We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Marianna Cervantes a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Marianna, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
My work ethic came from watching my mom move to the states and raise me as a single mother with minimal support. She always put her best in all the work she did. She was truly inspirational and both her and my Grandma ensured I maintained integrity and to be proud of anything I did. I knew that my work was my word and if I didn’t do my best then it was a demonstration of being okay with being less than. I grew up knowing what it was like to work hard for the American dream as well as go without. My mother showed me that hard work is how you find success and it’s something that has stuck with me ever since.
At the age of 17 I enlisted in the Army to see the world and experience life on my own. I’m grateful that growing up my mom pushed me to be driven and understand the importance of hard work. I thought that joining I’d be prepared for the challenges that awaited me, but the military molds you into even more. I’m grateful that I was naturally disciplined and enjoyed order. I learned that having a routine would become the staple to my success and help me through times when my motivation was low.
After getting out of the Army, I knew I wanted to pursue my passion for animals. Growing up in Mexico it always broke my heart seeing all the stray animals. My mom was always tired off all the dogs I would try to sneak into the home. I always knew I wanted to work with dogs. I decided I wanted to become a trainer to guide owners on how to better interact and understand their dogs, thus often giving these dogs another chance. Training dogs was something I was passionate about and it helped me strive to be my best.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am a proud dog lover. A US Army veteran and now a business owner with the main focus is helping dogs. That is all I could have ever hoped for. Being a business owner has not been easy. I’m grateful I have a passion to do something so impactful and that it continues to motivate me to work hard and strive for excellence.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I would have to say in this industry you will definitely need Patience & Discipline for yourself. And most importantly you will need to learn how to be a good coach for dogs and humans.
My biggest piece of advice is to never think you know it all. The dog training world is forever evolving. Always continue seeking more education to expand on your skills.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
The ideal Amani K9 client is one who is seeking change for themselves and for their dog. By the time most owners contact us they are struggling with some mild to serious behaviors. There’s a big misinterpretation of what good dog training is. The idea where you send your dog off to a trainer and no work or effort is needed from their owner is a myth. Owners need to understand that they will need to be ready to learn and partake in the rehabilitation journey with their dog. Most times owners play a big role in why dogs struggle back home. Our job is to coach them and teach them what these changes are and at the same time place a healthy training foundation for their dog. Whenever owners are ready to seek help we are ready to be in their corner.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.amanik9.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanik9?igsh=bjdxZjFoNHl4NWNk&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: @amanicanine
Image Credits
Image with Marianna , white dog , gray dog and small white dog was taken by Marie Wulfram Photography
