why so difficult?

[epilady]

out of boredom. I decided that I was getting a bit bored or burned out and wanted to keep everyday grooming fresh and exciting. So I set some goals for myself, one at a time. This was back in 1988. I gathered my dogs and studied my Complete Dog Book and off I went. Drove about 8 hrs and tested on all of them, passed everything and came home a NCMG. Has it really helped me or my business? Not really, but it was fun, satisfying and not boring at all.
So what next? I asked myself?
Lets compete , I thought, yeah that sounds exciting! OK, here is where I really started to learn my stuff and it was fun! I became friends with people like Liz Paul and her sister Julie, Joan Anderson, Teri Dimarino, Kathey Rose, Chris Pawlosky. We learned from each other like sponges sucking up water. Made Groom Team , my team mates were Chris, Joan, Liz and Kathy Rose was our coordinator. I won Best in show with my first sealy, Trigger. That was in Holland. Liz and Joan and myself rented a car and drove thru France for the next week. Ask any of the girls who just got back from Germany if it was worth it!
Today I am a certifier for NDGAA, contest judge, Les Poochs consultant and breeder of some of the finest Sealyham Terriers in the world (sold a puppy to people in Scotland yesterday). I have traveled the world doing seminars, and seeing my friends( Margery Good) dog win shows like the Eukanuba National Championship and the World Show! What a rush!
With that said, it all started with spending a few dollars and Certifying!
It has been expensive at times ,but now my prices are the highest in the area and since my clientele is very upscale the recession has not hit me as hard as maybe some others.
I understand it's not for everyone and I'm not bragging (maybe a little) but it has not been boring at all!

[suzy6469]

I'm starting the dermatech class at the end of the month and can't wait. There is so much I don't know about different skin conditions and how i as a groomer can help my clients over come them. i'm getting certified because I want to. Not because I think it will make me "better" than an other groomer who isn't but because i want to improve my skills. I'm lucky enough to be close to a great teacher Kathleen Putman . The class isn't required but it will be so helpful. There are strong feelings on both sides of the discussion. Those who feel it's unneeded and those who believe that it's the only way.. then there are those of us who believe it's a choice. I don't think any less of groomers sho choose not to ceritfy but I don't agree with those who don't certify and judge those who do. Just because someone is passionate about their association doesn't mean that they're judging anyone who doesn't go that route.
Now I'm sure that the groomer who placed that client should seek out only certified groomers was trying to boost her business. I plan on just putting my cerifiaction on my website when I complete it but only to show that I've been continuing my education.. It's the same reason I hang any certificates i recieve from seminars or classes that I've attended.
I guess to me it's just a personal choice.

[kputman]

And you don't have to force any style on a client. Thats not the point. The point is being ABLE to do it if you are asked to ;-]

Exactly!

As far as having certifiers in every state, that is a great goal. The problem is getting enough people through the whole process to be able to do that.

And it does cost the organizations a lot to send a certifier into an area to do a certification, especially if only a one or two people are certifying. I can't speak for the other organizations, but I know that with ISCC, you can bring a certifier in to do your certification, if you pay that certifier's expenses in addition to your testing fees. From Poodlestar's post, it sounds like you can do that with IPG as well. That may be less expensive for you than traveling with dogs, especially if you could get a few other people in your area together to certify.

Like someone else said, if you really want to do it, you'll find a way to make it work.

[AuntieBeth]

Auntiebeth, from what I understand ISCC is more about skin, coat care, and health with styles being secondary. I also personally want to certify through ISCC but for my own sense of accomplishment and want of knowledge rather than any certificates to decorate my walls with [but I will definately hang them...lol].

And you dont have to force any style on a client. Thats not the point. The point is being ABLE to do it if you are asked to ;-]

I"ll have to stand corrected. I guess I just assume if you want to be a groomer you WILL learn how to do correct patterns... I have seen haircuts on dogs straight out of bad grooming guides where the groomer has convinced themselves and tried to convince the client this is the correct cut- hmmmmmmm seems I resembled that remark my first year out of that famous city school I went too... wondered why some of those folks never called back... 20 years later I still look for info to improve my sense of accomplishment but it has to fit in my timetable nobody elses since I have to pay the bills... I like those online schools you can go at your own pace- when they do that maybe I will try it. Maybe.

[Poodlestar]

is that you are grooming in front of people who know the clips inside and out. They don't just know the pattern, but they understand how to alter it to suite the dog's conformation...

So then they go over the dog, and all are more than welcome to tell you what you can do to improve it next time.

This goes for competing or certifying. I had terri-dimarino grab another contestants scissors and start chopping my poodle's coat. hehe....then tell me to go home and make the other side match. (after the competition of course)

And now I couldn't imagine grooming a poodle the way I did it in the competition ring. (had the neck area too wide from the front angle)

When I certified on my sporting dog. I was given a springer (never seen the dog before) I had to strip it (had never done it on a springer before) And off I went.

I still passed, and then I asked the judge to show me how THEY would have stripped it, and they back-combed up all the hair on one side and combed it down on the other, and said "it looks beautiful when you comb all the hair down, but when the dog shakes, it's going to look like this (pointing to the combed up side)" So she starts pulling out all the flyaway hairs and now I'm always backcombing any stipped dog, looking for the hairs I miss.

Just little things that you probably wouldn't have learned until someone came up and showed you specifically.

[RudyRoo]

[QUOTE=Particentral;351949]Getting my certificates made me a better groomer. I still feel that. AS for pushing certified grooms on clients, HECK I sometimes do more 7 all overs in a week than anything else! .[/QUOTE

I am so glad I'm not the only one doing # 7's all over. I went back to work part time grooming at the shop I worked for last year. Fri, I had 7 dogs, only one was a real haircut, the rest were # 7's with short faces,, gets me so depressed.

[windywaycavaliers]

out of boredom. I decided that I was getting a bit bored or burned out and wanted to keep everyday grooming fresh and exciting. So I set some goals for myself, one at a time. This was back in 1988. I gathered my dogs and studied my Complete Dog Book and off I went. Drove about 8 hrs and tested on all of them, passed everything and came home a NCMG. Has it really helped me or my business? Not really, but it was fun, satisfying and not boring at all.
So what next? I asked myself?
Lets compete , I thought, yeah that sounds exciting! OK, here is where I really started to learn my stuff and it was fun! I became friends with people like Liz Paul and her sister Julie, Joan Anderson, Teri Dimarino, Kathey Rose, Chris Pawlosky. We learned from each other like sponges sucking up water. Made Groom Team , my team mates were Chris, Joan, Liz and Kathy Rose was our coordinator. I won Best in show with my first sealy, Trigger. That was in Holland. Liz and Joan and myself rented a car and drove thru France for the next week. Ask any of the girls who just got back from Germany if it was worth it!
Today I am a certifier for NDGAA, contest judge, Les Poochs consultant and breeder of some of the finest Sealyham Terriers in the world (sold a puppy to people in Scotland yesterday). I have traveled the world doing seminars, and seeing my friends( Margery Good) dog win shows like the Eukanuba National Championship and the World Show! What a rush!
With that said, it all started with spending a few dollars and Certifying!
It has been expensive at times ,but now my prices are the highest in the area and since my clientele is very upscale the recession has not hit me as hard as maybe some others.
I understand it's not for everyone and I'm not bragging (maybe a little) but it has not been boring at all!

This post made me so happy. ~Textbook reason to keep an open mind about the opportunities in our industry if we choose to take our careers to that level.
While I think it is up to each individual- THIS is why I think and hope that if groomers are "curious" or "have a competitive streak", and especially if they want to ensure themselves longevity in their careers, even for well after when their bodies cannot physically do grooming day after day anymore, that taking these steps and getting out of our corner of the grooming world will open up an entire new horizon for us. There are PLENTY of wonderful self taught and non certified groomers out there, the proof is in our work every day, not the paper on the wall--BUT, if you want the affirmation and not to question whether or not your work measures up to the best in our industry, certifying and attending competitions and trade shows will give you that definite proof.
Again, I love reading of the accomplishments and the pride groomers get in their careers- I hope this sense of pride on any level for each and every one of us, no matter where we find it or how we get it, I want for every groomer to be happy and professionally fulfilled in their work.

[pinkgroomer]

I am so glad I'm not the only one doing # 7's all over. I went back to work part time grooming at the shop I worked for last year. Fri, I had 7 dogs, only one was a real haircut, the rest were # 7's with short faces,, gets me so depressed.

i am honestly jealous of you! i don't even get to do that any more! i started working at a kennel recently, they didn't have grooming until i started there. I do bath dogs, and nails. i have had 5 haircuts since i started there in august. 1 was a newf that hadn't been groomed in 18 mos. i'm depressed right there with you, but someday i'll be happy for this break

[TheBigLebowski]

My next goal after finishing my apprenticeship is to work on certification. I want to do it for myself and I feel that it WILL make me a better groomer. Anything that I can do to make my grooms look better I'm game.

I've wanted a career in grooming for 8 years now and getting laid off in July was my sign to get it started. I'm loving it and frankly am looking forward to learning more. Certification seems like the best way to do that for me.

[keyray]

Sure it takes money and time, but so does a college degree. If you could go take a couple tests in one week and get a Bachelors degree it really wouldn't mean anything.

I originally planned to get certified within a year from first becoming a groomer (I've been grooming 2 1/2 years now). I researched the different organizations and picked the one that was the hardest and had the most educational material. I'm sure I could have still done it if I had stayed 100% focused and 100% motivated But life happens. AND I picked the organization that had the highest education requirement. Sure I took biology and chemistry in college but I only paid attention long enough to get a good grade. Now I was actually learning stuff that I needed to know and use on a daily basis. This isn't stuff that you can just cram for a night and be able to "get" it.

My happiest day is when a shampoo rep came and she didn't have to "dumb down" the conversation (she originally started to) because she was talking to a groomer, not a vet. I was able to discuss the issues we see and what I needed in a shampoo. I was beeming after the conversation was finished.

[Maltese_mama]

...I once took a "hellish" class in college called Statistics, lol, and many students came out of it with a "C" or lower. I got a B+ and I felt so good because I'd worked SO hard. I have ZERO use for that class now but I have no regrets.
...

Very OT, but I'm halfway through a college stats class and I really like it. I've always payed close attention to BSL and now that I've learned so much about stats, I can see what a huge joke the stats used to support BSL really are. I find myself paying close attention to any stats mentioned on the news and disecting it. What was the sample size, how did they pic the sample, are the result really representative, did the study author have any bias, etc? I think it's a very useful class. English on the other hand....

[kputman]

My happiest day is when a shampoo rep came and she didn't have to "dumb down" the conversation (she originally started to) because she was talking to a groomer, not a vet. I was able to discuss the issues we see and what I needed in a shampoo. I was beeming after the conversation was finished.

Keyray, wait til you get a chance to explain to a client why your topical conditioning program will work better than what has been done in the past. Sure, you have to dumb it down for some people, but being able to explain it to them gives you so much credibility!

And I agree with Epilady — certification took me from being a bored (and at times, a very burned-out) groomer to a stylist that is a leader within the industry and very passionate about what I do. That passion makes such a huge difference in my wanting to get out of bed every day. It also gave me the resources to find out about things I might not know off the top of my head (just because you're certified DOES NOT mean you know everything!) and the confidence to educate my clientele about what would be best for their dog (doesn't mean they always did what I suggested, but many of them did follow my suggestions).

[kputman]

. . . and especially if they want to ensure themselves longevity in their careers, even for well after when their bodies cannot physically do grooming day after day anymore, that taking these steps and getting out of our corner of the grooming world will open up an entire new horizon for us. . . .

Windyway is right — even though I would have a hard time grooming day in and day out since my accident, I do have numerous options available to me that will allow me to stay within this great industry because I followed the certification/competition route.

[SpikeyTheYorkie]

Very OT, but I'm halfway through a college stats class and I really like it. I've always payed close attention to BSL and now that I've learned so much about stats, I can see what a huge joke the stats used to support BSL really are. I find myself paying close attention to any stats mentioned on the news and disecting it. What was the sample size, how did they pic the sample, are the result really representative, did the study author have any bias, etc? I think it's a very useful class. English on the other hand....

I hear ya!!! Statistics my fanny!!! LOL But the math nearly did me in! We did have a take-home test that took me 18 hours to finish! (Attention span issues, lol).

Tammy in Utah

[Maltese_mama]

I hear ya!!! Statistics my fanny!!! LOL But the math nearly did me in! We did have a take-home test that took me 18 hours to finish! (Attention span issues, lol).

Tammy in Utah

Yep, my stats homework is due Tuesday at noon. I was going to get it out of the way today, but my attention span is on the fritz. I've found my attention span has diminished w/ age. The homework is very repetive when it come to the math and there are just so many forumulas! I made my head spin today, so I'll just do it tomorrow, lol!