Today we’d like to introduce you to Cassandra Wild.
Hi Cassandra, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Whether it was growing up in Katy, TX with a family of 8 children or living off the income of a school bus-driving single mother in Gary Indiana, both Robert and knew what it was to come from “humble beginnings”. These are the types of plots in life that tend to be the driving force for success in many entrepreneurs, which is exactly how it manifested for us. I shifted into hard-working gear.
Sometimes working double time or two to five jobs at a time. I worked through my first few years of college but regrettably never finished. Robert opted to work smarter. He received a degree in economics at IU and took his experience to energy trading. Even after getting diagnosed with Lymphoma and three rounds of chemo, Robert continued to grow his business and find a lot of success. He ventured into a few different fields, but his niche was definitely energy and natural gas. Event Sales and Marketing management, bartending, nannying, and teaching kids’ yoga were a few of the creative and social working environments I took up. I loved management sales and events at my venues, but the hours often exceeded 100/hours a week.
My joy was in working in varying fields at once. I excelled with children and the patrons of the bar scene. Specifically at McIntyre’s in the Heights, where I hosted a customer appreciation party all on my own. I fell in love with the fur babies that accompanied our regulars as well. With the arrival of our first and only daughter Aston, and Robert’s continual fight against lymphoma, we knew we wanted to create a legacy for her. Both Robert and I had been downtown residents for a few years. With my love of dogs and the need for pet care, the vision to bring value and convenience to those in our community would be born. They say behind every successful man is a woman pushing him, I was darn near running him over. Motherhood was more than anything I could ever dream of, but I had always been a working woman. Together, we planned to alleviate some of the everyday struggles of living vertically with a pet downtown. Daycare, overnight care, and full-service grooming are just a starting point. Expanding with training and veterinary care is intended for the future.
Like most small businesses, we were welcomed with a never-ending cycle of obstacles. Not a single aspect of the business building went according to plan. Be it that Covid created an even bigger monster than permitting already is, that would hardly cover the baseline of our trials. We are believers, however, that trials create perseverance. Every day presents itself with a new trial, but every day presents itself with an opportunity to learn, adapt and grow. For that we are thankful. We very much believe that we are creating something unique and special downtown. We believe we are creating something special for our daughter, Aston.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Do we have all day for this question? I think I personally would need a full day. Robert has always been keen on never giving too much information, while I am an open book and tend to overshare. Obstacle after obstacle. Not one thing came simply. Permitting was a nightmare, especially coming back from Covid. Inflation really did a number on us. It hit a high right around the time we were given the go-ahead to start building.
Supplies on backorder, issues with engineering, contractors, cost of goods. For me, the website has been the biggest headache. I could talk about the website for longer than this interview would stay interesting. We are thankful for the new team. We are happy to say we are finally working on a full redesign. More is coming to the lobby and play yard as well.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
We are the proudest of our team. Building a business from the ground up is a wild ride. There are so many things to learn every single day. So many questions we still may not have answers to. Our team is patient with us. We have hiccups, and we make mistakes, but they stand by us and push through with us to the next day. Helping us figure out what we need, what is and isn’t working, and what we can do better.
We are not the best, but we are better than we were the day before and that is all that is needed. Unleashed Retreat’s staff is the backbone, we are the face. Without their diligence and determination, we don’t know how we would’ve pulled this off. To the team: We are so grateful for you. We are excited to see where we take this together.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
We are Christians. Our faith gives us strength for another day. Aston is our second driving force. We want to create a future for her. Lastly, we have a strong support system between our families and our friends. We are blessed beyond measure.
Pricing:
- $39 daycare
- $49 boarding (includes daycare)
- $495 membership
- $660 20-day package
- $25+ basic baths
Contact Info:
- Website: unleashedretreat.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unleashed.retreat/
