Authentically Arnold: Build Your Life Around Curiosity and Care

Knowing “where you are at” is one of the most valuable lessons Brian Arnold learned when he was a member of the livestock judging team at Black Hawk College East Campus.

“Dan Hoge taught us the value of understanding situationally where you’re at, how to respond, how you’re going to communicate with others and how to be cognizant of the circumstances around you,” Arnold says. “He often discussed transitioning from college judging to stepping into the show ring. He always said its important to be aware of where you’re at, to know who the audience is, and to make sure your message and how you describe the livestock fit to the situation you’re stepping into.”

As senior product manager of direct fed microbials at United Animal Health, Arnold says he still uses that skill today in his career.

Customers Deserve Our Best
“United Animal Health always encourages us to be endlessly curious,” he says. “I’ve always wanted to just dig in and learn more. To a fault, I can jump into things and immerse myself to learn something new. When Mr. John Swisher founded the company, he focused on providing service and science-backed products to customers. Our job is to bring our customers the best products, and if we can’t do that, we don’t deserve the business.”

He spends a lot of time thinking about what’s next in the industry and travels internationally on behalf of the company to explore opportunities and engage with customers. One of the global trends he sees is more emphasis on the pork eating experience.

“Segments of consumers, particularly outside the U.S., put more emphasis on the eating experience,” Arnold says. “Within those markets, there may be some private label branding opportunities that we see some of the largest producers pursuing with label indicators of ‘fed probiotics’ or their stance on antibiotic usage or housing or production.”