Twila McGee of NOLAs’ Finest Pet Care: They Told Me It Was Impossible And I Did It Anyway

Create your own opportunities: If you find yourself without a seat at the table, don’t be discouraged — you have the power to make your own! Establish your own space and guidelines. And if you’re dissatisfied with the available options, don’t hesitate to create a third alternative that better aligns with your goals.

As a part of our series about “dreamers who ignored the naysayers and did what others said was impossible”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Twila McGee.

Meet Twila, CEO and founder of NOLAs Finest Pet Care LLC, devoted to enhancing the well-being of our furry friends as the state’s first Bi, Black, Woman-owned pet health & wellness hub. Born and raised in Uptown, NOLA, Twila is a pet expert, artist, and proud fur mom. With over a decade of professional pet care experience and a lifetime of being a devoted fur mom, she specializes in cats and dogs and has extensive knowledge in fostering and caring for pets in every stage of life. Twila’s passion for her work has earned her business the recognition of America’s Best by Happy Doggo and Best in New Orleans by Kev’s Best. Her accomplishments have also been celebrated in various publications such as The Story Exchange, Huffpost, Disrupt Magazine and more.

Thank you so much for joining us! Our readers would love to ‘get to know you’ a bit better. Can you tell us your ‘backstory’?

Growing up in Uptown, New Orleans, with my parents, older sister, and beloved Granny, faith was a significant part of our family life. Though we attended Catholic schools, cultivating a relationship with God was and is a top priority. As I matured, I developed a close relationship with God, but stopped subscribing to any particular religion due to the confusion, division, and hate it seems to cause in the world.

My mother instilled my love for pets from a young age. Growing up, we had a silver-haired toy poodle who was already a part of the family when I was born. He became my first best friend, and we spent countless hours together until he passed when I was 13. I keep his photo on my desk as a memory to this day. Later, I rescued two kittens, one of whom I found in an abandoned house just a week before Hurricane Katrina. They accompanied me through my teenage years and well into my adulthood, providing emotional support.

My Granny’s entrepreneurial success and independence inspired me to chart my own path. I’ve always had a rebellious spirit, desiring to live life on my terms rather than society’s expectations. When I was young, I dreamt of being an entrepreneur. It wasn’t until my 20s, when I had a bad experience boarding my cats, that I had my “aha” moment. I then started NOLAs Finest Pet Care LLC, and the rest is history.

Are you working on any new or exciting projects now? How do you think that will help people?

As a passionate animal lover, I am always searching for ways to assist fur kids and their families. My current focus is on reducing the number of pets that are abandoned. Although the pandemic caused a drop in shelter populations due to stay-at-home orders, the numbers increased again once restrictions were lifted. I discovered that the underlying issue is that pet parents, despite their good intentions, often fail to assess their lifestyle and financial situation prior to adopting, which is largely due to the lack of available pet education. While the internet is full of resources on pet care, it can be a daunting task for busy pet lovers to find reliable information.

To tackle this problem, I have created an interactive virtual course called “Training for Humans”©, which includes colorful printable resources, training videos, quizzes, and more. My lectures cover topics such as managing financial responsibilities on a budget, affordable adoption methods, the importance of home insurance coverage, positive interactions between kids and pets, and more. Although inflation has posed a challenge to everyone, I am committed to ensuring that pet lovers have access to this valuable resource. Therefore, I am partnering with shelters and rescue groups across the United States to offer my courses for free of charge to adopters and fosters. Additionally, I will be releasing a book in the new year, so stay tuned for more updates.

In your opinion, what do you think makes your company or organization stand out from the crowd?

NOLAs Finest Pet Care LLC is a business with a lot of distinctive characteristics. Whether it’s the inspiring story behind its creation, my mission, the range of products and services offered, or the way I strive to make clients feel like family. NOLAs Finest Pet Care has so much to offer to the pet community.

Ok, thank you for that. I’d like to jump to the main focus of this interview. Has there ever been a time that someone told you something was impossible, but you did it anyway? Can you share the story with us? What was your idea? What was the reaction of the naysayers? And how did you overcome that?

In my twenties, I made a courageous decision to walk away from college and a career path as a relationship therapist and instead took a leap of faith into the world of entrepreneurship, specifically in helping furkids thrive and never looked back. While I possess a natural talent for advising couples on how to improve their romantic relationships and I still offer top notch advice to my friends, my heart beats faster for wagging tales & wet kisses. This gutsy move led to a lot of amazing opportunities, despite the naysayers who tried to rain on my parade. “You can’t do that!” they’d say. “That’s not a real career!” they’d scoff. But guess what? I’m resilient, all for embracing a good challenge, and I feel so fulfilled with what I what I do.

In the beginning of 2013, I blazed a trail carving out my destiny as Louisiana’s first bi, black, woman-owned pet health and wellness hub devoted to enhancing the lives of furkids, by combining my love for helping furkids, artistic abilities, baking skills, interior design talents, and business sense, I’ve created something astounding and much needed.

In the end, how were all the naysayers proven wrong? :-)

My legacy, insights, and accomplishments have been acknowledged and celebrated across various publications, but the most rewarding aspect has been the opportunity to improve the lives of countless fur kids and their devoted parents. Like many entrepreneurs, I face difficult days. However, this journey is only the beginning, there’s more to come and as I look back, I know that I have the last laugh, for my dreams have become a glorious reality.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

It’s difficult to know where to begin because it takes more than one person to make a dream come to fruition. My dear grandmother left an indelible mark on me from a young age. She overcame adversity and created a legacy of success through her bravery and resilience, inspiring me to do the same. While I sorely miss her, I know she is guiding me from the other side. My spouse, Chris, has been a steadfast companion throughout this journey, supporting me even during my abrupt career change. Though entrepreneurial life is vastly different from the structured 9–5 she is accustomed to, Chris remains supportive and happy to help me when needed.

My mother, the woman I am named after, instilled my love for animals and encouraged my creativity and dreams. Plus, her faith and prayers keep things going. Judy, my bonus mom, has been my biggest cheerleader since I was eight years old, and I am grateful for her presence in my life. When I left Arkansas, my sister Candice helped ease the financial burden for that timeframe. Gina, my sister-in-law, gave me her time and support, assisting me with exhibiting at the Animal Care Expo 2023 for four days straight. Jazzbeau, my first best friend, has been my loyal companion since day one. My furkids, Sweettart and Samantha, inspire NOLAs Finest Pet Care llc and offer emotional support. Bella, her siblings, and birth mom provided me with my fostering experience and even more emotional support. Melissa, my former client,/ web designer, gave me invaluable advice and created an incredible website. I owe much to the many mentors from the Urban League, journalists, grant selectors, and award committees that have believed in my mission. Lastly, and never forgotten, my customers, followers, and supporters. Thank you for your unwavering support.

It must not have been easy to ignore all the naysayers. Did you have any experiences growing up that have contributed to building your resiliency? Can you share the story with us?

Bullying can happen at any age, but it’s something most of us have experienced during our childhood. As for me, I’ve always been confident in who I am, my abilities and my purpose, and I recognize that people who hurt others are usually in pain themselves. As a result, I don’t allow anyone to divert me from my path.

Based on your experience, can you share 5 strategies that people can use to harness the sense of tenacity and do what naysayers think is impossible? (Please share a story or an example for each)

1. Securely know who you are and your capabilities: Knowing Yourself and Your capabilities is Key. Once you have obtained this sense of self-assurance, no one can make you doubt yourself or question your abilities. Likewise with acknowledgment of your weaknesses, it’s harder to have hurt feelings when you’re already aware and working toward improvement.
2. The loudest boos always come from the cheapest seats so keep slaying: people who focus solely on your “lush green grass” while neglecting their own and takes more comfort in bringing negative energy your way then celebrating you are often insecure, envious, and still searching for their own sense of purpose and abilities. Recognizing that their behavior is not a reflection of you can help you set boundaries and allow yourself to remain focused on achieving your goals.
3. Rejection isn’t the end: One of the challenges of being an entrepreneur is receiving rejection emails. However, it’s important to remember that this does not constitute failure or the end of the road. Instead, it may simply mean “not at this time,” “try again later,” “there’s something better,” or “there’s an alternative way to achieve this goal.”
4. Haters vs. Worriers, know the difference: Unlike haters, worriers are those that have good intentions but their own fears of the unknown and limitations may keep them from seeing your vision or the end results so their advice will be “play it safe” or “stay in your comfort zone.” But in life, there aren’t any rewards without risk. Plus, in my opinion, if you’re going to take a risk it should be for the pursuit of happiness and making a positive impact in the world. Remember, their fears and limitations don’t define you, so stay focused on your goals. Who knows? You may even inspire them to step out of their comfort zone! 😉
5. Create your own opportunities: If you find yourself without a seat at the table, don’t be discouraged — you have the power to make your own! Establish your own space and guidelines. And if you’re dissatisfied with the available options, don’t hesitate to create a third alternative that better aligns with your goals.

What is your favorite quote or personal philosophy that relates to the concept of resilience?

I have a few favorites:

“One day or day one, you decide.”

“Let’s not compare apples and oranges, cause everyone’s version of success is unique! Instead, let’s party and cheer each other on!”

“ It must feel right otherwise what’s the f**king point”

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

As you know, my mission is to make sure that all furkids are happy and healthy. One crucial aspect of this is providing pet lovers with the right education about pet care. If you are a shelter, rescue group, or sponsor in the U.S. who shares this vision, please don’t hesitate to contact me, info@nolasfinestpets.com. Together, we can make a difference!

Can our readers follow you on social media?

Yes, Instagram & FB @nolasfinestpetcare

Thank you for these great stories. We wish you only continued success!