Today we’d like to introduce you to Dustin Snyder.
Hi Dustin, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My passion for college athletics started when I was a kid, and was fortunate to be a water-boy on the local high school team for years until my playing days. It was a small school in rural Pennsylvania, very much a steel and coal community. The program was strong, and being able to see how sports brought that entire community together, and how it gave people an identity, was really influential on who I would become as an adult. When I came to California in 2010, I started working as a coach at a prestigious high school here in Los Angeles, and got involved not only on the inbound admissions side, but also the outbound: Helping families navigate the college athletic recruiting process. Years later, I took a position in counseling at another big, LA high school where I worked with families of all sports and all ends of the socioeconomic spectrum. This further fueled by belief in everyone having equal access to the resources necessary to pursue their dreams of playing at the collegiate level. I was able to transition those experiences into my own private practice, Fifth and Oak Consulting, where we now work with students and families not just here in Los Angeles, but nationwide (and back in my hometown too, of course!). Each family has their own needs and desires, regardless of race, location, finances, etc., and being able to personalize that experience for each separate family is what drives me day to day with this calling. There are so many hundreds of more options out there that families do not know exist, or they are confused where to start, and it is really gratifying to help them find the right fit.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There’s always struggles, of course, some are “good problems to have”, like finding the hours in each day to service multiple families that are headed in completely different directions. As a small business owner too, it is always a process to leverage referrals and finding prospective clients in the wild. Other struggles are more patterns with families each year, such as them getting bad advice from others, keeping families objective and down to earth, never assuming their coaches and counselors will do the heavy lifting, and even just in getting teenagers to be pro-active. As a former longtime coach, I have been around that age group for many years, and this certainly isn’t my first rodeo!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Fifth and Oak Athletic Consulting?
We help families solve problems, simply put. I am an independent college counselor that works with regular students AND student-athletes. We match families with honest levels of competition based off evaluation, athletically and academically, and we guide those families through the entire admissions and athletic recruiting process. What sets us apart is the individual attention, and our focus on a 40-year plan instead of just a 4-year college plan. We want these young adults to be successful for a lifetime, not just for a college experience. We are big believes in family accessibility, because everyone is different. And everyone deserves the same access. We are most proud of the spectrum of success. I have personally worked with the children of very famous people in the film industry and investment industry, and I’ve also worked with students who are living out of their cars. It is heartbreaking to find that out, but when it all comes together, it is really special. What I would want people to know about this practice and this brand is that we treat everybody equally. No matter your background or where you are in the process, whether you’re a freshman in San Antonio, or a senior in Calabasas, we are here to help. It is easy to get frustrated during this journey, but just know that there’s probably nothing I haven’t dealt with over the past 15 years and we will get you on the right track.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I’ve been very lucky to have been pulled to the curb several times in my life and been given real, honest advice that helped me focus and prioritize. If you are lucky enough to find people who believe in you and are willing to help you grow, make sure you put your ego aside and listen to them. Be a sponge. No matter what job you have, or what industry, everyone there has information you can use. Sometimes great, sometimes not so great. But there is no such thing as “bad advice” if you stay humble and are willing to learn. Ask questions. Network any way you can. Be positive, challenging, and optimistic in every thing you do. Focus on the details and you’ll soon see that you can let the scoreboard take care of itself.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fifthandoak.net/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fifthandoakconsulting
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Fifthandoakconsulting
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustin-snyder-b23a57209/
- Twitter: https://x.com/Fifthandoak
