Leadership, Strategy, and Business Insights for Petfood Scientists
Why I Started PetSpark
Welcome to the first issue of The Petfood Scientist.
I'm Laura Moran, founder of PetSpark, and I'm grateful you're here.
For more than 35 years, I've had the privilege of building a career in an industry I truly love. I started as a pet food scientist with a passion for solving problems and creating products that improve the lives of pets and the people who love them.
Over the years, I had the opportunity to work with incredible scientists, inspiring leaders, and cross-functional teams around the world. Together, we developed new products, solved complex technical challenges, built global innovation organizations, and shaped brands that millions of pet parents know and trust.
Looking back, I realize how fortunate I was.
I worked for organizations that invested in my professional development. About ten years into my career, I earned my MBA while continuing to work full time. I had mentors who challenged my thinking, leaders who gave me opportunities beyond my technical role, and experiences that taught me how businesses create value, make decisions, and bring innovation to life.
Those experiences transformed my career.
Today, I find myself in a different chapter.
The work that brings me the greatest satisfaction is helping other scientists develop those same capabilities so they can create an even greater impact on our industry.
That is why I created PetSpark.
Lauraβs Lesson
About ten years into my career, I reached an important crossroads.
My career changed the day I realized I didn't have to choose between science and business.
Until then, I believed I had two options. I could continue growing as a scientist, or I could leave science and move into business.
Instead, I chose a third path.
I earned my MBA because I wanted to understand how businesses create value, make decisions, and grow. During that experience, I had the privilege of learning from Peter Drucker, whose work on management and strategy continues to influence organizations around the world, and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, whose research on creativity and Flow changed the way I think about innovation and human potential.
Those experiences fundamentally changed the questions I asked.
Instead of asking only, "Is this technically the best solution?" I also began asking:
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How does this create value for the customer?
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How does it support manufacturing?
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How does it contribute to the business strategy?
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How can I communicate this idea so others will act on it?
I never stopped being a scientist.
I simply became a scientist who understood business.
That shift changed the trajectory of my career.
It opened opportunities to lead global innovation, contribute to business strategy, collaborate across functions, and mentor exceptional teams.
Most importantly, it taught me that science and business are not competing disciplines.
Together, they create greater impact.
Why It Matters
The pet food industry has changed dramatically over the past three decades.
Today's scientists are expected to do much more than develop products or solve technical problems. They collaborate with marketing, operations, procurement, quality, finance, regulatory, sales, customers, and executive leadership. They are expected to understand the business, influence decisions, communicate effectively, and help shape innovation.
Yet very few scientists receive formal education in these skills.
Some organizations have exceptional leadership development programs. Others provide mentoring, cross-functional experiences, tuition assistance, or rotational assignments that broaden perspective. I was fortunate to benefit from many of those opportunities throughout my career.
But many talented scientists never have access to those same experiences.
Their ability to grow shouldn't depend on where they work or whether they happen to have the right mentor at the right time.
I believe every pet food scientist deserves access to the business knowledge, practical tools, and leadership skills needed to create greater impact.
I was fortunate to have opportunities that transformed my career. PetSpark exists to make those opportunities accessible to every pet food scientist.
That is the mission that drives everything we do.
The PetSpark Framework
Everything we do at PetSpark is built around one simple belief.
Technical expertise is where your career begins. Business impact is where your influence grows.
PetSpark exists to help pet food scientists make that transformation.
We do that by combining three essential elements.
1. Leverage Your Unique Strengths
Every scientist brings different strengths to their work. Understanding what energizes you and how you naturally create value is the foundation for authentic leadership. Throughout your PetSpark journey, you'll discover how to identify your strengths and use them intentionally to increase your influence and effectiveness.
2. Develop Essential Business Capabilities
Technical expertise opens the door. Business capabilities expand your influence.
Together, we'll develop four capabilities that have shaped my own career and that I believe are essential for every scientist who wants to create greater business impact:
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Business Acumen β Understand how pet food companies create value and make decisions.
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Strategic Thinking β Connect technical work to long-term business priorities.
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Cross-Functional Leadership β Build trust, collaborate effectively, and influence across the organization.
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Executive Communication β Present ideas with clarity, confidence, and business relevance.
3. Apply Practical Tools
Learning new concepts is only valuable if you can apply them.
Throughout this newsletter and within PetSpark, I'll introduce practical frameworks and tools that help you make better decisions, communicate more effectively, think strategically, and accelerate your professional growth.
This is more than a collection of skills.
It's a practical system designed to help pet food scientists transform technical expertise into business impact.
One Tool
SparkStrength: Your Starting Point
Every transformation begins with understanding where you are today.
Take ten minutes this week to reflect on these questions.
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What part of my work gives me the most energy?
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What opportunities have had the greatest impact on my career?
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Who has invested in my growth?
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When have I created value beyond my technical expertise?
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What do I hope people will say about my impact five years from now?
Don't worry about having perfect answers.
This is simply your starting point.
Over the coming months, we'll build on these reflections as you develop your strengths, business capabilities, and leadership skills.
Your journey from technical expert to business leader begins with understanding yourself.
One Action
This week, practice asking one new question.
Before making a recommendation or sharing an idea, pause and ask yourself:
"How does this create value for the business?"
That single question shifted the way I approached my work after earning my MBA.
It helped me connect technical decisions to customers, manufacturing, quality, innovation, and business strategy.
You don't need to stop thinking like a scientist.
You simply need to expand the way you think about the impact your science can have.
PetSpark Update
Thank you for joining me for the very first issue of The Petfood Scientist.
Each month, I'll share one lesson from my career, one practical framework, one business capability, leadership agility, or PetSpark tool, and one action you can immediately apply in your own work.
Next month, I'll share the four business capabilities that transformed my career. I'll explain why I believe they are the foundation for helping pet food scientists increase their influence, contribute more strategically, and create greater business impact.
If you've ever wondered how to move beyond being known as the technical expert, I think you'll enjoy next month's issue.
Continue Your Journey
If this newsletter resonated with you, here are a few ways to continue your journey.
Explore PetSpark
Learn more about PetSpark, our business capabilities, signature tools, courses, consulting services, and upcoming programs designed specifically for pet food scientists.
Take the Business Impact Scorecard
Curious where you are on your journey?
The Business Impact Scorecard helps you assess your current business capabilities and identify the areas that will have the greatest impact on your professional growth.
Take the Free Business Impact Scorecard
Start Learning Today
Ready to take the next step?
Explore PetSpark's self-paced courses, designed specifically for pet food scientists who want to strengthen their business skills and increase their influence.
Take the Think Like a Petfood Leader Course
Join the PetSpark Community
Coming soon.
Connect with fellow petfood scientists, participate in monthly learning sessions, gain access to exclusive resources, and continue growing alongside a community of peers.
Thank you for joining me for the first issue of The Petfood Scientist.
Whether you're just beginning your career or leading teams across the industry, I hope you'll find practical ideas, useful tools, and new perspectives that help you grow your influence and create greater impact.
I'm excited to share this journey with you.
Until next month,
Laura Moran
Founder, PetSpark
Creator of The Petfood Scientist
Turning science into strategy.
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