Her Story
About Erika
Erika Spath serves as Director of Nutrition at Earthwise Pet, a national pet retail and grooming franchise. She began her career with a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics and initially worked as an intern dietitian at an eating disorder recovery facility before pivoting to pet nutrition after discovering an opportunity on a job board. Over her 9 years in the role, Spath has built expertise in companion animal nutrition through a Clinical Pet Nutrition certification from the Academy of Natural Health and Sciences and nearly 20 additional certificates in animal nutrition. She developed the Certified Pet Dietitian Program, a multi-level online training course that has certified more than 100 franchise staff members who complete continuing education requirements. Spath is also a member of Women in Pet Food Leadership and contributes time and resources to the Back Home nonprofit, which focuses on dog rescue, spay and neuter services, and vaccinations to reduce pet displacement.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Erika
01What do you attribute your success to?
I have a wild amount of confidence. I love teaching and talking about this important topic of pet nutrition. The passion, accuracy, and education behind what I'm speaking about helps with that confidence. I speak from a place of approachable, practical information and make it understandable so people have those aha moments.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Put yourself at the table that you want to sit in. Make that your goal and make moves that will get you there. If you don't ask for things, you're likely not going to get them handed to you. There are not as many females in executive leadership roles, and those are the roles you have to ask for.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is that there are three main sources of pet nutrition information: veterinarians, trusted independent pet retailers, and the internet, each with potential bias. Veterinarians don't get much specialized nutrition education. The goal is to become the leading expert in non-biased, accurate pet nutrition information and have people utilize specialized companion animal nutritionists.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Being transparent. When having conversations about health and nutrition, being transparent with people and saying I'm a human being, I do not have all the answers, but I'm willing to help you get there. Let's troubleshoot this together.
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