Why Checklists Are The Secret Weapon You’re Probably Under-Using
Why Checklists Are the Secret Weapon You’re Probably Under-Using I don’t know about you, but spending hours wandering a grocery store is my idea of torture—especially when I have to hit four different stores to get everything I need. That’s exactly why shopping lists are non-negotiable for me. A list keeps me focused, saves money, and gets me in and out without tossing random items into my cart just because they caught my eye. Five aisles at Walmart beats roaming the entire store every time. That same principle applies beautifully to your business. A checklist does more than remind you what to do—it removes decision fatigue, reduces errors, and saves time. When tasks are written out clearly and logically, you’re no longer relying on memory or redoing work because a step was missed. Repetitive tasks become faster, smoother, and far less stressful. In a grooming environment, checklists are pure gold. A cleaning checklist can outline each task in the most efficient order and clarify who is responsible for what. A client check-in checklist ensures nothing important is missed—so you’re not stopping mid-groom to track down an owner for information you should’ve collected upfront. Opening and closing checklists create consistency, making sure every day starts and ends the same way, no matter who’s working. And here’s the magic part: checklists train your brain. When you follow the same steps repeatedly, your brain forms routines—and routines dramatically speed things up. Think back to when you first started grooming. How long did those early grooms take compared to now? Once both you and the pet knew what came next, everything flowed better. The same thing happens with business tasks when you use checklists consistently. I proudly call myself the Queen of Checklists. I have one for just about everything—and it’s the reason I can juggle four nonprofit boards, create workshops, write blogs and articles, produce two podcasts, and still have time left at the end of the day. Checklists don’t just organize tasks; they protect your time. When your business runs on systems instead of memory, you free yourself up to go home, shut the door, and actually enjoy your time off—without wondering if you forgot something important. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to print my updated trade show checklist.
What Bad Teeth Can Teach Us About Biting Dogs
What Bad Teeth Can Teach Us About Biting Dogs Back in the Stone Age—when phones were attached to walls and voicemail lived on a cassette inside something called an answering machine—I came home one evening to a completely full message box. That alone was impressive, since I had cleared it the night before. The culprit? Muffin and Princess’s mom. She had left me an hour-long message explaining, in great detail, how her delightful Shih Tzus would never bite a groomer unless that groomer was mean. She needed a nice groomer. The message included a passionate account of the alleged torture her babies had endured at the hands of other, clearly unhinged professionals. After the first fifteen minutes, I fast-forwarded to get the gist. Wanting to avoid spending another hour on the phone, I started our conversation with my happy price. She promptly decided to find another “nice groomer.” But here’s the thing I didn’t fully consider at the time: What if there was a kernel of truth buried in that hour-long rant? What if Muffin and Princess didn’t bite because groomers were mean—but because their mouths hurt? Pain Changes Behavior Many pet owners don’t connect poor dental health with pain. Pets can’t tell us their teeth ache, but they can tell us they don’t want vibrating clippers or unfamiliar hands near their face. If a pet’s mouth hurts, they will protect it.That protection can look like flinching, snapping, growling—or biting. This is one of the many reasons a nose-to-tail assessment at check-in is essential for every pet, every visit. Not just for coat condition—but for safety, communication, and professionalism. A word of caution: never open a pet’s mouth casually. Any pet can be a bite risk. Approach carefully, observe first, and use restraint and assistance when needed. Why Dental Awareness Matters for Groomers Being aware of dental pain benefits you in three important ways: 1. Awareness of Behavioral Problems Think about how you feel with a toothache. Now imagine living with that pain and having someone reach toward your face with clippers or scissors. Small dogs, in particular, are more prone to periodontal disease—which helps explain why face handling is such a common trigger for bites in smaller breeds. Recognizing this allows groomers to adjust handling, timing, and expectations, keeping both pets and people safer. 2. Establishing Authority Through Education Many owners don’t realize that poor oral health is linked to serious systemic diseases, including heart, kidney, liver, and lung disease. Bacteria from infected gums can enter the bloodstream and weaken the immune system over time. Veterinary professionals often estimate that improving dental health can extend a pet’s life by three to five years—not to mention reduce long-term veterinary costs. Important note: lack of dental care is often due to lack of knowledge, not neglect. Educate—don’t shame. Compassion builds trust. 3. Increasing Your Bottom Line (Ethically) This benefit is twofold: • Longevity: healthier pets stay on grooming schedules longer• Retail: dental products are small, easy to stock, and highly beneficial It makes little financial sense to spend time educating clients about dental care—only to send them elsewhere to purchase products. Starting the Conversation With Clients The check-in assessment is the perfect time to open a dialogue about dental health. Signs groomers may notice include:• Flinching or pulling away• Quivering lips• Growling, snapping, or hissing• Red, swollen, or bleeding gums• Tartar buildup• Visible tooth roots or bulging crowns• Open sores or ulcers on the face or mouth• Bad breath Ask owners if they’ve noticed:• Face rubbing on floors or furniture• Difficulty eating or loss of appetite• Preference for softer foods• Increased sleeping Together, these signs strongly suggest periodontal disease. What Is Periodontal Disease? Periodontal disease develops gradually. Food particles and bacteria form plaque, a milky film that appears daily. Within three to five days, plaque hardens into tartar (calculus). Tartar irritates the gums, leading to gingivitis. Left untreated, inflammation spreads below the gum line, forming pockets that trap bacteria, cause abscesses, bone loss, and significant pain. Ways Groomers Can Help Easy Options • High-quality dental treats without hidden sugars• Dental toys with nubs (gum massage) or ropes (natural flossing) Moderate Effort • Chlorhexidine wipes used several times weekly• Dental gels applied along the gum line Maximum Effort • Daily tooth brushing with pet-safe toothpaste only(Human toothpaste contains detergents and fluoride that can cause GI upset.) When disease is advanced, referral to a veterinarian is essential. Why This Matters Educating clients about dental care improves behavior, safety, and overall health. It builds trust, strengthens your professional role, supports ethical retail, and—most importantly—helps pets live longer, more comfortable lives. And at the end of the day, isn’t that why we do what we do?
Is Your Business Still Serving The Life You Want To Live?
Is Your Business Still Serving The Life You Want To Live? Is Your Business Supporting You? About once a year, I step back and ask an important question: Is my business still serving me? I do this because my business exists to support my life—not the other way around. If it no longer aligns with who I am or what I need, the sooner I recognize that, the sooner I can make meaningful changes. A business is a tool. Its job is to fund your lifestyle, not drain your energy or trap you in a version of success that no longer fits. When I compared last year’s evaluation to this year’s, one thing became clear: my needs have changed. And that’s not a failure—it’s growth. I want to challenge you to take a similar look at your profession or business. This isn’t about whether it pays your bills. It’s about whether it supports the life you want to live. To do that honestly, I invite you to look at your work through four distinct perspectives. 1. How Does Your Business Benefit You Personally? For me, the answer starts with freedom. I support myself doing work I genuinely love—teaching. I was a stay-at-home mom until my youngest was sixteen. Before that, I depended on someone else to bring income into our household. Entering the workforce didn’t just bring financial stability—it brought choice. Having discretionary income for the first time was liberating. Being able to buy something because I wanted it, not because it was necessary, changed how I viewed my independence and my worth. 2. How Does Your Business Benefit Your Family or Inner Circle? My work allows me to pass along skills that aren’t taught in school—planning, follow-through, goal setting. I feel uniquely positioned to teach my grandchildren how to turn ideas into action and dreams into achievable plans. That’s a gift. And it’s one that extends far beyond income. 3. How Does Your Work Benefit Your Profession? For me, this is about legacy. My goal is to legitimize and expand access to online education in the pet industry. I want to mentor the next generation of professional pet educators and help raise the standard of learning and leadership in our field. When your work contributes to the growth of your profession, it becomes bigger than you—and deeply fulfilling. 4. How Does Your Business Impact Your Clients? I want the people who take my programs to see themselves as skilled professionals—confident, capable, and deserving of respect. When your work empowers others, it creates ripple effects you may never fully see, but they matter just the same. A Thoughtful Time to Reflect For pet professionals, the best time to conduct this kind of review is either before the holiday rush or just after it ends—when your focus isn’t scattered in a million directions. Your business should evolve as you do. If it no longer fits, that’s not a problem—it’s information. And information gives you options. So ask yourself honestly:Is your business supporting the life you want to live now? If not, it may be time to realign the tool you built so it works for you again.
Organized Chaos: How I Finally Mastered My Time (Mostly)
Recently, I was affectionately dubbed a Chaos Goblin thanks to my unscripted approach to podcasting—much to Chris’s dismay. And honestly? I’ve embraced it. It perfectly captures my natural operating system. I’ve spent years learning how time management actually works for me. I’m incredibly organized… right up until I consciously choose chaos. And oddly enough, that balance has become one of my greatest strengths. But first, fellow Chaos Goblins, let’s address the biggest myth in productivity culture: “We all have the same 24 hours in a day.” Cue the dramatic eye roll. The truth is—everyone’s 24 hours are wildly different. Maybe you’re:• A single parent• Managing kids’ schedules, activities, meals, and meltdowns• Caring for an aging parent, partner, or child• Living with chronic health issues• Neurodivergent and navigating time blindness• Juggling responsibilities most people never see Your available time isn’t fixed.Mine looks nothing like it did five years ago—or even last year. Attention Spans Matter (More Than You Think) Let’s throw another variable into the mix: focus. Under perfect conditions, I can concentrate for about an hour. But most days? Thirty minutes is my sweet spot. When I try to push past that, everything takes longer than if I’d simply worked in focused half-hour blocks. So ask yourself:• What is your real attention span?• What environments help you focus better?• Where are you forcing productivity instead of working with your brain? Because trying to power through burnout rarely saves time—it usually wastes it. Your Best Work Hours May Have Changed There was a time when I jumped out of bed at 6 a.m. ready to conquer the world. Now? I start my day around 11. My brain-power window kicks in after noon, peaks until about 4, and then I switch to lighter tasks for another hour or so. And that’s okay. Productivity isn’t about working longer—it’s about working smarter during your natural high-focus periods. When Ego Becomes the Time Thief Let’s talk about the productivity killer we don’t like admitting: “Only I can do it right.” Sound familiar? After spending three days wrestling with a tech issue on my website, I finally got over myself. Now I follow a simple rule: if I can’t solve it in 15 minutes, I ask for help. Delegating doesn’t mean failing.It means valuing your time. Chaos Goblins, Here’s How We Fix It The hard part isn’t managing time—it’s understanding where it’s actually going. Start by tracking it. Grab a notebook or use your phone and write down:• What you do• When you do it• How long it takes Patterns will appear quickly. Some fixes will be obvious. Others will surprise you. Ask yourself:• What tasks can be batched together?• Where is your focus dropping off?• What can be outsourced or delegated? (Pro tip: when you suddenly find yourself Googling lawn shrimp, it’s time for a break. Yes, that’s oddly specific. And yes, I now know far too much about lawn shrimp.) The Tools That Actually Work for Me ⏰ Alarms (lots of them)I set multiple reminders for appointments, work blocks, and “pay attention” moments when I know I’ll get absorbed in something. 📓 A real paper plannerNot a cute coloring journal—an actual functional planner.My favorite is The Savvy Groomer’s Planner because it’s straightforward and efficient. If decorative planning is your thing, Etsy has endless options. 🤝 Accountability & co-working sessionsUsually done over Zoom—no chatting, just focused work together. These sessions help me stretch my usual 30-minute focus into productive full hours. (I don’t use online productivity apps—that’s another article entirely.) A Final Word on Balance Here’s the thing about extreme organization: when taken too far, it can crush creativity. Structure should support your life—not suffocate it. That’s why I proudly embrace my Chaos Goblin energy (even if Chris suffers through it during podcast recordings). But I can promise you this:finding the time-management system that works for your brain is absolutely life-changing. Not someone else’s routine.Not a viral productivity hack.Yours. When you work with your natural rhythms instead of fighting them, you’ll get more done—with less stress and a lot more joy. And that, my fellow Chaos Goblins, is real productivity.