We all know the importance of setting good boundaries with our clients, but the most significant boundary that should have been set—the one between you and your business—is taken for granted. Like a bad client, our business begins to walk all over us. We start making decisions without the opportunity to review them because it isn’t just that the company is wrong, it’s your reputation that’s on the line.

This lack of separation is not something that happens overnight; it’s gradual. You only notice once you’re posting angry responses to reviews and to other groomers who talk about different methods utilized in their businesses. So how do you know if you, too, have blurred the line between you and your business?

To start, ask yourself these eight questions:

1. How much time do you spend thinking about work at the end of your day? If your response is, “What end of day?” then there is no separation, and you’re probably overworked, over-managed and burnt out.
2. How do you describe yourself? Can you do it without using the words business owner or groomer? Your occupation is not who you are. This one is tough, but it should be easy. We’re so used to being defined by our roles that we forget we’re people.
3. How much time off do you have in a 168-hour week? Be honest with yourself. Where are you in that 40-168 range? When was the last time you took a vacation? Overworking and never taking a vacation is not a badge of honor. You don’t have to go anywhere or spend money; just don’t work.
4. How much work are you doing in your business because only you can do it right? Think about hiring out for different aspects of your business if you can afford to.
5. What do you do for fun (unrelated to work)? Do you have any hobbies?
6. How would you feel if you had to choose a different profession tomorrow?
7. How often do you go to social media for a rebuttal or to tear down what someone else is doing?
8. Do you feel excited or exhausted when you think of your business?

1. Set a beginning and end to your day. If your day ends at 5:00, leave at 5:00 and don’t accept or return calls to clients until the following day during your designated work hours.
2. Take a vacation. Close down your business for a week. If you can’t shut down because you planned on income coming in 52 weeks a year rather than 50, it’s time to sit down with a business coach or accountant and rework your pricing.
3. Know when to delegate and hire out. Need help figuring out where to start? Get a business coach.
4. Rework your processes so you are more efficient. Again, if you need help figuring out where to start, get a coach.

As groomers, we make our living with our hands. They are our most important tools and our most precious asset. Now that I am well into my 60s, after 45 years of part- and full-time grooming, the pain in my arthritic hands is pretty much constant throughout the day and night. I have a specialized hand doctor, general weakness in both hands, have had multiple surgeries and injections, use braces or compression aids, get regular massages, and must employ other strategies that are a constant, and expensive, part of my life now.

Since rheumatoid arthritis can be inherited, is more serious and medically caused, it is not usually linked to work-related stress or injury. Osteoarthritis is what groomers commonly struggle with as they age. Osteoarthritis is caused by physical activity, stress, repetition, working conditions and other matters over which we have more control, such as our diet.

In a recent poll of those over 50 in the United States, over 60% reported having arthritis that limits their activities, 30% reported being diagnosed with osteoarthritis from wear and tear on their joints, and 70% reported being in pain from it.² Osteoarthritis is described as a degenerative joint disease by other medical experts and is more likely to occur as a person gets older.

Dr. Wayne McCormick, a geriatrician at the University Of Washington School Of Medicine says, “It’s basically just worn-out joints. Osteoarthritis is most commonly seen among people over 50, particularly women.”³

Cleveland Clinic tells us, “There are hereditary forms of osteoarthritis that are caused by mutations in genes for collagen. This type of osteoarthritis can first appear at a young age, quickly causing severe damage, though not very common. Around 40 to 65% of osteoarthritis has a genetic component, with a stronger link for hand and hip cases. The influence of other factors, such as obesity, joint injuries, aging and joint anatomy, also is quite substantial.”⁴

Bone spurs are another aspect of osteoarthritis that many of us now experience, which one article describes as, “… when [cartilage] starts to break down, the bones of the finger joints become irritated and inflamed due to increased friction. When this occurs, the body creates new bone as it tries to repair itself, resulting in an overgrowth of bone (bone spur) in the joint spaces of the fingers … Bone spurs may also occur when the body tries to heal itself after an injury or due to repetitive overuse … Activities that cause repetitive joint use and stress in the hands can cause cartilage between the joints of the fingers to break down, causing damage that leads to bone spurs.”⁵

Hand surgery can sometimes be required if the bone spurs break away inside the fingers and need to be removed. Care for bone spurs includes rest, immobilization with splints, ice, physical therapy with a hand specialist, over the counter NSAIDs and corticosteroid injections directly into the joints, which is something else I have benefitted from.

In a Psychology Today article that asks why young people seem to feel immortal, Dr. Gary Wenk explains that it takes well into our 20s and 30s for our brains to fully develop and enable us to anticipate the consequences of our actions. He says, “When your frontal lobes finally complete their process of myelination, they begin to work properly, and you stop doing dangerous things. Most importantly, you stop feeling immortal.”⁷

Sadly, by the time many of us pet groomers are in our later 20s and 30s, we have already established patterns and habits, including how we groom, that are not good for our bodies in the long term.

Food choices can also help. One source outlines the follow six foods/food groups as being the most beneficial in reducing joint pain and inflammation:⁸

The sooner we start thinking about the span of our lives that lies ahead of us and realize that what we do to our bodies now will have significant consequences in our most productive and important years, our 40s and beyond, the longer and more productive our careers—and lives—will be.

1. Arthritis. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/arthritis/symptoms-causes/syc-20350772
2. Arthritis and Joint Pain. (2022, Sept). University of Michigan. https://www.healthyagingpoll.org/reports-more/report/arthritis-and-joint-pain
3. Is Arthritis Avoidable? (2023). New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/18/well/live/arthritis-prevention-symptoms.html
4. Is Arthritis Hereditary? (2019, June). Cleveland Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/is-arthritis-hereditary
5. What Causes Bone Spurs in the Hand? (2023, Sept). Very Well Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/bone-spurs-in-hand-5095905
6. 5 Bad Habits to Drop for Better Arthritis Management. (2021, Jan). Arthritis Today Magazine. https://blog.arthritis.org/living-with-arthritis/bad-habits-arthritis-tips/
7. Why Do Teenagers Feel Immortal? (2010, Aug). Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/your-brain-food/201008/why-do-teenagers-feel-immortal
8. 6 Foods That May Help Your Arthritis. (2023, April). Arthritis Foundation. https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/healthy-living/nutrition/healthy-eating/six-foods-for-arthritis

As a dedicated domestic engineer, Tracy knew she wanted a career when her children grew older. To prepare, she attended cosmetology classes at the local community college. “I worked for a while at Wal-Mart cutting hair during my internship program,” she shares. “I felt nervous all the time, and it was hard to enjoy working in public and being responsible for how the person would look or react.”

Eventually, Tracy quit because she wasn’t comfortable. Then, she attended dental assistant school and worked as a dental assistant and office clerk in two separate locations for nearly three years. But when the pandemic hit, Tracy found herself laid off from the dentist’s office.

“Right away, I took the video and showed him,” Tracy explains. “To my surprise, he said, ‘Well, if this is what you want to do, then we better go all out! Go find what you want to do—shop or mobile.’”

Tracy discovered mobile groomer Jessica Adorno’s Facebook page and says, “Jessica continues to inspire me and is available for Q&A. I went to the Hanvey site and KNEW this was it! It was a huge step for us, as I had no formal experience in dog grooming other than my little home hobby of breeding and grooming. It was risky.”

Knowing she needed more than just a van to build her business, Tracy went to work on acquiring everything else she needed: “I used my unemployment money to buy all my grooming shears, clippers, blades, etc., and saved some for my decals on the van,” she shares. “But most importantly, I used some of the money for my online grooming class to get my certificate from onlinedoggrooming.com.” 

However, an online grooming school doesn’t offer hands-on grooming, so Tracy found other programs to join, too, such as Learntogroomdogs.com, Paragon School of Grooming and Groom Haüs.

“I worked for several weeks grooming all sorts of dogs,” Tracy continues. “At the end of my course, I sent in three pictures and aced my test! I was happy to print off my certificate and happily display it in my van today.” 

In August 2020, Tracy officially opened Scrubs and Loves for business. “I couldn’t believe I was finally grooming and owning my own business,” she shares. “I was really doing it, and it felt great! It came so easily to me. I absolutely get an inside rush of pride every time someone says to their dog how beautiful they look. It’s a good feeling, and I’m so blessed to have this wonderful career.” 

Since then, Tracy continues to learn from different groomers and websites. Of course, some techniques are more difficult to master.” Tracy says, “I struggle with Asian fusion-style grooms and Poodle feet, and I struggle to get both sides of any dog’s face the same.” 

“Sure, it took some time to learn how to hold it just right,” Tracy continues. “And not all dogs want to give me a minute to hold it there, but it worked. So glad I discovered it! I can use it around feet, too.”

Eager to immerse themselves even further into the grooming industry, Tracy and Willie attended their first Groom Expo in 2022. “I will never forget that day,” Tracy shares. “We walked in, and both our jaws dropped. It was absolutely fantastic. The lights, the music, the people, and all the products. It was like walking into a secret world of dog grooming—a members-only type thing. I’ve never felt so proud to be part of something so grand.”

With business booming and the money coming in, Tracy is working towards finding the right balance of the “perfect-fit” dogs. “I have been grooming nonstop since I started,” she shares. “If I allowed it, this business would have me 24-7, so eventually, I would like to slow down and do just a few dogs a day—weeding out any dog that makes me stressed or feel uncomfortable. This opens the way to take on other dogs that would be a good fit for me.”

To conclude, Tracy says, “Each person needs to explore their own value and priorities. If you believe it, then you can achieve it. I know it’s hard to do it if no one is backing you up—and you can’t do it alone—but if there is a strong will for it, then there will be a way.”

We all have habits that do not serve our greater good. We developed them over time and began to rely on them, even if they did not produce the results we wanted. The million-dollar question is, how do we break those involuntary behaviors and change? First, we must re-examine ourselves for self-improvement, and then take stock of exactly what habits we want to change.

We often set out with the best intentions and then fall prey to our comfort-zone habits. We are truly creatures of habit, and we will always follow the path of least resistance, even when we are the ones resisting. Change is tough, but with simple, daily, small changes you can overcome your worst habits.

More important than the specific habits themselves is that successful groomers harness the power of habit to control elements of their lives, thus enabling them to achieve their desires. But how do we control our lives to affect our behaviors?

We make thousands of decisions daily about what to wear, what to eat, when to go to bed, when to wake up, etc. To help enable success, focus on developing habits that eliminate the small decisions that you make every day to simplify your routine. Here are a few examples:

• I will wake up at 5 a.m. every day by setting my alarm (and not hitting the snooze).
• I will set a bedtime so I get enough rest. (Sleep deprivation leads to poor decision-making.)
• I will simplify my work clothes and set them out each night before bed.
• I will plan and prep my meals and not fall into old junk-food habits. (Poor nutrition and hunger lead to poor judgement and decision-making.)
• I will organize my day according to my appointments before answering calls and seeing clients.

We often suffer from decision-making fatigue. Yes, it is a real thing. We only need to look back at our busy days to see how our decision-making degrades as we get tired and overwhelmed during a normal day grooming. Have you ever said, “Why did I ever agree to that?” or “I let them talk me into…?” Most of the time it’s because you are operating in decision fatigue mode. By following #1, you are now allowing time to set your daily schedule to suit your greatest success. A freshly rested brain will function optimally, so taking on the big tasks at the beginning of your day allows you to do less as your day winds down. Here are a few examples:

• I will prioritize my work tasks according to most important to least important. (Keeping a to-do list increases your chances of success by remembering what you need to do when.)
• I will leave a time cushion between clients to stretch, breathe and reset before my next groom.
• I will hold my customers to their appointment time and not allow early customers or late customers to disrupt my personal daily timeline.

There is no shame in dreaming big. But when we fail to obtain the big dream, it’s usually because we didn’t set up the ladder of smaller tasks to obtain the dream. When we focus on creating the smaller habits that lead to more small habits, we not only keep ourselves motivated, but we see an immediate reward in the completion of simpler, smaller tasks, eventually reaching our goal. Here are a few examples:

I am a firm believer that part of finding your purpose is in what you discover when you dedicate a part of yourself to service. But how do we make a habit out of service? As pet groomers, we are in the “service industry;” it literally is in the name of the industry we chose to make a career in. We serve hundreds of people through our business, including their four-legged family members. Are you seeing your job as a way to serve your community? Here are a few examples of how to make a habit of serving others:

• Adopt a policy to educate your customers on better pet care. For example, you could write social media posts to educate your followers or host events for your pet-owning community.
• Treat your job as a way to serve others. You can be humble and grateful and still enforce boundaries and limitations; service does not imply allowing others to treat you poorly.
• Create relationships with others who dedicate their time to service. Likeminded people will continue to motivate and support you because you are working within a common goal.

By shifting the focus from the hard challenges of breaking down old habits to the more positive and action-centered building of new habits, you are actually giving your brain a confidence boost. It’s all about perspective. If you truly want something bad enough, you will be willing to work hard to build it. When you build a habit process (habit stacking) your brain builds a strong network of neurons to support your current behaviors. The more you do something, the stronger and more efficient the connection becomes.

When building new habits, it’s OK to use the old habits to build upon. That connectedness is called implementation intention. Rather than pairing your new habit with a particular time and location, you pair it with a current habit. This method, which was created by BJ Fogg as part of his “Tiny Habits” program, can be used to design an obvious cue for nearly any habit.

Once you have mastered this basic structure, you can begin to create larger stacks by chaining small habits together. This allows you to take advantage of the natural momentum that comes from one behavior leading into the next.

Here are a few examples of how to habit stack:

• After I arrive at work, I will take one minute to meditate and center myself before beginning my day.
• Before I greet my first customer, I will have my work station prepped for their pet.
• Before I leave work, I will say one thing I am grateful for today.

If the task is not something you want to learn, hire an accountant, business consultant or CPA to do it for you. As you start working with larger businesses, you find out the most successful ones are not necessarily run by the person who knows everything, but the ones that surround themselves with good people in their weak areas. The mistake many of us make in business is we hire people who are like us—not the ones who complement us or are good in areas we are not. One quick way to bring happiness back into your life is to hire people to do what you hate!

Clients are one of the most significant stressors for many of us. We all have one or two clients that cause our anxiety level to rise simply by walking through the door or seeing their number come up on caller ID. Why do we keep these people? If they cause that much stress, is the money worth it? Some people probably spend more money with their therapists to overcome the trauma than they make from the client that caused it. Learn how to fire a client!

The best line that I have heard was, “Mrs. Jones, I can see we are not meeting your expectations, and I care enough about you and Fifi that I have taken the liberty to get you the numbers of several groomers in the area in hopes that you will find someone that can meet your level of expectations since we can’t. We will miss Fifi, but hopefully you can find a better fit for you and Fifi.”

What is the client going to say? Not much! Many will backpedal very quickly at this point, putting you in the driver’s seat to control how the relationship goes from there. If you allow them to stay, some become good clients. Often, though, we must return to the statement and the list of local groomers, but we gave them a chance.

We are not in control or responsible for nasty people; some people are just that way. Don’t let those people ruin your day, week or month. Rarely is the money they spend worth the headaches they cause. They also hold appointments that an excellent new client could fill.

As a groomer, you should have the knowledge and expertise that the average client does not have in caring for hair and skin. For example, a client wants their Pomeranian shaved down. Many groomers will follow the client’s request because they feel like if they don’t, they will lose a client. But what does the client learn from that? What happens if the dog goes into shave alopecia? Did the client even know that is a possibility? Who is responsible for that? What is your liability for the future care of that pet?

As professionals, we should refuse to do anything that’s not in the pet’s best interest and educate clients on why we made this choice. Educating and still doing it doesn’t solve the issue. Imagine, as a veterinarian, I tell the client that if I do it your way, there is a good chance your dog is going to die, but I do it anyway, and it dies. This is still malpractice! And releases don’t remove the liability—what is wrong is wrong.

Some may say they don’t know how the last statements affect their stress levels. I see it often when groomers learn the science, and especially in groomers who work for other groomers. They know they are doing wrong, but they have to do what the “boss” says because they are not in charge.

The bottom line is that you should spend some time figuring out and solving the issue before you burn out and start hating the profession you love.

Dr. Cliff Faver graduated with a BS in Biology/BA in Chemistry before getting a Veterinary degree in 1987. He is the past owner of Animal Health Services in Cave Creek, Arizona and now the US distributor for Iv San Bernard products, teaches the ISB Pet Aesthetician Certification program, and speaks internationally on hair and skin. His passion is to merge groomers and veterinarians to aid in helping and healing pets. He is also a member of AVMA, AAHA, AZVMA, Board member with Burbank Kennel Club, and has served on Novartis Lead Committee, Hill’s International Global Veterinary Board, and a Veterinary Management Group.