Trailblazing the Pet Aisle: Pete Stirling of Skout’s Honor

Meet Pete Stirling: lifelong waterman, outdoorsman, and now co-founder/CEO of the pet-wellness company Skout’s Honor, based in Oceanside, California. In this episode of Shady Characters, Pete and hosts Evan Burgher & Tim DeBrincat dive deep into the untold story behind the brand, the risks taken, and the mindset that drives it.

It begins with a career crossroads: Pete in a suit and tie, deciding between a bank job or ex-surf-industry life, when his friend Macon Brock called with a wild idea: “Let’s start a pet brand.” With zero pet-industry experience, they launched Skout’s Honor in 2016, choosing to make pet care products that elevated the relationship between pets and people rather than just solve messes. They embraced environmental and social values early (buy a bottle = feed an animal), and set out to treat pet products with the same creative energy as action sports gear.

Pete tells the stories of their first trade-shows, arriving with reclaimed wood booths, kegs on site, t-shirts and jeans, while bigger brands sat in standard cages. He recalls the moment they saw their tagline at a competitor’s booth, word-for-word, and how they responded. He discusses how they used change in California chemistry regulations to access surfactant innovations and disrupt a stale category. We also learn how Skout’s Honor leveraged the COVID-era moment, not as established giants, but as nimble challengers, to rapidly expand their retail footprint and position the brand for growth.

Beyond business, Pete reveals how his waterman sensibility carries into leadership: being fluid, adapting fast, not overthinking the move, embracing “white space” rather than replicating the norm. He also explains how his culture, action-sport people in pet care roles, leads to playful, creative marketing and authentic brand personality.

Whether you’re building a brand, switching careers, or simply love a good disruption story, Pete’s journey shows how spotting the gap, being bold, and valuing people (and pets) over process can pay off big.