Lay of The Land #237: Tory & Michael Waxman (Sundays For Dogs) — Making the World’s Best Dog Food in Cleveland
Michael and Tory Waxman — the founders of Sundays for Dogs, the Cleveland-based company designed to make dog parents’ lives easy.
What began with their own dog, Mabel, and a simple but powerful question — why does feeding dogs well have to be so difficult? — has grown into one of the most exciting consumer companies to emerge from Ohio. Led by loving dog parents Dr. Tory Waxman, a veterinarian, and Michael Waxman, a serial entrepreneur, Sundays pioneered human-grade, air-dried, zero-synthetics dog food designed to be healthier than kibble and easier than refrigerated alternatives.
Since our last recorded conversation in 2023 (Lay of The Land Episode #123), Sundays has scaled dramatically. Having raised more than $55 million in capital and built out a Cleveland-based R&D Test Kitchen — where our conversation today took place — Sundays has grown from a direct-to-consumer upstart into a nationally recognized brand preparing for omni-channel distribution, creating a product that dogs love while positioning themselves at the forefront of the booming pet food market and the emerging ambient fresh movement.
In our conversation, Michael and Tory share how they’ve navigated multiple chapters of scaling — including customer acquisition and brand evolution, balancing supply and demand, investing deeply in product innovation, and building a senior leadership team — while staying grounded in the mission that inspired Sundays from the start: making it easier to be an awesome dog parent. They also discuss what excites them most about the future and what comes next for Sundays as the company continues to grow.
00:00:00 - "The World's Best Dog Food is Made in Cleveland"
00:00:25 - Introduction: Sundays for Dogs
00:05:20 - Building an In-House R&D Test Kitchen in Cleveland
00:10:06 - Most Dogs Still Eat Kibble (And Why That's Changing)
00:15:09 - Marketing Evolution: How Does Sundays for Dogs Stand Out?
00:20:18 - New Recipe Launch Preview (From the Test Kitchen!)
00:21:33 - Ohio: The Surprising Dog Food Capital of America
00:25:36 - Supply Chain Stories & Lessons Learned
00:30:39 - When Demand Outpaces Supply: A Good Problem?
00:32:59 - Beyond DTC: Omnichannel Distribution Strategy
00:38:21 - How AI Will Transform How People Buy Dog Food
00:41:34 - Dogs as Family: Where Is Society Headed?
00:46:44 - Building Company Culture at Sundays
00:52:13 - The Vision: Making Sundays a Household Name
00:55:18 - Where to Find Sundays for Dogs
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LINKS:
https://sundaysfordogs.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelewaxman
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tory-waxman-87781b176/
https://www.layoftheland.fm/123-tory-michael-waxman-sundays/
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SPONSOR:
Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.
Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.
Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs.
Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.
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