Sue: It all started with my mom and grandmother getting two little pet Poodles. At the time we got the Poodles, my mom was a stay-at-home mom, my grandmother worked in downtown Chicago, and she was married to a Chicago Police officer who passed away suddenly and she found it hard to continue to drive to the city for work. So, one day she talked with the groomer who was grooming our dogs and she suggested my grandmother look into grooming. She ended up going to grooming school and picked up the skill quickly, and when she completed school, she opened her own salon.

Then my dad came home one night and said that there was a customer of his that had “some kind of hound” that she wanted to give him instead of paying to get her car fixed. So, he brought it home the next night and we learned that when it was originally sold, she was to be shown and was on a breeding contract. My mom and grandmother decided to honor the contract even though the breeder was not going to enforce it. They started learning about showing and dog shows. It was exciting and fascinating seeing so many different breeds.

I was 13 at that time, and I was home alone one Sunday and I decided that one of our overgrown Poodles needed grooming. I washed and dried her just like I had seen my mom and grandmother do. Then I got a clipper out and I shaved her face and feet, then I clipped her body with a #4 blade and then scissored her. When the family returned, they were amazed that the dog was done, and more so at who had actually done it! There was no looking back from that point.

We raised several breeds through the years, and our kennel grew. As I got more involved with showing, I applied and became an AKC Licensed Handler for hounds and working breeds. I’ve never actually shared that with anyone before. I stuck with grooming and eventually went to mobile, and here I am today.

Jonathan: Speaking of family, your sister is the one and only Lisa Leady, another grooming industry legend. What was it like coming up in the industry with your sister by your side, sharing in that journey?

Sue: I would not be where I am if it weren’t for her. Lisa opened her own salon less than a mile from me, and as she got busier, she found herself needing help, so we decided that we would join forces and work together. I was thrilled to get out of the house and Lisa seemed happy to have the extra hands.

She was the one that got me to go to a grooming show. Lisa had gotten a booklet in the mail for the All American Grooming Show and said, “This is what we need!” I thought she was crazy, plus we didn’t have dogs that we could take. We borrowed client dogs and I entered a Whippet/Poodle mix and placed 3rd in the potpourri class. I was surprised to even place, but what was cooler was what I learned about grooming and myself that day! It was like new life was breathed into grooming, and all Lisa and I talked about for months was what we would enter the next year. Of course, we got the bug that we had to try for GroomTeam USA and get the jacket.

I think the one reason we got along so well and never had an issue with jealousy is we never competed against each other, we competed together, almost like a team but separate. We often competed in the same classes, but we tried to use different breeds if we could find them. We always worked next to each other, because sometimes we shared equipment so we didn’t have to pack so much.

Jonathan: Those are beautiful memories. During your career, you had a very successful competition career, earning a top-five GroomTeam position for five years in a row and you’ve traveled to France to compete at the worlds. I know it’s hard to choose, but what one moment in your competition career stands out the most and why?

Sue: This is a very hard question. There were so many moments that happened during my time competing where I felt so over-the-top excited and, at times, overwhelmed. Of course, going to France for the team was the icing on the cake; it was what I was working towards from the beginning. But I think the one win that really stood out was when I went BIS at The Atlanta Pet Fair with my own Poodle under Hazel Christiansen. I had been working on his trim for so long, and although I can see things when I look at the photo of him that could be changed to make it even better, it was the best feeling to win a BIS with my own dog.

Jonathan: That’s a real goosebumps kind of moment. Your journey is chock-full of accomplishments and awards! You hold a record for being the only groomer to ever have received a Cardinal Crystal Grooming Achievement Award three times consecutively, and in 2004 you were awarded “Wahl Groomer of the Year” at the Westminster Dog Show. What is your most memorable award to date and why does it mean so much to you?

Sue: You know, this is another hard question for me. When you win awards that are voted on by your peers, it really says something about a person. I had always said if I was going to be a groomer, I was going to be the best groomer I could be. This was no longer just a job; it was my career. I had set some goals and wanted to achieve them, but also wanted to stay humble and sometimes that can be difficult; sometimes winning can change people and I told myself I wouldn’t let that happen.

Winning the “Wahl Groomer of the Year” award and going to New York to accept it in person was a moment I will never forget. It was special because more than one person had nominated me for that award, which I didn’t know at the time. Then they read the letters out loud at the presentation. It was a moment I will never forget. The things that were said made me cry, and as we talk about this, it chokes me up even now. Sometimes when you know what people think about you it can be overpowering and inspiring.

Jonathan: Now you’re getting me choked up! You and I have something else in common. We both have a signature line of shears made by Kenchii. How did it feel to be asked to collaborate with Kenchii and what was the inspiration behind your design?

Sue: When Sammy had asked me about doing shears, I was surprised and excited all at the same time. He told me anything was possible and I asked, “Even a color?” to which he responded, “Anything!” I said, “Well, I want purple and it has to have a fairy on it.” The funny thing behind the fairy is that when I was a mobile groomer, I always joked that I was like the Tooth Fairy that would come to your house, but instead of gathering teeth, I was grooming your pup. So, I was the “Groom Fairy.” What is so cool is when you have people at grooming shows come up and say, “I bought your shears and love them and use them every day!”

Jonathan: Now that you’re retired from daily grooming and you focus primarily on speaking, judging and brand representation, what is life like at home when Sue Watson puts the scissors away?

Sue: Well, after I decided it was time to stop grooming after 53 years, my husband, Richard, and I and our parti-colored Poodle, Calliope, moved to Evans, Georgia. Our oldest daughter, Jennifer, who also grooms, and her family had moved here 10 years prior and upon visiting her, we found it to be a place we could be happy living in. We have two daughters that still live in Illinois, Kristin and Katie. We also have 14 grandchildren. We try to make trips to Illinois at least twice a year.

I also work as a Mentor for Paragon Pet Grooming School, helping students learn grooming remotely. I can’t believe that I am a part of helping people follow their dreams into a new career that will change their lives. I wanted to find a way to give back to an industry that gave me so much and I believe I have found that way!

Jonathan: I believe you have as well, and we’re so lucky to have you.