When William Smolen saw his pug struggling with persistent itching and poor nutrition, he didn’t just look for a better product—he built one. Drawing on years of experience as a beauty industry executive, William launched WagWell, a brand that introduced a new standard to pet care: pet wellness.
By bringing human-grade product innovation, ingredient transparency, and thoughtful expansion to an outdated industry, William didn’t just launch a brand—he created an entirely new category.
Finding white space based on your own experience
William’s idea started with a gap he noticed in his own life. As a veteran working with top beauty brands like L’Occitane, Sephora, and Ulta—and as the co-founder of Make Beauty—he was used to working with products held to the highest standards. But when his own pet needed help, he discovered a stark contrast between the beauty and pet care industries.
“I just felt like, gosh, it could be so much better in that space,” William says. “It’s similar ingredients and similar manufacturing processes, and I just felt like there was so much room for improvement.” This realization became the foundation for creating what he calls “pet wellness”—a category that didn’t exist before WagWell.
William realized that millennial and Gen Z pet owners—who now make up more than half the pet-owning population—expect the same quality and transparency in pet products as they do for themselves. Yet, few brands were rising to meet that demand.
Building credibility through product innovation first
Rather than rushing to market with existing formulations, William spent more than 18 months in research and development. This wasn’t just about creating better products—it was about establishing the credibility needed to define a new category. “If we can’t make something better or different from what’s on the market, we’re not going to do so,” William says.
This philosophy led WagWell to incorporate Ahiflower oil, a plant-based omega source that became the foundation of its supplement line. While Purina owned the rights to this ingredient in the horse space, WagWell became the first brand to bring it to dogs.
WagWell’s team—which includes Susan Sterling, a world-class product developer previously at Chanel and L’Oréal—ensures every product has “three points of difference” that can be clearly communicated to consumers. The strategy proved successful with the launch of Paw Protector, a wax-based balm that reimagined a basic mineral oil formula using natural waxes and oils. It quickly became WagWell’s top seller and earned the first-ever canine microbiome-friendly seal.
Building trust before expansion
Instead of launching with pet food—where margins are tight and trust is critical—William made the strategic decision to begin with supplements, offering lower-risk purchases while proving their expertise.
“Food’s really expensive and complicated,” William says. “Supplements are part of a problem-solution space.”
Each new product category—supplements, treats, grooming—helped WagWell build customer trust and collect valuable data. That data informed the roadmap for its eventual move into food.
Tesla didn’t start with mass-market vehicles; it began with high-end roadsters that proved electric vehicles could be desirable. WagWell took a similar approach, using supplements to prove that pet parents would pay premium prices for superior ingredients and innovation.
To establish legitimacy, William committed to participating in SuperZoo, the pet industry’s biggest trade show. Exhibiting at SuperZoo was a major investment for a new brand—but one that paid off.
“I knew we had a good product,” William says. “But I needed to present that to the world."
The conference strategy yielded multiple benefits beyond immediate sales. WagWell hired its broker dealers from connections made at the show and established retail relationships that continue to develop. More importantly, it demonstrated its commitment to the larger industry.
William calls this strategy “ingratiation”—earning a place in the community while maintaining clear differentiation, rather than trying to disrupt it from the outside.
Funding innovation without compromising vision
Establishing a new category takes significant time and money, often before revenue can validate the concept. William secured funding through a family office relationship he built over months. He focused on finding aligned investors who believed in long-term innovation over fast growth.
“When you look at building not only Shopify, but any omnichannel brand from scratch, there are so many components required to add that legitimacy,” William says.
This funding allowed WagWell to invest in proper ingredient innovation, superior manufacturing, and testing to support its claims—all necessary elements for establishing a new category.
Investor confidence came from demonstrating expertise and clear differentiation rather than just enthusiasm. William’s beauty background, his team’s experience at companies like Chanel, and a clear product roadmap made the case for success.
Avoiding celebrity endorsements
While many brands launch with influencers or celebrity endorsements, William made the deliberate choice not to.
“We were really focused on innovation, and we needed funding for that,” he says, “We’d rather take a longer approach to building a brand, knowing we’re making a better product.”
The strategy worked. WagWell caught the attention of Goop, where its products now sell out regularly. Partnerships with creators like Claudia Oshry from @girlwithnojob came after establishing the brand’s foundation, allowing these relationships to amplify rather than define WagWell’s identity.
William says “it’s a marathon and not a sprint,” believing category creators should resist the pressure for immediate growth in favor of building sustainable competitive advantages. “You can be approachable without compromising integrity.”
Launching a new category doesn’t happen overnight. It takes superior products, a clear mission, and the patience to establish credibility within existing industry structures over time.
By focusing on elevating standards over disruption, WagWell’s products are benefiting everyone—pets, pet parents, and the industry itself.
Catch William’s full Shopify Masters interview wherever you get your podcasts, and learn more about how WagWell’s marketing efforts have helped it grow exponentially in a matter of months.
