MEET OUR
MENTORS
Sevy Maurer
Accomplished Retail Leader, Mentor, and Strategic Innovator
Sevy began her career in retail 20 years ago on the sales floor as a store manager and has since advanced through a variety of roles, including allocation, planning, procurement, and visual merchandising, with leading corporations such as Limited Brands, Big Lots, PetPeople, and Animal Supply Company. Her diverse background gives her a deep understanding of both the operational and strategic aspects of the retail industry.
Notably, Sevy was instrumental in developing and launching multiple successful private label lines at both Big Lots and PetPeople, driving significant growth and customer engagement.
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Sevy is deeply committed to fostering professional growth in the retail sector, particularly within the independent pet industry. She is passionate about mentoring emerging retail leaders and equipping them with the tools and guidance necessary to thrive in today’s competitive marketplace. By blending strategic planning, innovative solutions, and cross-functional collaboration, Sevy has consistently helped organizations exceed goals and navigate the complexities of the ever-evolving retail landscape.
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Sevy is excited to share her expertise with others, empowering them to achieve success and create a lasting impact in the retail industry.
Claudia Loomis
CB Pet Market
With over 20 years of experience in the Pet Industry, and a lifetime of pet parenting, Claudia is the owner of the CB Pet Market stores and grooming salons. Claudia has numerous certifications in pet nutrition and wellness and has been named as a Leading Retail Pet Executive by Pet Insight Magazine 3 years in a row.
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She is a member of the Pet’s Plus Magazine Brain Squad and is actively involved with Indie Pets, an organization that advocates for and mentors fellow independent pet store owners. Regarded as an industry expert, Claudia is often called upon to provide her perspective and experience and is regularly featured in pet industry publications.
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Claudia works daily to improve the lives of pets and pet parents with her multiple award-winning CB Pet Market stores and salons. Her true passion is helping dogs live better and longer.
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When not working at CB Pet Market, Claudia is the leader of her pack of champion Samoyeds and actively participates in dog sports with Apollo and Juno! Claudia resides in Warren County, New Jersey with her husband Roy and is the proud mom of two adult children.
Mike Griffeth
woofmeow
Mike owns and operates two woofmeow locations in New Hampshire and strongly believes that the industry needs to keep itself relevant requiring operators to challenge themselves to become better every year. While Mike learned much in pet retail through trial and error, he also had strong mentorship from industry professionals.
Mike brings this mentorship approach and his passion for sharing his knowledge to IndiePet. He believes a unified voice can help develop the strongest forward-facing movement in the indie pet channel with the strength of all the variety of retailers behind it.
In addition to running his stores, Mike currently serves on
IndiePet’s E-commerce (technology) committee, where he contributes great insights and best practices.