How We Transform Your Scaling Journey
Unlock Your Business’s True Potential: Your Profit Network Advantage
How to Get Started
What fellow champions have to say:
Meet The Dog Gurus Team
Amber Burckhalter
Head of Programs and Profit Network Coach
Amber Burckhalter began her career in the pet industry at 16 years old as a veterinarian assistant. After completing her undergraduate degree, Amber launched K-9 Coach, a multi-award winning, small dog training company in metro Atlanta, in a parking lot with a $500 investment. After leveraging those humble beginnings into a multi-location, multi-million dollar full service pet dog facility that included training, boarding, daycare, grooming, retail sales and an internship program, Amber successfully sold her business. A founding coach with the Dog Gurus, Amber believes that the programs offered by the Dog Gurus are unparalleled in the industry and after taking a well deserved 2-year sabbatical, Amber is now thrilled to be coaching with the Dog Gurus once again. With over 25 years of experience in pet care, business ownership, and strategic development, Amber is a powerhouse of expertise in building successful teams, mastering financial growth strategies, preparing businesses for sale, and uncovering new revenue streams. Her ability to systematize operations and drive cross-pollination within a business while integrating dog training and behavior modification into every aspect of the pet dog business empowers entrepreneurs to achieve unparalleled success and drive growth. Her many accolades and previous certifications, including CPDT, CPACO, CNWI, the APDT’s Chairman’s Award and the coveted SBDC Small Business of the Year Award, reflect her commitment to excellence. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, hiking with her dogs Relic and Rooster, and exploring new destinations with her passport in hand.
Courtney Emken, CPACO
Profit Network Coach
Courtney Emken and her husband Bart opened DogBoy’s Dog Ranch in 1995. Pioneers in the pet industry, DogBoy’s was the first dog daycare to offer group play in Texas, the first pet care facility to commit to science-based positive reinforcement training, and the first to require dogs be spayed or neutered for lodging or daycare. The child of entrepreneurs and artists, Courtney used her business degree, creativity and drive to carry DogBoy’s from a tiny mom & pop biz to an internationally recognized award-winning pet care facility, grossing over $1.5M a year. Courtney’s passion for small business and growing entrepreneurs carried down to her employees, who were taught open book management, so they understood how businesses work, and many have gone on to chart their own paths in the dog world. After 26 years in business, Courtney & Bart sold their property and retired early. Courtney loves knitting, traveling, and helping her clients grow professionally and personally.
Dawn Hoverson
Profit Network Coach
Dawn’s passion for dogs started at a young age leading her to many years of animal rescue work. Knowing she wanted to eventually own a pet resort, when the opportunity presented to buy her dog Shila’s daycare in 2013, she and her husband, Will, jumped in. The Posh Paw Resort was born and steadily grew over the next nine years including a building purchase and multiple expansions. Dawn and Will were legacy members of The Dog Gurus, joining at the inception of their pet resort, and saw the value in leadership and business training offered. With Dawn’s experience working with dogs and a strong business and sales background, she prioritized training her staff in dog behavior as well as providing a family-oriented operation. Successfully, The Posh Paw Resort’s yearly revenue grew four times its performance at purchase in just over five years. In 2022 Dawn and Will decided to sell their robust resort. Dawn quickly realized she wanted to help others grow their pet business and share both her successes and hurdles. Now as a Profit Network Coach, Dawn specializes in creating team cultures as well as retention of both staff and customers. Her experience in buying, expansion and relocation, as well as selling a pet resort, promotes her helping owners at any stage of their business. Dawn experienced firsthand the value of the Dog Gurus community and is excited to coach and see such growth and success in others.
Ed Kaczmarek, CPACP
Profit Network Coach
With over 30 years of strategic corporate marketing, digital & innovation experience coupled with 12 years of pet entrepreneurship, Ed brings a unique perspective to coaching. Ed co-created two multi-million dollar dog retail/daycare/training/services businesses in Chicago with his husband – Urban Pooch Canine Life Center and Urban Pooch Training & Fitness Center – that are achieving success and bringing joy to many. Ed has a passion to create, grow and evolve businesses to achieve success, and believes it’s critical to keep a watchful eye on your financial metrics. He would be honored to connect and collaborate with you to achieve success and solve any challenge(s). Ed adores his Welsh Terrier puppy – Aidan!
Shawnte Marquez
Head of Growth and Profit Network Coach
Shawnte Marquez founded Joyful Paws Pet Hotel & Daycare in Long Beach, California, in 2012. Through her journey, she overcame many obstacles, learning a lot about herself and the business along the way. She discovered The Dog Gurus through the Knowing Dogs staff training system, which led to significant success and further exploration of their offerings. This ultimately brought her to become a Profit Network Member and now a Coach.
Shawnte built a high-performing leadership team that grossed over seven figures annually, enabling her to transition to an absentee owner. She later negotiated a multi-million-dollar sale of her business in 2022. Her coaching strengths include helping business owners shift from working in their business to working on it by developing their management team, building a successful sales process, understanding financials, and increasing profit margins.
She excels in creating robust customer service and sales systems, equipping staff with the skills to sell with integrity and build customer loyalty. Her effective marketing strategies help businesses stand out in a competitive landscape. Shawnte’s keen ability to listen, offer candid advice, and identify and solve problems has proven invaluable.
Shawnte strongly believes in The Dog Gurus community and is eager to share her knowledge to help you grow your business. Her favorite quote is from Zig Ziglar: “If you want to achieve your goals, help others achieve theirs.”
Anna Radle
Profit Network Coach
Anna is originally from central Pennsylvania and has been an animal lover since she was young. While living in Maryland, she began boarding her dogs at Fieldstone Kennels. In 2004, the Radles purchased Fieldstone, which offered basic boarding and grooming services and grossed $150,000.00 in 2003. They changed the name to Fieldstone Animal Inn and began to “modernize” the business. Over the next 18 years, the Radles transformed what was once a small kennel into one of the largest full-service professional pet care facilities in the area. With a current staff of 25, Fieldstone offers a multitude of services from dog, cat and small mammal lodging, daycare, dog training, and grooming. Anna is dedicated to learning everything about the Pet Care Industry. She is a founding board member of Professional Animal Care Certification Council, the only independent certification program for pet care professionals. She was the council chair and led the education committee during the creation of the certification exams. Anna is a leader in the pet care industry and enjoys sharing her knowledge with others. She was awarded the Small Businessperson of the Year in 2012, and in 2022, the Radle family was nominated by the local Chamber of Commerce for the Maryland Family-Owned Small Business of the Year.
Samantha Palya
Profit Network Coaching Guru
Samantha Palya is the proud owner of Absolutely Pawfect Pet Styling where she created enrichment grooming. She introduced enrichment grooming to the pet care industry as a speaker and educator and opened a consulting business, The Enrichment Stylist Pet Business Consulting and Education. As a small business owner Samantha understands the critical components of managing your finances, staff and clients and enjoys sharing those skills with others in the pet care industry. She loves to apprentice and give opportunities to future pet care professionals. She holds certificates as a Pet Tech Instructor, Skin and Hair, Salon Sanitation, Canine Body Language, Pet Guru College, Pricing for profits, Communications Skills Leader, Heroes for Healthy Pets, and many more. Samantha is the creator of Enrichment Grooming in which she introduced to the pet care industry as a speaker and educator.
Bruce Miller
Profit Network Coaching Guru
With over 24 years of experience as the owner of Beds n Biscuits, Bruce Miller brings a wealth of knowledge in business operations, customer experience, and team leadership within the pet care industry. His passion for dogs began at 18 when he started showing dogs, leading to a lifelong dedication to pet care and business growth.
Before owning Beds n Biscuits, Bruce spent 10 years as a marketing and sales director for a major internet company, where he developed expertise in branding, customer acquisition, and revenue growth. Combining his corporate experience with hands-on industry leadership, Bruce now helps pet care professionals build profitable, sustainable businesses through strategic planning, operational efficiency, and innovative service offerings like enrichment-based daycare.
As a coach, Bruce is committed to empowering entrepreneurs with practical insights, proven strategies, and a deep understanding of what it takes to succeed in the evolving pet care market.
Safety First!
Investing in a dog daycare that prioritizes safety through adherence to safety standards and promotes excellence through education, evaluation, enrichment, and emergency preparedness is crucial for your pet’s well-being. To dive deeper into these principles check out our video on Group Play Safety Standards.
