From leaving a market in tears after receiving a customer’s feedback to now operating a 400m2 factory producing 1,000 chews a day, Brooke Jones and her brand Marrowz have come a long way in a short period of time.
During the 2021 lockdown, Jones was looking for a healthier chew alternative for her dog. There were a few on the market, but none that fit the bill.
“I started experimenting with her favourite food, bone broth, to see if I could make a treat for her. I had many failed attempts along the way and almost stopped, but I kept thinking if I could just learn how to dry this, I would have something amazing on my hands.”
Over the course of three months, Jones set herself up on her mother’s deck and got to work.
“I continued even when most would have given up, as I truly believed that if I could crack it, I would be making a healthy chew for dogs. There were times when I had garbage bags full of rotting material and the house stunk but I persevered. I knew each failed attempt was getting me closer.”
Then it was off to the markets with the first prototypes of the Marrowz chews along with a range of dehydrated meats made in the shed.
“At my third market, I had a customer purchase three chews. She took them home and came back the next day and told me they were awful. I remember crying the whole way home in the car thinking that all those months of work were for nothing.”
But Jones picked herself up and continued making the chews on her back deck and heading to markets three times a week.
“As I did more and more markets, I started to get repeat customers that were coming back, not for the dried meats, but for the chews. I started to get my confidence in the product as good feedback kept coming in, and it gave me the drive to keep pushing.”
Six months after lockdown, a company called Furry and Fabulous in Corrimal, NSW, approached Jones and asked if they could purchase the chews wholesale. This is where the wholesale side of the business started to build.
Building a brand
The path to success, however, was far from easy. Moving from a small backyard operation to a fully-fledged production company in Australia was a monumental task. Finding the right production scale to meet demand without compromising on quality became a key focus. After an unexpected shout-out from a social media influencer, Jones found herself overwhelmed with orders.
“I actually had to take down our social media because we weren’t ready for that kind of sales growth,” she shares. “We went from making 20 chews on my back deck to needing to produce thousands. It was a huge learning curve.”
Despite these challenges, Jones carefully bootstrapped her business, ensuring steady growth without taking on debt. Today, Marrowz operates from a 400m² factory and produces around 1,000 chews a day.
Jones’ resilience was tested further in late 2022 when she was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery to remove a 12 cm tumour. Yet even during her 12-day hospital stay, she remained focused on her business.
“I remember talking to the other women in my room about my business. I even made my dad bring samples for them!”
Her determination never wavered. Just days after surgery, she stood at the Street Dogs Festival in Marrickville, NSW, with the help of her parents and the support of the local market community.
“The NSW market community were amazing and got behind me. Every time I showed up to a market, they would help me put up my tent and unpack my car; they honestly helped me push through.
“For the next 12 months I would go to the hospital every second Friday and have radiotherapy and then drive straight back to our little factory and keep working. I was determined it wasn’t going to beat me. There were so many days I questioned my decision, but I never gave up as I always believed in what I was doing and my product.”
Point of difference
According to Jones, Marrowz’s simplicity and health benefits is what sets the product apart. The chews are made from a single ingredient—collagen—which is low in fat and packed with health benefits for dogs, including improved dental health, shiny coats, and gut support.
“We lab-tested our product in May and were proven to have the healthiest chew on the market. Even dogs with diabetes and pancreatic disease can enjoy Marrowz, and that’s something I’m incredibly proud of.”
Additionally, Marrowz stands out by being a fully Australian-made product, employing a 100 per cent disability workforce to handcraft the chews.
“I have an amazing team of boys who put their heart and soul into creating these chews. They do it with such pride.”
Shark Tank
Jones recently appeared on an episode of Channel 10’s Shark Tank looking for $200,000 for a 10 per cent stake in the business.
After sharing her story and the financial details of the business, Jones ends up accepting Davie Fogarty’s offer of $200,000 for a 25 per cent stake in the business.
“I’m so grateful to all the small businesses and independent pet food stores that took a risk on an unknown brand and product and have kept selling it with pride and confidence and have 100 per cent helped me turn Marrowz into a brand, not just a business.
“I honestly wouldn’t be there without them; I could not have achieved this growth on my own without them.”
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