I have a podcast that I’ve been recording on for the past few years that I was doing purely for fun. I never thought people would actually listen to them! The idea wasn’t to go viral or gain lots of listeners. The goal was to record my thoughts and ideas about the experiences in my life, both past and current, in order to leave something behind for my children – and possibly grandchildren. It was just going to be like an audio journal like Captain Picard on Star Trek. But year after year, with each episode more and more people began to listen. I cannot tell you how incredibly grateful I am that people actually care enough to listen to my ideas. It’s indescribably humbling.
Now that I’m publishing my 150th episode of the Tao of Jun, I really wanted to do something special! So I reached out to a colleague, a fellow dog groomer here in GA, who I have never actually met but I have a ton of respect for! Her name is Amanda Sabet, owner of The Pawlor Pet Studio (https://thepawlorpetstudio.com), FurOlogie (canine skin care products), and the Founding Member at Georgia Professional Pet Groomers Association.
I wasn’t sure if she would even reply back to me – and I was pretty sure she would decline. Amanda was so kind and gracious, and she made it so easy to coordinate a time to record with her. In the episode she shared her background on how she got started as a groomer, and what led to her passionate drive to try to change the pet grooming industry for the better. Juggling family and personal life, at the same time running her own dog grooming business, and on top of that spending so much of her time and energy trying to help educate and improve our industry standards. Most people would’ve burned out by now. I know I did. I’ll be honest… it was too much for me. I broke down and walked away from the industry. I basically turned my back on it, and decided to just be a quiet artist – keep to myself and privately groom my clients’ dogs here in Atlanta. I wanted to find out what keeps her motivated and inspired to keep fighting the good fight each and every day, year after year… especially when you don’t see the industry changing very quickly, if at all. How do you not get discouraged by all the detractors and nay-sayers? It turns out, her answer was simple. It’s because she loves the dogs so much. It’s love – the most powerful force in the universe, that keeps her going and hopeful for positive changes to come.
To listen to this episode, you can find the Tao of Jun Podcast on all major platforms.
Anchor: https://anchor.fm/junthegroomer/episodes/150—For-the-Love-of-Dogs-Amanda-Sabet-e18lbdc
Amanda is also starting to teach and train new groomers at her salon, The Pawlor Pet Studio in Warner Robbins, GA. A true master creates other masters, and that’s what she’s doing with her students/employees at her salon. If you’d like to contact Amanda Sabet about a mentorship program, her shadow program, or would like to join her growing team of artists, email her at thepawlorpetstudio@gmail.com.
I get asked all the time how to get started as a professional dog groomer. Honestly, because it’s an unregulated, unlicensed industry anyone can become a dog groomer with little to no proper training. Even when you do find a groomer who is willing to teach you, they’re usually handing down misinformation that was taught to them back in the 1970’s.
It’s hard to find an educated, certified groomer who is also good at teaching others the necessary skills. That’s why I would highly recommend reaching out to Amanda and her team at The Pawlor Pet Studio if you are serious about becoming a professional dog groomer. It’s not a job. It’s a career.
Jun the Groomer 