The Daily Groomer

Summary

In our latest episode of The Daily Groomer, I’m joined by Carrie Ward, a military veteran whose life took a major turn thanks to her bond with a dog named Scooby—and an unexpected $20,000 gift from a mentor who believed in her. We talk about her path from battling adversity and depression to building both a mobile grooming business and a thriving brick-and-mortar shop. Carrie opens up about resilience, gratitude, leadership, and why paying it forward matters so much in this industry. It’s an inspiring story about purpose, community, and finding hope in the toughest moments.

Timestamps

04:41 Service Dog and Recovery Journey

08:40 Hard Work Toward Grooming Goals

21:05 Monthly Gratitude Letter Routine

26:18 Pay It Forward Philosophy

29:22 Appreciating Employees Through Gestures

34:25 Finding Purpose, Payday, & Paw Patrol

Stay connected with our guest speakers! Follow them on their social media Paw Patrol Mobile Grooming LLC. For more grooming tips, insights, and stories, check out our website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Daily Groomer⁠⁠⁠⁠. Join and be part of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Daily Groomer Community⁠⁠!

Summary

In our latest episode of The Daily Groomer, I’m joined by Elizabeth Gibbs as she shares her journey from washing her childhood dog to building Barkwood—a luxury grooming brand now featuring multiple mobile vans and a brick-and-mortar salon. We talk through her early days at Petsmart, the lessons she picked up while working with Jess Rona in LA, the challenges of launching and funding her own business, and how she’s scaled while keeping her standards sky-high. Elizabeth opens up about pricing, facing fears, and the power of a strong team. This one’s full of inspiration and real-world, hard-earned insight.

Timestamps

07:49 Celebrity Dog Grooming Experience

13:14 Starting a Mobile Grooming Business

16:48 Budgeting and Side Hustles Explained

26:24 Charging for Quality Service

30:54 Embracing Change and Uncertainty

Stay connected with our guest speakers! Follow them on their social media @gibbsgrooming. For more grooming tips, insights, and stories, check out our website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Daily Groomer⁠⁠⁠⁠. Join and be part of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Daily Groomer Community⁠⁠!

Summary

In our latest episode of The Daily Groomer, I sit down with Greg Thomas—a multi-unit franchise owner who’s built an impressive career, starting out delivering water and eventually running dozens of businesses, including his newest venture, Salty Dog Pet Grooming. We dig into his humble beginnings, how he turns struggling businesses around, what it takes to build a loyal team, and the simple, low-cost marketing strategies he actually uses. Whether you’re launching your first salon or looking to scale, Greg brings real numbers, real talk, and a few wild stories about growing big without losing who you are.

Timestamps

08:47 Overwhelmed New Business Owner Journey

13:54 Ideal Business Start Timing

22:53 Employee Retention Framework

27:12 Increasing Success through Collaboration

39:04 Skyrocketing Franchises in Dog Industry

43:31 Boosting Profits in Grooming Salons

Stay connected with our guest speakers! Follow them on their social media Salty Dawg Pet Salon Atlanta. For more grooming tips, insights, and stories, check out our website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Daily Groomer⁠⁠⁠⁠. Join and be part of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Daily Groomer Community⁠⁠!

Summary

In our latest episode of The Daily Groomer, I sit down with Michelle Ayala, solo owner of Filthy Gorgeous Grooming in Albuquerque, to talk about what it really takes to build lasting client loyalty. Michelle shares how she kept her mobile grooming business going after a major surgery forced her to step away for three months. We get into setting boundaries, having honest conversations with clients, making tough calls, and planning financially for the unexpected. Her story is a real look at the resilience behind the scenes—and how strong relationships can carry your business through hard times.

Timestamps06:05 Surgery and Client Communication

08:07 Practical Long-Lasting Dog Haircuts

13:03 Client Bus Visit Dilemma

15:19 Maintaining Client Relationships Crucial

25:11 Grooming Career: Reality Check

Stay connected with our guest speakers! Follow them on their social media Filthy Gorgeous LLC. For more grooming tips, insights, and stories, check out our website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Daily Groomer⁠⁠⁠⁠. Join and be part of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Daily Groomer Community⁠⁠!

Summary

In our latest episode of The Daily Groomer, chat with Brandon Pedro—a young entrepreneur balancing college, semi-pro soccer, and helping run his family’s successful dog grooming business, PCoCo’s, in Coppell, Texas. We get into how Brandon built their standout social media presence, the strategy behind viral content, and his top tips for groomers looking to document their journey, connect with their community, and stay consistent online. He also shares how family and culture inspire the heart of the business. Whether you're new to social or ready to level up, Brandon’s advice is practical, honest, and easy to apply.

Timestamps

10:56 Optimizing Social Media Content Platforms

14:29 Using Trending Audio for Training

18:04 Finding Your Social Media Niche

23:31 Branding and Client Engagement

30:49 Effective Content Trends Discussion

Stay connected with our guest speakers! Follow them on their social media @pcocodoggrooming . For more grooming tips, insights, and stories, check out our website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Daily Groomer⁠⁠⁠⁠. Join and be part of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Daily Groomer Community⁠⁠!

Summary

In our latest episode of The Daily Groomer, I sit down with Tammi Bui, the owner of Wishbone Pet Care in Houston, to talk about how she built a full-service pet care business from the ground up—without any grooming experience to start. We get into what it’s really like to offer grooming, boarding, daycare, training, and wellness all in one place, and how she’s structured her team to keep things running smoothly. Tammi shares honest insights about growing beyond grooming and what it takes to add new services in a sustainable way. If you're thinking about expanding your offerings or adding wellness to boost both your revenue and reputation, you’ll definitely want to hear her practical tips and real-world experience.

Timestamps

08:06 Service Synergy in Pet Industry

15:13 Pet Wellness Transformation Advocacy

22:14 Managing Pet Care Team Dynamics

29:22 Starting Multi-Service Business Tips

31:22 Boarding and Daycare Profitability

Stay connected with our guest speakers! Follow them on their social media Wishbone Pet Care. For more grooming tips, insights, and stories, check out our website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Daily Groomer⁠⁠⁠⁠. Join and be part of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Daily Groomer Community⁠⁠!

Summary

In our latest episode of The Daily Groomer, I had a great conversation with Josh Fitzgerald, the new CEO of Zoom and Grooming, about his journey from franchise owner to leading a national mobile grooming brand. We talk about what it really takes to grow a successful grooming business, the value of authentic customer service, and some of the challenges new franchisees face. Josh also shares his vision for the future of the company. For groomers, business owners, or anyone who loves stories, this episode is worth it.

Timestamps

04:47 Mobile Ventures and Franchise Growth

10:56 Problem Solving in Business Ownership

18:11 Expectations for New Business Owners

29:19 The Power of Owner-Customer Connection

34:29 Challenges of Rapid Growth

Stay connected with our guest speakers! Follow them on their social media Josh Fitzgerald. For more grooming tips, insights, and stories, check out our website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Daily Groomer⁠⁠⁠⁠. Join and be part of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Daily Groomer Community⁠⁠!

Summary

In our latest episode of The Daily Groomer, I’m chatting with Rebecka Star, owner of Pampered Paws Grooming in Palmer Lake, Colorado. She shares her story of growing from mobile grooming into a successful brick-and-mortar shop, and all the lessons that came with it. We talk about building a strong team, encouraging ongoing education, and handling the tough stuff like pricing and staff management. Rebecka keeps it real—whether it's setting boundaries to avoid burnout or having honest conversations about raises with her team and clients. If you’re in the grooming world, there’s a lot here you’ll relate to

Timestamps

05:50 Entrepreneur Buys Grooming Business

10:11 Small Town Dog Grooming Advantage

16:15 Evaluating Dog Groomer Candidates

21:12 Salon Profitability Adjustments

26:49 Gradual Price Increases in Pet Grooming

Stay connected with our guest speakers! Follow them on their social media @pampered_pawsgrooming. For more grooming tips, insights, and stories, check out our website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Daily Groomer⁠⁠⁠⁠. Join and be part of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Daily Groomer Community⁠⁠!

After Hours Episode #84: In our latest episode of After Hours, I had an awesome sit-down with Jonathan David to chat about everything grooming. We talked about our recent trip to Hershey, the rumors flying around the industry, and what really happens behind the scenes with competition judging. There was some trade show drama, lots of laughs, and even a few wild stories from Australia and TikTok. Jonathan also shared the sweet story behind surprising his husband with a golden retriever. Super real, unfiltered, and honestly one of my favorite convos yet.

Summary

In our latest episode of The Daily Groomer, I’m chatting with Heidi McRannells, the founder of The Colorful K9 in Sioux Falls. We get into the world of creative grooming and what it really takes to build a successful salon from the ground up. Heidi opens up about everything from pay structure and employee handbooks to finding your niche and standing out in a crowded market. She’s super honest about the challenges too—like pricing, hiring, and keeping clients happy. No matter where you’re at in your grooming journey, there’s something in here you’ll definitely take away.

Timestamps

09:24 Creating a Clear Employee Handbook

14:47 Photographer Boosts Dog Photo Business

19:45 Dog Grooming and Coloring Pricing

25:02 Business Expansion and Staffing Plans

27:00 Achieving Full Bookings in Year One

34:55 Business Owner Financial Preparedness

Stay connected with our guest speakers! Follow them on their social media The Colorful K9. For more grooming tips, insights, and stories, check out our website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Daily Groomer⁠⁠⁠⁠. Join and be part of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Daily Groomer Community⁠⁠!