Life & Work with Mark Spivak of Sandy Springs

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Spivak.

Hi Mark, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
After relocating from California to Georgia, I acquired a German Shepherd puppy and started taking dog training classes. I became intoxicated with the activity. Therefore, I progressed from basic pet training class to intermediate, advanced, and competition obedience, obtained coaching from national-level trainers and competitors, started entering competitions, began achieving greater levels of success, competed at higher levels, and competed in an expanding set of dog sports. At the time, dog training was merely a personal hobby. I never had intention of participating professionally. However, as pet owners observed me practicing with my well-trained dogs, an increasing number asked me to help them. Initially, I declined the offers. At the time, I was somewhat between careers. Originally, once graduating from Wharton and earning an MBA from UC Berkeley, I worked in integrated circuit marketing in Silicon Valley, with an intention to transition to a prestigious consulting firm, such as Booz, Bain, BCG, or McKinsey. Unfortunately, when I arrived in Georgia, the US was amid an economic recession. There were no integrated circuit manufacturers in the Atlanta area and consulting firms were not hiring. Consequently, I re-evaluated the pet owners’ offers, until I finally replied, “Yes.” While starting my dog training career, I appreciated the freedom of setting my own hours and working in shorts and a tee shirt, instead of the business attire required in Silicon Valley. I also enjoyed working both indoors and outdoors, rather than being stuck in a comparatively stale office. Most importantly, I was innately adept at dog training, mastering both the art and science of teaching the dog and communicating to the human at the opposite end of the leash. Consequently, I received an increasing number of referrals. Soon, I became too busy to train all the referred clients on my own, so I hired trainers. As I became more experienced as a dog trainer and small business owner, I codified procedures, which enhanced service consistency and quality amongst the staff and throughout the company, and I began internally educating new staff members. I established the highest standards in Atlanta and insisted that CPT’s trainers maintain those lofty standards. I also expanded my professional horizons, co-authoring 17 peer reviewed research studies in the field of canine neuroscience and performing as an expert witness in courts of law in approximately 20 states. When graduating college I never expected a pet training career or to become a small business owner. Yet, I have maintained and grown CPT for over 30 years. Sometimes life brings us satisfying surprises.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Struggles have included:

1) Adapting to the characteristics of a pet training staff, who tend to be less analytical than integrated circuit engineers.

2) Adapting to changing marketing strategies. When I started the business, all I had to do was buy the largest Yellow Pages ad. A few years later, Yellow Pages became mostly extinct and I had to find a vendor to build a an aesthetic and informative website. Then, so prospective customers could find my website, I had to invest in SEO services and Google ads. Now, we also have to make sure the website can be found by AI search engines.

3) Bearing through changing economic cycles, where consumers have more or less discretionary dollars and vary accordingly in their willingness to expend discretionary dollars on dog training services.

4) Bearing through the several month Covid shutdown in 2020, although immediately afterward our business reached record levels.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I both function as the CEO of the business and I work in the field. Thus, I manage the company’s human resources, accounting, marketing, and operations. I also work as a dog trainer, performing private and in-home private services for CPT clients. I also provide expert witness services for criminal and civil cases involving dog behavior or training as a pertinent legal or factual issue. As a dog trainer, my specialty is complex behavior modification, including generalize anxiety, state anxiety, separation anxiety, dog-human aggression, dog-dog aggression, dog-cat aggression, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. As an expert witness, my specialties include criminal motions to suppress evidence seized via the actions of a law enforcement K9 dog, dog bite cases, and civil rights cases involving the definition, performance, or treatment of a service dog.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
The industry is mature. Thus, there are potential areas for evolution, but presently nothing significant.

Pricing:

• I prefer that readers refer to the Dog Training Brochure menu of www.cpt-training.com for pricing information. The website includes pricing for all of CPT’s services

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.cpt-training.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CPTTraining/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-spivak-8a95065/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CPTPetTraining