Intro: I have always believed in learning from entrepreneurs younger than myself, which seems to be happening more and more these days, and this episode with Elina Panteleyeva is no exception. It's too easy, as an experienced entrepreneur, to think that you have many of the answers. In today's fast-moving waters with AI start-ups and new methods to reach your audience, I find myself at a disadvantage on some fronts. However, entrepreneurs like Elina make the murky waters a bit clearer.

After being let go from her job at an AI company, Elina decided to take the proverbial entrepreneurial leap. With not much experience in e-commerce or retail, she followed her passion and founded Dood Woof, a company that offers organic shampoo and detangler for doodle dogs. Niche, right? In her first year, she realized revenues of $650,000 and is projecting $1.5 million in her second year of operations, with more products to follow. Elina financed her own efforts, and what she lacked in experience she more than made up for with tenacity and her authentic, thoughtful approach to building her brand to this point. If I were contemplating any sort of e-commerce start-up, I'd tune into this episode.Onward ~

3:42 -- Elina's background and the birth of Dood Woof

16:54 -- Building a community and landing a product

28:14 -- Leveraging micro influencers for brand growth

30:25 -- Sales strategy: Amazon vs Direct Website Traffic

38:28 -- Financing growth

42:27 -- Utilizing AI in Business Operations

44:27 -- Establishing culture and values early

Intro: I have had the pleasure of interviewing several individuals who have built great companies (Hydro Flask, G5, Cairn, Walker Tracker, etc.) in my hometown (I still see it as a town, despite the significant growth), Bend, OR. Most recently, I sat down with two other well-known businessbuilders, Chris and Jeremy Cox, the brothers best known for starting the brewing company 10 Barrel Brewing Co. With a lucrative exit to Anheuser-Busch in 2014, which could have allowed them to sail off into the sunset, the Cox brothers continued to invest in and give back to the communitythat supported their efforts for over a decade. They created a restaurant group, invested in other beverage businesses, and support a handful of angel investments that they continue to nurture today.
As I visited with the brothers, I learned that their story is much more than what has been one of Bend’s most visible business sales. The seeds of their entrepreneurial spirit were formed much earlier in life, and 10 Barrel represented a culmination of their passion for doing work they enjoyed, leaving lucrative corporate jobs—like so many entrepreneurs have to decide to do in order to follow their dreams. The company they built was by no means an overnight success; like many successful businesses, it was achieved throughyears of hard work, sacrifice, and tough lessons. Even after the sale in 2014, it wasn’t until 2024 that the brothers resigned from the parent company, working in tandem, of course, as they continued to refine their knowledge witha much larger operator.
Every entrepreneur's outcome offers a unique opportunity to learn and be inspired. While aspects of the Cox brothers' efforts are similar to those of other company builders (hard work, timing, etc.), there were some key inflection points I found interesting, such as their ability to quickly integrate lessons learned from their mistakes and clearly understand each other’s strengths as they ventured into an industry in which they initially had little experience. As Chris Cox stated in 2014, recalling their first investment in a local bar in 2003, “The bar was super reasonable. We had never worked in bars before or anything. We just wanted to get to Bend; we couldn’t find any other way to get there for jobs, so we bought a bar.” A few years later, in 2007, the idea for 10 Barrel Brewing was born.
I’d argue that passion for an industry is often the first step to taking the proverbial leap of faith to embark on one’s own path. However, it was clear to me after our conversation that these brothers are shrewd businesspeople. While they enjoy the task of building a brand and the team they work with, they understand market dynamics. Drawing on tough lessons from their past, they were able to position 10 Barrel for a successful exit while continuing to do the community work they love.
2:51 -- Early influences and family background

7:47 -- First venture and learning experience

10:51 -- Transitioning from corporate world to entrepreneurship, start-up capital (boot-strap)

14:42 -- The birth of 10 Barrel Brewing

23:02 -- The breakthrough! Hiring key talent

32:23 -- Importance of mentors and learning to accept rejection from prospective investors

37:05 -- A "chip" on the shoulder helps. "Losers think about winners, and winners think about winning"

40:07 -- Recession seeded a strategy to grow outside the region: the "taking of their first handle"

50:08 -- The decision to sell the company, past mistakes inform them "timing matters"

56:14 -- After the acquisition, the amazing partnership with Anheuser-Busch (note, it doesn't always go this way:)).

1:00:59 -- Transitioning to new ventures -- what now? Current projections and future directions.

Intro: I was joined by Christa King. Christa has over 30 years of experience in pioneering commercial strategy in hospitality, launching and executing high-impact revenue strategies for some of the world’s most iconic hospitalitybrands—including Ritz-Carlton, Marriott International, Joie de Vivre Hospitality, and Noble House Hotels & Resorts. Christa later ventured into Fitlandia, a wellness platform for the hospitality industry, which she ultimately decided to shut down.

As folks are aware, we spend a lot of time on the Bending Rules Podcast sharing stories of entrepreneurs who have built companies and found meaningful exits. While we do on the pod discuss failures and challenges, Christa and I decided in advance to dive deeply into the topic of failure—why it happens, what we can learn from it, and perhaps why it isn’t discussed more. Likewise, we explored what it takes to recover from a failed venture. Not surprisingly, Christa sees a failed venture as a learning opportunity and a part of the process. We can learn a lot from her attitude toward failure and setbacks.

Now, as the founder of Cricket Fixes, she’s building the #1 marketplace for self-development courses and transformational retreats.

As always, I hope we all learn something we can take forward.

Onward,

Pete

1:00 -- Intro to Entrepreneurship and Failure

4:02 -- Christa discovers entrepreneurism

8:28 -- Founding of Fitlandia

13:29 -- Did sticking to her values cost Christa her company?

21:40 -- Learning from failure

32:20 -- Next venture, building Cricket Fences

41:33 -- Generational slides in mental health and awareness

49:36 -- Role of financial success and purpose