Caroline Bolduc, President & CEO, Bold By Nature
Caroline is a pet-lover turned raw food pioneer. In 2015, after her dog Lola was diagnosed with a serious health condition, she decided to take matters into her own hands by focusing on Lola’s diet. And after lengthy research, she developed her signature raw blend in her own kitchen. And when she saw Lola thrive, she thought of doing something big and better, and something which would help animals beyond Lola. Bold By Nature came into existence right then.
With an unwavering commitment to her pets and the dogs and cats of Canadians from coast to coast, Caroline is taking a stance and set a bold standard in raw pet food.
In 2005, Caroline had a life-altering experience that compelled her to re-evaluate her career path and focus on finding meaning and joy in her work. After her dog, Lola was diagnosed with a serious health issue, Caroline and her husband decided to take matters into their own hands by focusing on Lola’sdiet. After lengthy research and consultations with industry experts, Caroline developed her signature raw blend in her very own kitchen. But it was seeing Lola thrive that made Caroline decide she wanted to do something big and impactful, and something that helped animals beyond Lola. It was then that Bold by Nature was born.
A pet-lover turned raw pet food pioneer, Caroline is the heart and soul of the brand. In 15 years, Caroline has gone from experimenting in her kitchen to running a 24,000 square foot state-of-the-art production facility in Erin, Ontario, and shipping pet food that leads the pack in quality, transparency, and clean ingredients coast-to-coast. Simply put, Caroline believes pet food should be food, and she is on a mission to offer owners a more natural diet for their pets.
What is the mission of your organization?
At Bold by Nature, we are committed to crafting raw food recipes that help your pet thrive, naturally. We have always believed that pet food should be food, and we are on a mission to offer owners a more natural diet for their pets.
What was the motivation behind coming up with the idea for Bold by Nature?
When our dog, Lola, was diagnosed with a serious health issue in 2005, my husband and I took matters into our own hands. After lengthy research and industry expert consultations, we developed our signature blend in our very own kitchen. Made from ground meats, ground bones, beef tripe, organ, and kelp, our innovative blend seemed to boost Lola’s immune system and she began to thrive.
At that moment, we took our bold concept to the next level. We left our careers and decided to invest in getting our product into the hands of owners and stomachs of pets across the country. I consider myself a pet-lover turned raw pet food pioneer. I have always been fiercely committed to my animals, and now, I am proud to be taking what I learned from my pets to better the health of dogs and cats across the country.
Why should pet owners consider switching to raw pet food? Can you give us an insight into how it’s more beneficial?
It’s quite simple: our raw recipes are designed to model the natural prey diet that cats and dogs would have eaten in the wild. They are full of meats that are unprocessed and better suited to their digestive systems. And most importantly, you will recognize the name of every ingredient listed in our products – meat, bone, veggies, tripe, organ, and kelp – that’s it).
We recently did a survey of Canadian cat and dog owners and were shocked to discover only 35 percent can confidently list all the ingredients in their pet’s food. Given how obsessed Canadians are with their pets (we also found 74 percent of Canadians feed their pet before themselves each morning and 55 percent greet their pet before their partners when first coming home!), we want to ensure pet owners understand what they’re putting in their pet’s food bowl each day.
Over the past 15 years of developing our Bold recipes, we’ve seen the following benefits within our own pets, and the pets of our customers: improved cognitive function, cleaner teeth, shinier coat, healthier skin, and smaller stools.
There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to feeding your pet a raw diet. One of the most common is that it can be challenging to make, and even more challenging to switch. But we’ve made the process pet-owner proof.
Our patties are a simple and easy way to offer your pet a raw diet, and many of our customers say they are able to switch completely and immediately.
We’ve made it even easier by revamping our website. BoldbyNature.com now features a Product Selector questionnaire to help determine which raw diet is best for your pet. There is also a Feeding Calculator to determine how much to feed your pet.
Why should people trust Bold by Nature? Also, what are your plans and aspirations for your company in the next five years?
We are known for being trusted. For the past 15 years, we have been crafting pet food that leads the pack in quality, transparency, and clean ingredients. There is no fine print in our ingredients.
Our products are locally prepared. Bold By Nature products are hand-crafted in our 24,000 square foot state-of-the-art kitchen in Erin, Ontario. We always seek fresh veggies from Canadian farmers, and our patties contain whole food ingredients, which means no fillers or artificial flavours.
When we started our company in 2005, we had a bold goal of being one of Canada’s leading suppliers of raw pet food. Today, we offer over 40 tasty treats, meals, and products for pets available in over 2,000 pet food stores coast-to-coast, making that dream a reality. We are one of Canada’s fastest-growing companies.
Looking ahead, over the next five years we plan to continue our aggressive 40 – 50 percent year-over-year growth to become the top raw pet food company in the country. We are also working to develop new products, including launching a full line of pet supplements.
How do you feel being a woman entrepreneur in a quite stringent and competitive business environment?
It is powerful and exciting; being a woman entrepreneur is my superpower. In the pet industry, most of our customers are women, so as a woman, I can relate to and understand what they want for their pets and deliver a superior customer experience with a quality product.
The competition aspect is not something I often think about, to be honest. I am an entrepreneur, and over the years, I have developed the confidence to go toe-to-toe with male peers to secure my seat at the table. While I do believe leadership is something you are born with, it’s also something you can evolve over time as you continue to learn through new experiences. In the early days, as a young female entrepreneur, it was very difficult to get the respect I deserved. It was difficult to be labelled things like “emotional” by my male counterparts, but you learn to brush it off, move forward, and remain focused on your goals.
What suggestions do you have for small-scale businesses that are finding it hard to pull through during these challenging times?
One thing I have learned is no matter the size of your business, there will always be a fire that needs to be put out. One of my longest-standing employees always asks me how I remain so calm in times of stress. My reply is simple: “We work hard, we always try to do the right thing, and things always work out.” You must be resilient, and you must be resourceful. It can be easy to bury your head in the sand and want to quit. Don’t do it. Keep pushing forward; there is always a solution to every problem, and never take no for an answer.
I’ve been lucky to participate in events and discussions with small business owners in the past and when asked how to keep going during challenging times, here’s my go-to advice:
- Never lose sight of the big picture.
- When problem solving, think outsidethe box.Get out of your head and your comfort zone. I have removed “We can’t”from my vocabulary. We can do anything; we just haven’t figured it out yet – but we will.
- You will have to make sacrifices, but that’s okay. They have always been worth it.
- Don’t be afraid of change.Change is good; change pushes you to the next level.Embrace change.
- Delegate, delegate, delegate.You simply can’t do everything yourself.And on that note, when you find good people, treat and pay them what they deserve – even if you are not sure where you will find the funds to pay them! I promise, the loyalty it inspires is key to the success of you and your business.
