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Misty Cox’s Story

Misty Cox, a professor teaching professional pet grooming at Greenville Technical College in South Carolina, has used the Learn2GroomDogs.com videos and Paragon books in her curriculum for nearly 7 years.

“It’s a wonderful tool,” Cox said. “Hearing it is one thing, seeing it is another. I’ve been teaching for 14 years, and I have taught the classes with other types of videos, but they weren’t as thorough with the limited amount of time. The videos have been very helpful in my classes.”

Learn2GroomDogs.com has become an important tool within Cox’s classroom and curriculum. She said that some students consult YouTube, and that make her cringe, “Anybody can put anything there,” she said. The tools Paragon supplies meet industry standard, making them reliable resources for the students.

“I get the thrill out of teaching the proper way and seeing people succeed,” Cox said. “Most people come in with zero knowledge and its rewarding seeing people succeed.”

Cox said a big problem within the pet grooming industry is that there are no requirements for certifications in order to care for animals. She said the resources provided by Paragon are helping educate people and are invaluable to her classroom.

In addition to Learn2GroomDogs.com, Cox utilizes books Paragon offers as resources to her students.

“Notes from the Grooming Table was the first book that I purchased and what introduced me to Paragon,” Cox said. “I’m thankful for the books, you can see detail and pictures with the instructions, it completely changed the way we teach.”

The pet grooming community within Greenville, South Carolina is growing due to the program within the college, and it is important to Cox to fill the community with quality pet groomers over quantity. The students not only get lectures and video examples, but also have access to a grooming lab for practical application.

The program graduates 24 certified pet groomers a year. These students are equipped with the tools needed to be well-rounded in a field that is largely unregulated. Currently, there is a waiting list to get into the school.

The passion for grooming dogs started with cox almost 16 years ago when she took the program at Greenville Technical College herself, and looking to the future, she is excited to continue spreading that passion for animals by teaching students the proper way to care for them.

Rob Altamura’s Story – Cancer Survivor & New Groomer

“The dogs kept me going,” said Rob Altamura. I am a groomer thanks to Paragon.”

Rob grew up in the construction business, following in his family’s footsteps, until a cancer diagnosis in 2013 brought his world to a screeching halt. At the age of 44, unable to work and fighting colon cancer, Rob was exhausted. “It was a nightmare,” he said.

During the long days home recovering, his wife Bonny was running their small business, “Paw Printz Mobile Pet Styling,” and traveling around Rochester, New York, grooming dogs. Rob said he started grooming his own dogs and learning tricks from his wife but wasn’t able to do much during recovery. He subscribed to the Learn2GroomDogs.com video subscription and started soaking in the information. Slowly, he started going out with Bonny and grooming alongside her.

“That’s where my confidence got spiked,” he said. “The night before the groom she would go through the process with me. I would always reference back to the videos.”

Rob continued to push through biannual chemotherapy while working with Bonny, expanding the business as well as his expertise within the grooming industry. However, 2016 brought another cancer diagnosis. During his recovery from this second bout, Bonny was hospitalized with a back injury that took her away from the business, leaving Rob to continue grooming solo.

“I always say that I was thrown to the wolves,” Rob said. “Honestly if it wasn’t for the Learn2GroomDogs.com videos, we would have probably been out of business. I didn’t realize how much I knew and learned.”

Now, both in recovery, the couple recently attended a Pet Expo, where they met the video instructors and were able to tell their story. Rob was able to get his shirt signed by the people the inspired him to keep doing what he loved.

“Mark, Melissa, Lisa, Judy are my heroes,” he said, thinking about the expo and meeting the people who spread their knowledge of grooming to his family. “I was so excited. I about hit the floor, They are like super heroes to me. I don’t think they will ever know the impact they had on me. I want to stress how much this means to me and Bonny, I want the whole team to know that everything I do from this point out is due to them.”

Both Rob and Bonny now have their own clients and are looking to expand their business with a second van. They credit the Learn2GroomDogs.com videos as their inspiration to keep pushing forward in the face of adversity.

“Dog grooming saved his life,” Bonny said, tearing up with emotion as she and Rob told their story. “It helped him pick himself up and survive.”

Melissa’s Top 4 Tips for Getting Through the Holidays

Most of you with any experience under your belt in the United States – just complete Phase 1. Phase 1 of the holiday marathon grooming. Getting all those pooches ready for family and friends.

Those of you in the United States, you have just gone through grooming marathon Phase #1 for the holiday season. Thanksgiving. How did it go? Smooth as silk? Or would you like to make improvements as you move into Phase #2 – Christmas and Hanukkah? Most of us are involved with the pet industry are here because the passion. We simply love working with the pets. However, even the most passionate groomer can feel the pressures of the holiday demands.

If you are one of those professionals who felt the pressures of the Thanksgiving crunch, take heart. It’s time to review what you did right — and areas that could use some improvement in the areas of time management in the grooming salon.

Here are My Top 4 Tips for Getting Through Your Day with Ease.

#1. Mental Control

Stay focused. Pay close attention to what you are doing at all times. You’re working with live animals and sharp instruments. Chatter between your coworkers and pets breaks your focus. You lose time and you make mistakes when you don’t stay focused on the pet.

Always practice the three C’s; stay calm, stay cool, and stay collected. When you’re working with a pet you want to be friendly but aloof. You want to correct any undesirable action before it becomes a major problem. Frustration and anger have no place in a professional salon setting. If you feel yourself getting frustrated, take a break. Breath. Step back to the grooming table when you have regained your composure.

Work methodically with all pets. Don’t get flustered. Set an even and steady pace when it comes to handling, bathing, drying, brushing, clipping, and scissoring. Set time goals for every step of the grooming process and strive to achieve them.

#2. Invest in Yourself and Your Equipment

What is the condition of your equipment? Are you working with top-quality equipment?

It’s amazing how much time you can save when your equipment is in top condition. Or when you splurge on that new pair of blenders that cut like butter. Or you have a high velocity dryer that has plenty of punch. Oh, and all of your shears and blades have sharp edges on them — correct? There’s nothing more frustrating than working with dull and ineffective equipment when crunch time is on. Right now you’re in crunch time.

#3. Organization in the Salon

Do you have a smooth process for client check-in and checkout? If you’re computerized, is it easy to pull up client records in a flash? If you’re still working with a card file, are all the records pulled the pets that are scheduled for that day?

Most stylists in a salon setting find working in a minimum of three or four hour blocks of time can be highly advantageous to time management. The more you have to stop to check-in or checkout clients the more you lose your focus on the pet that is on the table. By working in blocks of time, you can check multiple pets in and out in tight windows of time when it comes to dealing with customers.

Do you have a method to track all the collars and leads that accompany the pets? This is no time to be looking for that lost collar or lead! Do you have a bright assortment of those pre-made? Do you have festive bandannas cut and ready to go on the dog?

#4 Mental & Nutritional Stamina

When the rush is on, you need to be at your peak — mentally, physically and nutritionally.

You’re not going to be at your peak if you’re not getting enough sleep. I know … I know. With all the demands between work, family and holiday festivities, slumber can be hard to come by. Normally, a professional groomer is so physically exhausted that when your head does hit the pillow — sleep comes easily. Just make sure you’re getting enough hours each night so you can perform at high levels the next day.

With the holidays upon us, most salons find themselves overrun with holiday treats from their clients. Be careful with this one. Personally I learned the hard way you are not good to feel your best if you consume all those goodies all day long!

I learned in my early 20s to pack healthy food options to keep me nourished all day long. I was mobile so in between every client by reward was to eat. If I had healthy options at my fingertips, it was easy to keep my energy level in high gear. In a salon setting, this might be a little bit more challenging. Still, eating healthy small amounts on a regular basis is the best way to keep you both mentally and physically content.

Pack a nutritional lunch plus snacks. (You know your days are to be long!) Or do a potluck between staff members. We’ve done this for years at the Paragon School of Pet Grooming with great success. The rule is: Healthy, quick food options only. No sweets. No desserts. Our clients do a great job with that. The potluck is set up so everybody can grab a quick bite in between dogs quickly and easily.

If you’re not a cook – have a stack of local takeout menus available. If they deliver – BONUS!

The holidays are a great time to really test your skills. We’ll find out quickly just how successful you are. If you have a full book and struggling to fit into just one more pet each day, you know you have arrived. Be thankful for creating a service that your customers desire. If you take care of them well — they’ll take care of you. That’s what successful customer service is all about!

Happy trimming and happy Thanksgiving!

~Melissa

If you need a brush up on any time management lessons, here are a few titles from Learn2GroomDogs.com that could help you.

New Spotlight Sessions – Quick Tips on Poodle Mixes & Mobile Grooming

This post is only available to members. To learn more about joining our community, visit our Membership Page. You will be able to purchase a membership during the open enrollment period.

A Special Tribute to Pearl and Eve


 “Send My Fur Angel” by John Scargall.
 
With heavy hearts, the Learn2GroomDogs.com team honors the passing of two very special dogs who’ve crossed the rainbow bridge. Melissa Verplank’s Pearl and Lindsey Dicken’s Eve, shown here together, were teammates and playmates on many a shoot. We miss these beauties. Eve was a super star in many of Lindsey’s videos, including this Spotlight Session below where she sports the latest canine haute couture.
  (This clip is open for all visitors to see.)

 

Introducing: JZ10 Coaching Sessions: Story Is Your Superpower

Meet Joe Zuccarello, VP of Paragon and longtime pet industry coach. Joe is a sought-after speaker and coach, giving keynote addresses and special sessions at industry conferences such as PetConn, Pet Expo and The Dog Gurus, among others. He is also the host of the “Hey Joe!” podcast where he interviews a wide range of pet industry subject matter experts. Before joining Paragon, Joe was Melissa Verplank’s business coach. Now she’s “sharing” Joe with members!

Each month, members will get access to a NEW JZ10 on topics ranging from ways to supercharge your bottom line to “grooming” — and retaining — great salon staff.

This month, Joe unpacks the value of sharing peer stories for inspiration and professional development in “Story Is Your Superpower.”

New Release: How To Do An Easy Personality Trim on a Poodle Mix with Lindsey Dicken

Learn2GroomDogs is excited to share the latest addition to our awesome collection of dog grooming instructional videos! In this new two-episode lesson, award-winning pet stylist Lindsey Dicken will show you how to create an adorable trim on a Poodle Mix using Wahl attach-on combs.

Dog Grooming Tricks You Will Learn in This Video Series

Following her own philosophy of “working smarter and not harder,” Lindsey deftly explains and demonstrates how to save time using Wahl guard combs to block in the trim. The trim is as practical for the owners as it is for the groomer – designed to be both attractive and easy to maintain between appointments.

Lindsey combines style elements from two other breeds to create this unique and hassle-free haircut. Members of Learn2GroomDogs can follow along with Lindsey as she shows how to get the look, step-by-step. This starts with demonstrating how to block-in the trim quickly, then detail the haircut with some of her favorite shears. In the end you get a very plush look without a lot of effort. Perfect for the busy pet stylist! If you’re a Lindsey Dicken fan, she won’t disappoint you with this lesson.

Start Learning with Lindsey

If you’re a member, be sure to Log In and check out the video HERE so you can add it to your favorites and get the full details with access to the second episode! It’s packed with great tips and plenty of a-ha moments groomers of all skill levels will appreciate! If you’re not a member, click below to watch a free preview of the video.

 

Haven’t joined Learn2GroomDogs yet? Good news: enrollment is currently open! Click the button below to start watching, learning, and connecting today!

Join Now!

Debbie Lundy Shares Why Her Learn2GroomDogs Membership Is So Valuable

“I used to train new staff members on my own, but when I found out about Learn2GroomDogs.com, it made things much easier! You can’t even compare it to not having it. It is priceless. It is worth so much more than that little monthly fee that you’re paying.”
-Debbie Lundy, Canine Country Salon Owner

Theory of Five Wins Barkleigh Book of the Year!

CMG Melissa Verplank’s The Theory of Five has been selected for Barkleigh’s New Book of the Year Award! Tune in to hear Melissa talk about the evolution of The Theory of Five – a method of grooming she developed to create reproducible results and systematic communication with team groomers and clients. From it’s early inception to the foundation it has become for dog grooming instruction, the Theory of Five has helped groomers around the world save time and make money.

If you’d like to purchase The Theory of Five, it can be found here: http://bit.ly/2ks0d3t

Want to learn to groom dogs on campus or online? Visit ParagonPetSchool.com and get $100 off tuition with code LUCKYDOG.

Learn2GroomDogs User Talks About Value

Michelle McCotter from The Salon & Spa at All Pets Considered talks about the value she’s derived from her membership in www.Learn2GroomDogs.com
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