Gemma Stocks is the founder of The Herbal Dog Co - the biggest pet brand on TikTok which she built after making natural products for her own dogs at home.
It all started back in 2017, when she was struggling to find natural solutions to treat skin problems for her own pets and began making concoctions for her poorly rescue dogs Benson and Lola from her kitchen table.
Gemma was working in hospitality, and had an interest in health brands for humans and wondered what it might be like to do the same for pets.
Wanting to do the best for her own dogs, she started experimenting with natural remedies and raw feeding, learning about herbs after work and building a range that now has a huge following across the UK.
Gemma talks about how being dyslexic and having ADHD has shaped how she runs her business - from her simple messaging to making sure no customer ever feels stupid or isolated.
We also chat about TikTok - how she said no to Dragon’s Den, then later joined TikTok Shop after being approached by someone who used to work on the show.
She talks about going live when no one was watching, the behind-the-scenes graft, and why being consistent when it was the last thing she wanted to do led to making £1million on the platform.
Plus, why she thinks self-care sometimes looks like trashy romance novels, and why making mistakes is something to be proud of.
All the links to connect with Gemma and find out more are at the end of this post, and you can listen to the full interview using the player link below.
Topics and timings in this episode:
0.20 - What to expect from this episode.
1.36 - Gemma on how she went about creating the Holland and Barratt of the pet world and how her business grew.
3.40 - How Gemma learned about food as medicines through her old role working restaurants and hospitality.
4.10 - Doing her own DIY raw feeding and supplements for her own dogs and how this led her to explore her own solutions.
7.08 - Finding her customer base and talking in layman’s terms to her customers who are trying to figure out what’s best for their dogs.
9.56 - How Gemma connected with a former vet and herbalist to ensure what she was creating was the best she could offer.
11.38 - Regulation and the supplement industry for pets.
13.02 - Connecting the dots between the trends in human spending and matching this with the change in how we were treating our pets.
16.17 - Juggling her day job with running her new brand.
18.54 - Using what she learned from her old role to build an audience and community, working with groomers and people in the pet industry and growing the Herbal Dog Co.
23.22 - Having her first office/warehouse at the back of a friend’s pet shop, and taking on her first employee Hazel.
28.55 - How the team has grown since and how she maintains morale with her staff.
34.51 - The ways Gemma brings her company culture and behind the scenes at The Herbal Dog Co into her content.
41.33 - Why Gemma’s own experience of being dyslexic growing up shapes the way she communicates with her audience.
46.22 - Choosing TikTok shop over Dragon’s Den and how Gemma chose to take a leap of faith on the video platform which led to her making £1 million!
57.21 - What else has worked for Gemma in raising the profile of The Herbal Dog Co.
1.06.21 - Gemma on her biggest mistakes.
1.12.03 - The self-care steps Gemma follows.
1.16.02 - How Gemma is now supporting other brands who want to learn about TikTok.
1.17.53 - Where to learn more and connect with Gemma.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Watch Gemma's video of Gigi settling in: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DOfymFFjSf1/?igsh=Zm95d2t5OWs1bDg1
Visit The Herbal Dog Co website: https://herbaldogco.com/
Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@herbaldogco
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HerbalDogCo/
Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/herbaldogco/
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Pet Business Content Planner Companion: https://rachelspencer.co.uk/shop/
Gemma’s new TikTok training services
The Herbal Cat Co: https://herbaldogco.com/product-category/cat/
Natasha Courtenay-Smith’s podcast: TikTok, ChatGPT and the new gatekeepers
Further listening
Gemma Glover from The Pet Carpenter on making beautiful furniture for pets
Natasha Courtenay Smith on keeping up with the content monsters
Victor Carpio and how a rescue cat in a sewer inspired the Dental Wand
What it’s like to go on Dragon’s Den with Debbie Greaves from Barking Bags
What it’s like to go on Dragon’s Den with Aneisha from Scrumbles
My beer garden lightbulb moment with Jessica Morris from The Canine Menu
Should you buy my pet business planner?
Is my Pets Get Visible membership right for you?
