Female Founders: Elsa Mou of G’Night Fetcher On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder

This is a repost of Authority Magazine’s article published on November 8, 2024.

 

Work smart: Play to your strengths and outsource the rest. It’s easy to get bogged down by every little task, especially when you’re just starting out. One of the best moves I made was recognizing my strengths and outsourcing repetitive or manual tasks. This allowed me to focus on the big-picture strategy and ensure I had the bandwidth for high-priority, high-impact work.

 

As a part of our series about Women Founders, we had the pleasure of interviewing Elsa Mou.

Elsa Mou is an investor and entrepreneur in the pet care space, with a bachelor’s in business management from The London School of Economics and an MBA from The Wharton School. After witnessing a tragic accident involving a dog, she fully immersed herself in the pet industry, co-founding GNight Fetcher, a company offering nature-inspired pet memorial products. Outside of her work, Elsa enjoys writing blog posts about pet end-of-life care.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?

People are often surprised that I transitioned from a post-MBA investing career into the death care space. Becoming pet parents changed everything for us — experiencing the deep bond, unconditional love, and sense of responsibility opened our eyes to the bittersweet reality of eventually having to say goodbye. Though my dog Birdie is still young, the sudden loss of my first family dog made me realize how important it is to be prepared.

On a business trip, I witnessed the tragic death of a dog in a car accident. The inability to find a meaningful urn for the grieving pet guardian drove me to take action. That moment sparked the creation of G’Night Fetcher, where I design beautiful, unique, and handmade pet memorial products that celebrate life rather than represent death.

Our philosophy, “Momento Mori,” reminds us that death is a natural part of life. With G’Night Fetcher, we aim to create not just a place for grieving, but also a safe space to openly talk about and prepare for death. G’Night Fetcher’s memorial products offer sacred spaces for animal souls, closure for humans, and a starting point for healing.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?

One of the most interesting stories since leading G’Night Fetcher happened when I was invited to speak at DeadTalks, the “Ted Talks” of the memorial industry, hosted by the deathcare industry’s leading tradeshow organizer, ICCFA. The funny part? I was asked to present on “influencer marketing for funeral homes and crematories” — an industry where you’d least expect influencer marketing to be relevant.

But here’s the real twist: I always bring my 4-year-old Pomeranian, Birdie, everywhere. After much internal debate, I brought her to the conference in Vegas, secretly hoping no one would notice. Of course, Birdie’s fluffy lion head popped out of my tote at registration, but instead of causing a stir, the entire staff melted with “AWWs,” and she quickly became the unofficial star of the event. Birdie even got her own conference badge! Here you can see Birdie proudly wearing her conference badge:

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

When we were gearing up for our first tradeshow in the memorial industry, we had to create new materials like business cards, brochures, and branded swag. We’d built a strong relationship with our overseas print factory, so for the business cards, we simply sent our graphic design and asked for “500 units.” Two days before the conference, we unpacked them and discovered they were enormous — literally 6 by 6 inches, more like mini books than business cards. We didn’t have time to find a local supplier, so we handed them out anyway, hoping the confused looks would at least help us stand out!

The lesson we learned was invaluable for G’Night Fetcher’s manufacturing process: never assume a factory fully understands your specifications, no matter how experienced they are. Always request photo, video, or physical samples before approving any production. Additionally, implement a strict quality control system and consider hiring professionals to inspect batches. Manufacturing is intricate, and a single mistake can lead to costly outcomes. Thankfully, our first “big” mistake turned out to be a funny story we can now laugh about!

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?

I’m incredibly grateful to my in-laws. When I married my husband, I was working in venture investing with no experience in manufacturing. I never imagined I’d be running a physical goods brand in the Deathcare space, let alone working closely with my in-laws.

When we realized the world needed more beautiful, unique memorial products for pets, my in-laws reminded us of their family workshop’s decades of manufacturing experience, including producing urns.

Partnering with them to launch G’Night Fetcher’s first pet urn collection was invaluable. Finding a reliable, high-quality, and affordable manufacturer willing to work with small quantities for a new brand is nearly impossible.

Thanks to my in-laws, G’Night Fetcher’s very first product was exactly what I envisioned — an exquisite, high-quality and handmade memorial for angel pets (pictured below).

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. According to this EY report, only about 20 percent of funded companies have women founders. This reflects great historical progress, but it also shows that more work still has to be done to empower women to create companies. In your opinion and experience what is currently holding back women from founding companies?

There are a few key reasons in my opinion. First, as humans, we naturally gravitate toward those who look like us and share similar backgrounds. Historically, the business world has been male-dominated due to legislation and cultural norms, which has led to men being the recipients of more opportunities. For example, when I worked in venture investing, I was the only woman on the investment team, and even though my colleagues were inclusive, I could still “feel” my gender in certain situations. Being “an only” in a room can hinder women’s ability to advance in industries where they’re underrepresented. The pay gap is another factor. Women often earn less than men, and when couples face childcare decisions, the partner earning less — usually the woman — often ends up staying home or reducing their career involvement.

Biology also plays a role. While we’ve made strides with egg freezing and parental leave policies, these aren’t always common in corporate culture. Many women I’ve worked with have taken extended breaks after having children, and even with paternity leave, it’s often not enough time. I’ve heard female colleagues say the bond they feel after birth makes it emotionally and physically challenging to return to work so soon. This can create further barriers for women to maintain momentum in their careers.

Can you help articulate a few things that can be done as individuals, as a society, or by the government, to help overcome those obstacles?

On an individual level, it starts with mentorship and sponsorship. Women need advocates in their workplaces and industries to help open doors and create pathways to leadership. Building more diverse networks is key to breaking the cycle of homogeneity in business leadership.

As a society, we need to work on closing the gender pay gap, which influences many decisions around career and family life. Governments and businesses can implement policies that offer more comprehensive parental leave for both women and men. In certain countries, maternity and paternity leave is much longer and government-mandated, creating a more supportive environment for parents.

In my previous role, as the only female investment professional working at a firm with no maternity leave policy, I was shocked when HR suggested I take “disability leave” instead — something that highlights how far we still have to go in shifting corporate culture to support working mothers properly.

Finally, governments can invest in more programs that make childcare accessible and affordable. Offering tax incentives to companies that implement progressive family policies, as well as creating more programs that empower women entrepreneurs, are also ways to break down the barriers women face in founding businesses.

This might be intuitive to you as a woman founder but I think it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you share a few reasons why more women should become founders?

Diversity of perspectives is key to fostering innovation and productivity. Research shows that workplaces with greater diversity — whether in terms of ethnicity, socioeconomic background, or gender — tend to be more creative and effective. A gender-balanced leadership team can bring unique insights that benefit not only employees but also customers.

For example, at G’Night Fetcher, the majority of our customers are women who identify as “pet moms” and are the primary caretakers of their pets. As a pet mom myself, I can relate to their experiences and create products that speak directly to their emotions and needs. One concept I coined when founding G’Night Fetcher is “pet mom guilt” — the feeling that you could have done more to prevent your pet’s death. We designed pet grief comfort cards specifically to address this overwhelming emotion and help other pet moms process their grief. The response from our customers has been overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing gratitude for recognizing and supporting them through this unique aspect of pet loss.

Women founders can offer valuable insights like these, which help create more empathetic and customer-focused products and services. By stepping into leadership roles, women can drive meaningful change that resonates with other women, creating deeper connections between brands and their customers.

What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a founder? Can you explain what you mean?

One myth I’d like to dispel about being a founder is that it automatically provides more freedom. Before founding G’Night Fetcher, I invested in dozens of businesses as a venture capital investor and always saw entrepreneurship as a pathway to freedom. I imagined that starting my own business would allow me to take leisurely strolls in the park during the weekday and have complete control over my schedule.

The reality, though, is quite different. Two years in, I’m still working 9-to-8 days, and my weekends often blur into work just as much — if not more — than when I worked for someone else. Starting a business requires relentless dedication, and in many ways, I have less downtime now than I did in my previous career.

That’s not to say being a founder doesn’t offer freedom, but it’s a different kind. It depends on how you define freedom. If your idea of freedom is clocking out at 6 p.m., spending evenings and weekends with family, traveling, or pursuing hobbies, then being a founder might not align with that vision. In those cases, a stable day job with clear boundaries may offer more of the work-life balance you desire.

On the other hand, if you’re passionate about building something meaningful and feel unfulfilled or stuck in your current job, becoming a founder can provide an entirely different kind of freedom — the freedom to pursue your passion and shape something you truly believe in. It’s important to recognize that freedom isn’t one-size-fits-all; it varies based on your personal goals and what brings you fulfillment.

Is everyone cut out to be a founder? In your opinion, which specific traits increase the likelihood that a person will be a successful founder and what type of person should perhaps seek a “regular job” as an employee? Can you explain what you mean?

Even as someone who’s evaluated thousands of deals and met countless founders in my role as an investor, I’m not sure there’s a clear-cut “success formula” for being a founder. A lot of what determines a business’s success is beyond just the founding team — it involves external factors that are often unpredictable (but that’s a conversation for another time).

One trait that I do believe is essential, though, is passion for the problem you’re trying to solve. Without that driving force, it becomes very difficult to stay motivated through the highs and lows. That passion needs to be paired with persistence — the willingness to keep experimenting, adjusting, and pushing forward every single day, even for years. Businesses can take anywhere from 2 to 10 years to become profitable, and during that time, you’ll face countless rejections and challenges you couldn’t have predicted.

If you aren’t ready to keep showing up in the face of constant uncertainty, and you’re not deeply connected to the mission behind your business, then founding a company might not be the best fit. In those cases, a “regular job” can offer more stability, clear goals, and a work-life balance that’s often harder to maintain as a founder. But if you have a relentless drive to solve a specific problem and are prepared for the long, unpredictable road ahead, founding a business can be incredibly fulfilling.

Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)

1. Don’t listen to anyone — friends, family, investors, colleagues — when they tell you it won’t work. Everyone’s going to have an opinion, and most of them will tell you why your idea is flawed or too risky. If you believe in what you’re doing, trust your gut. When we started G’Night Fetcher, we got plenty of skeptical looks, especially since it’s in the death care space. Had we listened to the naysayers, we wouldn’t be where we are today.

2. Bringing on a partner is like choosing a life partner. Think of it as a business marriage. You’ll be spending a ton of time with this person, and you’ll need to navigate both the highs and lows together. My co-founder at G’Night Fetcher and I have been through it all — strategic debates, late nights, you name it. Choosing the right partners is crucial; they can make or break your business.

3. Start with the end in mind. Before you even begin, ask yourself: What does success look like for my business and my life? Whether it’s selling the company one day, becoming a household name, or maintaining a certain lifestyle, this vision will guide your decisions. Having that clear picture helped me shape G’Night Fetcher’s funding and growth strategies from day one.

4. The founder’s journey can be lonely. Starting a business isn’t all glamorous launch parties and media features. There are long, tough stretches where you might feel isolated. Early on, I made sure to identify people — whether mentors, fellow founders, or supportive friends — who I could bounce ideas off or lean on when things got hard. Trust me, there will be hard times.

5. Work smart: Play to your strengths and outsource the rest. It’s easy to get bogged down by every little task, especially when you’re just starting out. One of the best moves I made was recognizing my strengths and outsourcing repetitive or manual tasks. This allowed me to focus on the big-picture strategy and ensure I had the bandwidth for high-priority, high-impact work.

These lessons have helped shape my journey, and I hope they’ll do the same for others just starting out!

How have you used your success to make the world a better place?

My podcast, The Pet Business Club, has been a lifeline for me during the isolating moments of solopreneur life. But more importantly, it’s become a crucial resource for other pet business founders. Through the show, I’m able to share my experiences and the invaluable insights of my talented guest speakers, helping others navigate the challenges of building a pet-focused brand.

For G’Night Fetcher, we take giving back seriously. Each month, we donate a fixed amount, no matter our revenue, to over 10 animal welfare, humanitarian, and climate charities around the world. It’s incredibly fulfilling to support causes I’ve admired and volunteered with for years, knowing that we’re making an impact beyond our business.

Here’s a link to our about page where you can see the full list of charitable organizations we support: https://www.gnightfetcher.com/pages/about

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.

Animals don’t have a voice, yet they continue to be exploited in factory farms for meat and dairy, as well as in leather and fur industries. During my time as a food and agriculture investor in New York, I witnessed this firsthand, and it’s something that’s always weighed on me. I deeply admire organizations like PETA and other change-makers in this space, but there’s still so much more that can and should be done to protect these innocent souls. If I could inspire a movement, it would focus on creating lasting, impactful change for animal welfare, giving a voice to those who don’t have one.

We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.

Meghan Markle inspired G’Night Fetcher to create our grief comfort cards for baby loss and miscarriage. By sharing her own miscarriage experience publicly, Meghan brought much-needed awareness to a deeply personal issue that affects so many — around 30% of pregnancies end in miscarriage. At the time, we were offering grief comfort cards for pet and human loss, but Meghan’s story moved me to design a special deck of affirmation cards for mothers who have lost their babies during or after birth. Our goal is to continue breaking the taboo around discussing loss and death, offering comfort to grieving souls, whether they’re pet parents or families mourning loved ones. I’d love the chance to sit down with Meghan to thank her personally for inspiring such a meaningful addition to our offerings.

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.

About the Interviewer: Dina Aletras boasts over 20 years of expertise in the corporate media industry. She possesses an in-depth understanding of growth, strategy, and leadership, having held significant roles at some of the UK’s largest media organizations. At Reach PLC, the UK’s largest tabloid publisher, she served in various director capacities. Additionally, she held leadership roles at The Independent Magazine Group and DMGT. Her extensive knowledge spans editorial, digital, revenue, sales, and advertising.

Upon relocating to Switzerland, Dina took on the responsibility of managing and promoting the international section of Corriere del Ticino — CdT.ch pioneering the English page “onthespot.” She also was the Co-Editor of Southern Switzerland’s first official Italian and English bilingual magazine.