Love thy Groomer

As a young business owner, I was very competitive. I felt I was the best, my shop was the best, and my grooming was the best. I did not care to associate and/or support the fellow groomers in my area. My arrogance and attitude, as I look back, were not my best qualities. The things I could have learned from my peers, and the possible friends I could have made, are a regret I have now, as a wiser, kinder, gentler person.

I remember being so upset, really upset, that a competitor got a weekly spot on a local news channel discussing grooming topics. I turned all sorts of green, huffing and puffing how that should have been our shop doing that segment. I ridiculed their grooms and called them mediocre. That is how I labeled them. I am very ashamed that I felt that way, and behaved that way. The truth is they were helping us and all groomers, by educating pet parents on a variety of subjects. And as I always say now, there are enough pets out there for everyone. With over 90 million pets in the US ,and approximately 50,000 reported pet salons, there are plenty for everyone. One just needs to decide what kind of groomer they want to be, and be it!

I have thought long and hard on why I behaved in such a manner. My actions did not affect my competitors. They went about life as normal. My actions DID affect my coworkers, family and friends, and possibly, even the pets I worked on, depending on my mood. And it affected me. I created my own anxiety and made my life more difficult than it had to be. Why did I behave this way?

FEAR! I was afraid. I was afraid that they would take all of our business. Afraid my shop would not be “the best”. Afraid I was not the best groomer. I was afraid of failing. It was a weakness within me, that I was not good enough. I was an inexperienced, young, business owner, flying by the seat of my pants, behaving like I was the end all to pet grooming. I was such an ass!  My behavior was directly related to my insecurities that had nothing to do with the grooming businesses that surrounded me

The things I have learned since then have come from experience and education and of course, maturity. We as, groomers, are all in this together. We do this job because we love it and the animals we care for. No one does this job because they think they can make money. It is a hard job, and to have any longevity in it, there needs to be passion.

Interestingly enough what motivates me and inspires me today are other groomers. Four decades into this career I find every day, that there is more to learn. Social media has been a huge asset. I’ve learned so much from watching videos and posts from successful, inspiring, motivating groomers, who are more than willing to share their secrets and knowledge and strategies. I see support. When someone posts a problem or asks for advice, help is there, almost instantly. If someone posts a picture of one of their grooms, you usually see many positive comments. It is very frowned upon these days to trash another groomers work. We all started somewhere and excel at different things.

I would have been so grateful to have that kind of support, way back when. That was way before the internet, but it still could have happened, if my attitude was different. Take advantage of all the avenues of communication, we have now. Join Facebook groups, follow groomers you admire. Watch You Tube videos. Whether it is wanting to learn more about finances in grooming, to doing an adorable Asian Fusion face on a Shih Tzu, it is out there. Join grooming organizations; go to trade shows and seminars. Reach out to your local groomers. Maybe all meet for a night out every now and then? Get together and have grooming/learning sessions. You have so much to learn from each other. You can possibly friend them on Facebook. Compliment them on a great groom they did. Do you know how good that will make them feel? Be the change you want to see.

I am no longer afraid. I am secure in my skills and ability and run a prospering business. I am calmer, kinder, and more patient. I also give freely to others who ask me for advice. It has been a long road, much longer than it should have been, but that is a different story. Use the resources available to you and become the confident talented groomer you are destined to be. Don’t be afraid. Be knowledgeable and compassionate and success will be at your fingertips.