We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ciara Torres. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ciara below.

Ciara, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry? Any stories or anecdotes that illustrate why this matters?

I started off being introduced to the pet grooming world when I applied and got a job at a well known corporate pet store. I started off as a bather – we were responsible for bathing dogs, doing nail trims, and keeping the salon clean. I remember loving the job right away… but man, was it absolutely overwhelming.

Bathers were scheduled a LOT of dogs to complete during the day; usually between 8 – 15 dogs. This included big and small, which little care/discretion used when scheduling. This would lead to having to do something along the lines of five 90lbs+ with thick, long coats back to back. On top of that, bathers were responsible for doing “walk-in” nail trims in between all their scheduled dogs. It was so frustrating to get a 120lbs Newfoundland on a table, start brushing that coat, only to be told that I had to put the dog away because someone walked in needing a nail trim. I remember sometimes I’d go an hour straight of doing nothing but walk in nail trims while I had 4 dogs still waiting for me in the kennel area.

I thought things would change when I went to the grooming program the company had in place for bathers who wanted to become groomers. I loved dog grooming so much, and I was good at it. While most people fresh out of the grooming program could only do 2-3 dog haircuts a day, I was easily sending out 5. People started requesting me specifically to be their dog groomer within the first week of graduating from the grooming program. I found my calling. I got to work with animals, make them feel great, and I had a lot of positive feedback from the clients. I was a natural. I don’t say that to be vain, even though it comes across that way. Essentially, I really, really enjoyed my job, and it came across in my work.

Here’s where Corporate America got in wrong in my industry.

Dog/Pet Grooming is NOT easy work. It is NOT playing with dogs/cats all day. It is back-breaking, muscle tearing, mentally exhausting work. Have you ever had a 120lbs Great Dane, or Great Pyrenees, or just a really thick German Shepherd, sit on your back as you contort yourself into the weirdest yoga position imaginable so that you can trim nails or shave sanitary areas? Or have to use `ONE arm to hold that same dog up because they just want to sit the whole time, while having a sharp pair of scissors in the other hand trimming up featherings/legs? Imagine doing this for HOURS on end. Now, imagine a dog trying to eat you the whole time while you’re holding up that same dog, narrowly avoiding teeth but never avoiding a good donkey kick to the face. And then having to do another 3 dogs after the donkey kicking, man-eating pup gave you a black eye. All while maintaining enough composure to handle clients and trying to maintain a zen energy with your next scheduled dog. Most pet groomers I know have to retire by 35-40yrs old because it just DESTROYS our bodies.

And we let it. Because most of us were taught in a corporate setting. Most of us were taught to just push through the pain and the mental exhaustion because we had to get as many dogs done in the day as possible. It was all about quantity, not quality.

As someone who has worked in a wide variety of industries, from auto insurance to background investigations to pet grooming, there is a time/place where quantity over quality may be acceptable (however in my mind, it is never acceptable). Pet Grooming is NOT it.

Every pet we come in contact with is scared, or nervous, or energetic. We have to maintain control of a moving medium while at the same time avoiding accidentally cutting into skin with our sharp equipment. To push someone to do it as quickly as possible so that they can get as many pets groomed in the day so that we can get the biggest paycheck possible (as most grooming positions are commission based, not salary or hourly pay) is just not right. It’s not safe.

Corporate America’s push for employees to go above and beyond and stretching themselves as much as possible while not also taking care of their employees is where it went wrong in my industry. Asking us to push dogs to their limits so that we can get them done quickly is where it went wrong in the grooming industry. And the pricing for such back breaking work is where it went wrong in my industry. It lead to a devaluation in our self worth, making it far too acceptable to be paid minimal for a trade that not everyone can do (no matter what YouTube tells you). It takes skill, education, drive, and natural talent to be a good pet groomer. It takes fast reflexes, strong muscles, an immense amount of patience, as well as an incredibly high pain tolerance to be a good pet groomer.

When I finally decided to start my own small business as a mobile pet groomer, it was the first time I was allowed to price what I KNEW I was worth. I take on some of the most aggressive and nervous dogs in the city; dogs that normally have to be sedated to be groomed, or have to wear a muzzle; dogs that have been “fired” from literally every other salon or mobile pet spa due to their terrible behavior. The fact that I could get them done, and do them well, meant that I had a knack that a lot of other pet groomers didn’t have. And I priced it that way.

It was the first time I valued myself as a pet groomer. I focused on quality over quantity and built up a large clientele that doesn’t hesitate to pay my pricing because they know they are getting what they pay for. I also focused on something Corporate America emphatically fails to focus on: my employees.

My employees are the backbone of my company. I only have a few, but I make sure they know that I see them. I see that they are parents. I see that they are struggling with their personal lives. I see when they need extra support. I see that they have obligations outside of their jobs. And I demand from them that they follow this mantra: they come first. Not work.

So if I have an employee having a bad mental health day? Week? I don’t question or get upset about giving them time off. Why would I want an employee that’s not feeling 100% working on moving, nervous, unpredictable animals? I don’t. It’s not good for the employee, and it’s not safe for the pets. Is it annoying to have to reschedule a bunch of appointments when we are already booked out 2-4 weeks in advance? Sure. But is that going to outweigh my employees putting themselves and their families first?

Absolutely not.

I know how tough it is in my industry. And I will never be mad at someone for needing to take a breather from it. I empower my employees to always put themselves first. I hire people knowing that eventually they will leave to start their own businesses, taking clients with them, and I’m totally fine with that. Too long Corporate America has told us work needs to come first. And too many people believe that.

My business isn’t successful because we do 100 dogs a day. My business is successful because my employees are happy, take their time, and deliver great work. If you allow employees to put themselves first and make sure they are taken care of, your business will thrive because that positivity will shine in the product or final outcome of the service you provide.

*Note: I do know that some of my testimony may come off as “groomer bashing”, or saying that I’m better than others in my industry; I promise I’m not. I commend all of my fellow groomers for being in such a demanding industry; it takes a special person with a kind heart to be a groomer, and all of us are amazing for it.

Ciara, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I started off at a corporate pet store and went through a grooming program they provide. I worked there for 3 years, and then went into other industries while always pet grooming on the side. Eventually, I knew it was where I wanted to be, and decided to take the plunge into starting my own Mobile Grooming business.

I provide quality pet grooming – I do dogs and cats (my cat grooming is a little rough around the edges, not going to lie… I need to get more hands on mentoring so that I’m a lot more comfortable). My dog grooming skills are the byproduct of researching, learning, and trying something new regarding techniques for the last 10 years.

What sets me apart from others is that I do dogs that normally other groomer’s wouldn’t touch without the dog being heavily sedated. I don’t use muzzles as I feel personally it makes the situation worse, however, I understand that they are a safety measure and don’t look down upon those who do use muzzles. I work with them using patience and a kind (but firm) attitude. And (most) of the time, I get them looking awesome!

I am most proud of the fact that I have built up a mobile grooming business and AMAZING clientele by just being “me”. I am always my most authentic self with my clients; they will get to know (far too much) about my personal life, be talked to as if they are my family or friends, and we build such a special bond that I’ve even had a few of them watch my kids when I was in a bind! I am incredibly proud that I can be transparent with all my clients and rarely do I get any negative feedback because of it. I kind of threw professionalism out the window and I attracted the best customers because of it. I am proud of my clients for being the coolest, most understanding and sweetest people. They are the best part of my job.

Can you open up about a time when you had a really close call with the business?

You’d be surprised how many close calls I’ve had in my job. I have a pretty decent brush with severe injuries at least a few times a month.

I’ve had a German Shepherd bite me in the face, just barely missing my eye, when I forgot and saw a cotton ball in one of his ears and I was attempting to remove it after returning the dog to the inside of the home.

I’ve had an Old English Sheepdog bite down so hard on my arm that not only was there a LOT of blood, but the dog had literally chipped my bone in my arm. I still have that scar, and it’s my favorite one to show off lol! I was working corporate at the time it occurred; after the dog punctured my arm severely and chipped my bone, I went to the back of the salon away from the clients into the kennel area, took a large amount of gauze and ace bandages, wrapped up my arm, took some ibuprofen, and just kept going through the rest of my day. I had to change that bandage so many times because it was bleeding so much… Sorry about the graphic description.

I’ve had a cat bite my hand right under my knuckle, causing severe swelling and infection – my career almost ended that day… and I still pushed through the rest of my day and refused to see a doctor for antibiotics (I DO NOT RECOMMEND DOING THAT, IF YOU GET BIT BY A CAT OR ANY ANIMAL, GO GET ANTIBIOTICS!!!)

I’ve had a dog rip my finger open. It was my first appointment of the day. This was recent. You’d think I’d learn by now to know when to go to the doctors. I didn’t. I continued the rest of the day grooming, then went to an urgent care. It was the first time I had ever gotten stitches related to my job. The nurse was dumbfounded as to how I was able to get through the day with little issues. It was an inch long gash on my ring finger that exposed a lot of gory stuff. I’ll save you the details. (AGAIN, DO NOT RECOMMEND. IF YOU GET INJURED, GET HELP!!!)

So… yea, I don’t just play with puppies all day like a lot of people think… that’d be nice though!

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

AUTHENTICITY. Although I am, at base level, professional, I foster loyalty within my clients not just because of my quality in my work, but because I am not shy to share the daily struggles of my life as a business owner and a mom. I empathize when clients vent to me about their bad days, in fact, I’m late to a lot of appointments because the clients and I end up talking and spilling our hearts to each other lol! I have had so many of them that have cooked or bought me meals knowing I’ve had a long day. Some even Venmo me Starbucks money when they know I’ve been pushing past exhaustion. I am so blessed to have the clients I do. We are friends/family.

Contact Info:

• Website: Blissfulpetgrooming.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/thatgroomercici
• Facebook: Facebook.com/blissfulpetgrooming