We had the good fortune of connecting with Keyli Gonzalez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Keyli, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My dogs are my children! I wanted to make sure that they are living their best possible life which means keeping them healthy. I started researching Raw feeding and I fell in love with it! I wanted to slowly introduce Rocky&Stella to a Raw fed diet so I started that with making all natural frozen treats which contained fruits, veggies, goat milk and supplements such as salmon oil, golden paste, and coconut oil. After making the frozen treats I decided why not share this with everyone so I started with only selling frozen treats and it has evolved into so much more such as pup-cakes, birthday cakes, biscuits, paw balms, dehydrated treats and more!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Rocky&Stella’s Treats is a Latina owned small business. Everything I make is all natural, no preservatives, no chemicals, no sugar added, and no food dyes used. It definitely isn’t easy being a small business owner while also working a full time job. I am a staffing coordinator that works Monday-Friday and I also have my pop events on the weekend while trying to maintain a personal life. I am constantly working whether it is for my day job or my business which means missing out on certain things such as going out with friends or special events but at the end of the day I have a goal and I feel if I work hard in my 20’s and get to a place where I want to be I can slow down in my 30’s and hopefully quit my day job and just focus on my business, I remember when I first started and I was so excited that I had 100 followers on Instagram and now so many people around the city know my logo and I even have products being sold in local dog stores. I appreciate everyone who has ever supported me and are helping me make my dreams become a reality. I cannot do this without you guys!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
For a weekend trip in Sacramento I would definitely take you to the Southern Kitchen for breakfast, go walk around old sac, stop at Leash and Collar boutique to pick up some goodies for the fur babies, see if there’s any local pop up events to get some yummy food from Jefitaz, antojitos from Emily’s Sweets, and show you all the talented small business here in Sacramento such as CraftysByPaulie MadebyusCreations, SugarBar916,Tipiconica, and so many more! The pop up culture here in Sacramento is amazing and everyone is always supporting one another! If we still had energy to do more things we are definitely stopping by a local brewery and so many of them are dog friendly which makes it that much better!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I don’t think I could’ve started my business and get it to where it’s at without my parents. Now that may seem cliche but they are really my number 1 supporters. My mom is constantly running to the store for me to buy produce, packaging, and labels. Also when I double book myself for a pop up event she steps up and will attend the event for me even though she is a single mother and takes care of my two younger brothers and my grandma who is on hospice. My dad is also a business owner and he is someone I confide in a lot when it comes to making good business decisions. He is always helping me upgrade my equipment and investing in me which means so much.

Website: Coming soon! Keep a lookout on Facebook/Instagram for updates!

Instagram: RockyAndsStellasTreats

Facebook: Rocky&Stella’s Treats

Other: You can place orders on Instagram or Facebook and I do ship!

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.