Life and Work with Debra Mastic

Today we’d like to introduce you to Debra Mastic.

Debra, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I always wanted to start a dog-related business, but I didn’t have a passion (or talent) for the usual things that can spark that kind of business. I didn’t enjoy activities like grooming, photography, making treats or dog training.

To satisfy my desire to open a business, I launched a resume writing and career coaching business and stopped thinking about doing anything related to serving dogs because it didn’t make sense at the time.

When my pug Pork Chop was diagnosed with vestibular disease, he started having issues eating. He would get nauseous and dizzy when he bent over to eat, and it broke my heart to see him struggle because he had always loved meal time.

I searched everywhere for a dog bowl that would make it enjoyable for him to eat, but couldn’t find anything that worked well, so I decided to make a custom dog bowl for Pork Chop.

I invested in a 3D printer and started making dog bowl prototypes in my apartment. I coated each prototype with a food-safe epoxy and had Pork Chop test them while I continued to refine the design.

After a few months, I came up with a design that worked really well for him and realized I had invented something that could help other animals. I decided to call the bowl the Fluff Trough because the design is more similar to a pig trough than a dog bowl.

When I shared the bowl with other pet parents, they were really excited about it and wanted one for their pets too. The Fluff Trough is great for flat-faced breeds, as well as disabled and aging pets that struggle to eat from traditional floor-based bowls.

I filed a patent and launched a Kickstarter campaign to gauge the level of interest in the bowl. My Kickstarter campaign was 100% funded within 24 hours of going live.

I invested my own money and the Kickstarter campaign money to produce the injection molding tooling needed to manufacture the bowl.

I’ve been selling the Fluff Trough online and have received overwhelmingly positive feedback from pet parents.

Has it been a smooth road?
Running and growing a business is both overwhelming and rewarding. There are so many risks, challenges, and unknowns when you start a new business and no guarantees that your business goals will happen like you want them to.

I had never invented a new product before and didn’t know anything about product engineering, patents, or the manufacturing process. I wanted to give up so many times because I didn’t think I could make it happen.

I learned that I had to ask for help and ask what seemed like an endless number of questions to get the information or resources needed to keep moving the project forward.

Developing a new product is a very expensive process so I had to put other things on hold (like buying a house and going on vacation) to have enough money to invest in the business.

My advice is to start a business to solve a problem that is relevant to you, not to make money. Don’t be afraid to ask for as much help as you need especially when you feel overwhelmed. People want to see you succeed.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Fluff Trough – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
The Fluff Trough is completely different than any other elevated pet feeder because it has a unique open-front design and comes with a dishwasher-safe silicone insert to make cleaning easy.

The Fluff Trough is vet-approved and designed for flat-faced breeds, as well as aging and disabled pets.

Since flat-faced animals eat with their entire face in a scooping motion, the higher sides of the bowl help support their natural eating motion.

We donate 10% of sales to different animal rescue organizations and donate Fluff Troughs to auctions and raffles to help rescues raise money.

My goal is to be the leader in making innovative feeders for animals that struggle to eat from traditional floor-based bowls. We have lots of other innovative product ideas in the pipeline!

Were there people and/or experiences you had in your childhood that you feel laid the foundation for your success?
I was very independent as a child and learned self-reliance at an early age. I opened my first business when I was in middle school and started working at a very early age to help my family pay the bills.

I earned scholarships and worked multiple jobs to pay for my college education and learned to exercise discipline and creativity to achieve my goals.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.flufftrough.com
• Email: dine@flufftrough.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flufftrough/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flufftrough/

Image Credit:
Denlany Digital Media

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