At the age of 17, Maria Ulecia is a daughter, student, friend, and business owner. In her free time, Ulecia makes and sells organic dog treats through her business called ‘Pawfect Treats.’ How did she come up with such an unique name? The inspiration for this name simply coming to her one day.
“Pawfect treats- I was sitting in bed one day, it was 12 am and I was staring out the window and it came to me,” Ulecia said.
Ulecia started this business because of her love for animals, and gives back to them with the help of her business.
“I feel an emotional connection to animals, I think it’s important for you to know what you’re putting in your dogs’ body,” Ulecia said. “That’s why our treats are very organic and safe and very good, my mom even tried one and loved it!”
Ulecia doesn’t just help animals through her organic treats, she also helps them with her proceeds.
“I sell dog treats to help raise money for elderly dogs, I donate 30% to elderly dogs through the Grey Muzzle Foundation,” Ulecia said.
Gaining customers is no easy feat, so how did Ulecia get started?
“Word of mouth, I made my mom post it on Facebook,” Ulecia said. “I made all my friends and family text people. I looked up recipes and changed them to my liking, based on consistency, and fed [them] to Brandon’s dog, Pippa. I deliver to the [customer’s] house.”
When asked what’s the most challenging part of running her business, Ulecia responded immediately.
“Putting myself out there,” Ulecia said. “And I’m scared of having a dog die eating one of my treats.”
With everything going on, Ulecia has to be very intentional with her time.
“I just have really good time management skills, I break my day into chunks, and I have a schedule,” Ulecia said. “I wake up, brush my teeth, eat breakfast, go to school, go home, watch tv for 30 minutes, get up, I make treats for around 2 hours, then I do my homework(optional), practice my instrument, go to sleep or sit on my phone.”
Outside of her business, Ulecia is just like any other teenager.
“I sleep a lot, I watch a lot of TV, you know I’m in band, I have to play my instrument, I crochet, I guess I hang out with my friends,” Ulecia said.
If you are interested in purchasing organic dog treats contact @pawfecttreats on Instagram.
