
Show Notes
In this episode, Clayton sits down with Christian Greninger, the founder of Undique.us and QuailOS.com. Christian shares his fascinating transition from working as an IT engineer in Ireland to building a nationwide network of 14 quail farms across 10 US states. He discusses how neighborhood restrictions on chickens led him to raise quails, which eventually blossomed into a thriving business creating single-ingredient dog treats and cat toys.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Turn a hobby into an enterprise: Christian originally started raising quails simply to have fresh eggs when chickens weren't allowed in his neighborhood, which organically scaled into a massive pet treat business.
Adopt a zero-waste approach: Undique.us ensures no part of the animal is wasted by using the meat and eggs for dog treats, feathers and wings for cat toys, and the waste for organic garden fertilizer.
Automate your compliance: Drawing on his IT background, Christian built QuailOS to automate the tedious National Poultry Improvement Plan reporting, turning 6,000 minutes of manual paperwork into a single click.
Create unique educational revenue streams: Beyond standard pet treats, Christian expanded his business with "Rent-A-Hatch". This service provides families and schools with incubators and eggs for a hands-on hatching experience.
Build a collaborative network: Instead of operating entirely alone, Christian built a collaborative network of 14 farms to efficiently fulfill nationwide orders and support other rural agricultural businesses.
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/
More from Pet Business Disruptors
In this episode, Clayton sits down with Ruby Balaram, co-founder of Real Dog Box and Director of the Feed Real Institute, to explore her transition from a 14-year legal career to the pet food industry. Ruby shares how her husband's dog's cancer diagnosis inspired a shift to a raw diet, eventually leading them to launch a successful air-dried treat and chew subscription business from scratch.
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.
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.
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.
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.