Today we’d like to introduce you to David Kirschner.
Hi David, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Back in the late 90’s/early 00’s, I played multiple sports in high school. After many athletic injuries, I struggled to find a way to stay involved in athletics on campus. My 8th-period physics lab partner was a varsity cheerleader and friend. After class one day, she held my hand and physically walked me down to the girls’ PE locker room, where the head cheer coach’s office was located. She introduced me and said that I wanted to try out to be the school’s mascot!
I put on the suit – which was an old bear – and acted out a few scenarios. About an hour later, I was given the job! I was now the mascot for my high school.
I spent my entire junior year and senior year as our mascot and had the time of my life! Through being the mascot and my proximity to the cheerleaders, I had an interest in joining our winter co-ed cheer squad, along with a few other male athletes. It was history from there!
After two years in high school of being the mascot and a male cheerleader, I went on to join the cheerleading squad at Syracuse University. I spent four years on the squad there, leading our athletic teams out of the tunnel with the first flag for nearly my entire tenure at SU.
Throughout college, I worked for a company teaching high school cheer camps in the summer and learning how to be a cheer coach. After graduation, I always knew that I wanted to move to California – so I did! I finished my summer job and a day later had a one-way ticket to Los Angeles.
I found an internship in public relations which did lead to a full-time job. However, after 9 months, I knew that being stuck in a cubicle was not for me. I quit my job and got back into cheer coaching full-time.
About a year later I realized that what I had to offer, and the knowledge that I brought from the east coast, was being sought after and I officially created/founded The Spirit Consultants (TSC).
In 2009, TSC hosted its first overnight summer cheer and dance camp with 450 campers. In 2010, we showed 100% growth, and our second summer camp enrollment was over 900 athletes. At that point, I went full-steam ahead into growing and expanding TSC across California and the West Coast.
Fast forward a bit, and TSC is now entering its 16th summer of camps! We’re an official statewide partner of the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) and their official summer spirit line instructional camp company.
Here in California, we continue to work with spirit programs from central California through southern California, hosting our annual summer camp at the Riverside Convention Center in Riverside, CA. TSC continues to grow with customers in Nevada, Utah, Washington, and Texas.
TSC is dedicated to the safe improvement and growth of all traditional, school-based spirit programs throughout the country. We provide every resource necessary to coaches, advisors, and athletes in the spirit industry – covering all things cheer and dance.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not a smooth road.
There are many external forces that affect our business each year – all of which I have no control over.
Some of these include the general travel/hospitality/event production industry; annual coaching/customer turnover; global health concerns (i.e. COVID); statewide partnerships that block/prevent new customer access; and extreme competition within a highly centralized industry.
Every year, I work hard to maintain relationships with our customers – the decision makers – as the entire spirit industry tends to be built on relationships, not necessarily quality service/products. With coaching turnover high, this means always being reachable, communicative, and forward-thinking on creative solutions to problems. Even so, there is no guarantee that the customers we have from one year will be back with us the next year.
Another major struggle was certainly COVID. As our primary business is “large format, in-person, indoor events,” we did lose 100% of our business in the summer of 2020 here in California. Though with creative thinking and lots of flexibility on how we used to do things, we did find a way to persevere and come out stronger on the other side.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The Spirit Consultants provide resources and events necessary to every spirit coach, advisor, and athlete, covering all things cheer and dance. This includes summer instructional camps, cheer and dance competitions, skills/technique training, coaches’ education, on-campus consulting, pep rally and assembly prep, sideline etiquette, and much more – all things in the world of traditional, school-based spirit.
There are a few things unique to TSC that sets us apart from our competition.
First, our primary focus is always on safety. We employ certified athletic trainers at all of our events; always provide indoor facilities with carpet-bonded foam mats; and have an all-adult only staff. TSC is known for our attention to details, quality instruction, and our family atmosphere.
When teams work with TSC – they join our Family. And we ALWAYS take care of our Family.
One of things that I’m most proud of is our reputation in our industry. For those that work with TSC or have attended a TSC event, the feedback we received is unanimously positive and rarely constructive. We have found a way to run a smooth ship, handle problems as they arise, and always put our customers first.
What I would like readers to know – and this is more general than specific to TSC…
Small businesses care. Small business owners are inextricably tied to the success of their company and brand. Small business owners will go out of their way for their customers. Small business owners will do whatever it takes to succeed. Small business owners treat customers as people – not numbers. Small business owners are the ones that push industries forward and innovate. Small business owners will always be here to stay.
If you are a cheer or dance coach/advisor and want the very BEST for your athletes, then reach out to The Spirit Consultants. We are here. We will always be here to help!
What do you think about happiness?
Professional happiness to me is knowing that I’ve helped someone improve/get better at something that we both have a passion for.
Why? Making others happy and feeling accomplished, knowing that I played a role in their achievements, fulfills my soul.
Pricing:
- Overnight Summer Camp = $535 per person
- All other pricing is completely custom to the event/program.
Contact Info:
- Website: thespiritconsultants.com
- Instagram: @tsccheer_dance
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thespiritconsultants
- Twitter: @tsccheer_dance
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thespiritconsultant
