How Do I Know Which One to Take?
By Cara Evans
Paragon President
Our Pro Track is for the groomer who knows there is more out there for them. Their grooms are good, but they know they can be better. Whether that means fine-tuning everyday skills, adding artistry and precision, solving frustrations, or simply busting boredom, they’re ready for the next step.
When I was grooming, I really wanted to pursue my Master Certification through the NDGAA. At the time, I never really thought about my “why” other than wanting to be a better groomer, speak confidently to my clients about breed trims, and earn recognition as a Master Certified Groomer.
So, I researched what I would need to start my journey. The first hurdle was access to practice dogs. I quickly found that my area was not conducive to supporting this need. It was HARD to find breeds I needed to practice on. Poodles were the easiest, but all the others were difficult to come by.
I also didn’t have access to a mentor in my area. As a mobile groomer, I was on an island when it came to continuing education. So, I paused pursuing that option and instead looked for any other way I could advance my skills and get excited about my craft again.
The thing was, my foundational skills and all-over grooms were already solid. I knew it because of the feedback I received from clients and because I was booked out months in advance while competitors around me were still trying to fill their schedules.
But I still wanted more.
And honestly, I was bored.
Then an old colleague in my home state hosted a clinic on Stylized Legs. I knew I had to be there.
Once I learned Stylized Legs, I was hooked. Finally, something I could do to elevate my farm-Doodle shave-downs! That one little tweak was all it took.
Clients never knew their dogs’ legs were slightly longer than their bodies. They just knew their dogs looked better.
That small change gave me a new challenge, breathed some life back into my grooms, and helped me get out of the same thought process I had been using on every dog.
Maybe your version isn’t Stylized Legs. Maybe it’s hand scissoring, Asian Fusion inspiration, breed profiles, efficiency, or learning how to tackle that coat type that makes you want to call off work when you see it on your schedule.
Whatever it is, most groomers eventually reach a point where they either need a new challenge or need help solving a problem.
Both require continuing education.
Had I had access to Pro Track back then, I probably would have gone down both paths, and here’s why.
Why I Would Have Chosen Pro – Breed Standard Stylist
Pro Level – Breed Standard Stylist would have solved one of my biggest challenges: finding guidance.
I would have been excited to have a mentor just a click and a message away, along with a structured curriculum to help me apply what I was learning from Notes from the Grooming Table (yes, I always kept a copy in my trailer).
Would I still have needed to find practice dogs? Absolutely.
But I would have known exactly what I needed, exactly what I was working toward, and I would have had someone helping me along the way.
If your goal is Master Certification, competition grooming, learning breed profiles, or developing a deeper understanding of AKC traditional breed trims, Pro Level Breed Standard Stylist is a natural fit and a great first step toward those goals.
Why I Would Have Started with Pro – Advanced Stylist
While I worked on finding the dogs needed for Pro Level – Breed Standard Stylist, Pro Level – Advanced Stylist would have been the first class I enrolled in.
It would have checked all the boxes for me. I could have learned where I worked, on the dogs already on my table, with mentor coaching just a click away.
No traveling. No waiting until the right practice dog came along. No trying to figure it all out on my own.
What excites me most about Pro-Advanced Stylist is that it solves a problem I had spent years trying to solve on my own.
I wasn’t looking for another seminar or trade show. I wasn’t looking for someone to show me one new technique and then send me home to figure out how to apply it.
I wanted someone to help me become a better groomer on the dogs already on my table.
As a mobile groomer, I was on an island when it came to continuing education. Every new skill I learned had to be pieced together from a seminar here, a clinic there, or a conversation with another groomer.
Then I had to figure out how to apply it to my business and my clients by myself. Pro-Advanced Stylist would have changed that.
How? By adding artistry, fun, and efficiency to my daily grooms. By solving frustrations I dealt with every day. By helping me understand why Doodle coats were so challenging and how to work through those challenges more efficiently.
I would have had guidance on the techniques and how to apply them to each dog on my table. The things I learned on Monday could have improved my Tuesday. That would have had me saying, ‘Sign me up!’
So, Which Path Is Right for You?
If your goal is to better understand AKC breed profiles, learn breed trims, work toward Master Certification, and challenge yourself with the technical side of grooming, Pro Level Breed Standard Stylist is probably your path.
If your goal is to improve the dogs already on your table every day, increase efficiency, solve common grooming frustrations (eh hem… Doodles), add polish to your work, and reignite your creativity, Pro Level Advanced Stylist is probably where you should start.
Truthfully, if I were still grooming full-time, I would have taken both. But I would have started with Advanced Stylist because I could have applied every lesson immediately while continuing to work toward my longer-term breed certification goals.
So, what are your goals? Pro Track is ready to help you achieve them!