All American Grooming Show information coming soon!
*Last year's info below

Saturday Programs

Kill ‘Em With Cuteness!

Blake Hernandez

For the third time today, a matted dog hits your table. The client is picky and brand new, but that doesn't matter because you're a professional who is there to help the animals. In this seminar, Blake is going to help you find the main vein to getting clients to understand their shortcomings, give a spectacular trim with all the cuteness, and teach you how to set clients up for success.

“Bad” Dogs Deserve to Be Cute Too

Markie James

In this class, Markie James will go over the needs of the pets we don’t always look forward to seeing on our schedule. She will discuss safe handling techniques, the large variety of restraint tools available in the pet care industry, and how and when to use them. When is it OK to try and when is it OK to just say “no”? She will also discuss “molding” an appropriate clip for the pet and their behavior. It is important to have clear, honest, and compassionate communications with the owner of a difficult pet, with the goal of establishing a regular (and happy) grooming schedule.

Business 101 for the Faint of Heart

Dr. Cliff Faver

In this seminar, you’ll learn some simple but very basic techniques to help overcome your fear of raising your prices or actually making more profit. Whether we realize it or not, we are our own worst enemy in the quest to make a decent living. It is time to learn to work smarter not harder and value your time like you should.

Life in the Fast Lane: Liquid Grooming Products to Speed Up the Process

Dan Williams

This presentation examines products used to speed up the bathing and grooming process. Products such as high-velocity dryers, detanglers, dematters and conditioner used to reduce blow-dry time will all be discussed. Waterless foaming shampoo commonly used on the road, at the show, and on the go will also be reviewed.

Should He Stay or Should He Go?

Lisa Herbold

This seminar will cover some health issues that pets in our care may experience and how we, as groomers, should respond. Lisa will talk about what veterinarians wish we would know in regard to problems we may find during the grooming process. She will also go over how to speak to the client and the veterinarian about health problems.

Super Styling the Mixed Breed

Sue Zecco & Jay Scruggs

In this seminar, Sue and Jay will be teaching different thinning and blending techniques to achieve a natural-looking finish on the mixed breed. “This demo will focus on adding personality to an average looking dog,” says Jay. “We will show how to balance the head in with the rest of the body and how to set the length with clippers to cut out a lot of thinning and scissoring. This will help save time with the finishing process.”

Doodle That Poodle

Jessica Uzzetta

Join Jessica, NCMG and Poodle breeder, in this exciting class where you will be shown how to turn that beautiful Poodle into a cuddly and adorable Teddy Bear. This cuteness overload trim is a fresh alternative to the traditional shaved Poodle face and feet.

Adding Retail for Success

Hollus Gessler

This seminar has been designed to help you understand the full scope of adding retail to your grooming shop. It covers the operational considerations that will be required to implement an additional business component. Key factors affecting your success will be presented, including the best products to sell, selling and marketing techniques, merchandising methods, and cross-marketing considerations.

Money in the Bank: Retirement and Succession Planning

Elli Bultemeier

Wait...retirement...that exists? What’s that magic age you want to be done? How the heck are you going to get there? In this seminar, Elli breaks down how to achieve long-term success and plan for our future. As a customer said just the other day “What, do you plan to be a millionaire by 50?” Damn right, I’d love to!

Quick and Trendy Abstract

Alyssa Kasiba

In this seminar, Alyssa will show you the art of abstract—from designing to layout to execution. Learn how to add lines and swirls into your beautiful grooms to spice up your daily pet trims. You’ll also learn the basics from coat carving to the competition ring, and even some added bonuses on how to get on the abstract runway stage, just like Hershey’s biggest runway stage of gorgeous pups!

Quick and Trendy Poodle Pet Trim

Jonathan David

A great haircut is your best advertisement, but who has time to be a perfectionist? You do! A stylish Poodle pet trim isn't as time consuming as you think, with the help of snap-on combs, quality shears, and some timesaving tips! Poodles are one of America’s most popular breeds and every groomer sees plenty of them, but often owners think a great Poodle trim is too much maintenance. Jonathan will show you how to give a great haircut that's a walking billboard of your work without too much time on your part and too much maintenance for your customers.

Routines to the Rescue!

Kelsey Ann Sexton

Join Kelsey Ann for a pawsitively fun and fur-tastic time. This class is all about turning grooming into a breeze while keeping tails wagging. She will share her secrets of time-saving tricks that help her zip through her day without sacrificing quality. From bubble baths to stylish trims, you'll learn how to streamline your grooming routine. Unleash your grooming superpowers and become a master of efficiency in Dog Grooming!

Avoiding Business Owner Burnout

Jeremy Stamper

In this seminar, join Jeremy to discuss managing your mental health as a business owner. Topics like identifying micromanaging, being present in your business, prioritizing tasks, and creating a routine that will help you avoid stress will all be covered.

Assisting the Entrepreneurodivergent

Stephenie Calhoun

The neurodivergent entrepreneur is a force to be reckoned with for the naysayers, and will always be the first to your side when you need a hand. Unfortunately, the universe has to maintain the balance, so it throws time blindness, object permanence, and executive dysfunction at us. In this class, we will discuss different situations in which our neurodivergence throws us a curveball and what we can do to turn it into a home run.

Maintain Those Sharp Edges

Dennis Brooks

In this class, Dennis Brooks will share his vast knowledge from 25 years in the sharpening business. Dennis will cover simple maintenance on shears, clippers, and blades that will extend the life of your most valuable tools. As a sharpener, he believes that maintaining your equipment will help you groom easier, faster, and more economically. The class will feature a detailed powerpoint presentation as well as live examples of valuable tips and tricks to keep your equipment in tip-top shape.

Stylin' Scotties

Jessica Moore

Join Jessica in this one-hour live grooming seminar dedicated to the clipped Scottish Terrier. Forget the hula skirt and learn proper pattern placement, best practices for prepping the coat and the correct tools and blades/attachment comb to use for this stylish trim.

Drab Doodle to Fab Doodle

Elli Bultemeier

Let's be honest; we all want to do that super cute, long, fluffy doodle cut. And in a perfect world, that's great…but it's not practical! Quit doing the same old doodle haircuts and learn some easy tricks to make even short hairstyles look cute. We don't have to hate all the doodles—take advantage of their cuteness and amplify it!

Policies for Employee and Business Success

Denise Heroux

Adding to your team can seem like a very overwhelming task. The trick for setting your business up for success when adding employees is making sure you and the business are both prepared. Whether you are new to hiring or feel you need help getting on track with the staff you have, Denise will use her experience gained from years of hiring and maintaining employees to help you design a solid foundation to grow your business while managing employees.

How to Improve Behavior Through Enrichment

Samantha Palya

A shift in a pet's emotional and mental state can change their mood and behavior. In this session, we are going to discuss the power of a positive experience and how that will improve the reaction of a scared, aggressive, or unsure pet. The grooming process can be scary or intimidating, which can result in a range of unwanted behaviors. We will discuss what those behaviors are and what activities can be used to counteract them. Even pets that enjoy going to the groomers can get overstimulated, resulting in an injury to the pet or pet pro. By using enrichment, we can reduce that risk. Creating a positive experience with enrichment also aids in building relationships between the pet care provider and the pets in their care, which will lead to more dapper dogs and fabulous felines for future grooms to come.

Terrier Tips

Scott Wasserman

This PowerPoint presentation discusses all the ins and outs of terrier grooming, including hand-stripping, bathing and conditioning, skin and coat care on wire coats, smooth coats, and soft-coated terriers.