We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Taylor Halstead a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Taylor, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
I believe my work ethic came from my mother. Being a young girl. my mother was my own personal Superhero. I always knew that i wanted to be like her.. Being a single parent, I saw my mother juggle it all and never miss a beat. She worked hard and sacrificed a lot to provide me and my sibling with the life we had. Our needs were always met and we had plenty of our wants. If my mother struggled, we never knew as children. Her storms never got us wet.
She taught me that working hard pays off and to keep going when things get tough, because it is all worth it in the end.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’m Taylor Halstead and I’m the owner of Izzy & Co. Dog Treats, LLC. A small home based dog bakery located just outside of Columbus, Ohio. Our late sweet Boxer, Isabell (Izzy,) was our inspiration for starting Izzy & Co. After years of trying to find store brand treats she liked that were both tasty and healthy, we decided to start making our own. Which in time, inspired us to bake our delicious and nutritious treats for all of the Pups! And to provide a product that gives Owners a worry-free option; free of artificial preservatives and additives and made with ‘Only Simply, Simple Ingredients.’
We currently offer a number of crunchy treat flavors, doggy butter, cupcakes, donuts, and small celebration cakes.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Throughout my journey thus far, I’ve learned to be patient, true to myself, and that it’s ok if i can’t do absolutely everything on my own. Building a great support team and asking for help when needed will allow you to get much further than trying to tackle everything alone. Starting a business of any sorts is difficult and takes a lot of work. There’s a lot of late nights, early mornings, and a lot of moving parts. There are also times that you may doubt yourself; and that’s ok. Remembering why you chose to start your journey and keeping focus on your short/long term goals will give you the push to keep going!
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
Izzy & Co. wouldn’t be anywhere without the support of my husband, Andrew and our children. He works long hours that provides us with an income enough to take care of our family, while also allowing me to have the flexibility to be home to care for our children and continue to make this dream a reality. He comes home and jumps right in to parenting our 3 children and helping with whatever else may be needed. Our children are also a huge part of the business. They all love to help in every aspect. From putting ingredients together, tagging bags, stocking stores, and even coming to events to show off their own selling skills!
A family business is something I have dreamed of and Izzy & Co. is truly just that.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.izzyandcotreats.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/izzyandco.treats/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/izzyandco.treats
- Other: Check out facebook for current event schedule & our website for current retail locations!
Image Credits
Christine Sines (main photo) Alexandra Balut Portraits, LLC (xmas family photo in ‘more’)
