CocoChew Family,
What journey the last five weeks have been for the CocoChew team. I finally have some downtime to write about what we have been up to. June and July have been filled with amazing milestones, long trips, and incredible experiences.
Last time we wrote to you, Ryan and I had just returned from Fremont, WA for the Fremont Fair. After returning from Washington, myself and Chris had one week of downtime before hopping back onto a flight to Las Vegas for the annual SuperZoo Pet Expo. As far as milestones are concerned, this was the biggest step we have taken as a brand and a company since our journey began in 2017. SuperZoo (for those who don’t know) is one of the largest pet trade shows in the world. Comprised of 10,057 total attendees, the SuperZoo pet expo gave us the opportunity to put CocoChew on a pedestal and show the world who we are. I found this to be incredibly rewarding and humbling. We have worked our tails off for the last year to have the chance to show the world who we are, and that moment finally came over the course of three days at SuperZoo.
SuperZoo gave us the opportunity to introduce ourselves to the titans of the pet industry, where we could share our story, explain our product, and learn from the very best in the pet space. Having just graduated in May of 2017, we felt nervous and unsure of how we would be perceived amongst business men and woman with years of industry experience. The plan was fairly simple, “just share our story”. And that’s exactly what we did. By the second day, we had dozens of people come to our booth and introduce themselves wanting to learn more about our toys and our brand. It was at this moment where I turned to Chris and said, “well, maybe we're onto something here”! The positive feedback from so many people for whom we had tremendous respect was exhilarating and very humbling.
After four days in Las Vegas (four days too many), we took a quick flight up to Salt Lake City, Utah where we were able to link up with some old friends from our UNH days. We figured a quick pit stop in SLC would be the perfect opportunity for gathering new photos and creating new memories with old friends. The highlight of this trip to SLC was an overnight camping trip atop an 11,000ft mountain overlooking downtown Salt Lake City and the surrounding area. Whether it be the hike I took with Remi to the top to gather photos, the campfire underneath the moon and stars, or the incredible views of Utah, each moment had its special place in cultivating an amazing trip out west.
Next, Ryan and I will be taking off to Fremont, CA from 8/2-8/5 for the Fremont Crafts Fair. This event has been known for bringing in hundreds of thousands of spectators and visitors to share in the festivities. We can’t wait to meet new friends and share our story with everyone on the west coast!
Cheers,
Chip Linton
