31. The Ultimate Partnership: The Pet Lover and The Retail Specialist with Jean McGhee

Listen to Episode

My guest this week is Jean McGhee. Jean is one of the owners of Hollywood Feed – the fastest-growing pet retail store in the country with 110 stores across the U.S. Jean and her husband Shawn purchased Hollywood Feed in 2006. Before purchasing Hollywood Feed, Jean was a stay-at-home mom. Through this conversation, you’ll see that Jean doesn’t get caught up with numbers and scale. You’ll see how she sticks to what she loves and how this serves the public.

This episode will expose you to everything you need to know about:

  • Confidence
  • Importance of single-sex education
  • Aligning strengths within a partnership
  • Living through when a key person leaves
  • Building an ecosystem of talent
  • The humbling early days
  • The deeper “why” behind her work
  • And more!

I had a great time recording this episode with Jean, and I hope it impacts you as much as it did me. Happy New Year to you and yours!

RECAP

2:08 Being a stay at home Mom

3:43 Her husband always thinking big

5:05 Pet Industry follows the human heart

7:34 When you’re young your impatient to find the right answer

8:40 Our job is to help people find their role to succeed

11:08 There is a bias of women in the workplace

12:58 Diverse perspectives create the most value for our company

14:30 First principles- avoid the rabbithole

23:12 No passion it doesn’t last

26:40 We’re going to recover

39:50 If you work hard and you’re focused you will succeed

41:20 Your spouse cannot be your business mentor

41:55 My dad’s answers are the simple ones

43:29 The eternal optimist

59:48 If you aren’t someone else is

1:06:00 We don’t need the whole piece of the pie to be successful

1:12:08 Why pet adoption matters

RESOURCES

Hollywood Feed

Matt Haaga State Farm

AB Jets