Amie started in the pet industry shortly after college,  taking a retail management position with a well known corporation.  She moved into the grooming salon at the invitation of her salon manager,  and never looked back. She has worked as a groomer and as a salon manager in corporate settings, private shops, vet grooming,  mobile grooming,  and now she owns and operates her own salon.

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Growing up,  she was always in “gifted” and “honors” classes but all her report cards were Cs and Bs, with comments like “daydreams” and “chatty” and “needs to apply herself.” It wasn’t until she was 20 and her little brother was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder, that she ever heard of such a thing. But suddenly,  everything made sense. However, the damage was done. She had been a lousy student coasting by on charm and good test scores. Until college, which was a disaster.

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She was good at retail management because it always kept you moving, save for those horribly boring meetings. But she didn’t really feel useful until she got into grooming. She felt a connection with pets that seemed beyond the average pet lover. She understood them. They understood her.

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Its been almost 22 years, and while she sometimes faces difficulties, she still finds grooming rewarding. Some experiences have been better than others, but all have been a chance to learn. She looks forward to sharing some of those experiences with other Neurodivergent Groomers.

Angela Mondor is also known as The Geeky Girl – technology has been a part of her life for as long as she can remember, and she enjoys sharing her love of technology with those around her.

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Angela specializes in helping entrepreneurs build amazing teams using processes, systems & time management. Taking care of these three aspects of their business builds an amazing team and increases productivity while allowing the business owner to focus on business growth without feeling overwhelmed and while working fewer hours.

Anjie Coates has been grooming for 33 years. She has devoted many of those years to teaching others to groom. Some have been neurodiverse and have enjoyed a long career in grooming. People with neurodiversity learn better when taught in ways to help them work with the strengths they possess in order to become a groomer. Grooming doesn’t always need to be taught in one manner, and this is one of the greatest things about our industry.

Laura Civello Hearn has been grooming for over 15 years and has been a house-call groomer for over a decade.
She always knew she was different, and was diagnosed with ADHD at age 8. Though she’s had many challenges when it comes to learning and communicating, she believes her neurodiverse brain is what made her the person and groomer she is today.

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She is CPR/First Aid Certified, president of the New York State Grooming Association, and a Certified Canine Esthetician. She also authored the best selling Barkleigh Nominated book, “A Practical Guide to House-call Grooming.”
Laura currently resides in Syracuse, NY with her family that includes spouse, child, and multiple furry critters.

Lory Belanger has sharpened her grooming skills over the course of 18 years as a Professional Advanced Master Stylist. Lory is the Lead Instructor and General Manager of The Whole Pet Grooming Academy where she develops the curriculum, policies and procedures to create a well rounded environment for the education of apprentice stylists of the academy as well as professional stylists.

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Lory is certified in Pet First Aid and CPR and is an AKC Salon Safe Groomer, as well as trained in Fear Free Grooming.  Currently a member of the International Society of Canine Cosmetologist, International Boarding and Pet Services Association and one of the founding participants of the Master Groomer Council of Best Practices, Lory continues her studies to become a Master Groomer through the International Professional Groomers and as a Master Pet Aesthetician. 

Michelle Knowles, MPAI, ICMG, owner of All Things Paw, has over 30 years of experience as a private and professional pet care provider. Michelle is a Certified Master Groomer and a Master Pet Aesthetician. She has apprenticed, volunteered, worked, owned and managed in salons, kennels, zoos, and veterinary hospitals across the country. Michelle has also been trained in Tuscany, Italy in therapeutic work, hand stripping and advanced dermatological care. Michelle wrote the foundation of the ISB esthetician program and has  extensive experience with fear and trauma recovery, elderly pets, and a focus on managing allergic/dermatological disorders. Michelle is certified through NDGAA, IPG, The Whole Pet Academy, and teaches advanced aesthetics at the Whole Pet Grooming Academy and is a nationally recognized speaker in her field.

Dr. Sacheen Mobley is an author, podcast host, course creator, and entrepreneur. She is the owner of LLYB Communication and the mom of one amazing little boy. Dr. Sacheen focuses on helping women over 40 transition into the best life ever by overcoming the fear of failure, beating impostor syndrome, and creating a blueprint for the life they want. She has written an Amazon best-seller, “So, You’re Getting Divorced?” and her latest book, The Anxiety Solution, is available now. You can find Dr. Sacheen hosting her once-weekly podcast, Life Unlocked w/ Dr. Sacheen, live on YouTube.