Sam Kohl is dog grooming.<\/p>\n
His roots in education run deep and his contributions to the industry reach far and wide. As a visionary with a talent for creating resources and tools for pet groomers around the world, he started the very first nationally recognized pet grooming school and has authored some of the most influential publications about grooming dogs in existence today. His innovative tools have changed the working lives of pet groomers everywhere\u2014and he doesn\u2019t seem to be stopping anytime soon.<\/p>\n
Sam took some time from his busy schedule to chat with me and share his incredible journey in the pet grooming industry\u2026<\/p>\n
Jonathan:<\/em><\/strong> Hi Sam, I\u2019m so excited to share your legacy with\u00a0our readers. You\u2019ve contributed so much of your life to this industry and have done so much for groomers. Tell me about the very beginning of your career in the pet industry; where did it all begin?<\/p>\n Sam:<\/em><\/strong> I always wanted to be involved in the animal\u00a0world. As a youngster, I dreamed of becoming a farmer. So, in high school, I enrolled in an agricultural course in Queens, NY.\u00a0 Later, after I was discharged from the Marine Corps, I opened three businesses on the side; a tropical fish store and two small pet shops.\u00a0None of the three were profitable, so I closed them after a while.\u00a0<\/p>\n My next move was to take a course in a small, new school called \u201cThe New York School of Dog Grooming.\u201d After graduation, I took a job in a pet shop that was located in a department store in Harlem. This gave me the idea to open a grooming shop close to that pet shop. \u00a0I then went downtown to the grooming school to buy all the supplies and equipment to open my own grooming shop, and this was when I got my big break! Ben Stone, the school\u2019s director, surprised me by offering to sell me a 50% share in the school!\u00a0Without a second\u2019s hesitation I said, \u201cOf course I\u2019ll do it!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Two years later, I bought the other half of the school.\u00a0It was then that I was able to make major improvements. I turned the New York School of Dog Grooming\u00a0into the\u00a0New York State Department\u2019s first and only licensed school of dog grooming in New York State, and first in the entire country! I improved and lengthened the courses, converted four apartments in the school building into dormitories and received permission to teach foreign students to learn to groom. I hired a manager and brought my wife, Cynthia, on board to manage the office, and me.<\/p>\n Jonathan:<\/em><\/strong> That\u2019s quite a beginning! And that leads me to my next question\u2026In 1972, you published your first grooming book, The All Breed Dog Grooming Guide,<\/em> arguably one of the most popular grooming guides of all time. There wasn\u2019t anything like it available on the market. Where did the inspiration come from and what was the process for such a new concept?<\/p>\n Sam:<\/em><\/strong> Well, now we needed a textbook to\u00a0work with so that we could adhere to a unified course of study.\u00a0The problem was there was nothing sufficient available at the time to solve this critical problem.\u00a0I contacted all the dog breed clubs to ask them exactly how their particular breed should be groomed in a pet style.\u00a0To add to this, I also contacted established AKC dog breeders around the country for their input on grooming pets that could look as good as show dogs.\u00a0And that\u2019s how my first book was born. This was what started the dog grooming industry as we know it today.\u00a0<\/p>\n Jonathan:<\/em><\/strong> Since that very first grooming\u00a0guide, you\u2019ve authored multiple books with multiple editions for the grooming industry and for pet owners alike. Clearly education is a passion of yours. Where does that passion for continuing education and professional improvement derive from?<\/p>\n Sam:<\/em><\/strong> Imagine how many people have\u00a0learned to groom, worldwide, from the over 100,000 sales of my\u00a0All Breed Dog Grooming Guide<\/em> books. Because of my book as a learning tool and my New York School of Dog Grooming that graduated over 20,000 students, these graduates began teaching others to groom; accounting for a large part of the groomers worldwide today.\u00a0Our school also graduated at least 10 people who opened their own grooming schools. My passion comes from helping so many people become better at what they do and love\u2026dogs.<\/p>\n Jonathan:<\/em><\/strong> Your talents and\u00a0contributions aren\u2019t limited to writing books. You\u2019ve also designed and developed countless tools to assist pet groomers under your brand, AARONCO\u00ae Pet Products Inc. Where does your inspiration for new products come from?<\/p>\n Sam:<\/em><\/strong> Years before I created AARONCO,\u00a0I contributed to our industry by giving ideas for new products to other companies, free of charge. I saw the success of my ideas and knew I had to design for myself. I now design my products only for AARONCO.\u00a0 My ideas emanate from what is needed for the benefit of the groomers\u2019 hands and the dogs\u2019 bodies.\u00a0I am as thrilled with each product I design as one might be with a newborn baby.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n I\u2019m currently working on several more new designs, but my problem now is finding more time to do them. Another enjoyment for me in producing new tools is in the naming of each one.\u00a0It keeps me up about an hour each night thinking of the perfect names, but I love it.<\/p>\n \u00a0Jonathan:<\/em><\/strong> All your contributions,\u00a0publications and well-designed products certainly haven\u2019t gone unnoticed. You\u2019ve been the recipient of countless awards in the industry. I\u2019m sure it would be hard to choose, but if you had to pick one award that\u2019s been the most significant, what would it be?<\/p>\n Sam:<\/em><\/strong> Well, I have two. One is more of\u00a0an accomplishment and the other is an award.\u00a0 The accomplishment that no one is aware of and that I am very proud of was, I think it was about 1975, when I got angry thinking how little attention the dog world was receiving from the media.\u00a0 The Westminster Dog Show had just ended and not a word of it was mentioned in the press or on TV. I sat down and wrote postcards with a thick, black marker to two newspapers and two TV stations saying:\u00a0\u201cAMERICA\u2019S SECOND OLDEST SPORTING EVENT\u00a0JUST FINISHED AND YOU BLEW IT!\u201d\u00a0 Well, the next year, every one of them and others featured the dog show, and have been featuring dog shows on their newscasts and columns ever since!<\/p>\n The award I\u2019m most proud of is the \u201cLifetime Achievement Award\u201d from the late, great Sally Liddick and Barkleigh. She was truly a giant of our industry, and her approval and recognition meant everything to me.\u00a0<\/p>\n Jonathan:<\/em><\/strong> Well, I think you\u2019ve certainly\u00a0made Sally proud. And being one of the founders of this industry, you\u2019ve watched it grow and change and improve through the years, in large part because of your contributions. What piece of advice would you give to the newest generation of groomers who may some day make their own mark in the industry?\u00a0<\/p>\n Sam:<\/em><\/strong> My advice to new groomers\u2014and\u00a0all groomers for that matter\u2014is to read books, watch the videos, buy the new tools and develop your own opinions about what works best for you. Attend industry trade shows and never ever stop improving!<\/p>\n Jonathan:<\/em><\/strong> Sage advice from one of the greatest inspirations in our industry! Thank you for sharing your story and advice with us, you truly have been an asset to groomers everywhere. \u2702\ufe0f<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.groomertogroomer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/pg37.jpg?resize=300%2C395&ssl=1\")
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