The Melissa Verplank Story – Part II: Inventing the Grooming Curriculum
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In this video, Melissa Verplank explains how she built a grooming curriculum from the ground up. Learn how she organized her team, shared her strategies, and brought grooming education to everyone.
Tune in for teaching insights, guide development, and tips on continuing education. This special video is part of Paragon’s 30th Anniversary series, and a special sneak peek for Learn2GroomDogs members.
In this video you will learn:
- What challenges Melissa faced when creating a curriculum
- Which came first, Notes from the Grooming Table or Theory of 5
- How education continuously evolves with technology
- How to build consistency for your team
Melissa Verplank
Melissa Verplank - CMG, has over 30 years’ experience in the pet grooming industry. Her mastery of grooming techniques has won her numerous awards on a national & international level earning her the right to become a team member on GroomTeam USA. She has been the GroomTeam Coordinator and currently sits on the Board of GroomTeam USA. Ms. Verplank is an industry speaker, author, two time Cardinal Crystal Achievement award winner, Barkleigh Honors award winner and contest grooming judge.
During her formative years she ran a fleet of mobile grooming units and a busy grooming salon. In 1992, Verplank founded one of the Midwest's largest and progressive pet styling training centers; The Paragon School of Pet Grooming Inc. in Jenison, Michigan. Ms. Verplank realized the need for quality training and reference materials. To meet that need she created White Dog Enterprises Inc., a business which develops creative learning products for the professional pet stylist. The leading products for this company are Notes From the Grooming Table, The Theory of Five, and core-skill method training videos geared to training professional pet groomers. In 2007 she opened Whiskers Resort & Pet Spa. The resort has become the premier boarding facility in the west Michigan area offering luxury accommodations for boarding, daycare, grooming, and pet training. In 2010, Melissa launched her latest educational business, Learn2GroomDogs.com, an on-line streaming video library of educational material for all levels of professional pet grooming and styling.
Most recently, Melissa has earned the 2016 Barkleigh Honors Award for Book of the Year with the release of the second edition of Notes From the Grooming Table. Her website, Learn2GroomDogs.com also was its third consecutive Barkleigh Honors Award for Website of the Year.