We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Amy Pishner. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Amy below.
Amy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Talk to us about building your team? What was it like? What were some of the key challenges and what was your process like?
I started out as a team of one. I come from a military background and after being in such a huge organization where I saw people taking shortcuts and leaving work behind for others, I set out to be a one-woman operation. I took pride in every single thing I did and worked hard to make sure every aspect of my small business was exemplary. When the opportunity presented itself to grow my dog training business, I objected to it. I feared no one else would work as hard as I did and care as much as I did about my clients – both two and four legged. But I took the plunge anyway. I’d met an amazing person who was honest, hard working, passionate and talented. I took her under my wing, taught her everything she needed to know to be successful, and ultimately left my business in her hands as I ventured off to open a second location. She proved that it was possible for someone else to care as much as I did. So with that success story, I opened a second location, and then a third. And at each location I hired clients who impressed me to become trainers for my businesses. And it’s worked out 50/50 so far. If there is one thing I want to say about hiring and firing, it’s that finding good people is the hardest part of running a small business! I’m a good judge of character and I’ve still only been 50% successful. The 50% that didn’t work out ended up being either lazy or entitled, or both. Fortunately the 50% that did work out have worked out wonderfully. I have a very strong team of hard working, dedicated trainers who seek to do the very best they can to give our clients the best training possible for my dog training company, Valor K9 Academy. And those trainers have continued with me to become puppy raisers for my new business, Valor Protection Dogs. We’re importing, raising and training elite Czech German Shepherds to become Family Protection Dogs for people wanting or needing an added layer of security for their home or family. The dogs we’re raising are the best of the best, and I feel so grateful to have top-notch trainers raising them!
Amy, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am a military veteran who became a full-time dog trainer and business owner. I started Valor K9 Academy in 2014. We specialize in puppy training, obedience training, service dogs and behavior modification for aggressive dogs. What started as a small one-woman operation in 2014 has since grown to three locations across the United States. We’re located in Chattanooga, TN; Spokane, WA; and Boise, ID. Together with my team of trainers, we’ve trained thousands of dogs in various settings. I personally opened each location, trained each trainer on my team and have continued to mentor my trainers to make them the best they can be! I think what sets me apart is my attention to detail and my passion for always doing things right. After being in this industry almost a decade now (my education started in 2012), I know where the shortcuts are and I refuse to take them. Every client matters. Every dog matters. We do our very best to provide top-notch training, customer service and care to everyone. And our hard work is reflected in our 5.0 star reviews and the glowing recommendations we get from our clients. After training thousands of dogs, I pursued my passion for quality genetics, puppy raising and protection dog training by opening my newest business, Valor Protection Dogs. We import, raise and train German Shepherds to be Family Protection Dogs. Our dogs are safe, capable and obedient 24/7 family companions and guard dogs. In an industry where flipping dogs runs rampant, we’re doing it right from start to finish to provide the best guard dog possible to our buyers. In fact, we’re the only company worldwide the provides imported, home raised, professionally trained, health tested and guaranteed Family Protection Dogs. No other company out there provides protection dogs of such high caliber. My business goal is that buyers know, whether they sign up to train their dog with Valor K9 Academy or purchase a fully-trained dog through Valor Protection Dogs, that they know they’re getting the best of the best in every aspect. We seek to raise the bar in the dog training industry.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
My motto is that debt free is the way to be. I’ve always been a saver, whether it was saving pennies and dollars as a kid or putting away income as an adult, I’ve always been careful with my money. In the military I made next-to-nothing, and I had student loan debt from college, so I worked hard to pay that off as quickly as possible. I was fortunate to be able to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill to pay for dog trainer schools. But even then, I started my business with very little money in the bank. What I had I wanted to save just in case (my “rainy day” savings, if you will). So instead of taking money out of the bank to start my business, I posted ads online and brought on a few house cleaning clients. So while I worked my butt off to get my business off the ground, I kept expenses down by living frugally and cleaned toilets to pay my rent. This allowed me to never touch my savings, and then that first year I saved almost every single dollar that I earned (minus paying off my college loans). And now we as enter Year 8, we’ve continued to be a debt-free business. I honestly think that starting a business without going into debt, and staying out of debt, is the best business model. I’ve never been in a position to have to take on more work than I want to, or have to make tough choices regarding investing back into the business, because I’m broke or have lenders or investors breathing down my neck. I am 100% in control of my business – hiring, firing, spending, growing, pivoting and adapting – and it’s a wonderful position to be in. Granted, I am fortunate to be in a services industry where overhead is minimal if you’re thoughtful and plan ahead, but even so, I think it’s possible for any business to start smart if they avoid the temptation to seem bigger than they are or grow more quickly than their wallet can handle. Being debt free is the best feeling in the world!
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
Does it count if my business partner is my husband? Just kidding, of course it does! And I think merging marriage and business is not only commendable, it’s tough! And I will shout it to the mountaintops that I have THE BEST BUSINESS PARTNER IN THE WORLD!!! My husband, Justin, has been there since day one. He was part of the initial logo concepts for Valor K9 Academy, supported me emotionally as I went through eight grueling months of dog trainer schools, and built the shop of my dreams for our second business location in Spokane. I am the dreamer; he is the doer. He has kept my train on the tracks and has provided invaluable mentoring in so many different areas as our businesses have grown and evolved over the years. He has helped me better understand curriculum development and handles our licensing, taxes and more. It’s 11pm at night and as I write this in my office, he’s in his office working on plans for building a brand new training facility here at our third location and the home to Valor Protection Dogs. Running a business with your spouse can certainly be stressful and it has its downfalls, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. My husband is my rock and my best friend. There’s no one smarter or harder working than him! We met in the military back in 2012, and it’s been a whirlwind of adventures ever since!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://valorprotectiondogs.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valor.protection.dogs/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valork9academyboise
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ValorK9Academy
- Other: www.valork9academy.com