Local West Michigan Business Owner Announces Contributions to Assist with Oil Spill Disaster

Jenison, May 6, 2010:  As the oil slick spreads in the Gulf of Mexico, communities worldwide have started showing support for one organization that is all ready to clean up the Gulf Coast with a free, low-tech solution: booms made of recycled hosiery and hair clippings.

Matter of Trust is an environmental non-profit organization that has helped clean up oil spills in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond since 1998 by reusing donated hair clippings from hair salons, barber shops, pet groomers and wool farmers. Stuffing this donated hair into donated nylon stockings, this organization creates highly absorbent booms to contain oil spills.

Local West Michigan businesses, The Paragon School of Pet Grooming, and Whiskers Resort and Pet Spa, both founded and owned by Melissa Verplank, will be assisting with disaster relief of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Working with Matter of Trust (matteroftrust.org), Paragon and Whiskers will be donating the hair trimmed from pets during the grooming process. 

“Paragon will be acting as a collection center for at least the next 30 days and possibly beyond,” Verplank stated. “We’re thrilled to find such a worthwhile use for what is typically a waste by-product in the pet grooming process.”  

Matter of Trust has already received donations from all 50 states and several other countries. Donations include hundreds of thousands of pounds of hair, and many washed nylon pantyhose stockings, which they'll accept even with small runs or tears.

If you would like to donate clean hair or stockings, please drop your donations off at the Paragon School of Pet Grooming, located in Jenison during business hours from 7:00 am-6:00 pm Monday – Friday, or at Whiskers Resort & Pet Spa on 29^th Street in Kentwood just south of Woodland Mall, Monday – Saturday from 7:00 am -8:00 pm. Individuals may also easily send in donations to Matter of Trust by going to their sign-up website link at www.excessaccess.com  and watch an informative video clip at www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHuWyFVo62o

As I look outside my office window, I find it hard to believe that we're going to be leaving in just a few weeks for the Atlanta Pet Fair. Up here in Michigan, were still buried in snow -- in fact, someone just took out our mailbox last night with the slippery roads. Marc and I always questioned this time of year whether will actually be able to get our ‘big rig’ out of a storage barn that she stored for the winter and get it loaded with all the products for the show. Many of you have seen our horse trailer in the parking lots of the show sites or at nearby RV campgrounds. For us it's a great way to travel, we drag our house with us and if we are not traveling with horses the rig doubles as a perfect cargo trailer!

So Marc and I are scrambling to get ready for the show. Marc's job is packing the rig and getting a road ready while I put the finishing touches and four brand-new lectures that I will be presenting prior to the Atlanta Pet on Thursday, March 4. I'm excited about these lectures, a couple of them I've wanted to create for years, while one of them I really questioned if I could even do it? And Stafford, the promoter and founder of the Atlanta, asked me last year to create a lecture in handling difficult dogs. Hmmm… I've got a problem with this, I don't deal with difficult dogs! But the more I thought about it, the more I realized there is a need for a lecture like this. Our hands are livelihood and their future. Over the years I've learned a few things about keeping my hands safe while still dealing with a wide variety of personality types with pets. For full description of my lectures, I got them listed at the bottom of this blog.

I will also be judging at the show and from the reports that we're getting, the competition ring is extremely full! I absolutely love to hear this because I personally think the greatest education you can give yourself is by stepping into the ring and having your work judged. There is no better place to get a full hands-on education than in the contest arena.

And Stafford and her phenomenal team put in a super show! The Atlanta Pet Fair is always extremely busy with lots of vendors, a wide array of speakers and a fabulous grooming competition. If you haven't already preregistered for the show, I highly encourage you to take the time to get to the show and be inspired - plus there's lots of show specials going on if you are looking to purchase for your salon or your career.

For Marc and myself, the Atlanta Pet Fair is always the kickoff to the show season for those of us on the East Coast and Midwest. We're looking forward to packing up that rig and starting our drive - it always amazes us as we leave the snow behind and drive south the wonderful transition of spring by the time we actually hit Atlanta.

Happy Trimming

Melissa

Ruff Times in the Economy? What Are the 4 R’s to Keeping Your Appointment Book Full? The secret is with maximizing your Referrals, Rebooking, & Retention Rate. One of the biggest differences between a salon that has a full appointment book and a salon that does not is the ability to retain clients. Melissa will illustrate the power of growing your client base through in-house marketing efforts.

I'm a Professional Pet Stylist Not a Professional Pet Wrestler! Let face it, throughout our careers we will constantly be faced with less than cooperative pets on our grooming tables. How do you win the trust and cooperation of a pet that doesn't enjoy the grooming process? In this presentation, Melissa will discuss a rating system that easily identifies the personality of pets and will share with you tips on how to manage a challenging pet while minimizing the frustration.

Life Is a Bowl of Popcorn Opportunities abound for those who look for them. Do you have the mindset, determination, and dedication to fill your personal bowl? With over 30 years in the professional pet care industry, Melissa has seen her share of ups and downs with her own career. In this presentation she will share with you many of her personal tactics that have allowed her to keep her bowl of popcorn extremely full.

What Does It Take to Become a Premier Stylist? The key to becoming a premier stylist is through a commitment of motivation and education. Top stylists are well-trained, keenly aware, and highly skilled. So where do you go to get the knowledge that can put you on top? There is a wealth of information available to help you learn how to produce top quality work with a little bit of effort. Knowledge is the key that unlocks the door. Melissa will guide you a wealth of avenues for continued education within our industry.

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/%28S%28y2rrbu45d2z421yucrtnyz45%29%29/mileg.aspx?page=getObject&objectName=2009-SB-0786

In the spring of 2008, Michigan proprietary schools were informed the state would be enforcing an antiquated 1943 law that prohibited school owners from charging the public nominal fees for goods or services produced by the school's students. This law had not been enforced for almost twenty years. The majority proprietary school owners were totally unaware of its existence. Due to the change in the enforcement of a Michigan state law which placed constraints on the ability to generate revenue within the business, numerous schools were forced to abandon their hands-on training programs. “We vigorously struggled to have the law amended through State legislation. In the spring of 2009, we were granted a waiver to operate ‘as we have’ until the proposed bill was settled,” stated Melissa Verplank, founder of the Paragon School of Pet Grooming and author of the internationally acclaimed training guide, Notes From the Grooming Table. “We resumed our highly respected hands-on training program last summer but were still holding our breath. We are thrilled with Senate Bill No. 786 that was passed on January 4, 2010.”

Business conducted today is much different from the way it was conducted in 1943. Enforcement of this law would have had a devastating impact on many technical skills training programs throughout the state of Michigan. Today, technical training plays a vital role in training individuals to gain skillful work in our state. By amending this law with Senate Bill No. 786, it allows proprietary schools to provide training for a wide range of jobs, retaining people in the state of Michigan.

For more information on Senate Bill No. 786, go to: www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(nicrq355eijwca550beyrr55))/mileg.aspx?page=getObject&objectName=2009-SB-0786

The Paragon School of Pet Grooming was licensed by the Michigan Department of Education in December, 1991. Its founder, Melissa Verplank, has over thirty years experience within the grooming industry. Ms. Verplank is a Certified Master Groomer, an international award winning pet stylist, a team member of GroomTeam USA and a former Coordinator for GroomTeam USA. Currently she is a grooming contest judge, lecturer, author, multiple business owner, and Founder of The Paragon School of Pet Grooming.

Here in Michigan, the first snowfall of the season always seems to get us into the holiday spirit. Well, as of last night we had our first major snowfall - there's well over 8 inches of snow sitting on top of the birdfeeders outside my office window! Being involved with the pet industry for over 30 years, when I think about holidays, I think of that insane time just before Christmas hits. It always amazes me how much work we can produce within that last two weeks before Christmas. Over the years I figured out a few ways to help streamline the workload. Here are my top four tips to get through this festive season in good holiday cheer.

#1 - Organization is the key! Whether it be how you check pets in and out, how your workstation is set up or what order you bathe and dry your pets -- having a system in place that you follow religiously will allow you to confidently - and efficiently - get through your day. Make sure that all your supplies are in order and your tools are sharp. The last thing you want is to run out of shampoo, Kwik stop or have your favorite pair of shears suddenly turn up dull - making it impossible to get that beautiful finish on the coat. If you haven't already read my blog on productivity a few months back -- definitely scroll on down and take a peek!

#2 - Do as much as you can to prepare for the holiday ahead of time. By the time we get down to that last week before Christmas, the last thing you need to be thinking about is finding a gift for Aunt Catherine. Personally, I try to have all of my shopping, baking, and gift wrapping completed before December 15. ( OK – I said try… ) Our client gift packs are wrapped and ready to be handed out to the client as they check out. Special holiday bows are ready to adorn pets. Streamline and simplify. Anything that you can do ahead of time -- do so!

#3 - Take care of your best clients. During that last two weeks before the holiday, we really focus on our highly regular customers. We reserve the premiere dates just before Christmas for our best customers - those clients that come in every four weeks or less. Generally these customers are booked weeks/months in advance when we personally touch base with them and set up the dates they prefer. We start with our weekly clients and get them booked first and then move onto our biweekly customers. Next we move into our three-week clients followed by our four-week clients. We fill in any gaps with our five and six week clients. We contact all of our regulars to make sure they get the slots they want. Once we have all of our regulars taking care of, giving them the time they deserve, then we fill in the gaps with less frequent customers. For us, the last three days before Christmas is a breeze because we're dealing with only our best clients that come in constantly requiring a very limited amount of work to make their pets look amazing.

#4 - Stay energized. The one thing that happens at all salons is that your clients shower you with holiday treats. Although the holiday treats are yummy, too much of a good thing is not. If you don't have healthy choices at your fingertips so you can stay on top of your game, it's easy to fill up on all the sugary treats that surround us during the holidays.  The week before Christmas we start doing potlucks with our team. I encourage folks to abide by a few rules so that we don't get totally bogged down after a heavy meal. #1: The food item needs to be healthy.  #2: The serving should be small and easy to snatch and grab on the run. By grazing all day on healthy food choices, it keeps you and your team energized and never bogged down by a heavy meal. Plus, it’s fun to share recipes and even if you don’t cook – veggies and dip is always an easy out!

Have a wonderful - and prosperous - holiday season!
Happy Trimming,

Melissa

I just returned from Belgium where I was invited to speak and judge. Groomania is hosted by Kitty and Darren Cooke of Transgroom. I have known Kitty for almost 20 years as she was a top level international competitor at the same time I was out in the grooming contest ring. We have crossed paths many times and it's been years since I've seen her and her husband. When I got this international assignment I was thrilled not only to travel to Belgium but also to get reacquainted with old friends.

 It's been a number of years since I have been involved with the European grooming scene. Some of the changes that I really noticed quickly was that all docking and cropping of the ears and tails has been banned. Poodles, Schnauzers, and Cockers all have natural, long tails. And dogs that we routinely think of with cropped ears are left natural. Another thing that I noticed was all of their setters have shaved ears, even though the rest of the feathering is long and natural as we find it here in the United States. And clipping a terrier – well, we won't even go there. In the European countries, it's almost unheard of to clip a coat that should be and hand stripped!

 The educational show grooming competition lasted for two days. The event was held in a new facility that did a great job facilitating a great show. In one area there were six mini stages set up that were just large enough to accommodate a stylist and grooming table. At each of these mini stages was an industry expert conducting an up close and personal grooming demonstration, allowing the viewer to see clearly and ask questions about the techniques he demonstrated. Since Belgium is a multilingual country, the show hosts also provided translators at many of the stages so everybody could understand, whether they spoke English, Dutch, French, or German.

On Monday I conducted an all-day seminar at Transgroom company headquarters. Our group was small, which allowed us to get up close and personal - even all heading out to lunch together at a small local restaurant.

At one time I was traveling internationally on a regular basis with dog grooming. It was fun to get back over to Europe and compare the differences between American and European grooming. It was also wonderful to get reacquainted with old friends.

A number of years ago I was having dinner out with my family here in the states. I'll never forget when a longtime family friend who is a dentist came up to me and was inquiring about my latest travel adventures. I had just returned from one of my oversea jaunts. She just shook her head in disbelief and stated, “You're amazing. I spent years studying to become a doctor and look in people's mouths all day. You're a self-taught dog groomer and you travel the world!” You never know where this career can lead you.

Happy Trimming,

Melissa

Download - A Day With Melissa Verplank Printable PDF

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Well, we have just approached September and I feel that summer is drawing to a close. This was the first year that I allowed myself a little bit more free time to enjoy one of my passions -- horseback riding.

For me to take time away from work is extremely unusual. Earlier this summer I had a long time business friend ask if she could interview me for an upcoming Barkleigh Pet Boutique & Spa Magazine due out this fall. The column is called, “A Snapshot of Success.” Of course I said “yes” and Karla Addington-Smith sent me a dozen very challenging questions addressing the progress of my career. 

Her questions were so in depth that the only way that I could organize the way to answer them was to create a timeline of my career starting from 1977 until now. Wow -- that exercise alone was an enlightening project! I created the draft for the outline from my home office while there was a flurry of activity by Teresa Dreese, my longtime manager at Paragon, who had to keep running into my office at the training facility to check the dates on trophies and plaques that I had won through the years. When we completed the project, for the first time I realized there was rarely a year that went by that I had not accomplished a major feat that allowed my career to continually move forward. I sat back and read the timeline. I had a hard time believing it was even mine!

I find when I'm so immersed in what I do, I rarely look up or take a breath -- I just keep moving forward. As I reviewed this unbelievable timeline, I took it as a signal for me to slow down and enjoy the summer. It was wonderful! Alas, fall is in the air. There are huge opportunities, many projects and businesses sitting before me that I'm anxious to immerse myself in once again.

Make sure you pick up the latest issue of Pet Boutique & Spa to read the story that Karla Addington-Smith wrote about me. The rest of the year I'm going to be busy traveling, much of it for work. To find out where I'm headed for the rest of the year plus the projects that we are working on, make sure you check out my calendar of events here on www.MelissaVerplank.com .  

I feel refreshed and ready to push up my sleeves while I still maintain a little bit of extra time to spend on myself trying to find that perfect balance between work and pleasure. I hope everyone has had a great summer and found their personal balance between work and play.

Happy Trimming,
Melissa

    I'm sure many of you have heard the buzz! The State of Michigan has given us the green light to re-open the hands-on training programs at The Paragon School of Pet Grooming! We learned of this decision as we were submitting our annual renewal -- but the renewal was for new programs that we've been working on all last year as we worked with the Michigan Proprietary School Unit and the ridiculous law stemming from 1943 that stated we could not collect revenue from goods and services produced by our students.

We are not out of the woods yet! The State has opted not to enforce the law until House Bill #5995 is settled by the legislature. This bill has gone through many revisions over the past 12 months. The current bill has been rewritten and we fully endorse its’ current form. It would allow us to continue our hands-on training programs. We all need to keep our fingers crossed that by the end of this year, the law will be changed. This would ensure the future of not only The Paragon School of Pet Grooming but all the other proprietary schools in the state of Michigan.

By having to shut down the hands-on training, it forced us to develop new training opportunities. We set our sights on creating The Paragon Distance Learning Programs that mirrored our first-rate hands-on programs that we had offered for 16 years. We have combined an entire series of step-by-step DVDs showcasing core grooming skills with comprehensive textbook materials, workbooks, review questions and online testing for these new programs. In addition, we have also created a new employee training program called the Paragon Salon Mentoring Program, which will allow salon owners to train their own staff using the Paragon Pet Styling System.

In addition to these larger training programs, the Paragon Skill Bundle Sets are available for grooming and styling skill enhancement. The DVDs were all shot on location at the Paragon School using real, every day dogs. The DVDs showcase not only myself but also my team of Certified Master Groomers and contest level stylists. As the saying goes, you're only as good as your trainers -- our trainers are some of the best!

Right now, not only are we releasing these new learning opportunities but we are also scrambling to reopen the doors at the Paragon School. After almost a year of being primarily mothballed, we've pushed up our sleeves and are in the process of giving the school a fresh facelift. Teresa, Karen and Nicole are still trying to get some sense of normalcy in their day-to-day activities amidst the sounds of hammers, saws and the smell of fresh paint.  Meanwhile I'm busy with putting the final polish on a number of other new programs to be released later in the year.

I truly believe all things happen for a reason. The challenges of 2008 forced us to look at new avenues to help people enter the wonderful field of pet care. With everything that I create, my focus is always on quality, time efficiency and safety. I strip everything down into easy to understand terms that can be applied immediately.

Happy Trimming,

Melissa

Hi Everyone,

I love spring - I absolutely love it! The grass is growing and flowers are blooming everywhere. April showers brought May flowers and tons of dirty dogs into our grooming salons! 

All winter we have seen mostly our regular trim dogs, now as the seasons change ,so do the mix of dogs. The phones have been ringing off the hook as shedding season starts and the summer shave downs begin for those of us in seasonal climates.  

All my life I've been attracted to big furry huggable dogs; Collies, Shelties, Goldens, and of course my Bernese Mountain Dogs and Maremma Sheepdogs - all dogs that shed! I love these breeds.  I guess that is why I have always found it so satisfying to groom these big guys and transform them from dirty dogs into clean and huggable pets.  Over the years, I have learned many tricks to get them clean and smelling great. Using good products and techniques improves your efficiency and lets you turn out more clean dogs safely and with less effort on your part! 

Here are 5 tips that I always used:

 #1 - Always let the products and tools do the work for you.

#2 - Quickly go over the dog either before the bath or after the first shampooing with a high velocity dryer to help lift the dirt and debris away from the skin. This allows your shampoo to be more effective at getting the dog really clean.

 #3 - Be generous with your shampoo.

 #4 - Always follow the shampooing process with a high quality coat conditioner.

 #5 - Use your most powerful high velocity dryer in the tub to blow out the second shampoo and the conditioning treatment to minimize your physical elbow grease.

Make sure you check out my new Salvage DVD on a heavy coated dog. On it you will see “Cache’” one of my white dogs.  I let her go without a bath for three months last spring before we shot this DVD, right at the height of the mud and shedding season! If you don't think that was a challenge for me - think again!! We normally have her bathed and groomed every 2-3 weeks. She is a true farm dog who enjoys all the benefits of living on a farm, including running through the muck and playing in manure piles. Sure there are other breeds that might be more maintenance free, but I wouldn’t trade my fuzzy breeds for anything. They make me truly appreciate a clean and huggable dog and appreciated what clients look for too! 

Happy Trimming!
 
Melissa