The Golden Life Story
A golden retriever breeder reinvented
Hello! Do you love Golden Retriever puppies? Good, we have something in common.
My name is Taycie Powell. I started The Golden Life (TGL)—a Premier dog breeding company for Golden Retrievers—in 2014. Since that time, we’ve delivered precious, furry family members across the nation to hundreds of customers who are now lifelong TGL friends.
But for me, it all started when I was 13 years old, with episode after episode of NPR’s podcast How I Built This. I would go for an evening run on my family’s homestead in Ohio and listen for hours to entrepreneurs and visionaries whose breakthrough ideas created revolutionary change. These were people who looked at the way something had always been done, challenged it, and made it better. They built movements and redefined their industries. As I listened, something in me said, “That will be me.”
So, when I started The Golden Life, I wanted my company to be different. I wanted to change the way breeders serve their customers and the way people think of breeders. Not only do we provide healthy, loving Golden puppies and years of companionship, we do it in a way that’s relationally-focused, with quality and lifelong service as the top priorities. Here’s what makes us different…
A new way to find your golden retriever puppy
- We create a customized and personalized adoption experience.
From the time a you reach out, to the time of meeting your puppy, we are right there with you through the process: sending updates leading up to the puppies’ birth, giving advice on which puppy to select based on temperament preferences, and sending photos of their puppy, including facilitating FaceTime calls. - We’re Midwest-based
This means our puppies spend their first eight weeks of life experiencing all that the country has to offer—where there is room to roam, play, safely explore, and receive holistic and natural Environmental Stimulation Training (EST). - We find dogs with quality genetics.
With our continuous research across the United States—and overseas, where we have adopted multiple dogs—as well as keeping our own top litter picks, we make sure that your puppy is coming from healthy, beautiful, and stellar personality dogs. - We offer personal, nation-wide delivery.
One of our staff members or trusted couriers travels with the puppies all the way to their new home. The puppy never leaves their side throughout the entirety of the trip. On a plane, they snuggle in a lap or nap in a doggie purse. On a road trip, they often travel in pairs with another puppy and stop every couple of hours until they reach their final destination. We always ensure a safe, happy, and stress-free travel experience for our puppies. - We’re a lifelong community and resource.
After receiving their puppies, customers find that they’re still part of the TGL family. New puppy parents are encouraged to reach out to us if they have questions, need advice, or just want to stay in touch. We love hearing from our families on their puppy’s “gotcha day”, or reposting our customers’ puppy photos on our own social media accounts. Our goal is to be a constant resource and community.
Loving The Golden Life
I’ve had people ask me what my dream job is, what I want to be doing years from now. The answer I give is often not the one they expect: I’m doing it.
It’s not always been easy. I’ve gotten really good at waking up at 2 a.m. to help a momma deliver her puppies, and starting a business at a young age meant missing time with friends or local events in my community. But it also meant that I was building something bigger than myself. It meant spending more time on our family’s estate with a family who were eager to help me grow my business and run its day-to-day operations. It meant that I was making the kind of impact I’d envisioned as a kid, a dream (quite literally) come true. And, of course, it meant that I could spend my days surrounded by adorable Golden Retriever puppies!
Now, I get to work with a wonderful team, including our puppy care specialist, facility caretaker, and more! I also get to work toward my master’s degree at Harvard to further my knowledge and expertise, as we focus on bringing you the healthiest and happiest new family member.
When I see the smiles on the faces of new puppy parents, it reminds me why I do what I do. The greatest gift in life is to love and to be loved, and offering that gift through the companionship of one of our adorable, healthy Golden Retrievers is simply a joy for me and my team.
If you’re interested in adopting one of our Golden Retriever puppies, feel free to contact me at thegoldenlifepups@gmail.com