogs. We started by sharing our business with people we knew and at community farmers markets. We are now at a point where 90% of our new clients are referred to us by happy existing customers, which is truly the best and most trustworthy advertisement for any small business. We are at a point where we are ready to grow to the next level and are working to understand what that will look like as we move forward.
Would it have been a smooth road? If not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced?
In the beginning, the biggest obstacle was funding for our business. This was a considerable challenge as an immigrant with no established credit in America and no work authorization to earn income from an employer. My husband and I invested everything into this business to get it off the ground. Today, the most challenging part of what we do is also the most important: educating dog owners on what it means to offer their pets a lifestyle that lends health and happiness. Educating on the importance of diet and how different foods can impact the body is just as relevant for us humans as it is for our pets.
Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We offer custom raw meal prep, clean dog treats made by hand and heart with natural whole foods, K9 aromatherapy, and targeted holistic wellness supplements.
Pricing:
- Request a custom quote for service: https://forms.gle/w7xRUojCeAEcVGT87
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.holistichousewellness.com
- Instagram: @holistichousewellness
- Facebook: Facebook.com/holistichousewellness
Image Credits
@BryceCagePhotography
