07 Oct From Pet Store Employee to Three Store Entrepreneur: Cody’s Story
At 32, Cody owns three dog and cat stores in the San Diego area, continues adding new services for pet owners, and has built his business without outside funding.
But his path to entrepreneurship was not a straight line.
It included working for someone else, an ecommerce business that did not work out as planned, a business partnership, a move to a new city, and eventually starting over from scratch.
Fourteen years after entering the pet industry, Cody’s willingness to keep adapting has turned an entry level job into a growing business.
Wanting More for His Future
Cody started working at a dog and cat store 14 years ago.
After a couple of years, he began thinking differently about his future. He enjoyed the industry, but he wanted to build something of his own.
His first attempt was ecommerce.
Cody entered the online dog and cat marketplace around the time companies like Amazon and Chewy were becoming major competitors. The timing made it difficult for his business to gain traction.
It did not work.
But Cody did not give up on entrepreneurship.
He moved to Plan B.
Learning From Every Opportunity
Cody and a good friend partnered to take over a pet store that was going out of business.
That gave him another opportunity to learn what it took to operate a retail business. Eventually, Cody decided he wanted to move to La Jolla, California, and his business partner bought out his share.
Once again, Cody faced a decision.
This time, he started from scratch.
Eight years ago, he opened Decker’s Dog + Cat in La Jolla. That first retail location became the foundation for what has now grown to three stores.
And Cody is still looking for what comes next.
Always Looking for a Better Way to Serve
One of Cody’s strengths as an entrepreneur is his desire to keep developing new ideas.
He is constantly thinking about additional ways his stores can serve dog owners.
One example is adding self serve dog washing to the business. He is also preparing to introduce another new service in the future.
For Cody, entrepreneurship is not simply about opening a store and keeping it running. It means continuing to listen to customers, recognize opportunities, and try new ideas.
Entrepreneurship Takes Hustle
Cody does not describe entrepreneurship as easy.
His advice for someone who wants to own a business is that it requires hustle, dedication, and a genuine desire to make it work.
As Cody describes it, entrepreneurship has to be in your “heart, stomach and blood.”
His own journey reflects that attitude.
He has experienced a business idea that did not work, changed plans, navigated a partnership, moved to a different city, and built another company from the ground up.
He is also proud that his business has been self funded.
Even now, with three locations, the challenges have not stopped.
As the Trade Works USA interview was wrapping up and it was time to leave Cody’s store, the power went out.
It was a fitting reminder of the life of a business owner. There is always another problem to solve.
And that seems to be exactly the kind of life Cody enjoys.
At 32, he has turned 14 years of industry experience, failed ideas, successful ones, hard work, and a willingness to adapt into a growing business of his own.
For anyone in the San Diego area, check out Decker’s Dog + Cat and see what Cody and his team are building.
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