Episode 23: There's Never a Perfect Time - Kathy Bradrick, CEO at Spark Clinical Research

In this warm, down-to-earth conversation, Kathy Bradrick, CEO of Spark Clinical Research, sits down with Patty to trace a career that began, almost by accident, in the formative years of the CRO industry. The daughter of an independent pharmacist who worked through nights, weekends, and holidays, Kathy once swore off running a business of her own, but the drive she saw in her father eventually pulled her into entrepreneurship anyway. 

You’ll hear Kathy and Patty reminisce about the scrappy early years of the CRO world, explore the realities of co-founding a company with multiple partners, and discuss how a leader’s style evolves from checking every detail to trusting and empowering a team. They also dig into the funding and regulatory pressures facing research sites today, how to separate technology that drives real efficiency from shiny new things, and why challenge and opportunity so often arrive together. This episode explores the grit, adaptability, and people-first mindset it takes to build and lead in a constantly shifting industry. 

What you’ll hear about 

• What did working in the early CRO industry teach today’s leaders? 

• What does it really take to co-found a company with partners? 

• Is there ever a perfect time to start your own business? 

• How does a leader learn to trust and empower their team? 

• How are funding cuts and regulatory shifts reshaping clinical research sites? 

• How can you tell real efficiency tools from shiny new toys? 

This episode is intended for clinical operations and resourcing leaders, offering a clear perspective on building flexible, cost-effective study teams in an environment of tightening budgets and rapid change. 

Timestamps 

00:05 – Inside Spark Clinical Research 

01:50 – Growing up in a family pharmacy 

05:05 – The scrappy early days of the CRO industry 

07:15 – Why proposals are the perfect training ground 

08:30 – Learning from good bosses and bad ones 

10:50 – Taking the leap to co-found a company 

12:30 – Navigating decisions with multiple partners 

14:30 – No regrets: how every step prepares you 

17:25 – Advice for aspiring founders 

17:45 – How a leadership style evolves 

20:05 – Why new managers rarely get the training they need 

22:30 – The pressures facing clinical research today 

24:45 – AI, efficiency, and “trust but verify” 

27:10 – Real tools vs. shiny new toys 

30:00 – Looking ahead 

Guest Biography 

Kathy Bradrick is the CEO of Spark Clinical Research, a resourcing partner that connects sponsors and CROs with experienced clinical research professionals across nearly every functional area of clinical development. Beginning her career as a business analyst in the early days of the CRO industry, she built deep expertise across proposals, contracts, and operations, and co-founded her first company in 2013. Guided by a people-first philosophy, Kathy is dedicated to helping organizations run strong, efficient studies and make the most of every research dollar.