HI, I'M KAREN,

A partner, mother, dog groomer, maths geek and business coach. But they're just titles! 

Who am I really? 

I'm someone who wants more for the dog grooming industry.

Why?

Because I AM a dog groomer and I know the frustrations many of you face...

...the feeling of being walked all over by clients, the disrespect of no-shows, the sadness of clipping off a matted coat yet the owner won't listen and learn. The resentment that builds when you work SO HARD, but still don't earn enough to reflect it? 

Hitting a nerve yet? 

I'm someone who can see a future where groomers are seen as skilled professionals, not by the minority but by the general public.

I can see a future where we're listened to! Respected! And can demand abundant salaries from our businesses that reflect our skills...!

I can see a future where matted dogs are a rarity because we as an industry have learned how to educate owners so they actually listen! 

I can see a future where groomers have the business knowledge to maintain control AND enjoyment in their roles.

And I'm on a mission to build that future! 

You joining me?  

MY STORY

Like many others, I chose to become a dog groomer because I loved being with dogs. Their energy, their love, their company, plus the thought of self-employment and the promise of independence & control that implied...(hmm).

So aged 28, in 2009, I left my career in the Aviation Industry and trained to become a groomer. 

I went through the same rites of passage that many new groomers still experience today - the dodgy grooms, the price chasing flaky clients, the crippling imposter syndrome..

But slowly I grew a fully booked dog grooming business and expanded with regards to staff and premises in a matter of 3 years (whilst welcoming my first child along the way). 

Then the inevitable happened. I burned out!!! 

Over the years, I had grown my business to a stage where I simply could no longer cope with it's demands. From the grooming to the cleaning to the admin to marketing... it was all too much, especially as a new mum with family commitments to juggle. 

My passion for my business and grooming was dwindling fast! The tasks to get it back on track seemed overwhelming and I wasn't sure where to start. Customers frustrated me and I began to look for the exit!! 

So, I enrolled on a Mathematics degree with the Open University with a view to leaving grooming & becoming a teacher. However, the unexpected happened! My studies didn't help me find a path out of grooming. They helped me see reasons to stay! 

I learned about pricing structures and business finance, I swapped pure math modules for business ones and gradually educated myself in ways to improve my grooming business. 

After two years of my degree however, life decided to "life" itself, as it occasionally does and the pandemic hit. Suddenly I was at home with a toddler, a 7 year old to home school and a mum with an Alzheimer's diagnosis. My degree was halted as I simply couldn't study and juggle my new normal in 2020. 

However, when normality resumed and my dog grooming business could resume, things were very different! 

My studies meant I now ran my dog grooming business with full clarity and control. I had the financial knowledge to draw a healthy salary from my grooming business, (without the need to constantly sell add-ons), I upheld boundaries and policies with my clients with warmth and professionalism and most importantly I regained my love of grooming. 

The Grooming Goddess Academy is an embodiment of the changes I made and the vehicle I now use to educate and support other female groomers to gain the success and balance I created for myself.

Since then, I have trained to be a coach, spoken at industry events such as MasterGroom and the Pet Pro Expo, taught students at grooming colleges about the business of dog grooming and welcomed over 200 women inside the doors of The Grooming Goddess Academy membership. 

My seasonal podcast "The Dog Groomers' 2026 Reset" was highly acclaimed by Colin Taylor and the Academy has featured in Total Grooming Magazine several times with a front cover in June 2025. 

2026 is the next chapter for the academy. We are expanding our range of courses and business resources, specifically for dog groomers, and as a coach and speaker, I look forward to meeting more groomers at events and colleges. 

Please visit the 'Ways to work with me' tab above if you would like to see how the Academy can help you.