In just four years Stephanie Zikmann has gone from being a local dog groomer to an authority worldwide as The Holistic Dog Groomer.
Sheโs written a book that led to a series of childrenโs books, has a regular column in Edition Dog magazine, runs the Holistic Grooming Academy and has spoken at events all over the world.
Stephanieโs passion is the emotional and physical needs of her canine clients, bringing pet professionals from all backgrounds together to make their lives better.
Sheโs revolutionised grooming and through her academy sheโs changed the lives of hundreds of groomers and how thousands of dogs are cared for.
By being bold and putting opinions out there that not everyone agrees with has meant Stephanie has seen the dark side of what happens when youโre in the public eye.
After sharing her thoughts on Pooch Perfect, she experienced death threats which caused huge distress.
But Stephanie took time out, built herself up and bounced back much stronger.
Now she incorporates the emotional toolkit she built for herself into her training to support her students.
Stephanie has so much to share in this episode and you can listen in on the player link below or read the key topics covered as blog post.
Can you tell us about how you came to the pet industry?
โIโm Stephanie, I’m known as the Holistic Dog Groomer and operate at my clinic in Scotland and also run the internationally accredited distance learning college – the Holistic Grooming Academy.
โI used to be a DJ but my change of career was spurred on by the unsociable hours and wanting to have a family.
โAt this time I had four dogs and I would groom them often, it was my way to calm down after a busy week at work.
โWhen I had a family it was a no brainer – I decided to kill two birds with one stone, work with dogs which I absolutely loved and also look after my mental health.โ
Can you explain what Holistic Dog Grooming is?
โYes, when I first started in 2018 holistic grooming was heavily focused on products, more towards โspaโ style pampering.
โAs Iโve evolved with my own education itโs about the environment, and adopting a holistic approach to treating the animal, considering its history, lifestyle, medication, all aspects of care and using that information to enhance the grooming environment.
โIt can sound complex but essentially we adapt the environment to suit the needs of the individual dog.
โWhen I first came into the grooming industry it was a very divided sector – behaviour was one thing, training was another.
โItโs about bringing training, behaviour and grooming together to create a safe and kind environment to help you groom them in the best way possible.โ
How did you go about getting your alternative approach out there?
โI looked for specific clients who were interested in my approach.
โThis captured the interest of local reporters who published an article about me being a groomer providing spa treatments for dogs which was picked up by the BBC.
โThey asked me to come on and talk about the benefits of enhancing the bond between handler and dog. This was the catalyst to really raising my profile.
โThen I started a column in Edition Dog magazine, the first Holistic Magazine for dogs which was an amazing opportunity.
โI love writing and continue to write articles, both for my own website and social media and I recently wrote about Imposter Syndrome in Entrepreneur Europe.โ
Wow and youโve written a book too, the Magic of Holistic Grooming?
โYes, with the Holistic Grooming academy, Iโve build a community sharing articles and behind the scenes videos on Facebook.
โIn my book, The Magic of Holistic Grooming I share my opinions and identify flaws in the industry.
โThis was a best-seller in seven categories on Amazon, and itโs meant people see me as more credible and take my work seriously.
โThe book and the media coverage have helped build my authority so Iโm able to work with students all over the world.โ
Find Steph’s book on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magic-Holistic-Grooming-No-Nonsense-Pawsitively/dp/152728848X
Youโve experienced the dark side too, can you tell us about this?
โI published an article on my website about holistic grooming, while the TV show Pooch Perfect was on.
โMy opinion was that it didnโt do groomers justice and it was picked up by a grooming organisation who wanted to share it on their platform.
โAfter they published it they got numerous death threats from numerous groomers who werenโt happy about the content, and as the writer of the article, I had death threats too.โ
How did you cope?
โItโs really difficult because feelings of imposter syndrome creep up and I was aware people would be unhappy about what I was putting out there because I was a newcomer.
โBut I wasnโt prepared for the backlash. I cried, I came offline, I spoke to my husband and even he was stunned I did a Digital Detox but I had to.
โWhat really helped at the time was speaking with you and the people in your community and my friends and having reassurance from people that I trust.
โWhen I came back I removed anyone who had given me a hard time and focused on making content for the people who really wanted to hear my message.โ
And you kept going?
โYes, I have to thank my husband because heโs very positive and optimistic. He made me listen to a lot of motivational speakers.
โThere was one from Les Brown, and he said, โSomeoneโs opinion of you doesnโt have to become your reality.โ
โIn time, the thoughts and the beliefs of these people didnโt matter to me anymore because I knew in my heart I was doing right.
โI realised that although I was a newcomer it didnโt make me any less valid when it comes to teaching and coaching and I have a great support network which helped me keep going.โ
What you learn around building resilience?
โBeing self-employed is really tough. But if you know in your heart what youโre doing then thereโs no other option than to keep going.
โOne important thing is to stay true to your core values, to be able to say โnoโ to people if they donโt fit with your beliefs, Iโve done this numerous times.
โAnyone who is self employed, keep going, be open to listen and learn and keep the faith!
โIdentify your strengths and see your weaknesses as an opportunity to grow! If weโre not compassionate to ourselves, we canโt be towards others.
โI now cover self care and building resilience as part of my programme in the academy as itโs so important.โ
Whatโs next for you?
โIโve been working on a training manual for groomers. So Iโm almost finished and ready to send it off!
โInside the Holistic Grooming Academy we have more courses and a holistic cat grooming course, and a horse grooming course as well!
โHolistic grooming is going further than the dog world and itโs great to see people who are passionate about creating a kinder grooming environment for all animals.โ
Find out more about Stephanie at https://www.stephaniezikmann.com/
Learn about Holistic Grooming at https://courses.holisticgroomingacademy.com/
Read Stephanieโs article in Entrepreneur: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/380502
Check out her profile on the Edition Dog website: https://editiondog.com/pages/stephanie-zikmann
If you enjoyed this post, you might like In the Spotlight with Katie Gwilt, the Kat Lady, or In the Spotlight with Sarah Jones from My Anxious Dog, or How to cope with criticism from people in your industry.