Entrepreneur Spotlight: Annabelle Shin

Love Producer at Preserve LoveBites

Annabelle Shin is the owner of Preserve LoveBites, a pet supplier that creates healthy treats for pets. She makes the frozen morsels out of raw goat milk to support immunity, digestion, joint wellbeing and overall vitality in cats & dogs.

Annabelle graduated from RMMFI’s boot camp program in early 2020, only six months into launching her business. She says it was “perfect timing” that she was able to combine her few months of experience in the field with the wealth of knowledge she learned in the class.

“I can be a very impatient person when I launch something. But because we had to break it down by sales, marketing, financial, and operational, I was able to attack all of those areas and really refine things from the start of my company.”

Why Did She Start the Business?

Over a decade ago, Annabelle cared for two special needs pugs. They would overheat easily, and Annabelle wanted to find a healthy sustainable solution.

“I would equate it to when a baby cries and whatever you’re doing to soothe them isn’t working. So that was a stressor for me, and for my dogs. I made their complete pet food for eight months. From that journey, I learned quite a lot about dog and cat health issues.”

That was 15 years ago. Now, Annabelle doesn’t have any pets, but she is in the business of caring for pets’ health. Whether it’s the furry friends that enjoy Preserve treats or her friends’ dogs – Annabelle confessed that she sometimes calls herself their mom.

 

Love Transcends Cultural Divides

Annabelle’s maternal commitment to caring for living things shows up across her business. As a Korean-American, she’s noticed a generational shift in the way that Asian-Americans view pet ownership. She’s happy to be part of the movement that’s elevating pets’ status in Asian familiesand within the overall pet food industry.

“There are many people who feel it is exclusively a Caucasian market,” she says of the pet industry. “That cracks me up because I don’t focus on one market. You know, I just try to create a product that transcends socio-economic barriers.”

What’s Next for Annabelle?

Goat milk for humans! Annabelle already sings goat milk’s praises for pets. Next, she’ll bring “white gold” to humans too!

If you’d like to try one of Preserve’s frozen pet treats, follow her on Instagram for updates about her events and markets!