We asked Nate Wilson how he manages to be so unique without being weird. “Oh, I’m pretty weird too,” he retorted. It’s no wonder that when we sat down to discuss the launch of Classy Rabbit No. 2, his natural soil supplement made from, you guessed it, rabbit “number two’s”, that the conversation stretched for over three hours.
Nate’s journey from corporate strategist to anti-brand entrepreneur is as unique and untraditional as he is.
Wilson honed his skills in branding and strategic initiatives working with non-profits and small businesses bringing his own nonconformist perspective on how to craft a brand that stands out in a crowded market. It wasn’t only his professional experience that has brought him to this place, it was also his personal ethos of challenging norms and embracing unconventional ideas.
“I’ve always been the type that prefers to work outside the box, so to speak,” Wilson says. “I want to do untraditional things in traditional spaces, break away from the norm just enough to be recognized as something different.” This mindset laid the groundwork for what would eventually become Classy Rabbit, and it’s defiance of the usual marketing conventions.
Classy Rabbit wasn't born out of a grand business plan, but rather from a series of personal decisions and a touch of serendipity. Wilson and his family moved from Plano to a more rural area of Collin County, where they began raising rabbits. Initially, this was a way to provide a hands-on way of teaching responsibility and self-reliance to their children and to produce their own meat. But, as anyone who has raised rabbits knows, they multiply, and when they did, so did their waste. Wilson, always on the lookout for creative business opportunities, saw potential in this byproduct. After researching the benefits of rabbit manure as a fertilizer, he began selling it locally. "I started by selling rabbit manure on Facebook Marketplace," Wilson recalls. "At the time, it was just a way to make use of what we had, but it quickly grew into something much bigger.” Wilson's initial success with rabbit manure sales led to the development of a more refined product.
By blending rabbit manure with other organic materials and focusing on creating a "living soil" that supports plant health naturally, Classy Rabbit evolved into a full-fledged brand with a loyal customer base. “It’s like a good whiskey or a blended scotch,” he says without a hint of levity. “We are refining it, without chemicals, so that what we have is a biome that allow the microorganisms to actually prepare the nutrients in the soil for the roots of the plant. It's alive and it's doing what nature has intended, all without any odor whatsoever so that you can use it in your garden or right in the kitchen for your houseplants.”
Rabbit manure is often considered a superior fertilizer for several reasons. Unlike other manures that need to be composted before use, rabbit manure can be applied directly to plants without the risk of burning them. It is rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and other nutrients that are essential for plant growth. Rabbit manure is a cold manure, meaning it doesn't need to be aged or composted before being used as a fertilizer. It’s packed with nutrients and also helps improve soil structure and drainage."
Moreover, rabbit manure contains higher levels of nutrients compared to cow or horse manure. It also adds beneficial microorganisms to the soil, promoting a healthy ecosystem that supports robust plant growth. This nutrient-dense manure is an excellent choice for gardeners and those looking to improve their soil naturally.
Naturally, this sort of product is instantly appealing to consumers that are concerned with the impact chemical fertilizers have on the ecosystem but Wilson points out another benefit that appeals to anyone growing plants. “It works. That’s really my big pitch and the extent of my activism. We aren’t poisoning our ground or our water sources and,” he says with emphasis, “it just works.”
The Classy Rabbit identity as an “anti-brand” is another reflection of Wilson’s refusal to be boxed in to traditional categories. They typically reject conventional marketing tactics opting instead for a bit of irreverent humor and genuine authenticity. From the quirky packaging with a soon to be iconic monocled, bowtie wearing, pipe smoking rabbit to it’s tongue in cheek product names Classy Rabbit stands out in a market saturated with self aggrandizing, overly earnest (maybe to the point of preachy), eco friendly brands.
“We don’t have to take ourselves so seriously even when we have a product that is serious. We aren’t scientists, but we can observe that nature has figured out that to grow redwoods it doesn’t need a bunch of manufactured chemicals. Wildlife is pooping, bugs and worms are tearing into it, it’s mixing with decomposing leaves, and the microorganisms are breaking it into usable nutrients. The same thing that is feeding great forests is what we’re packaging. You can’t be too serious when you aren’t manufacturing anything.”
The fact that Classy Rabbit has sunk it’s roots into Collin County was not necessarily by design, but is recognized as possibly the ideal place to begin this unique entrepreneurial journey. The dynamic community of business owners and the supportive local economy certainly is fertile ground for Classy Rabbit to grow. “You can be different here and succeed. One of the things that supports that pursuit is a lot of these business owners are happy to support each other. We are proud to have our products in Habitat Plants + Coffee in downtown McKinney. We sell at Shades of Green in Frisco. Both of those businesses have incredible owners doing some really cool things and so getting to be in their stores is an honor.”
Wilson can speak at length about the advantages of doing business from Texas, tax incentives, fewer regulations, and the like, but the most significant advantage is the sense of community and collaboration that Collin County offers.
“Our rabbits might prefer living somewhere else, but their barn is air conditioned so there’s no reason to leave North Texas. I love it here. I love when a friend from high school calls and is passing through DFW and wants to catch up, I always tell them ‘plan for a full day.’
There’s great food, live music, local theatre, professional sports, great libraries…I can fill their day with things that just don’t exist in southern Illinois. And the people here, and I say this as a deeply introverted person, they’re unique and kind and they all have a story and I want to bump into them wandering around downtown.”
But even as the business expands, Wilson is clear that Classy Rabbit will always be about more than just making money—it’s about staying true to the values and ideas that make it unique.
"Our goal is to keep growing, but not at the expense of what makes us who we are," Wilson says.
"We want to continue offering products that are not only effective but also align with our offbeat approach to business and life."
In a world that often tries to fit people into neat categories, Nate Wilson’s story is a refreshing reminder that success doesn’t have to come at the cost of individuality. His journey with Classy Rabbit is proof that sometimes the best way forward is the one that’s uniquely your own.
It takes a unique individual to package and sell rabbit poop. Maybe it takes a weird one to purchase packaged rabbit poop. I don’t really know. What I do know is I just entered my credit card information in their website and ordered my very own package of Classy Rabbit No. 2. I’m going to poop my plants, and frankly my friends, I’ve never felt classier.