Healthy Pet Alliance Profile

“The Healthy Pet Alliance provides third-party certification for pet foods that meet higher standards. We help healthier brands build credibility with our ‘Healthy Pet Alliance Certified’ seal and awareness through digital marketing provided to member companies. The Healthy Pet Alliance states its mission is ‘to improve animal welfare by helping pet owners choose healthier, safer foods for their pets.’ Its work includes setting and regulating higher standards for pet foods via three categories: nutrition, ingredients, and manufacturing. The organization is primarily funded through its certification program, used to fund the program, research, and business operations. The Healthy Pet Alliance is a product-oriented governance group combining the interests of companies, manufacturers, animals, and pet owners to promote animal wellness.”

“The Healthy Pet Alliance is a team of veterinarians, pet nutritionists, and manufacturing experts committed to providing pets with healthier food options. We are working at the intersection of pet health, business, and manufacturing to improve the livelihoods of pets and promote longer, healthier lives. We envision a world where pets live longer, happier, and healthier lives. Our mission is to improve pet health by providing owners with guidance to make more informed decisions regarding pet nutrition.”

“I have personally funded the Healthy Pet Alliance to date — approximately $20,000.”

“We currently have me as the founder, a pet nutritionist named Dr. Evelyn, a new accounts manager named John, a marketer named David, and a manufacturing specialist named Jessica.”

“My girlfriend and I adopted our doodle, Bruin, two years ago and I couldn't believe how difficult and overwhelming it was to find the right food for him. Working in CPG 10 years, the dog food aisle still feels like the Wild Wild WWest. We ended up hiring a pet nutritionist to help understand the best diet for him, and I wanted to provide other owners with the ability to identify better, healthier foods — the Healthy Pet Alliance was born.”

“Our alliance is built around improving the welfare and overall health of pets, so the name is very literal. I went through over 100 renditions before settling on the most straightforward.”

“I've always known I wanted to be an entrepreneur. As a brand manager at Hershey's and running several brands like Reese's, York, and Milk Duds, I realized my love for owning my own "business." However, this only partially fulfilled my desire and I knew that real, fast, and impactful change would come from starting my own company. I'm passionate about dogs and making the world a better place for them and felt compelled to improve how we care for our pets.”

“Attempting to sell something that is new and unproven has been the biggest hurdle. I'm overcoming it by learning from each sales call, adjusting the speech and offering based on what we learn, and hiring excellent salespeople like John.”

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“Pet owners, aged 24-55, with middle to high income. My target market is consistent with premium dog food purchasers.”

“Digital marketing, member-product focused.”

“Cold email and word of mouth, but gearing up to launch our first digital marketing campaign in 2023.”

“Sales, velocity, distribution, trial, and repeat of certified products.”

“‘Secrets of Question Based Selling’ (book) and ‘How I Built This’ (podcast).”

“Red Hot Chili Peppers and Chris Stapleton.”

“Calendly and Slack are my best friends.”

“There is always SOMETHING that needed to be done last week.”

“Make time for what matters most — friends and family. Regimented bed and wake times. Otherwise, you'll usually find me working.”

“After reaching 10 years at The Hershey Company and realizing that I could make a greater impact on my own than another decade at a large company.”

“Bank teller — to be friendly and treat people with respect and that trust is key.”