GrowthTales Episode #25: Healthybud’s Journey Through Risk, Resilience & Growth with Kyle Feigenbaum

In this episode of GrowthTales, Mike Pinkus sits down with Kyle Feigenbaum, co-founder and CEO of Healthybud, a fast-growing pet wellness brand redefining how we think about dog nutrition. Kyle shares his unconventional entrepreneurial journey, from building a profitable startup in university, to working in finance, to launching a mission-driven pet brand inspired by personal loss and lived health challenges.

The conversation dives deep into the realities of building and scaling a DTC e-commerce brand: navigating product development, cash flow pressures, marketing strategy, customer obsession, and the emotional highs and lows that come with entrepreneurship. Kyle also opens up about the pivotal moments that nearly broke the business, and the mindset shifts that ultimately helped Healthybud survive and grow.

This episode is an honest, tactical, and deeply human look at what it really takes to build a values-driven brand in a competitive market.

Learn more about Healthybud : https://healthybud.co

Timestamps
0:45 Introducing today’s guest: Kyle Feigenbaum of Healthybud
1:51 Kyle’s first entrepreneurial venture in university
2:45 Building a profitable business at 20 years old
3:32 Transitioning from finance to the pet industry
4:24 The moment that sparked Healthybud’s mission
5:44 Can nutrition extend and improve a dog’s life?
6:35 Kyle’s personal health journey and lessons from Crohn’s disease
8:23 Studying superfoods and launching Healthybud’s first product
9:16 Why gut health is foundational for both humans and dogs
10:00 From CFA to founder: applying finance skills to e-commerce
13:39 Marketing a great product in a crowded digital world
14:23 Understanding your customer at a deeper level
15:24 The surprising discovery of Healthybud’s core audience
16:56 Defining ICPs and meeting customers where they are
17:53 Why surveying customers changed everything
19:12 The “picky eater” insight that reshaped the brand promise
20:29 Turning customer service into a growth engine
27:08 The biggest challenges Healthybud faced while scaling
27:57 Raising capital and burning too fast
28:52 The moment Kyle personally covered payroll
29:42 Resetting the business to survive and break even
30:24 Why running out of money or giving up, ends businesses
31:22 Advice for early-stage entrepreneurs
32:12 Choosing partners wisely and staying focused
33:18 Final thoughts and closing remarks