Meet the Founders of Skout’s Honor: Macon Brock and Pete Stirling
COURTESY OF BRISTOL FARMS
If we care for our own skin, why shouldn’t we do the same for our pets? That’s the question Macon Brock asked when he co-founded Skout's Honor. Alongside Pete Stirling, the duo set out to revolutionize natural pet grooming products, creating safe, plant-based pet products that are both effective and eco-friendly.
As a lifelong dog-lover Macon wanted to create natural, safe, and eco-friendly products to improve the lives of pets everywhere. With the help of surfing buddy, chemistry aficionado, fellow pet owner, and CEO Pete Stirling, he’s achieved his dream. Skout’s Honor uses plant- and mineral-based ingredients to create goods that are proudly cruelty-free. Meanwhile, through their Paw Pledge, every purchase provides one day’s worth of meals for a rescue animal.
Your furry friends will love their Probiotic Deodorizer, made with avocado oil and beneficial bacteria to protect against itching, dandruff, and more pet peeves. Ditto for their Urine Destroyer, which breaks down stains and odors without zero sulfates, parabens, or harmful chemicals.
Recently, we caught up with Macon and Pete to learn more about their mission and hear their advice for fellow entrepreneurs.
01 Why did you start Skout’s Honor?
There was this moment when we realized we could expect more from the products we were buying to support our furry companions. What was out there simply wasn’t enough, so we set out to change what people expect from a pet product. After a great deal of thought and research, we launched Skout’s Honor to improve the quality of life for pets and their people.
02 What obstacles did you face along the way?
We knew little to nothing about the pet industry at first, so it was a steep learning curve. The journey was especially complicated, because the category was dominated by legacy brands for decades. Once things got going, our biggest hurdles were keeping up with demand and managing a growing company in an extremely dynamic environment. All good problems to have!
03 What lessons do you have for other entrepreneurs?
Start with a plan and practice saying no. It can be really tempting to take advantage of every opportunity, especially when you first start to get some traction. Stick to your business plan. Everyone calls out the importance of a vision, mission and values, but those are just words — they must be backed by action.
Your values should represent every aspect of your business, from product to channel strategy to hiring practices. Sometimes you’ll be faced with a great opportunity that pulls you in the opposite direction and you just have to say no. It takes practice, but eventually you’ll get pretty good at it.
04 What’s on the horizon for Skout’s Honor?
Our topical probiotic grooming products continue to gain traction and mainstream acceptance, so we have introduced the technology into a successful and growing line of wellness products. Our training aids are really taking off as well! This fall we will be launching a new anti-itch Shampoo and a grooming line for felines, so there’s a lot in the works!
05 How do you keep work/life balance? What drives/inspires you?
We’re continually inspired by the team at Skout’s. Watching this company grow from a couple people in a small strip mall to what it is today has been emotionally uplifting. Seeing the people involved take on more and more of the company as their own has been extremely gratifying as well.
I know it is cheesy when people say that if you love what you do it doesn’t feel like work, but that is true for us in a lot of ways. Regardless, sometimes we need to step away and gain some perspective. Doing so is something we’re getting better at and we’re always better off when we dive back in.
