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Amy Zalneraitis didn’t set out to work in the pet-food business.
She was a fashion designer, a career that took her far from canine nutrition. Amy was shocked when Alissa, her sister in early 30s, was diagnosed with colon cancer.
Alissa built up a successful raw dog food company in Austin, Texas. She expanded it nationally, and ran the business until her final week. There was little time left when she died. The production had to go on, the meat needed to be delivered, and there were customers who relied upon this food. Amy and her entire family took the plunge, turning their tragic situation into a successful business.
We Feed Raw, a company that specializes in raw and fresh food, is leading the charge to disrupt the U.S. pet food market, which is worth $45 billion. The growth of the industry is expected to be $3.2 billion between 2025-2029, making it the fastest growing segment.
Amy spoke about her transformation from a reluctant entrepreneur into a passionate proponent of better pet nutrition on NBC’s One Day With Jon Bier. These are some key takeaways from our discussion.
Problems with Dog Food
Amy says that dogs’ bodies are not designed to deal with constant spikes in blood sugar caused by soluble carbohydrates. It’s alarming that 60% of American dogs are overweight or obese, and half will develop cancer before they reach age. Many dogs get their energy from highly processed foods.
“Why are we accepting this as normal?” Amy asks. She suggests feeding dogs the original diet, which evolved from raw foods.
Carefully challenge conventional wisdom
Amy is aware that something must be done in order to educate consumers, but it has to be constructive. She is careful in how she approaches sales.
“We have to be really bold in our messaging because we are disrupting a space,” She explains. “But we have to be careful not to have any sort of shaming tone.” The majority of pet owners treat their dog as if it were a member of the family, and they don’t want to hurt them.
“The transition can be tough sometimes for people, too. They’re spending a lot more money, and they wanna see these results happen,” She says. What is the solution? We Feed Raw’s Customer Service team assists people during the transition phase, particularly since dogs that have eaten processed food for many years might need some time to adapt their microbiome.
Know your role
Amy has an enlightened perspective of her own strengths and weaknesses. “I’m not a CEO at all,” She admits. “That is not how my brain works.” She embraces the role of a passionate and creative brand ambassador. Amy says that the company has recently hired a new CEO and CMO. “the most badass, smart women” She’s worked with. “I don’t feel even close to as smart as them, and I love it because they just know what to do. We all kind of work together in this very complementary way.”
Brand identity
Amy made a major investment in the development of her brand as one of her first moves following outside funding. Preacher in Austin was hired to design We Feed Raw’s brand identity. “It was a very collaborative process – the colors, the look, the feel, the vibe,” She explains.
Investment pays off “It really helps us stand out. It gave us credibility.” She calls it an “industry full of” “crappy pet food branding,” We Feed Raw’s early attention to brand identity set it apart.
Staying Strong During Struggles
Amy has learned a lot about resilience through entrepreneurship. “Learning not to stay down for too long when you get knocked down,” She says “I think it can feel really overwhelming to feel like you’re getting punched in the face over and over again… but sometimes the most genius thing we did was we didn’t give up.”
Before securing significant funding, her business operated month-to-month. She kept her faith, even when people were questioning what she was trying to do. “This is gonna work. I know this is gonna work,” She told herself.
A text friend recommended she listen to the song during a dark time. “How I Built This.” Her lifeline became the podcast. “It saved me because I realized there are other people out there like me,” She explains. “You have to protect your mind and energy when you’re in that space because most people will tell you you’re crazy.”
