How Testing Small Helped Build an 8-Figure Product Brand

In this episode of the Harvest Growth Podcast, Jon LaClare sits down with Andrew Reist, founder and CEO of Valley Pets, to share the story behind Belly Guard — a pet recovery suit that started with just 26 test units and grew into an eight-figure brand. Drawing from his background in engineering and product development, Andrew explains how a personal problem with his own dog led to a practical innovation that now helps pets recover more comfortably after surgery.

Andrew walks through the early stages of building the business, including why he intentionally started small, lost money on every unit at first, and treated those early sales as a way to buy learning instead of immediate profit. The conversation highlights the value of product-market fit, low-risk validation, and why founders should focus on learning quickly before scaling aggressively.

The episode also explores how Belly Guard expanded beyond Amazon, broke into Chewy, and grew by adding sales channels instead of immediately broadening the product line. Along the way, Andrew shares lessons on hiring contractors, using freelance experts strategically, managing the transition from founder-does-everything mode, and making the leap from a full-time job into entrepreneurship.

If you’re building a product brand, testing a new idea, or trying to scale without overcommitting too early, this episode offers practical insight from someone who grew steadily, learned fast, and built a category-leading business through smart decisions over time.

In today’s episode of the Harvest Growth Podcast, we cover:

• How Belly Guard was inspired by a real problem with Andrew’s own dog
• Why Andrew started with just 26 units instead of a large inventory order
• How losing money early helped validate the product and reduce long-term risk
• What founders should learn before worrying about short-term profits
• How Belly Guard got into Chewy and why that accelerated growth
• Why expanding channels can sometimes matter more than expanding product lines
• How Andrew used contractors and freelance experts to grow more efficiently
• The realities of leaving a full-time job to run a business full time
• Why a great product makes marketing easier — but never replaces it
• And so much more!
  
  
  

Want to connect with Andrew?
Visit ValleyPets.com or TheBellyGuard.com to learn more. You can also search for Belly Guard on Amazon.

Do you have a brand you’d like to launch or scale?
Visit HarvestGrowth.com to book a free consultation and learn how our team has helped generate over $2 billion in product sales.