Gemma Glover is the co-founder of The Pet Carpenter, a family business creating beautiful, bespoke pet furniture that looks good in your home and supports your pet’s wellbeing.
The brand began during the pandemic when her brother Harry, a carpenter, was asked to make a pet bedroom - and from that first piece, the idea quickly grew.
In this episode, Gemma shares how they turned a chance request into a thriving business, the impact of going viral on Instagram, and how they’ve dealt with trolls, copycats, and even a devastating fire in their first year.
She also talks about their campaigns around crate confidence, the collaborations that have strengthened their message, and the lessons she’s learned about marketing, customer service, and staying true to your values.
If you’ve ever wondered how to grow a product-based business with heart, this conversation is packed with inspiration.
Key topics and timings in this episode:
0.20 - What to expect from this episode.
2.27 - How The Pet Carpenter started as an accident in the pandemic.
5.15 - Gemma shares how the business grew from that first pet bedroom to a workshop and running a team and the different things they did to reach people about the new products.
8.02 - How they coped with a devastating fire at their workshop and starting all over again.
10.39 - What life is like behind the scenes at The Pet Carpenter.
12.51 - What it’s like to have rapid growth and go viral plus coping with trolls.
15.05 - The Pet Carpenter campaigns and how Gemma plans and implements them.
17.51 - How to make meaningful collaborations happen.
21.05 - Instagram and how Gemma has worked on the platform.
23.08 - Using campaigns and conversations to stand out.
26.04 - Strategies for reaching different types of audiences.
29.12 - Trying different platforms for marketing.
32.53 - What it was like presenting at the PIF Business of Pets Innovation Prize 2025.
34.36 - Making the decision to be a lead generation website rather than buy off the shelf.
39.31 - The non-negotiable tasks Gemma does to keep her business moving forward.
45.22 - How Gemma navigates working with influencers and dealing with cheeky requests.
47.39 - How pet professionals and other brands can work with Gemma.
51.27 - Coping with challenges, from copycats to mean influencers.
57.57 - Trademarking and how Gemma has protected her brand.
59.53 - Gemma’s self-care go-tos.
1.01.39 - What’s next for The Pet Carpenter and how to get in touch.
Links mentioned in this episode:
https://www.thepetcarpenter.co.uk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepetcarpenter/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepetcarpenter
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thepetcarpenter
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thepetcarpenter
Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/thepetcarpenter/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gemglover
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