Before the funny dog shirts, before the glam pink packaging, and before I even dreamed up Diva Dog — there was a woman, a laptop, a husband with a full tank of gas, and a whole lot of cat food. 😂
Hey y’all — I’m Lydia, founder of Diva Dog Clothing & Treats by Diva Dog, and before I tell you how that sassy little logo turned into a trademarked brand, I want to take it back to where this journey really started: PetstoreNmore.
Right before the pandemic hit, me and my husband Mick launched an e-commence pet store. No big launch. No investors. Just us trying to create a little something extra to support pet lovers and bring in side income.
The plan? Keep it simple, keep it cute, and keep it movin’.
But then… COVID hit.
And guess what became one of the hardest things to find?
👉🏽 Canned cat food.
🚗 Enter: The Cat Food Hustlers
Instead of shutting down or slowing up, me and my husband hit the streets. Literally.
We drove from store to store, stacking our trunk with whatever cat food we could find, boxing it up, and shipping it to customers who couldn’t find any in their area.
Was it glamorous? No.
Was it profitable? Sometimes.
Was it God training me for something bigger? Absolutely.
PetstoreNmore grew quietly during that time — built on hustle, prayer, and a whole lot of customer love. It taught me how to serve. How to pivot. How to build from the ground up, even when I was tired, unsure, and working full-time.
💼 Where We Are Now
Fast forward to today — PetstoreNmore is still going strong.
But the vision has evolved.
What started as a broad pet store turned into something more personal — and that’s where Diva Dog Clothing and Treats by Diva Dog were born.
Diva Dog is like the bold, funny, faith-filled little sister under the PetstoreNmore umbrella.
She’s sassy. She’s stylish. She’s got faith and flavor.
And she was born out of everything I learned through the PetstoreNmore grind.
🙏🏽 This Brand Was Built on Grit (and Shipping Tape)
Before I ever printed a tee or picked a treat, I was out here chasing down cat food with my man, praying over packages, and teaching myself how to run a Shopify store at 2AM.
And that part of the story? That matters.
Because now, when someone says, “Wow, your brand is so cute!” — I smile, knowing it didn’t start cute. It started with sweat. And emails. And cat food.
💬 What’s Next
Next blog? I’m sharing how I designed the Diva Dog logo before I even knew what it was for… and what happened a year and a half later when I got a call that changed everything 👀
Thanks for being part of this journey — the packaging might be pink, but the grind behind it is very real 💪🏽🐾
With love (and shipping tape),
Lydia
