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Unlock the secrets to business success and gain valuable insights from local industry leaders. Join us as we delve into the strategies, triumphs, and lessons learned of thriving companies, empowering entrepreneurs to elevate their businesses to new heights.
Sharon: [00:00:16] Welcome to the It's Time for Success: The Business Insights podcast. Today, I'm thrilled to sit down with Chantelle, the owner of Provost Pets and Livestock Supply. Chantelle and I have got to know each other quite a bit over the years as I've been in that store a lot ever since you were on Main Street, I think, Chantelle. So, we appreciate you in our Provost community for sure. You've helped a lot of us. Chantelle is not only an entrepreneur, but also a mom balancing or should I say, attempting to balance, the demands of business and family. Thank you, Chantelle, for carving out some time in your busy schedule and joining me today. Okay, Chantelle, let's dig into it. Why? How did you decide to start Provost Pets and Livestock Supply.
Chantelle: [00:01:01] I guess I was just tired of the everyday grind, working for somebody else and not having anything to show for it at the end except, you know, a paycheck that wasn't getting me any farther in life. Just, you know, living paycheck to paycheck thing. So I thought, I've always kind of wanted to do my own thing. I just wasn't sure what I wanted to do.
Sharon: [00:01:29] How did you fall into pet stuff? How did you know that that was the one?
Chantelle: [00:01:34] Well, my very first job as a teenager was working for the local pet store in the town where I grew up. And I loved it. I grew up on a farm. I love animals. My life revolves around animals. I married a farmer, so I was talking to him one day and just telling him how tired I was of working for somebody else. And not only that, but, you know, some of the places that I worked, the other employees there were not the easiest to to work with because I mainly took on “man” jobs. I worked running heavy equipment. I worked as a plumber. And I, you know, those are mostly male-oriented jobs. And so it was never easy as a woman in those fields. And I was just fed up with a lot of the BS behind the scenes. So I sat down and we talked about it, and I said, I'd like to open up a pet store because pets are my passion. And he said, well, if you want to do something like that, I think you should incorporate the livestock part as well, just because we are in such a rural setting and farming community, and everybody has livestock. So we started out small and it's kind of taken off from there.
Sharon: [00:03:09] It has.
Chantelle: [00:03:09] Yeah.
Sharon: [00:03:10] I've got to watch you grow and it's exciting to see. So since you started… What year did you start, Chantelle? It’s 2025 now. So what year?
Chantelle: [00:03:18] So this is our 10th year.
Sharon: [00:03:20] 10th year. So before children. Yeah. So there's a lot going on behind the scenes which we will get into. But I do want to share a quick story. But the first time I met you was at 4H. Do you remember that sketch going ballistic over those little carts? So my daughter's horse was. We found out that day, and we're green riders. We have no idea, what are we even doing on a horse? But anyways, so we're at 4H, and part of it had these little carts and these little minis were pulling carts. So we found out that day that that Sketch, the horse, was very scared of carts, I guess. So the horse was going kind of crazy and I didn't know what to do. I couldn't help the horse or my daughter who was on top of this horse, and Chantelle just walks up, just easily takes over the reins, tells us what to do. He's got to look at it, you know, don't let it go behind him. And he was. You were helping Shayna. Anyways, that moment, probably one of the most memorable moments in my life because it just made it look so easy. And I remember thinking, my daughter's going to die. But he was like, oh no, this is common, this is common, you know? And so anyways, it's a very memorable moment.
Sharon: [00:04:21] And my daughter as well, she remembers that like, like nothing. And we learned so much from you even in that day in that, in that instance. So that was my first, uh, meeting with you. And I thought you had a cape on and you were my superstar. So thank you for that. You saved my daughter. You saved my daughter. Okay, so many of our listeners are moms and women juggling a lot. So I think as a mother already, we're going to talk about, because you started this business and then you threw some more chaos in there, and you reproduced a couple times, so. And you don't even live close. You commute a long way. So this is a story that's actually amazing to me. Your dedication to the community, your dedication to the animals, your dedication to the kids, your dedication to your husband. You've got a lot going on. So thank you. So how did you balance starting off? How did you balance motherhood? That first one because also your oldest wasn't even… That was a scary birth. You were away for months as well. So like, it's a lot going on. So how did you balance motherhood and starting a business? What did that look like?
Chantelle: [00:05:24] I was fortunate enough to start the business a couple of years prior to having children. So I had a part-time employee who stepped in and my mother-in-law too, also she stepped in and helped out a lot with the business while I was pregnant. And I did not. My body did not do well with being pregnant, and I was sick for most of the pregnancy. And then like you said, my first baby, she came early. She… we had her at 29 weeks, so we spent a couple months in the NICU with her before we could even get her out to meet everybody. So those first couple months, my part-time employee and my mother-in-law helped out at the store, along with a couple other good friends that I reined in to help out. So without them, I definitely wouldn't have been able to make it a go, just because of the challenges that life threw at us.
Sharon: [00:06:32] I think just listening to your story, they always say a community raises your kids and I believe a community builds your business. So in both those situations, you had not only family, but you had friends in your community behind you. I feel like sometimes that's what propels you forward or helps you with those in those, you know who your true friends are when they step up in situations like that, don't you?
Chantelle: [00:06:54] That's right. Yeah. Yeah. You definitely learn who you can lean on for sure.
Sharon: [00:07:00] So looking forward and just the past, what are your biggest challenges that you face as a business owner and as a mom? What keeps you up at night?
Chantelle: [00:07:08] Not having enough time, I think is the biggest issue that keeps my brain going up until 2:00 in the morning, trying to figure out my schedule and how I'm going to make everything fit in. Not having enough time for everything that I want to do and has to be done. Just trying to balance, you know, what's more important to me? My family is number one. Business is a close second because, you know, the business pays the bills and puts, you know, food in our bellies. But as a mom, you have to put your kids, your family first. Even though some days it is very challenging. It's number one in my mind is make sure that the kids are looked after before you do anything else regarding the business.
Sharon: [00:08:05] You. I remember. Do you still? Because again, I'm in Lloyd and you're in Provost. Yeah. You always had your oldest at the store with you. Until what age? Cause, like, she was your little sidekick.
Chantelle: [00:08:16] She was. I had, like, a little chair that attached to the front counter, and she sat in that little chair and entertained customers every, you know. So we I was fortunate enough with the building that I'm in, I developed a space just for the kids.
Sharon: [00:08:35] She had a playroom.
Chantelle: [00:08:36] Yeah. And, you know, she's still here.Liike she… we homeschool, so, you know, throw another thing in.
Sharon: [00:08:45] I didn't know that. That's new. That's awesome. I did not know. New to me, but awesome. That's awesome. So just so she's at the store with you?
Chantelle: [00:08:55] Yeah, she's at the store. Yeah.
Sharon: [00:08:56] All day, all day.
Chantelle: [00:08:57] Every day. Not every day.
Sharon: [00:08:59] There's an entrepreneur in the making.
Chantelle: [00:09:01] She is. She can… She's seven, and she can run the store without me. I'll run uptown for something and she runs the store and helps customers. It's amazing. She's wonderful.
Sharon: [00:09:11] Yeah. I don't know if you ever heard about Charlie Kirk, but I've been watching him. And he believes that entrepreneur… or people that are home schooled will rule the world, so.
Chantelle: [00:09:18] Yeah.
Sharon: [00:09:20] Yeah. That's him.
Chantelle: [00:09:21] Yeah. Yeah. He was an amazing person.
Sharon: [00:09:23] Yeah. So that's… I did not know that. So that's another thing to add to your busy bucket.
Chantelle: [00:09:27] Yeah. And so three years after we had her, we added another one, a little boy. And he is a handful because he's just your typical boy that has lots of energy and has to explore everything, so.
Sharon: [00:09:45] And he's at work with you every day.
Chantelle: [00:09:47] Not every day. He does go to daycare. I don't think I can handle him every day because he's just got so much energy to... He does enjoy coming to the store and helping customers as well. So we try to… because my husband farms full time, we try to split, you know, when he can take the kids and when I can take them or when they have to go to daycare. So they, of course, love going to the farm and spending time with animals. They're very much animal lovers like me and my husband are, which is great. So they fit into the mix very well.
Sharon: [00:10:24] So you basically make it all work. So you think, you think, you improvise, you shift. Yes. And we did talk about it's not for the faint of heart. Being a woman in business already has its challenges. And I think one of them, for myself, and I think I can speak for majority of women, is when something goes on with that child, we're first to come up to the plate. Mom is always first. So it doesn't matter what you're doing, what you're busy at at work. It... Those children come first. So you have to improvise, and you have to shift, and you have to make it work. And it's a lot going on. It's not for the faint of heart, for sure.
Chantelle: [00:11:01] Not. Definitely not. Yeah. You have to really want to be both to make it work.
Sharon: [00:11:07] I believe you're born an entrepreneur. I do. I think that you either are an entrepreneur or you're not.
Chantelle: [00:11:13] Yes. Yep. 100%. Yep.
Sharon: [00:11:14] You can't be… I'm going to try this because it's not going to work.
Chantelle: [00:11:18] No, you have to… You have to want it.
Sharon: [00:11:20] Yeah, yeah. Have you ever had a moment when you thought this is too much? Have you ever thought like, what am I doing? And I'm selling or I'm closing shop and I'm moving to Tahiti. Just kidding.
Chantelle: [00:11:32] All the time. All the time. You know, there's a lot of struggles that come with it. You know, if the economy is down, you're constantly wondering how am I going to make the bills this month? Or, you know, if the kids are, like you said, sick. And you have to be there for them, then you're like, why? Why am I doing this? Why can't I, you know… Why can't I just have a normal job where I can get a day off and be with my kids? But again, that's why… I'm… I guess I'm fortunate enough that I have this space. I can bring my kids with me. They have their own space. So if they are under the weather, they just hang on to me and away we go. Yeah, right.
Sharon: [00:12:27] And it doesn't affect the customers that are coming in. In fact, we all adore it, right? It's… yeah, it's very good.
Chantelle: [00:12:32] I’ve had so much positive feedback over the years about the kids being there and and watching them grow up and having them help. Yeah.
Sharon: [00:12:44] One lesson you wish you knew earlier about running a business while raising a family. Anything that you can share with our listeners.
Chantelle: [00:12:51] This was a hard one.
Sharon: [00:12:54] I think we kind of touched on it a little bit. You talked about, because you, about how business is so busy. Yeah. And it does fall into number two. But even before we started recording, it's like sometimes... Yes, we know that the business is supposed to be number two, but sometimes it falls into number one before the kids. It does. There's no way, like I talked about how often my daughter would say, mom, can you like, drive because they got something after school and I'll be like, no, no, I can't. Yeah. You know, those things that I just couldn't do. It's impossible to do. Or can you work the… when they would have, like, those races and stuff at the school? Can you work that afternoon in a June? That's my busy month. Nope, nope, I can't. You know, like it's. You do… It's not easy. Exactly.
Chantelle: [00:13:42] No. You miss out on a lot. My daughter plays hockey, and I'm fortunate enough that I can make it to her games, but I can't make it to her practices. So, you know, that's when my husband has to step in and take over that role. But just, yeah, like I said, missing out on lots of things. Like, you never realize that. Oh, yeah, okay, I can't make it to this function because I've got deadlines to meet or I've got orders to get in or I've got meetings or, you know.
Sharon: [00:14:24] Yeah, it doesn't end. Even myself, like at Christmas, we don't have Christmas. That's my busy time. And on Christmas I'm usually in a coma or sick. Right. Like my family doesn't have Christmas because I'm always sick. I'm exhausted. If they wanted to come to my house, I'd be sleeping. Like I can't do it. So like, it's. Yeah, you just got to improvise and you gotta, like, my family's learned that we have Christmas in January and it's all fine, and everything's great. Like we just figure it out. I think that's the moral of the story, is that you just figure it out.
Chantelle: [00:14:49] That's right. Mine too. You know, if you have to move things, then you move them. You know, it's just a day. Like birthdays… We try to make birthdays special for the kids, but it doesn't always fall right on their birthday, right? You know, you plan a party for when you have time. And I guess that runs in with my husband's side of things, too, with the farming. You know, we have our busy seasons. Like, right now, I'm at the store in the mornings getting things done, and then the afternoons I'm running a combine, and then I take an hour and go get supper ready, take it out to the field and jump back in the combine. So we have our busy seasons and we all juggle. But, you know, my husband's amazing. He's a huge, huge support system, so it makes it a lot easier.
Sharon: [00:15:41] Yes. He doesn't work in the store with you though, does he?
Chantelle: [00:15:44] I do put him to work once in a while, but it's usually at like 10:00 at night when he's done working at the farm.
Sharon: [00:15:50] Yeah, but what do you say to our listeners that are thinking about becoming a business owner, but might fear what we just talked about? What advice would you give them?
Chantelle: [00:16:01] I say if it's something you really want to do, then do it. You'll find out right away if it is gonna… if you're gonna make it work or not. But if you have a dream, you have to chase it. Otherwise you're going to regret it, is kind of my thinking behind everything.
Sharon: [00:16:23] You talked about, too, about… Earlier you said, like you didn't want to, you were working for somebody else and taking home a paycheck. But you and I both know when you start a business, you often don't even get a paycheck. You don't get a paycheck, and you need stuff. But you know what? The cash flow might not be there to help you with that stuff right there. It's so like if you're doing it because like, oh, I got this freedom and I got this and I got that. No, you got to reconsider that. It takes a while to get to that point. I think I went for almost five years before I can actually take home, like put myself on payroll. Like it's not an easy… It's determination, it's sweat, it's grit. There's a lot to it. But at the end of the day, if you go home with pride, you go home with, I don't know, this feeling of accomplishment. That's what you need.
Chantelle: [00:17:08] Yeah. That's right. Yeah. Knowing that you helped somebody…Llike in my day, you give that advice towards something to help somebody’s animal in your position. I mean you do lots of things that are given out as gifts, right? So yeah.
Sharon: [00:17:26] Paying it forward. Yeah. I'll try to be the best that I can be so I can be the best for you or for them or whatever the case is. Right. So yeah, yeah, yeah. So it is rewarding. It's 100% rewarding. But just don't go into it thinking you're going to be, you know, taking home that same paycheck and you're going to be, you know, being able to sleep at night because…
Chantelle: [00:17:47] Everything. You have to give everything into that business for the first few years and expect nothing in return because it takes time. Yeah.
Sharon: [00:17:57] Yeah, absolutely. Do you think being a mom has made you a stronger entrepreneur?
Chantelle: [00:18:01] Definitely. Definitely has.
Sharon: [00:18:03] In what way?
Chantelle: [00:18:04] Because I want my business to do better so that my children have the potential to carry on with that business when they're older, you know? So.
Sharon: [00:18:15] Right. So, legacy.
Chantelle: [00:18:16] Legacy. Yeah. You know, you put that good foundation in for the business so that they can take it over or, you know, if they don't, if that's not what they want to do, they can sell it and use that money to follow their own dreams, right?
Sharon: [00:18:32] That's right. And you're also teaching them entrepreneurship without even knowing you're teaching them entrepreneurship.
Chantelle: [00:18:37] For sure. Yeah.
Sharon: [00:18:38] So it's more so focused and dedication for their future. Yes. Okay. So I could say to other businesswomen out there that I believe your proof that it is possible, even when life is busy, to be an entrepreneur, to be a mother. Is there any habits that help you stay focused or organized or sane? What's your habit? There's got to be something that gets you through a day or through a tough moment.
Chantelle: [00:19:03] You know, I'm one of those rare people that don't drink coffee, so.
Sharon: [00:19:07] Oh.
Chantelle: [00:19:08] Yeah. And then a lot of people look at me with that, you know, how do you get through the day without a cup of joe? But it's just… I guess it's just that passion that, you know, want to help people in, in this industry and the love for what I do that keeps me going. The support system too, is crucial.
Sharon: [00:19:35] Support system as far as family, friends, community? Or what's your support system? Do you have like a mentor?
Chantelle: [00:19:40] All the above. I know I've reached out to you a few times in the past when I had questions regarding what to what's, you know, what's the next step for my business? My husband is amazing. I bounce ideas off of him and sometimes I don't like his answer. But I do take it into consideration. And you know, if you have good friends, especially entrepreneur-minded friends that you can kind of lean on for support.
Sharon: [00:20:12] I think that's a difference. So I believe that you need your friends. I believe you need to go have a coffee. In your case, water. Just kidding. Or a drink. Whatever it is, I believe you need those friends. That's your detox. That's your, like, let loose. That's where your shoulders go down. Right? But there's also times like yesterday, another entrepreneur here in Lloyd, we just went for a quick walk through Bud Miller Park, I just needed to get out and I needed to vent, and I needed just to like because she understands it. I can't have that same conversation with my friend down the road having a cup of coffee or a drink, right? Like she… they don't get that conversation. But I need both those people in my life. I need… my circle is smaller as I get older and as I get busy, my circle is small, but it is tight. And I think that like that one quick walk through Bud Miller in the fresh air and get my head clear, and just to be able to throw some things at her with no judgment, it was so rewarding. So I think we need those people. Because sometimes, I know myself and I throw my husband under the bus, which I almost do it every episode, but I can tell my husband something. I'll go home and I'll vent about something. He wants to fix it. Well, why don't you do this? Like, no, I'm not going to do that. Stupid. Like, no, I can't do that. You're dumb, you know? No I don't. Well, maybe I might say that. But it's a different... It's like he wants to fix things. Like, I just need you to listen, and I can brainstorm and we can talk. But don't tell me what to do. And I feel that that's what happens a lot of times when I take my work home with me. So I need those other people in my community to be there for me, for sure.
Chantelle: [00:21:40] Men are fixers, right? They're always looking for that solution to fix the problem.
Sharon: [00:21:45] And he does. He fixes lots of things. Like he can, you know. Like I needed renovations done. He fixed all that stuff, you know? There's lots of stuff, but not. Yeah, just let me. Yeah. So it's different. They are fixers for sure.
Chantelle: [00:22:00] Yeah.But yeah you're right. You do need that separate support system that, you know, like-minded entrepreneurs, especially female entrepreneurs that know the challenges that we face.
Sharon: [00:22:11] And I believe that you're like, if somebody come into your door because I just know you personally, if somebody come in your door and say, I'm thinking about starting a business and, you know, there's these… what are like, I'm sure you'd listen and provide some feedback. Not not direction per se, because it's hard because everybody has different opinions. But mentor, I guess. Like I'm sure that that would be you as well. Like love to talk about business and help other entrepreneurs.
Chantelle: [00:22:33] Definitely, 100%. Yeah.
Sharon: [00:22:35] On that note, say somebody’s out there and they want to start a business. What would you tell her?
Chantelle: [00:22:43] Again, just talk to another person who has her own business. If you can, in the same field that you want to. But it doesn't necessarily have to be. And then just write things down. Go over it a million times because your ideas change. I'm looking at a… you know, renovating a new space. And I just had somebody yesterday said, why don't you do it like this? And I was like, oh my gosh. Yeah. I never thought of that. Thank you. That's amazing. So just find somebody like-minded, possibly in the same field. I know it's hard when you try and talk to somebody in the same field, because they don't always want to give away their secrets, right?
Sharon: [00:23:26] There's ways around it, though. The world's small. There's Google, and I think there's a lot of people like you and I who want to help people, right? So I think that there's there's ways around it for sure. The one thing I was going to say when you start a business, you talked about that person who said, why don't you do this? Another thing, you got to be is open-minded. So it's very important when you're getting feedback to have open mindedness. And you also talked about how things change. Well look at technology right. Like it's a exhausting thing on its own. And I remember you coming to me once about POS. I remember something about that. And QuickBooks online and there's so many different. It doesn't even have to be field-related. But like, how did you get through this or what terminal do you use and why did you use that one? Because they cost so much money. Like there's so many things. Yeah, there's so many things that you have to figure out the first time and it's exhausting. And sometimes just those, you know, maybe guidance. Like I use this, but don't get that because it sucks, you know, or whatever. Right. Like there's.
Chantelle: [00:24:23] Yeah.I've used this don't do… don't use it.
Sharon: [00:24:26] Yes. Like learn from somebody else's mistakes. And I think that most of us are more than willing to tell you our mistakes for sure. Like we've all been down there. We've all done it. So I think that would be something that I know if I was to start again, I'd be knocking on people's doors. There's so many things even back, like, I think I started this like 20 years ago, like now, you know, even simple things like Google. Okay. That's cool. We didn't have that.. dial up. And now ChatGPT. Are you kidding? I have my own personal assistant on my computer. I have somebody who can, you know, like, it's crazy. So, like, take advantage of all those things out there, do your research. Like, there's really no reason. No reason. Things are at your fingertips nowadays.
Chantelle: [00:25:08] Yeah. There's so much knowledge out there just behind the computer screen that, you know, you can't get from talking to somebody else.
Sharon: [00:25:17] Yes, I think so. And again, we're here if you need us. That's right. What's next for Provost Pets and Livestock? Oh, you know, I never thought of that. You call it Provost Pets and Livestock. So are you going to always be just in Provost? What happens if you open up a second location? You're going to call it like, say, if you went to Wainwright? It's going to be Wainwright Pets and Livestock Supply? What are you gonna do?
Chantelle: [00:25:35] You know what? Okay. So I'm going to back you up a little bit there. Because what's next for Provost Pets and Livestock is we've expanded in Provost to a boarding facility. So we do overnight pet boarding. We also have an in-house groomer. We have the possibility of doing doggy daycare. But with that one, I didn't want to call it Provost Boarding or you know.
Sharon: [00:26:03] So it's two separate entities?
Chantelle: [00:26:04] It's all one still, but I just shortened the name to Pro Pets.
Sharon: [00:26:11] Oh, smart.
Chantelle: [00:26:12] You know, you know, if something were to come around where, like, I know I've talked in the past about moving to a different location in a different town. I think we would just call it Pro Pets because, you know, it's still Provost… Pro, and it just, it sounds pretty.
Sharon: [00:26:29] It's very cool. Okay, let's talk about this expansion of yours, because it's something that you've dreamed about for quite a while and you made it happen. So congratulations. And I knew that we needed that overnight sitting. So how's that going? And what's your struggles and what pertain to you… Like what got you moving into the next level?
Chantelle: [00:26:49] Basically just the need for it in the community is kind of what got me started. And the need for it myself. I've got dogs, as you know, I guess.
Sharon: [00:27:01] On an acreage.
Chantelle: [00:27:02] Yeah, a farm or whatever has dogs. And you know, you don't get away much, but when you do get away, you need someone to watch them. And it's not always easy to get the neighbour to come over and watch the dogs. Or so there, in Provost, there was nothing. There used to be a while back, but now there's not. And the next closest boarding facility is over an hour away. So people were having to drive two hours out of their way just to drop the dogs off for boarding. So I've seen a huge need for that. And I, again, discussed things with my husband because he's who I always go to first, which and we did the pros and cons and said, well, you know what? Do what we did with the pet store, just start small, see what happens. And it's been really good, actually. The community has definitely spoken and said that there was a big need for it and have been very supportive. So we're very thankful for that. Found a great location, great buildings right in Provost that we've made work. So there's two buildings there, the one building we've turned into the boarding kennels. And within the next couple years, we're going to be moving the store over into the other building just to have it all in one location.
Sharon: [00:28:38] Makes sense. Totally makes sense. Yeah, because right now you've got so much feed all over the place, too. You're running out of room again, haven't you? Anyway, so yeah.
Chantelle: [00:28:46] I'm kind of at the…
Sharon: [00:28:49] You're maxed.
Chantelle: [00:28:49] Maxed out here. So it's a lot bigger space. So it's going to be… look empty for a little while once we get more products.
Sharon: [00:28:59] No it won’t take long.
Chantelle: [00:29:00] It doesn't seem to take long.
Sharon: [00:29:02] So even your boarding, it's not just dogs. I think I've seen cats in there once.
Chantelle: [00:29:05] We did? Yeah, we do have a cat room. We'll even take small animals or lizards. Again, my staff has experience with all types of pets. So we can cater to everybody with… because, you know, if you have a lizard and she needs to be fed every day and you want to go away for a week on a holiday, but your family isn't crazy about your pet choice, you can bring them to us and we'll definitely make.
Sharon: [00:29:35] Mine would be… if my kids ask me, mom, can you watch my snake? I'd be like, nope, not happening. Yeah, they don't have one. Thank goodness. Okay, so, Chantelle. Yeah, anything else you would like to add to your story or any information for our listeners?
Chantelle: [00:29:55] I think we've kind of covered it all, but if you're serious about wanting your own business, then be serious about it and jump in with both feet. And… because if you, if you're not in it wholeheartedly, then it's not gonna do well. You can't. You can't get lazy. You can't just say, oh, I'll do it later. I'll do it later. Because then it just won't go. You have to go into it with your whole heart. Otherwise, it's not gonna work.
Sharon: [00:30:34] Yeah, it's too exhausting if you're not in it full, full.
Chantelle: [00:30:38] Yeah. Like with me. I live about 35 minutes outside of Provost. So that in itself is a struggle. But like I said, I love what I do. I love the people that walk in my door and just having that connection with them and those conversations, and that's the reason why I do it, is because I get to help people every day. And, you know, it sounds kind of silly, but that's what I love the most.
Sharon: [00:31:10] And you're good at it. You know what you're doing. So that's… do you know, I’ll tell you a quick story. When I started It's Time Promotions. I didn't know what I was doing. No, I didn't even know how to. I didn't even know how to thread the machine. I'd never sewed a day in my life.
Chantelle: [00:31:22] And look at you now.
Sharon: [00:31:23] I didn't. I did not know how to put the thread on the big embroidery machine. I did not know how to do that. I didn't know what a bobbin was.
Chantelle: [00:31:29] I'd be the same. I'm. That's no my forte. I wouldn't… I don't have a sewing machine. I don't do any of that, So I would say.
Sharon: [00:31:37] Like, why would I choose that career? Why? And then even designing. I have no idea. I didn't… I don't know how to work any designing programs. I had no idea. Anyways, 20 years later, here we are, anyways. So I think the moral of that story is if you're going to do it, you have to figure it out and get it done.
Chantelle: [00:31:54] You have to. Yep. Wholeheartedly.
Sharon: [00:31:57] Okay, I have some rapid fire questions I'd like to add to the podcast. What's the number one product people come to you for?
Chantelle: [00:32:06] Number one product is probably dog food because a lot of people have dogs in their lives, and the dogs aren't just a dog anymore. They're a part of the family. Right?
Sharon: [00:32:18] We spend a lot of money on dog food.
Chantelle: [00:32:19] Yeah, you want the best life for them because dogs give us so much of their lives, you know.
Sharon: [00:32:27] With 100% devotion and dedication and love. Yeah. So I also learned from you and I believe this is a little sales pitch here, but there's a difference in product. So the stuff you're going to buy from your blockchains for like $25 of, say, a large bag of dog food versus the stuff from your store, there's night and day difference there. You can talk about it a bit more, but they're healthier for the dogs. There's so much more benefit. Can you elaborate a little bit on what you sell compared to some of the block stores?
Chantelle: [00:33:00] For sure, a lot of the stuff that you buy in your bigger center stores are owned by larger corporations, and they're just out there to make a dollar. They don't care about the well-being of your animal, so they don't use the best ingredients. They use the cheapest ingredients that they can get their hands on just to have a quick turnaround and get that product in the store and in your hands. Whereas the product that I carry, I spend a lot of time researching it because I want the best for my animals and my customers’ animals. So the stuff we carry is mainly small businesses that own these companies. I carry pretty much everything 100% Canadian-made and sourced. I feel that's very important. You can get a better quality of product from these smaller businesses because they actually care about the outcome and they care about the pet's wellbeing as well. So you might end up paying a little bit more for it. But a lot of these foods, you don't have to feed as much of it and it lasts longer. So in reality, you might buy three bags of the bigger chain foods compared to the one bag that you would buy from me.
Sharon: [00:34:28] Yes, and not to mention cleaning up your front lawn.
Chantelle: [00:34:30] That's right. Yes. Yeah. Because the animals are able to process it better, so there's not as much coming out the back end.
Sharon: [00:34:39] Yeah, yeah. So even I know like, if your dog, because I had my old Sasha, so she did so much better off of the proper food. But if your dog has, like, skin, if they're itchy, the proper food can pertain. If they've got, I don't know, some dogs have allergies, which freaks me out. But anyways, like, all that kind of stuff is the different feed, right? So, yeah.
Chantelle: [00:34:58] Yeah.
Sharon: [00:34:59] Okay. Next question. What's one product or service you offer that you feel the community does not know enough about? Because you got some relatively new… did they know you look after cats? Well did you… or the grooming?
Chantelle: [00:35:13] That's probably it. Because like, our groomer is relatively new and she works out of the boarding kennels right in town. And again. Yeah, the boarding kennels, because they are new. We've only been operating since December. So, just getting the word out about those businesses is hard because, you know, not everybody follows our Facebook page or not everybody follows our Instagram or not everybody reads the newspaper when we throw ads out there. So I believe a word of mouth is the best way to advertise.
Sharon: [00:35:50] And even for people to share. So say, if that one person does have you on Facebook, share that, that's all we can ask for. You share it. Like get that word out there. It doesn't take them more than a second. And it helps a lot to let other people know that their animals can have, you know, the best feed. And also there is somewhere that they can take them while they go on a holiday because holiday season is coming up.
Chantelle: [00:36:10] It is. That's right. Yeah.
Sharon: [00:36:13] What's your personal favourite product to feed or give your animals?
Chantelle: [00:36:17] Personal favourite product?
Sharon: [00:36:20] It doesn't matter if it's livestock, because you carry lots of stuff for the equine too, right?
Chantelle: [00:36:24] We do, yeah, we carry everything for all of the livestock. I'm gonna say my horse treats are probably my favourite. They’re Mana Pro Horse apple-flavoured nugget.
Sharon: [00:36:40] Those little hard. Yes, yes, I know exactly which ones. I love them. And yeah.
Chantelle: [00:36:43] Everybody on my farm eats them. So my goats eat them. My dogs eat them. My donkeys eat them. My horses love them. My kids even try to eat them. So that would probably be the best. And I always have them in my pockets. And now my children always have them in their pockets.
Sharon: [00:37:05] That's so funny. Okay, last one. One word, one word only to describe being a mom entrepreneur.
Chantelle: [00:37:14] The one word. Oh, dear.
Sharon: [00:37:17] I have a few popping up in my mind, but people might not want to hear it right now. I can tell I'm tired today.
Chantelle: [00:37:24] I want to use two words.
Sharon: [00:37:27] Okay. Go ahead. I'll let you. I'll let you.
Chantelle: [00:37:29] Challenging but rewarding.
Sharon: [00:37:32] Okay. That's three.
Chantelle: [00:37:34] Sorry. Okay. Challenging. Rewarding. Yes. Yeah.
Sharon: [00:37:39] Love it. Well, I really appreciate you jumping on with me. We're 40 minutes in, so I should probably wrap this up. As you know, I could talk to you all the time. Yeah. So, Chantelle, thank you so much for joining me today and sharing your story. If you're in the Provost area, you need to stop by and see Chantelle at the Provost Pet Supplies and Livestock. If you're needing pet supplies, livestock or livestock feed. Remember, she carries it all. Even chicken feed or supplements. Make sure you stop by the Provost Pets and Livestock. What's that? Oh! Live animals. What have you got in the store now?
Chantelle: [00:38:10] Oh, well, we have fish. And surprisingly enough, we sell a lot of fish. And we love our fish. But we also have hamsters and guinea pigs and bunnies and the odd reptile come through that we. Yeah.
Sharon: [00:38:26] Yeah. I went in there once, and you had a snake curled up. I was like, okay. Enough. So, for example. Yes. How often do they sit in your store before somebody buys these little things? Is it very long? Do they sit? No. No. Really?
Chantelle: [00:38:39] Not very long. Yeah.
Sharon: [00:38:39] Yeah. Interesting. So that's probably a thing that people didn't even know you carried?
Chantelle: [00:38:44] Yeah, a lot of people don't know because a lot of pet stores nowadays don't have the live animals. They just have the stuff to take care of. So you have to go to the bigger box stores again to find those animals. In my mind, I don't feel that they're as well taken care of in the bigger centers, right? But yeah, we do move them quite, quite well. Yeah.
Sharon: [00:39:09] Yeah, that's really super cool. Well thank you for sharing that. See, that's another add-on right there. Okay. To all our listeners don't forget to like, follow, and subscribe to our It's Time for Success: The Business Insights podcast. But also when you're on social, whether, whatever those platforms are for the Provost Pets and Livestock, please give their posts to share and, you know, comment if you can please. That would be very helpful and helping spread those words about those new entities that Chantelle's got going on. Every episode is here to inspire entrepreneurs and professionals who want to turn a job into a career and a dream into reality. And I hope that some of your advice today, Chantelle, has helped some of the ladies out there make that jump to being a parent and an entrepreneur. It is doable. You do need community. You do need friends. You do need family. But it is doable. If you have a story or an experience or a lesson you'd like to share so others can learn from it, we'd love to hear from you. Reach out and you could be our next guest. Until next time, keep building your success. One step, one story, one lesson at a time. Thank you, Chantelle, for joining us.
Chantelle: [00:40:13] Thank you, Sharon.