Good Luck!

DO I CONSIDER myself lucky? Very much so. I was born to parents who instilled in me a strong work ethic and provided financial support so I could attend college to study journalism. While there, I made a friend at my part-time job at the mall, and she introduced me to her sister-in-law, an editor at a daily newspaper.

When I asked if I could intern for her, she looked at my writing clips and said yes. I then worked myself into a full-time, paid position by graduation.
All of this to say, yes, I consider myself lucky … and luck alone didn’t get me to where I am professionally. It’s this concept that our lead story, “Get Lucky,” explores: Success = talent + luck.

When reporting this lead, writer Chris Burslem asked the PETS+ Brain Squad, our reader survey group, to rank the factors behind their business success. “Luck, everything you don’t fully control, from the circumstances of your birth and upbringing to a serendipitous meeting” came in last.

I bet if we re-survey the respondents after they read his story, luck would move up in the rankings. Chris does an excellent job of looking at luck through a variety of lenses, sharing thoughts from experts on the topic as well as from successful pet business owners. He challenges you to think differently about luck and tells you how to take better advantage of it. I hope you’ll do exactly that and share with us if such a change of mind positively impacts your business.

Speaking of luck, I want to wish you the best of it with our 2023 America’s Coolest contest. Entries open Feb. 1, and per usual we have a brand-new panel of judges. If you’ve entered previously and not won, I encourge you to re-enter and give this new batch of pet pros a look at your business. You may just have better chances with this year’s lineup.