he audience fell silent as five spectacularly groomed dogs awaited the judges’ decision as to which one of them would be chosen as the Best In Show winner of Groom Expo West 2024 in Pasadena, California this past February. For their groomers, this moment was the culmination of years of work, learning and preparation. Every ounce of passion, skill, dedication and self-expression they had went into the groom they executed on the dogs standing before them. Yet, only one would become Best In Show.

The crowd exploded with cheers, shouts and wild applause as Nathan Austin and Helios, his black standard Poodle, were declared the 2024 Best In Show winners. People swarmed the stage to get an up-close glimpse of the artist and his flawless creation. They were congratulating Nathan and commenting, “You’re amazing, I wish I could groom like you,” “You must have been grooming all of your life. Did you grow up in a grooming salon or come from a family that shows Poodles?”

Actually, Nathan did not come from a family that had roots in the grooming or show world…far from it. And, he never set out to become a dog groomer. Nathan Austin was raised by a single mother who struggled with addiction her whole life. They were often homeless and Nathan spent much of his teenage years running the streets. One day, one of his friends suggested that he apply for a job where she worked, so he did. It was at a PetSmart grooming salon.

“At the time, I had no idea what dog grooming even was, or that anyone could actually make a career doing it,” shares Nathan. “But, working with dogs changed my life!

“People judge you, dogs don’t,” he continues. “Before I became a groomer, I had a certain look, and when I would walk down a street, people would see me and they would often cross over to the other side of the street. With dogs you can be yourself and they accept you just the way you are.”

While Nathan was working at PetSmart as a groomer, a beautiful young lady named Kathlena was hired as a bather and she soon became a groomer as well. Nathan and Kathlena fell in love and they married. Now, they own their own grooming salon, A Cut Above Grooming Salon located in Castro Valley, California. Before opening their salon, Nathan and Kathlena went for their certification with the National Dog Groomers Association of America (NDGAA).

“For the last 10 years, we had been grooming pets, growing our careers, and we also managed a private salon,” Nathan says. “But we felt it was time to branch out and explore what other things the grooming world had to offer.

“Becoming a Certified Master Groomer seemed like an unattainable goal to me,” he explains. “But it was always in the back of my mind and I was determined. I knew it would take a lot of hard work, but I am always willing to do whatever it takes to achieve my goals!

“During the certification process, Kathlena and I were with other like-minded groomers,” Nathan continues. “They had the same fire lit underneath them that we did. We became this group of friends that had the same ideals and wanted to grow. We couldn’t help but totally entrench ourselves into that life.”

After he became a Certified Master Groomer, Nathan began to enter grooming competitions and also started showing dogs at AKC shows.

“My first grooming competition was at a very small show, the Silicon Valley Pet Expo,” he shares. “Amazingly, I took first place in the B division with my standard Poodle, Georgette. And that was it. I was completely hooked from that day on. Then COVID happened and I couldn’t compete for a while, but I kept taking classes to help me grow in my knowledge and skills.

“When the shows resumed, my first big show win was in 2022 at Groom Expo West in Pasadena, California,” continues Nathan. “I entered four classes and I got three first places in Intermediate level, one third place, and a Group one and a Group two. I ended up getting Best All Around Groomer. It was an incredible event and something I thought I would never top.”

His winning ways continued, and last year Nathan was honored as the first-ever AKC Master Groomer of the Year.

“One of my favorite things about competing are the judges’ critiques; they have helped me so much,” he says. “I really value them and I apply what they tell me. I spent two years learning and perfecting the groom—the Historically Correct Continental (HCC)—that I put on Helios to win Best In Show at the 2024 Groom Expo West competition. My next big goal is to be on GroomTeam USA, and I’m not stopping until I reach that goal.”

Nathan is a social media influencer and he recently surpassed 30,000 followers on Instagram. He and his wife started making funny videos about all things grooming, as well as educational videos. Nathan has even received Barkleigh Honors nominations for Best Educational Video of the Year, Best Entertainment Video of the Year, and Instagram of the Year.

“We groomers all have the same experiences—things like shaving dog butts, getting peed on, and finding poop in your smock pocket,” he quips. “Humor connects us all.”

In addition to the educational videos, Nathan and Kathlena have also begun teaching in-person seminars.

“When I went to certify, my mentors, Ann Martin and Nancy Han, made me feel so proud to be a groomer and so passionate about the breeds, I want to inspire that in other people,” he says.

Nathan’s newest venture, along with his wife and their friends Kat Greaney and Juan and Ronney Rivera, is a Podcast called Another Grooming Podcast. It combines education and entertainment and is filled with plenty of groomer humor.

Nathan Austin has had quite a journey, to say the least. He transformed himself from a homeless adolescent who ran wild in the streets into an award-winning groomer, influencer and educator. Nathan found his passion and is making it his mission to help others reach their highest potential.

He leaves us with this last bit of encouraging advice: “Never give up. Follow your dreams and do whatever it takes to achieve your goals.”