Bright Futures in Grooming: Meet Rising Star Ashyana Hall
Meet Rising Star and Paragon Certified Pet Groomer student Ashyana Hall of Pet Supplies Plus in Stratham, New Hampshire. Currently enrolled in our Certified Pet Groomer Certification program, Ashyana has already distinguished herself through her compassion, curiosity, and commitment to mastering both the art and science of grooming. With more than 15 years of experience across the dog care field, from kennels to protection dog training, Ashyana brings a uniquely empathetic and thoughtful approach to every dog she works with.
Ashyana’s journey into grooming was inspired by her work with fearful and reactive dogs, many of whom carried trauma from past grooming experiences. Wanting to better support their comfort and wellbeing, she began maintaining coats on her own and soon discovered a passion for grooming, not just maintaining, but truly enhancing each dog’s coat and experience. This natural progression, combined with her training background, led her to pursue professional grooming education.
Her mentor, Liz Thompson, shares:
“Ashy has demonstrated remarkable growth throughout her program and current level, and her progress has been especially impressive to witness firsthand. When we encountered a small challenge in her foundational work, Ashy was open and receptive to feedback and support. After discussing specific adjustments to improve efficiency and success, she took a leap of faith and immediately applied those changes to her very next dog.
The results were significant. Ashy was able to clearly recognize the substantial difference that a simple adjustment in product use made in her foundational work, and how that directly supported the quality and consistency of her grooms. Her ability to reflect on the process and connect cause and effect speaks strongly to her developing skill set and professionalism.
What truly sets Ashy apart is her openness to learning and her willingness to ask the hows and the whys. She actively seeks understanding, not just completion, which is essential for long-term success in this career.
I am incredibly proud of Ashy’s growth and dedication, and I believe she is an excellent candidate for the Rising Star Student Award.”
Why did you choose dog grooming as a career?
For the last 15 years, I’ve worked in just about every corner of the dog field, from kennels to protection dog training. Especially in training, I kept seeing dogs with grooming trauma. As I worked with them, I loved watching fearful pups develop a more positive relationship with me while I maintained their coats, even before I fully understood how to enhance them. From there, I discovered grooming and leaned into it, combining it with my training background to move forward.
What did you enjoy most during your coursework?
The videos, mostly. They provided a much clearer visual of the goals and benchmarks I wanted to meet and practice. I’m very much a “why” person, and seeing techniques performed helped me truly understand the reasoning behind them.
Where can we see your work?
Mostly on my work Instagram @pspstratham, and occasionally on my personal Facebook and Instagram @owl.thena.
What are your future goals?
I’d love to explore creative grooming. It’s such a niche market and really expands my artistic avenues. I also want to develop systems and blogs or videos focused on handling reactive and fearful dogs, helping them communicate more safely and comfortably on the table.
Any advice for aspiring groomers?
Keep practicing and ask questions! It doesn’t matter if you think the question is minor or silly. Ask the people who’ve been through it all. They’re your guides and can help ease your path forward.