January 20, 2017

Meet Adam Cohen of Skatedogs

Local Stories

Adam, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I got my first skateboard at a swap meet when I was about 4 years old and have been skateboarding ever since. When I turned 12, it became my passion and I would skateboard with my friends everyday after school. I ended up going to SDSU to pursue a degree in business. After my first year of college, I came back home for the summer and got a job at a skate shop, Many of the kids who were coming in to buy skateboards would ask me what tricks I know and if I could help them learn how to do them. That’s when Skatedogs was born! I made some fliers, put up a website, drew up a logo, and started doing skateboarding lessons out of the shop. After summer, I went back to school and tried to pursue the company but I was to busy with school. I knew there was a huge demand for skateboarding programs but had to put it on the back burner and focus on getting a degree.

After I graduated I ended up getting a “real job’ in the mortgage industry. When the recession hit in 2007 I was forced to reconsider my career. For about 7 months I was out of work and trying to figure out what my next career move should be. I almost got another “real job” selling securities but what I really wanted more than anything was to pursue my passion and start Skatedogs back up. However, I was very hesitant because I wasn’t sure if I would be able to support myself financially doing skateboarding lessons. Finally, after a lot of encouragement from my then girlfriend and now wife, I put out an ad in the local paper for skateboarding lessons. One thing led to another and in 2008 I offered my first summer camp through the Los Alamitos Parks and Recreation Department and it was an instant hit. There are so many positive things that come from skateboarding and I wanted to share my passion with as many kids as possible!

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
For the most part, it’s been a smooth ride. However, it definitely is not easy. It took some time to figure out that right path and how to get started. Just like any other company, there is a ton of work that goes into running a business. I wish I could just show up and skate with the kids but unfortunately, that’s not the case.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the SKATEDOGS story. Tell us more about the business.
We offer skateboarding summer camps, after-school programs, , group classes, school demos, birthday parties, and private lessons in our 3 mobile skateboard parks. We are known for being very hands-on with the kids. I take pride in the fact that we are doing much more than just teaching kids how to skate. Our instructors are role models and we incorporate many life lessons into the program. What we are really doing is creating relationships between the instructors and the kids enrolled and creating a positive environment where kids can thrive.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Luck as paid a huge role in my life and business. If the recession didn’t hit, I would probably still be selling mortgages. Althou I didn’t necessary hate it, it wasn’t my passion and I didn’t love it. With Skatedogs, I look forward to waking up every morning and going to work. I feel really good about what I am doing and I never really got that from the mortgage business.

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