1988: The Doctor Is In

Dr. Bessent earns her DVM from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and opens her veterinary practice with a traditional toolbox. But that toolbox doesn’t stay the same for long. Her curiosity—and the cases she couldn’t fully solve with traditional medicine alone—push her to seek out deeper answers.

“I wanted to do more than manage illness. I wanted to help pets actually get better.”

1993–1997: The More You Know

She begins seeking answers outside the textbook. While running a busy clinic full time, Dr. B earns certifications in veterinary chiropractic (1993), acupuncture (1994), and Chinese herbal medicine (1997). These weren’t weekend workshops—they were years of advanced study, hands-on training, and national board exams. Together, they opened a new path forward: one focused on prevention, root causes, and truly individualized care.

2001: Reaching More Pets

With growing demand for her herbal formulas, Dr. Bessent launches Herbsmith. What started as hand‑mixed blends in her own clinic becomes a pet wellness pioneer—the longest-running herbal supplement line in the pet space, founded in 2000 and built from over a decade of clinical experience and proven efficacy. From the beginning, Herbsmith stood apart by combining therapeutic-level formulations with rigorous quality: full third-party testing, cGMP manufacturing in Wisconsin, and even international certifications like Australia’s TGA. What began as supplements for mobility and digestive support grew into a staple for longevity and everyday wellness. This phase proved that ancient herbal medicine still belongs in modern veterinary care—and that a supplement line led by a practicing vet could deliver serious tools for prevention and thriving.

2014: Moving to the Kitchen

The idea starts to take shape. Dr. Bessent has already been feeding raw in her own home and recommending real food to clients for years. But she knows it’s not realistic for every household—the time, the cost, the mess. Then she discovers freeze-drying. It’s the bridge: raw nutrition with convenience and shelf stability. That’s when the wheels really start turning. She begins formulating early recipes—built from raw meat, organ, bone, and real produce. No synthetics, no filler. Just honest food, made easier. The goal isn’t just to feed better—it’s to make better feeding possible for more people, more pets, and more bowls.

2015: More Tools, More Science

While still running her practice and two growing pet companies, Dr. Bessent goes back to school—earning a Master’s in Oriental Medicine and a Bachelor’s in Nutrition. Years of rigorous coursework, clinical rotations, and deep study in Eastern and Western health systems gave her the framework to fully integrate food, herbs, and functional nutrition into everyday care. Science, tradition, and biology—all working together to support real healing. As her clinical approach evolved, so did her role as an educator. She began publishing in journals like IVC, Animal Wellness, and Dogs Naturally —helping practitioners and pet parents alike understand how food could move the needle in ways prescriptions often couldn’t.

2016: Prepping for Success

Before any bags hit shelves, there was a whole lot of behind-the-scenes grit. Dr. Bessent begins designing and building her own freeze-dryers—custom-engineered to preserve nutrients and handle real food at scale. She also starts construction on a FDA-registered and GMP-certified facility in Wisconsin, ensuring she’d have full control over sourcing, safety, and process. During this time, she quietly takes on a handful of private clients—testing recipes, refining workflows, and laying the groundwork for what would become The Simple Food Project.

2017: The Simple Food Project Begins

The Simple Food Project launches with its first three freeze-dried dog recipes—each one built to meet AAFCO standards using only the nutrients found naturally in food. Real food. Balanced. Bowl-ready.

2018: We Grew

The food catches on. Word spreads from clinic rooms to community pet stores. Independent retailers start stocking SFP, and holistic vets recommend it as a real-food option their clients can actually stick with. Pet parents notice the difference: energy returns, coats shine, itching slows, stools firm up, and bowls are licked clean. What started as a passion project is now feeding thousands of pets across the country daily.

2019: Cat Recipes Now Available

The requests kept coming: “Do you make anything for cats?” Dr. Bessent had already been working on it behind the scenes—formulating for obligate carnivores takes precision, especially when you’re not relying on synthetics or cheap carb fillers. After years of development, the first SFP cat recipes launch. Built for feline biology, they’re rich in organ meat, naturally low in carbs, and free of the additives cats are notorious for rejecting. Real food, finally made for cats.

2022: Medicus is Born

This one was personal. For years, Dr. Bessent saw pet parents forced to choose between prescription diets full of subpar ingredients or homemade meals they didn’t have the time, tools, or guidance to create. She knew there had to be a better way. Medicus launches as the first-ever line of freeze-dried therapeutic diets—formulated with whole food, functional ingredients to support specific conditions, without relying on a long list of synthetic nutrients or guesswork. It was truly a labor of love. Years in development, guided by clinical insight and nutritional integrity, Medicus gives practitioners and pet parents a new tool—finally, a way to feed real food when they need it most.

2023: Single-Protein Recipes Launch

After ongoing requests for more variety, Dr. Bessent expands the lineup with three new limited-ingredient recipes—each made with a single protein and fewer than 19 whole food ingredients. Designed with both sensitivities and food energetics in mind, each recipe supports a different thermal profile: one warming, one cooling, and one neutral. No synthetics, no fillers—just simple, functional food that gives pet parents more ways to feed intentionally.

2024: Little Mouths, Big Nutrition

With small dogs making up nearly half of all households, the requests for a size-friendly option kept coming. In response, Dr. Bessent rolls out small-bite nuggets—same real food, now in a smaller, easier-to-chew format. These simplified recipes focus solely on freeze-dried nuggets— no medley. Ideal for little mouths, older dogs, or picky eaters who turn up their nose at produce. Same formulation. Same nutrition. Now made for every size bowl.

2025 & Beyond: Still Building the Bowl

The mission isn’t finished—if anything, it’s just getting started. New recipes are in development, new product formats are on the horizon, and the goal remains the same: to make real food accessible for every pet, in every home, at every stage of life. As the industry continues to shift, Dr. Bessent and the team keep pushing forward—reimagining what pet food can be without compromising on quality, transparency, or price. She’s also a featured voice on leading pet health podcasts, including Inside Scoop with Dr. Karen Becker and Rodney Habib, Naturally Healthy Pets with Dr. Judy Morgan, and Healing Tails with Dr. Ruth Roberts—sharing everything from the science of freeze-dried food to the gaps in conventional veterinary nutrition. And through it all? She’s still walking the floor. Still answering questions from pet parents. Still formulating the food herself.