Erin Fenstermaker is a Dallas-based professional, specializing in the pet industry. She helps both service-based and hard goods pet companies in consultative and exit planning advisory capacities. She has 20+ years of experience working with business owners, in operations, marketing and financial oversight roles.

A lifelong athlete, Erin attributes her early life experience as a gymnast and diver as one of the cornerstones of her business success. "My heavy involvement in sports was instrumental in teaching me how to focus amongst chaos, have short and long term goals to guide my daily activities, and be very disciplined to reach my goals," says Erin. "I also learned that the difference between winning and losing was often in the smallest details. The details really do matter if you want to stand out and stand above everyone else. These lessons from my youth are the same ones I use today when working with business owners."

Education, training and experience

Erin graduated Cum Laude from Southern Methodist University in Dallas in 1991, with two Bachelor of Arts degrees--in Sociology and in Spanish. She returned to Southern Methodist University to earn her Masters of Business Administration, and graduated in 2001--with concentrations in Marketing and Small Business.

Erin received her dog training certification from Animal Behavior College in 2008.

In 2019, she earned a Certified Exit Planning Advisor certification from the Exit Planning Institute.

Prior to starting EF Consulting in 2013, Erin was COO for several growing businesses. In those positions she gained valuable experience in product development, overseas contract manufacturing, intellectual property protection, new business development, strategic planning and financial reporting. As the “right hand” for several CEOs, she also had a front seat view of the challenges they faced, and saw how having skilled, trustworthy confidante(s) was integral to their company’s growth and success.

Erin speaks Spanish fluently, after living in Panama and Puerto Rico as a child. This early life experience also is the root of her passion for traveling the world. In addition to having traveled around the world on a personal adventure for six months in 2004, Erin has also visited Mexico, Canada, Malaysia, China, Thailand and India for business purposes. She has visited over 30 countries thus far in her travels.

Erin is also an avid sports fan, having recently completed the Grand Slam of tennis (as a spectator) by attending the 2019 French Open, 2019 Wimbledon, 2020 Australian Open and 2021 U.S. Open. She is now working on completing the Grand Slam of tennis a second time!