We are so excited to welcome Westchester, Pennsylvania’s own Taylor Newton as the newest Dog Training Elite family member!
Like many Franchise Owners before him, Taylor didn’t precisely have business-ownership experience. However, he had over ten years of experience in engineered sales and designing and selling manufacturing equipment.
“I am from Pennsylvania but currently living in Kansas City; looking forward to moving back home closer to friends and family and getting the franchise started!” During an interview, Taylor told us of his background: “I come from a family of six, and I graduated from Penn State University with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.”
Taylor first heard about Dog Training Elite through a franchise broker. As the corporate world became too overbearing, Taylor was ready to start looking for a more independent line of work.
“I have always wanted to work for myself, and as I got into the corporate world and dealt with a few bad bosses, the idea of working for myself has been more and more solidified,” said Taylor, “Working for myself allows me to be my own boss but most importantly work in a field I care about.”
When asked what made Dog Training Elite the right fit for him, Taylor connected his love of dogs to the need for a more independent, entrepreneurial lifestyle and livelihood.
“I have two dogs of my own, a 7-year-old lab and pitbull mix and a 10-month-old golden retriever and german shepherd mix,” said Taylor, “I have always loved dogs, and I have seen how my relationship with my dogs has deepened over the years I would love to allow everyone to experience that with their own dogs. Dog Training Elite also has and promotes the type of work environment I have been looking for.”
But it wasn’t just Taylor’s love of dogs that connected him to Dog Training Elite. Instead, he saw their approach to training both people and dogs and Dog Training Elite’s unique business model as worth looking into.
“The main point that sets Dog Training Elite apart in my eyes is that Dog Training Elite recognizes the burden is not solely on the dog to learn obedience, but also their owner to learn how to teach it and reinforce it,” said Taylor, “I like that Dog Training Elite works with the dog owners and teaching them what they need to do as much as training the dogs themselves. I also like that you can hit the ground running with relatively low start-up costs.”
Taylor was further sold on the idea of becoming a Dog Training Elite Franchise Owner after attending Approval Day. Formerly known as Discovery Day, this event provides an opportunity for interested potential Franchise Owners to see a real Dog Training Elite facility in action, meet other Owners, and network with the corporate team.
“I liked meeting everyone face to face and seeing a working franchise in action,” said Taylor, “Going on a customer call was also very interesting as it allowed me to see a real-world scenario and its ups and downs. I also got to take a bite from the owner’s 10-year-old malinois, which was exhilarating! The corporate team is very invested in the company’s success and seems extremely willing to help as much as needed to ensure all their Franchise Owners are also successful. I like that they still work closely and directly with their franchisees.”
Taylor also explored other franchising opportunities, but his decision to go with Dog Training Elite came from a meeting with a completely different franchise brand.
“I was speaking to another franchise whose business was cleaning out mold and water damage from basements,” said Taylor, “It struck me, ‘do I want to be in basements surrounded by mold all day or hanging out with my dogs?” It was a no-brainer after that.”
Taylor also found the Dog Training Elite corporate team particularly helpful, which can be challenging to find in the franchise world.
“The corporate team has been great all around,” said Taylor, “Responsive with any and all questions I had, and they have been great working with me on my schedule moving back to Philly to get the business started.”
When asked what he believes will make him successful as a Franchise Owner, Taylor was very honest about his concerns for the future.
“I am driven to succeed, to help dogs and their owners become the best versions of themselves for each other,” said Taylor, “In a way, I have a fear of failure, and that fear pushes me to do the best I can in any situation. I also plan to have a family soon, and their well-being will depend on my success… if that isn’t a driving factor, I don’t know what is. I am looking forward to a full schedule of training dogs, growing so I can hire employees, and later expanding territory.”
In his free time, Taylor enjoys pickleball, badminton, playing board games, watching movies, reading books, and (of course) spending time with his pups. We wish Taylor nothing but luck in the future of his Dog Training Elite facility! We’re looking forward to seeing how the Westchester community connects with Dog Training Elite.
Are you ready to start your own Dog Training Elite franchise location? Get in touch with our team via the form below.