News & Events

Our good friends at Artero are getting ready to host some of the most prestigious groomers from around the world in this 2-day Grooming Extravaganza May 15 & 16 in Atlanta! ARTERO JORNADAS is a unique spectacular show which has been celebrated in Spain for over 15 years.

Artero will feature 12 of the top Groomers from around the world who will share their expertise and extensive knowledge! (Several are Learn2GroomDogs.com experts, including Victor Rosato, shown above!)

The extravaganza promises to be educational, fun and interactive!

Featuring: Riza Wisnom, Lindsey Dicken, Irina Pinkusevich, Michell Evans – The Grooming Tutor, Pammie Charmichael-Hogg, Luis Martín del Río, Jessica Adorno, Fan Yu, George Goginashvili, Jay Scruggs & Sue Zecco – Super Styling Sessions

Guest Hosts: Victor Rosado & Sue Zecco

Brought to You By Edu Artero & Alex Artero.

Pssst: Paragon Students USE CODE PARAGON50 to get 50% off ticket prices!

https://player.vimeo.com/video/694874052

Save the Date for the IBPSA FLOW Business Conference!

September 22, 2022 – September 24, 2022

Rosen Shingle Creek; Orlando, Florida

Paragon is delighted to work with our partners at the International Boarding and Pet Services Association for another great FLOW Conference!

Each Fall, the IBPSA brings together business owners and decision-makers from pet care facilities and other pet care businesses such as pet sitters, groomers, trainers, and dog walkers for targeted education, trade show access, networking, and just plain fun!

This year, Paragon President Joe Zuccarello will be presenting on topics such as “To Groom or Not to Groom,” “Perfect Pricing,” and “Employ Differently.” In addition, our friends Dave Campanella from Best Shot Pet Products and president Chris Miller from BossPetEdge.com will be joining and exhibiting at FLOW. Together, the team will infuse the FLOW conference with a healthy representation of grooming industry expertise.

Conference tickets include full access to all education sessions, workshops, roundtables, and panels; plus the IBBY Awards, Exhibit Hall, and the traditional Meet & Greet held the night before opening.

In addition to the main conference, you can add on Pre-Conference classes such as Pricing for Profit, Pet First Aid & CPR, Heroes for Healthy Pets, and a Design/Build/Maintain Workshop.

Pet businesses knows good grooming staff are worth their weight in gold. In this special Webinar, Paragon President Joe Zuccarello teams up with partners at the Professional Animal Care Certification Council (PACCC) to give you 4 Ways to Win the Employee lottery! As an extra bonus, webinar attendance is worth a CEU credit in PACCC’s credential program. Check out the details below and register early!

Employ Differently: How to Compete for Employees and Win

WHAT: It is a great time to talk about how you can put your business in the best position possible to attract and retain employees! How? By Employing Differently!
Join Joe Zuccarello, President of Paragon, and the PACCC leadership team for this PACCCC Educational Series. Learn the FOUR main elements to being a competitive employer in a world where it seems almost impossible to find employees.

PRESENTER: Joe Zuccarello, President of Paragon. leaders in grooming education. He possesses more than three decades of experience in the pet grooming, product development and pet business consulting disciplines.

WHEN: April 4, 2022 at 2:00 PM in EST

WHERE: Online via the link – click below to register. The webinar is FREE but you must register to be able to access. Easy.

Register Now

Melissa Verplank, CMG, petentreneur and founder of the Paragon companies, was recognized by Pet Age as one of the “Power 50” influencers and visionaries who’ve improved the pet care industry.

According to the popular trade magazine and media brand, the inaugural Power 50 list is designed to recognize the people whose vital work has made a substantial impact on the pet market. The selection team identified the people influencing the pet care community in positive way.

“The Power 50 honorees are making important contributions to the pet care community, to the well-being of companion animals and using their dogged drive and steadfast leadership to pursue uncharted territory in the pet care industry,” Pet Age wrote in its article.

“I am deeply honored to be included in this collection of outstanding industry icons,” Verplank said. “Our work at Paragon is truly a team effort and our impact on the industry was made possible through the synergy of our collective talents.”

Honorees of the Power 50 include mavericks such as Chris Rowland, CEO of Pet Supplies Plus, Mike Bober from the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, and Andrea Faccio from Nestle Purina.

Pet Age cited Verplank’s involvement in the ground level of the voluntary certification testing programs, where she earned her Certified Master Groomer title in the mid-1980s. She was a member of the traveling team for GroomTeam USA, representing the United States in World Team Competition in France in the early 1990s. Later, she was the GroomTeam USA team coordinator, served on the board of directors and currently sits on its advisory board. She assisted in the start-up of the International Judges Association and is an approved grooming judge with the United Showmanagers Alliance. Today, she remains a highly sought-after industry speaker, contest grooming judge, author and a two-time Cardinal Crystal Achievement winner.

Verplank’s foundational Notes From the Grooming Table and Theory of Five are perennial top sellers in the grooming instruction category and underpin the curricular development of Paragon’s educational platform. Verplank founded Learn2GroomDogs.com in 2011 and took the renowned Paragon School of Pet Grooming online in 2018 to extend its reach, training individuals and corporate teams.

“Our unifying mission across the Paragon companies is to elevate the grooming profession and those who work in the industry to the highest possible standard through continuing education. For my own skill development and the thousands I’ve witnessed who’ve become better groomers, I know first-hand that education is everything,” Verplank said.