At A Glance

Paul Mott took matters into his own hands and established CoyoteVest since he couldn't find a trustworthy, dog-friendly method to defend tiny breeds against coyote attacks. The answer is lightweight, veterinarian-approved body armor that deters predators without sacrificing a dog's comfort or appearance. You'll be motivated by how Paul cultivated fervently devoted client relationships, empowered hands-on innovation within his team, and listened to real-world feedback to build a successful direct-to-consumer firm.

Who is Paul Mott?

Meet Paul, the founder and CEO of CoyoteVest!

About CoyoteVest

CoyoteVest specializes in keeping small dogs safe from predators. This vet-approved body armor is designed to slow down coyotes, keeping dogs safe from attack. Lightweight and stylish, these clothes add safety without subtracting from the dog’s quality of life. 

Paul’s Journey

Paul Mott found his way to entrepreneurial success through an unexpected path shaped by personal tragedy. "I am a person who got into this business kind of unexpectedly," he explains, despite having previous startup experience. After selling a successful tech company in the 90s and running a motorcycle business in the 2000s, Paul had returned to software when his life took a dramatic turn.

"I got a couple of dogs and my focus really started to change towards those dogs," he recalls, noting how they became increasingly important to him. "I started kind of dreaming about, well, if I was ever going to start another business, maybe it would be something in the pet industry." This casual consideration became urgent reality after a devastating incident: "One afternoon, we were out with my dogs at a dog park and suddenly a coyote came out of nowhere and killed one of them."

This traumatic experience sparked the creation of CoyoteVest. "I came up with this idea of having some kind of pet body armor so that I could actually go out with my dogs and not be terrified anymore," Paul explains. Initially doubtful about its commercial potential, he describes his early prototype development: "I thought it was kind of a goofy, crazy idea. I was almost embarrassed to have these things on my dog." He and his wife began crafting prototypes at home, focused solely on protecting their remaining pets. "I kind of taught myself how to sew. My wife was helping me. This was really just mainly, like, I want to keep my dog safe."

The business grew organically from public interest. "Some other people saw it. We started getting some publicity on the local TV, national. We found out there's a huge demand for this," he notes. What began as a personal safety solution has now become a thriving enterprise: "Here we are now, dang near 10 years later. And the business is going great."

What Excites Paul About E-Commerce

Paul finds e-commerce liberating in its ability to connect his products directly with consumers. "It was really interesting how much easier it was to set up a website and start taking credit cards and getting customers and processing orders," he explains, highlighting the efficiency that digital platforms brought to his business.

This direct-to-consumer model has been instrumental in CoyoteVest's growth. "I've always felt that being able to manufacture a product and sell it directly to the customer without having to have this wholesale distribution model in the middle is super awesome," Paul notes.

Business Growth and Revenue Strategies

Paul's wife established CoyoteVest's customer-focused approach with genuine interest in each pet owner's situation. "She gets on the phone and asks, 'What's your dog's name? Tell me about yourself,'" he explains. This empathy comes from shared experience: "We understand what's going on in your mind when you're frightened about protecting your dog."

This approach builds fierce customer loyalty and creates a competitive edge. "Our tribe is extremely strong. Our customer service is outstanding because of the quality," Paul notes. The resulting word-of-mouth promotion helps overcome price concerns when competing against cheaper alternatives.

Innovation and Adaptability

Paul maintains hands-on involvement in product innovation at CoyoteVest. "It starts at the top with me, with my design ideas," he explains. "That's literally drawing on paper how you're going to cut the fabric and how you're going to sew it together, then you try it out on a dog." This practical approach combines with input from his experienced production team, who "are constantly coming up with ideas for our own production on how we can improve things."

Customer feedback drives much of the company's product evolution. "We're listening to our customers. That's the main thing," Paul emphasizes. Rather than being defensive about criticism, he sees it as valuable input: "When you are having a conversation with somebody who's not happy, really take it in. I've never felt like I'm offended by that. I'm like, 'tell me more.'" This receptiveness has led to significant improvements: "We have made quite a few changes in the product over the years. We made one about a year and a half ago, a major change that solved a big problem and reduced customer service calls." Beyond resolving issues, this listening approach also identifies new opportunities: "I can kind of feel the demand for some other products just by people asking, 'do you have this, or how could I solve that problem?'"

Advice to Business Owners

Paul's business journey has reinforced his belief in embracing calculated risk. "I don't have any tattoos, but I swear I'm going to get one that says, 'no guts, no glory,'" he shares. "You got to have some stones. You got to take a risk."

CoyoteVest itself required a significant leap of faith. "I was working as a software engineer and it was just going to be Pam's little side hustle on Etsy," Paul explains. 

When the business began growing rapidly, he made a decisive move: "I think I'm going to have to retire from my very good computer science job one more time, 50 year old dude." This decision involved substantial financial risk—"We actually took early withdrawal from our 401k and lived on that for six months to pay the rent"—despite professional skepticism: "My accountant thought I was stupid for doing that." His confidence was validated when "six months went by and we started generating some revenue," proving that sometimes bold moves pay off: "Now, 10 years later, I'm almost making as much as I was making when I quit my computer science job."