Every facet of life, be it personal or business, has a benchmark moment; a catalyst that sets off a spark, igniting the fire of interest and participation. And as that fire attracts attention and grows, a phoenix sometimes rises from the flames. With a little…
As professionals, we are constantly striving to bring the best to our clients. At least we should be trying, as sometimes it’s a fine line that separates us from our competition.
The Professional Pet Groomers and Stylists Alliance
Nothing makes me cringe more than turning on the television and hearing about an accident in a grooming salon.
Social media sites light up like Christmas trees with the bad news that yet another pet has been injured, or worse. My heart sinks in sympathy for the pets and their owners, but also for the groomer or establishment at the center of the unfortunate incident.
Summer’s sweltering heat comes as a welcome relief from the grips of the tough winter that much of the United States suffered through recently. Snow suits have given way to swim suits and we slather ourselves with sun screen instead of sweaters, jackets, gloves and hats.
A few issues ago, I devoted this column to the subject of the history of the professional grooming industry. Shirlee Kalstone and I have collectively wondered why no one has ever attempted to document how far the art of grooming has advanced in the past few decades from their modest beginnings. Shirlee recalls years ago in the mid-1970’s, while at the All-American Grooming Show in Chicago, that she was shocked to read a blurb in one of the Chicago papers that in the scheme of things “dog groomers were placed slightly above garbage collectors” who were on the bottom of their list.
Industry Forefathers
Recently, someone referred to me as an “industry old timer.” I wonder when, and how, I had become an “old timer.” Silly as it sounds, I still feel like a newbie in some areas. My first certification was back sometime in the early 1980’s
Pet groomers work so hard year round and these long days are just compounded by the busy holiday season. Dogs you only see once or twice a year mysteriously reappear this time of year and their owners, with a straight face, insist on a prime-time appointment.
What happened to the year? It seems like just yesterday that we were all wondering if the country was ever going to be released from the grip of that never ending winter. I walked into Costco the other day and saw Christmas decorations! (Mind you, I am writing this column in early September!)
“Please don’t make him look like a Poodle.” This is a line that just about every professional pet stylist has […]
Easy techniques to get your black coats blacker, and your white coats whiter.
As professionals, we are constantly striving to bring the best to our clients. At least we should be trying, as sometimes it’s a fine line that separates us from our competition.
I love being a pet stylist. It’s difficult for me to comprehend doing anything else, but sometimes I just can’t bring myself to tell some people what I do. First, you have to say it twice, like they didn’t hear you the first time. “You’re a what?” they ask with a deer-in-the-headlights look on their face.
There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that social media has carved out a place in our modern day lives. It keeps us in touch with our friends, family, our businesses, and the industry. Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites (including message boards) have become extremely useful tools in the grooming industry with pages devoted to grooming critiques,