SHAWNA SCHUH hits it right on the mark in her column this issue (page 44), when she tells us “Your life is like a novel.” Surrounding that statement, she makes a case for telling the story of yourself and your business in the fashion of a binge-worthy TV series — one so engaging, you can’t help but keep coming back for more.
She’s right: Your life is like a novel. So’s mine. So’s that guy’s across the street. It’s all in finding the right way to look at it and tell the story. Often, though, we’re so in the thick of things, it’s hard to see it that way.
It’s in that same spirit of stepping back from the mundane to view our lives, workdays and businesses from a different — even fantastic — perspective that we bring you this issue’s Big Story: “The Super 8.”
Ask any of the eight featured pet pros whether they think what they do daily is worthy of the whole superhero-in-a-cape comic-book treatment, and they’d probably just shrug it off. (Isn’t that just like a superhero for you?)
But by the PETS+ way of thinking, that’s being far too modest.
We think what every one of you is doing every day deserves the same sort of recognition, the same view from a different perspective and the same go-get-’em pat on the back.
Here at PETS+, we received a piece of news recently that had a similar effect on us.
Just as we were wrapping up our second year of publication, we received word that our February 2018 issue took gold in the General B2B category of the Folio: Eddie Awards for magazine excellence. (In silver and bronze positions were two magazines that have been around a total of 180 years.) And, senior editor Pamela Mitchell scored two honorable mentions for stories she wrote this year.
Does that make us cape-worthy? Maybe not so much as The Listener (page 34) or Super Pet Food Man (page 36), but we’re hoping binge-worthy, at least.
Wishing you the best in business,
Five Great Tips From This Issue You Can Do Today
- Dec. 21 is Ugly Christmas Sweater Day, and we’re envisioning you and your staff in awful sweaters, overseeing a crowd of pets and their owners in a pageant for the ugliest. (Calendar, Page 10)
- The perfect holiday season sales opener? “Does your dog have a present under the tree for Christmas?” … “No?! Well don’t be a Grinch! Let’s find them something special.” (To-Do List, Page 12)
- Bundle broken treats from your bar in individual bags, priced at $1.99. (Hot Sellers, Page 16)
- Cat food has the same margins as dog food but takes up less space. Expand your offerings. (Benchmarks, Page 46)
- Try a pet-name-of-the-day promo to lure in customers. (Tip Sheet, Page 53)