As I sit here, answering one last Facebook message for the night, I am struck by how important communication is in our lives. Communication can be verbal, or with body language and even the tone we use to convey a message.
Grooming professionally wasn’t always what the now 28–year–old, Nadia Bongelli had in mind. But since her grooming career began nearly seven years ago, she has become completely immersed in grooming, competing, and dog shows. Bongelli is the sole proprietor of The Purple Dog Groomer, out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
“Before I was grooming, I was attending York University in Toronto,” says Bongelli. Although she enjoyed her studies, Bongelli could not clearly see a future goal for herself that would make all of her hard work feel purposeful, leading to feeling unhappy as a student.
If not for DOGS where would we all be? Dogs provide us, the grooming professionals, with the opportunity to showcase our creativity. In addition, there is our chance to earn a living doing something that we truly enjoy and find rewarding, while providing a health benefit for the dogs and their owners as well.
Every family is unique. An outsider could flip through the pages of a family’s scrapbook and only imagine the feelings attached to old ticket stubs, pressed flowers, scraps of paper, and photos. For the family that created those memories, every piece gives them the chance to live the memory again.
You have primped and pampered them for a lifetime. No matter how fussy a dog or cat might be when they come in to be groomed, each and every one of them has made a way into your heart. Pets are never here as long as we would wish. When it comes time for each to pass from this earth, the simple truth is that you feel the sadness too! Imagine the void that it has left with your customer whose pet has crossed the rainbow bridge. These pet parents have trusted you with their fur babies, many since they were puppies or kittens, and that tells a lot about you! So honor that relationship by finding a way to recognize a beloved animal.
As I get older, I seem to need more days where I can feel like I’ve actually made a difference in the world rather than just meet my quota of dogs groomed. It might be that as I get older, I really enjoy having a sense of accomplishment and I like to feel that my efforts have actually mattered. Maybe because as I stare down at the Big (Gulp!) 5–0 next year, I want to be sure that I leave a substantial mark on this planet that we call home. This is why I now start all my days, “Declaring!”
If you are a groomer, you know how oddly satisfying it is to scrub a dog clean, noticing the dirty water going down the drain as you do so. You know you are doing your job when you see clumps of coat flying out while drying a golden retriever, or when a thick nail flings to the floor after you clip it.
When you step inside Plush Paws Pet Salon, an Orlando–based dog and cat grooming salon, you will immediately begin to understand why the popular salon has become a favorite amongst locals—even winning the title of “Best Groomer,” in 2015 by Orlando Weekly and Orlando Sentinel.
Maybe you’ve been working too hard. You get out there, charge up your engine and it keeps going and going. You enjoy the weekend, (or work the whole time) and love raking in the cash. Or, you have been at this a long time. It’s the only skill you know, but you’ve stuck with it, because it pays the bills. Or, you’re a newbie.
Like many pet professionals, most groomers are shocked and sickened when reading headlines regarding animal abuse at the hands of pet professionals. We dedicate our lives and careers to being good animal stewards and in service to our client’s pets. When that relationship goes afoul, the entire industry pays the price. It is the responsibility of every single professional who chooses to work with a pet to self–police and commit to the protection of that pet when in their care.
As we enter into the holiday season there are many avenues of advertising that can be very inexpensive—or even free—for your business to take advantage of, and Creative Styling can play a huge part in that for you. It will require some prep work and a little research on your part.
Barkleigh Production Inc is excited to announce the Barkleigh Grooming Certification that is going to take place in South Korea this October through IGU. The first Certification event will be from 10/17/2016 – 10/21/2016. IGU (International Groomers Union) is Barkleigh’s exclusive partner on issuing Barkleigh Grooming Certification in South Korea.