Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Drea Brown. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Drea, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
I graduated high school at a time where you were expected to go to college, obtain a degree and start your career. I attended community college after high school but struggled to find anything that interested me. I ended up taking a semester off and getting a job at a local hospital in the medical records department. I loved the organization and science aspect and thought I had found my career in health information management. I worked for a large hospital system for about 5 years before finding a job with a private practice for over 12 years. Regulations to healthcare drove changes to my job and as the years progressed, electronic health records were the new normal. I found myself sitting behind a computer much more that I wanted to be. I career that I used to love felt less fulfilling and I felt lost. Not knowing what “to do” about my career but needing something different in my life, I began volunteering at a local animal shelter. Almost right away, I knew I wanted to work with animals in some capacity. During my time volunteering, I met some of the most wonderful, caring, compassionate people who they had a big impact on me but working with the dogs was the most rewarding part. Helping them go from anxious and stressed to calm and relaxed is very rewarding. Animals offer so much enrichment and joy to our lives and love us unconditionally. In 2017, I took a big leap of faith, left my human medicine career for veterinary medicine. I thought I was dreaming when I landed my first job. I was so nervous the first few months but as my knowledge and confidence grew, I relaxed and realized I was truly happy and had found my true career working with animals.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I’ve always had a passion for animals and a love of cooking and baking. I began baking dog treats over 8 years ago out of necessity to simplify my dog treat budget because I was buying multiple types of treats for our 3 dogs. The biggest thing that stuck out to me about commercially produced treats was how much additives, fillers and preservatives were in them. When I opened my pet bakery, my mission is simple – to prove that pet treats do not need lots of additives or preservatives and can have clean, simple ingredients and pets will still love them. Sourcing high quality ingredients for my treats is the most important aspect of my bakery. I learned a lot about whole and processed foods, different quality of foods and food additives when I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2010. Working in Veterinary Medicine for years also furthered my knowledge of animal nutrition and has been key when creating treat recipes. From roasting my own sweet potatoes, grinding oats for oat flour or hand picking blueberries, the ingredients I use in my treats are the ones I use in my own food and I would never feed your pet anything I wouldn’t feed my own.
I sell the majority of my treats directly to customers at Farmers Markets and other Artisan events. I love being out in the community, meeting pets and their owners, and showing all the great treats I have to offer. Although I never intended to get rich making treats, I am a business that needs to be profitable to survive (and not stress my accountant out). I initially only had dog treats but expanded to cat treats at the beginning of 2025 which as been a huge success. I will be adding a second cat treat flavor along with crunchy dog treats and new bakery style dog treats later this year. I decided to expand the wholesale side of my business this year. Finding new ways to grow and expand is a necessity in this unpredictable economy. I have my treats in 2 stores now and am constantly looking for more opportunities.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
My determination and work ethic has gotten me to where I am today. Switching careers at 40 was never on my radar but being happy was. I was so overwhelmed when I first started in veterinary medicine, I almost quit. As many similarities there are between human and veterinary medicine, there was still much to learn.. But I also really enjoyed it. So, I took a step back and realized I was being hard on myself and there was no way to “know it all” in such a short amount of time. I made a list of areas I wanted to learn more about and in making that list, it made me realize how much I had already learned. From that point on, doing check-ins with myself to see what all I’ve accomplished and goals to focus on going forward has been the norm. It helps remain focused on my goals and objectives and boosts my confidence seeing all the things I have already done. It also helps determine where things went wrong when they don’t go as planned. These have definitely carried over into my pet bakery. They are crucial in giving perspective and helping make decisions. Sometimes, I check-in once a month or during the busy summer market season, I check-in weekly.
Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
My biggest area of growth has been learning I can’t do everything myself. I want to and I tried to at the beginning but I am a one woman business. Being overwhelmed with an endless to do list and trying to bake and prepare for shows was this endless cycle of exhaustion. Through various networking events and Artisan markets, I’ve met other business owners that have a passion for what they do. Trusting another business to handle your business like their own isn’t easy but I really wanted a more professional logo and to build a brand. I struggled to come up with what I started with. Through networking, I found a wonderfully talented company for the job. Lydia from Noble Creative really took the time to listen to what I wanted and created the perfect logo. I love that my logo is whimsical but professional and easily recognizable. The branding guidance she provided actually simplified creating social media posts for me and provides a cohesive look for all my products and signs.
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