Krista Milito (’93) sums it up clearly. “I didn’t think we had a chance in ... well, you know.” She’s referring to winning the ShopKeep “Small Business, Big Ideas” contest’s $10,000 prize.
Krista, founder of The Philly Pack, was drawn to dogs, often featuring shelter animals in in‑demand photography work.
Eventually, wanting to work with dogs pulled Krista away from photography. “It started out so simply; a dog-walking company recruited me, proved I could make a decent living, and I jumped.”
She and another dog-walker gained a reputation for willingness to take on very difficult dogs.
“Everyone trained the same way: reward, happy voice, reward, with no consideration of the pack mentality hardwired into dogs. But Jeremy Burger (Krista’s business partner) and I were obsessed with thinking about basic dog psyche. We intuitively understood that for troubled dogs, something different was needed.”
Demand for their niche skills grew. Krista and Jeremy decided to work on a broader scale, and their business partnership was born.
Krista and Jeremy’s passion for their work led to another award, Philadelphia Magazine’s “Best of Philly” prize for Best Dog Trainer for 2014.
Asked about renowned dog behaviorist Cesar Milan’s similar techniques, Krista’s smile widens.
“It was such a relief to hear about Cesar! He verbalized our approach in a way we never could, articulating what was mostly intuitive for us. Cesar was an overwhelming validation that we were on the right track. He legitimized the work we did.”
Krista Milito (’93) with business partner Jeremy Burger at their pet shop, The Philly Pack
Opening a bricks-and-mortar store in 2010 as a community resource was a stepping-stone to their big dream: a Canine Enrichment Center.
“It means that we never have any time off! But we really love what we do, so we make every sacrifice for it.”
From Yahoo! Small Business Advisor:
This article was featured in Cabrini Magazine.