Pet Business Disruptors

In this episode, Clayton sits down with Chef Scot Hill, founder of Woof Creek, to explore his unexpected transition from the restaurant industry into the pet wellness space. Scot shares how the COVID-19 pandemic and a new puppy with allergies inspired him to apply his culinary philosophy to pet supplements, detailing how Woof Creek's grassroots beginnings at farmers markets and his relentless commitment to ingredient transparency.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

From Kitchen to Pet Wellness: The COVID-19 pandemic forced Scot to close his restaurant, leading him to reevaluate food as a functional item to help his new dog, Lily, who suffered from allergies and stress.

The Power of Farmers Markets: Woof Creek didn't start with massive data analytics; the brand found its footing by setting up at local farmers markets, allowing Scot to directly engage with pet owners and witness prevalent allergy and stress issues firsthand.

"Truth to Menu" Philosophy: Bringing a chef's standard to pet supplements, Scot insists on using only functional, whole-food ingredients without hidden inactives, ensuring that everything on the label is perfectly represented in the product.

BEST MOMENTS
"I started thinking about food as a functional item. And what it was doing to me and what I could have food do for me for a benefit when I got a dog, it was kind of a no-brainer to do the same for my dog."

"Truth to menu. If it says it in the menu, then it's going to be in the dish. Truth to menu, truth to my label is so damn important to me."

"You can't find that in data, you know? You can't look in the dog's eyes and and see what's going on or feel feel their coat."

ABOUT THE HOST

Clayton Payne is an industry veteran of three decades of working in the pet industry. Brought up working in his parents' pet store, Clayton has seen the industry evolve over five different decades and has been on the cutting edge of the industry since the nineties. Building pet businesses from scratch, establishing multi-national distribution chains and having worked in every aspect of the industry, Clayton has a rare insight into the Pet Industry that is rivalled by few.

Clayton has been the spearhead of many of the industry's changes and has introduced numerous new concepts to market with a trail of success behind him. He has worked in numerous countries within the pet industry, speaks four different languages and has established both import and export relationships on all continents (excluding Antarctica).

As well as being COO of one of the UKs fastest growing insect technology companies, Clayton is a Pet industry consultant who has consulted for many household brands and delivers sales training to pet trade professionals.

⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/clayton-payne-a6772244/⁠

https://www.tiktok.com/@petbusinessdisruptors

https://www.youtube.com/@PetBusinessDisruptors

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. ⁠https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/⁠

In this episode, Clayton sits down with Craig Wallace, Managing Director of Wilsons Pet Food, to explore the journey of reviving a historic Scottish pet food brand and navigating the modern pet nutrition landscape. Craig shares his transition from human food manufacturing into pet food, detailing how Wilsons evolved from traditional mixers and cold-pressed lines to dropping raw production entirely in favor of shelf-stable, fresh-cooked meals.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Reviving a Legacy Brand: Wilsons of Dundee, historically one of Scotland's largest pet food companies, avoided closure and shifted from producing traditional 1980s-style mixers to making innovative fresh food.

Strategic Pivot Away from Raw: Wilsons exited raw food production because of complex transit logistics, thawing waste, and legal restrictions against processing raw and cooked foods in the same facility, choosing instead to focus on shelf-stable fresh dinners.

The Importance of Ingredient Transparency: General labeling terms (like "80% beef") often mask low-cost fillers or mechanically deboned meat (MDM), whereas explicitly listing specific cuts gives pet owners genuine quality assurance.

Uncompromising Formulation: Partnering with an expert, independent nutritionist ensures recipes are created for optimal physiological benefit rather than formulated down to meet a restrictive cost target.

Benefits of Dietary Variety: Feeding dogs a single, static diet continuously can increase the risk of digestive sensitivities, whereas rotating protein and fiber sources promotes a robust, resilient gut microbiome.

BEST MOMENTS

"The whole premise is that we just want to make really good pet food—the best that we can across the different areas."

"If someone wants to copy your product, they're going to copy your product. So there's no point holding things back on the recipe, because then you just look shady to a consumer."

"There is no secret sauce... Food is not complex in that way; the way you make food profitable is by your systems, your process, and how you treat people."

"You have to be mental to start a factory... the problem with factories is they're expensive to run, and you need 24-hour-a-day manufacturing to actually be profitable."

"We feed our dogs in a chronic manner... you're just more likely to have an issue with any form of chronic feeding than you are with a varied diet."

Clayton Payne is an industry veteran of three decades of working in the pet industry. Brought up working in his parents' pet store, Clayton has seen the industry evolve over five different decades and has been on the cutting edge of the industry since the nineties. Building pet businesses from scratch, establishing multi-national distribution chains and having worked in every aspect of the industry, Clayton has a rare insight into the Pet Industry that is rivalled by few.

Clayton has been the spearhead of many of the industry's changes and has introduced numerous new concepts to market with a trail of success behind him. He has worked in numerous countries within the pet industry, speaks four different languages and has established both import and export relationships on all continents (excluding Antarctica).

As well as being COO of one of the UKs fastest growing insect technology companies, Clayton is a Pet industry consultant who has consulted for many household brands and delivers sales training to pet trade professionals.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/clayton-payne-a6772244/

https://www.tiktok.com/@petbusinessdisruptors

https://www.youtube.com/@PetBusinessDisruptors

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media .https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Clayton sits down with Sean Zyer, founder of Earth Buddy, to discuss the evolution of the pet wellness and hemp sectors. Drawing on his extensive background in pet food manufacturing and distribution, Zyer breaks down the journey of building a clean, science-backed pet CBD brand from a commercial kitchen to independent pet retailers across the United States. The conversation dives deep into the realities of manufacturing, the shifting distribution landscape, the science of full-spectrum versus CBD isolates, and the pressing legislative hurdles currently threatening the hemp market.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The Origin of Earth Buddy Was Born from Personal Need: Sean entered the pet CBD space after seeking natural interventions for his own dog, who was experiencing neurological issues and severe appetite loss due to heavy anticonvulsant medications.

Distribution Models Are Shifting Rapidly: While traditional distribution networks were historically vital for building brand scale in independent pet retail, high fees, shifting sales dynamics, and direct-to-consumer digital channels have pushed more emerging brands toward direct retailer relationships.

CBD Brands Face Unique Operational Hurdles: Operating in the hemp and CBD space brings challenges beyond typical CPG manufacturing, including strict payment processing limitations, volatile banking relationships, and higher-risk liability insurance requirements.

Full-Spectrum and Isolate Extracts Serve Different Purposes: While isolates offer cheap, concentrated doses of single molecules, full-spectrum extracts retain the complete plant matrix—requiring gentle, expensive extraction methods to preserve efficacy and safety profiles without harsh residual chemicals.

Impending Federal and State Legislation Poses Industry Risks: Proposed limits capping THC at 0.4 mg per container threaten to eliminate genuine full-spectrum pet products from retail shelves, largely as an unintended consequence of regulatory crackdowns on synthetic retail cannabinoids like Delta-8.

BEST MOMENTS

"It's kind of like a breeding ground for a lot of these unique kind of concepts in terms of food and treats and supplements. So, I knew Colorado was a great place or incubator of new brands."

"There's only like two industries that are like recession-proof or economical-proof... is pet, and fishing and hunting."

"You could either be a marketing company... or you could be a manufacturer... but he's like, it's really hard to do both. And that was the biggest statement I took away when he said that, and I said, 'I'm too late. I've already been doing both.'"

"I don't think there's that same level of reverence in the pet space... I think people can see gaps where they can push in."

"We don't take that pharmaceutical drug approach and think... 'Oh, if they took this amount, that worked really well, what if I give them more?'... The idea is less is more, and we're trying to get the minimal effective dose to get the desired response without side effects."

Clayton Payne is an industry veteran of three decades of working in the pet industry. Brought up working in his parents' pet store, Clayton has seen the industry evolve over five different decades and has been on the cutting edge of the industry since the nineties. Building pet businesses from scratch, establishing multi-national distribution chains and having worked in every aspect of the industry, Clayton has a rare insight into the Pet Industry that is rivalled by few.

HOST BIO

Clayton has been the spearhead of many of the industry's changes and has introduced numerous new concepts to market with a trail of success behind him. He has worked in numerous countries within the pet industry, speaks four different languages and has established both import and export relationships on all continents (excluding Antarctica).

As well as being COO of one of the UKs fastest growing insect technology companies, Clayton is a Pet industry consultant who has consulted for many household brands and delivers sales training to pet trade professionals.

⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/clayton-payne-a6772244/⁠

https://www.tiktok.com/@petbusinessdisruptors

https://www.youtube.com/@PetBusinessDisruptors

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media .⁠https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/⁠

In this episode, Clayton sits down with Pamela Keniston, founder and CEO of Big Paws Marketing, to explore the rapidly evolving dynamics of the pet industry. They dive deep into the challenges pet supplement brands face regarding FTC/FDA compliance and label claims, the realities of high-cost clinical studies, and why standing out in a flooded market requires more than generic branding.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Compliance and Label Claims Carry Real Risk: Supplement and pet food brands frequently push boundary lines with exaggerated health claims, risking regulatory enforcement from the FDA and FTC or costly lawsuits.

Pet Tech is in Its "Flip Phone Era": While high-tech pet gadgets like GPS collars and automated litter boxes are growing, high costs, battery limitations, and bulky designs mean the sector has not yet achieved mass everyday adoption.

Marketing Must Go Beyond Generic Clichés: With countless brands claiming "made in USA," "no fillers," and "great taste," companies must establish true product differentiators or lean into tight niche messaging to build a defensive moat.

UGC Outperforms Traditional Influencers: User-Generated Content (UGC) from everyday pet owners often provides more authentic, cost-effective, and versatile marketing assets with full usage rights compared to high-cost macro-influencers.

The Cultural Shift Toward Pets as Family: Legislative bans on pet rent and a surge in fresh or pre-mix home diets reflect a growing societal move toward viewing pets as true family members rather than mere commodities.

BEST MOMENTS

"If you can't come up with some sort of feature or tagline that three other brands couldn't also put on their label, then what really is your differentiator? What's your moat?"

"The supplement category is in real danger of becoming almost like an enormous 'don't touch it' bag because there are so many people coming into it with substandard products, ineffective products, and bad claims."

"I think we're at the flip phone era of pet tech... It's developed to where we're not quite there yet."

"The problem with the pet industry is it's 90% marketing, 10% product. It always has been."

"Influencer marketing is PR. If you want to do influencer marketing, let me make sure the expectation is set that you're not going to provide an influencer with a product and then expect they're going to sell X number of units because of that video."

HOST BIO

Clayton Payne is an industry veteran of three decades of working in the pet industry. Brought up working in his parents' pet store, Clayton has seen the industry evolve over five different decades and has been on the cutting edge of the industry since the nineties. Building pet businesses from scratch, establishing multi-national distribution chains and having worked in every aspect of the industry, Clayton has a rare insight into the Pet Industry that is rivalled by few.

Clayton has been the spearhead of many of the industry's changes and has introduced numerous new concepts to market with a trail of success behind him. He has worked in numerous countries within the pet industry, speaks four different languages and has established both import and export relationships on all continents (excluding Antarctica).

As well as being COO of one of the UKs fastest growing insect technology companies, Clayton is a Pet industry consultant who has consulted for many household brands and delivers sales training to pet trade professionals.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/clayton-payne-a6772244/

https://www.tiktok.com/@petbusinessdisruptors

https://www.youtube.com/@PetBusinessDisruptors

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media .https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

In this episode of "Pet Business Disruptors," host Clayton interviews Cat Henstridge, widely known as "Cat the Vet," a UK-based small animal veterinarian and vocal advocate for evidence-based medicine. They tackle the rapid spread of online misinformation, the extreme polarization of pet diets, and the lack of regulation in the pet supplement market.

Key Takeaways

Reclaiming "Holistic" Care: Cat argues that conventional vets inherently practice holistic medicine because they evaluate and treat the entire animal. She strongly opposes how alternative medicine advocates have co-opted the term to push treatments that lack scientific backing.

Combating Online Misinformation: The loudest voices in the online pet space are often the least educated. Cat attributes this to the Dunning-Kruger effect, noting that these loud, unverified opinions actively push consumers away from safe, effective veterinary treatments.

Strict Rules on Homeopathy: The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) regulates the UK veterinary profession. Cat highlights a rule introduced around 2017 that prevents UK vets from prescribing homeopathy without also providing conventional medicine to ensure the animal's welfare.

Navigating Pet Food Polarization: The debate around pet diets is highly toxic and often driven by aggressive, misleading marketing rather than science. Cat advocates for feeding balanced diets, noting that she has no issue with traditional kibble and has sold more dry food than fresh food in her career.

The Wild West of Supplements: The pet supplement market is poorly regulated and saturated with unsubstantiated claims. Cat stresses that veterinarians cannot easily verify the efficacy of many over-the-counter supplements, advising owners to rely only on trusted, science-backed brands that can prove their clinical value.

Best Moments

"Holistic means whole. It doesn't mean alternative, it means whole."

"The loudest voices are quite frankly the least educated because as per the Dunning-Kruger effect... they don't know what they don't know."

"I do not agree with anyone who dispenses homeopathics as a one and only solution."

Guest Bio

Cat Henstridge is a first-opinion small animal vet working in the UK, where she recently opened an independent clinic alongside her husband. Under her online moniker "Cat the Vet," she has built a substantial platform dedicated to animal welfare, correcting industry misinformation, and providing a grounded, science-based perspective for everyday pet owners.

Follow Cat on linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cat-henstridge-a5a3a434/

HOST BIO

Clayton has been the spearhead of many of the industry's changes and has introduced numerous new concepts to market with a trail of success behind him. He has worked in numerous countries within the pet industry, speaks four different languages and has established both import and export relationships on all continents (excluding Antarctica).

As well as being COO of one of the UKs fastest growing insect technology companies, Clayton is a Pet industry consultant who has consulted for many household brands and delivers sales training to pet trade professionals.

⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/clayton-payne-a6772244/⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@petbusinessdisruptors⁠⁠

https://www.youtube.com/@PetBusinessDisruptors⁠

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/