A BIT ABOUT ME

Hi there! If we have never met, my name is Connie Buchanan, and I am the founder of The ZZG Grooming Store.  

Presently I own a dog salon, plus two mobiles (Zoom Zoom Groom), a cat salon (PreZoomably Cats), and a government registered vocational grooming school (Apex Academy of Professional Grooming and Animal Arts)- all located in Regina, Saskatchewan.

As you can see, I'm entering a new venture: The ZZG Grooming Store.  

With starting The ZZG Grooming Store, I should introduce myself.  I want to share with you my grooming journey and my "why" for creating this destination.

Here's my condensed bio.

• I grew up on a farm where animals were my life- I showed and groomed cattle (believe it or not).
  
  
• I went to University and achieved my Bachelor of Education and taught elementary students for 20+ years.
  
  
• I briefly bred Standard Poodles, shown by professional handlers. These Poodles (Gracie & Kennedy) became the reason for leaving my teaching career. Through coat care and an insatiable love for animals- I left teaching and "went to the dogs." 
  
  
• In 2006 I started a one-woman-grooming business with a Wag'n Tails mobile trailer- Zoom Zoom Groom.
  
  
• Initially,  my grooming training consisted of learning from a show-poodle-mentor and observing at dog shows.  I had the full Jodi Murphy library, and took an online grooming course. 
  
  
• My small business eventually branched out to include three mobiles and a salon. 
  
  
• Flash forward to today, and the term "once a teacher, always a teacher" has come full circle.-with a staff of 20 between the two salons (mentioned earlier) and the school:  Apex Academy of Professional Grooming & Animal Arts.
  
  
• I became a Certified Feline Master Groomer in 2013, and I'm the Canadian Certifier for The National Cat Groomers Institute. 
  
  
• In 2017, I was a Women Entrepreneur of Saskatchewan Ambassador, providing business support and mentoring other amazing women entrepreneurs in all types of businesses. 
  
  
• My furry family includes two beautiful show Aussies, a Black Russian Terrier (we live on an acreage) , and two cutie Peterbald cats. 
  
  
• My human family includes a supportive husband (Randy) and three incredible grown sons (Colton, Zane, & Keegan).

 

Education Is In My DNA

The ZZG Grooming Store will be an extension, where I will share all my learnings (along with others expertise) and be an outlet to help professionals in this fantastic industry.

Education For Professional Groomers

It is my hope to:

• Provide insights and expertise from Canadians who are genuinely master professionals in this industry! We have incredible groomers in Canada, and they have so much to teach us all!. My goal is to share their knowledge, skills & techniques via blogs, Facebook, Instagram, and more!

• Share what I can from a business perspective and open doors for groomers to increase their bottom line- working smarter, not harder.
  
  
• Contribute to the cat grooming community with products that are difficult to find in the dog world.
  
  
• Provide high-performing products and tools for professional dog and cat groomers. These will always be products we have tested ourselves in our busy salons. 
  
  
• Provide education for cat groomers- a business niche in great demand and one that is highly profitable. 

Education for Pet Owners

With Covid shutdowns, it became clear the need to educate dog and cat owners.

Maintenance tasks such as brushing/combing their dog/cat and completing fundamental hygiene goals such as cleaning ears and trimming nails proved confusing and impossible for many of our clients.

During the lockdown, I took a significant amount of time looking through online resources (YouTube, websites, etc.) only to find much of the information to be incorrect and taught by people with little experience.

Because of this realization, I created an online course (launching in June) for everyday dog owners to understand these basics:

• To recognize and understand the characteristics of their dog's unique coat type.
  
  
• Once they know their dog's coat type, educate them on tools, products, and coat care/coat maintenance techniques between professional grooms.
  
  
• To understand their dog's breed/ breeds and how this influences its coat care practices. 
  
  
• To understand what a mat is (or dead coat) and how to identify problem spots.
  
  
• To know how to do the fundamental hygiene tasks such as cleaning eyes, ears, nails, wrinkles, bathing, and brushing.
  
  
• To understand the importance of organizing their home-grooming routines and spaces for safety, enjoyment, efficiency, and success.
  
  
• To understand what it takes to have a tremendous client-to-groomer relationship, including looking through their groomer's eyes. I share what all groomers want their clients to know- clarifying common myths and misconceptions, so many of our clients have about what we do.
   
• To provide a store for dog and cat owners where they can get the right tools and products (for their unique dog) in one stop.

PLEASE Share Your Ideas!

I invite you to contact me with your feedback and ideas.

Never underestimate what value your experience can provide others. We all have similar goals, fears, successes, failures, & desires. 

I believe, together is always better!

Thank you for becoming a part of the new ZZG Grooming Store family.

I look forward to learning alongside you and supplying tools, products, and resources that will make our jobs easier and bring both joy and financial success to all.