Theory of 5 Series Episode 3: Tips for Ear Styles

Amy Triezenberg

Ever since Amy Triezenberg can remember, she has always love animals and wanted to work with them. She grew up in South Holland IL, and was home schooled her whole life. Amy attended Great Lakes Academy of Dog Grooming when she was 17.

She competed in her first grooming contest while still in grooming school and won 3rd place. After competing in regular classes for a while, Amy started competing in creative styling.
She went on to win multiple awards in creative including, the People’s Choice Award, and the cover of Groomer to Groomer magazine 2007, with her three- legged poodle ‘Falore’ with her Fallen Solider design.

After success in the creative styling arena, she resumed her focused on regular grooming classes. With hard work, she earned her slot as a Top 10 GroomTeam Member in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2016. Amy has also won, The Liz Paul Best Scissored Poodle Award, multiple Best All Around Groomer Awards, and Best in Show at the 2012 Atlanta Per Fair with her signature ‘Poodlington’ trim.

Amy was the manager of an exclusive, high volume salon, which she loved. However, she made the difficult decision to leave that role with the birth of her first child. She chose a grooming job closer to her home. Three children later, she and her husband decided to open a home-based grooming salon. The flexible hours allow her to spend quality time with her family and dogs.

Amy has written articles for Groomer to Grooming magazine and enjoys sharing what she has learned with private coaching and seminars.

Amy has shown her Kerry Blue Terrier in AKC conformation shows and working on her IPG Certification. She has always appreciated all the people that have helped her along the way. She looks forward to helping others the way that others have helped her.

Currently, she pursues her passion; the education side of grooming. “I love pouring my heart into helping others learn.”

Kendra Otto

Kendra Otto graduated from The Great Lakes Academy of Professional Pet Styling in 1997. She was ranked in the Top 10 on GroomTeam USA stylists for four years in a row from 2007 to 2010. Additionally, she was ranked at the #1 stylist in the state of Illinois during that same time period.

To date, Kendra has won multiple Best in Show/Best All Around Groomer awards; multiple creative styling awards, Artistic Innovation award; The Liz Paul Scissoring Award; The Will Stone Award for Kindness to Animals; and several Rescue Rodeos... She was invited to participate in the jackpot contest at Superzoo in Las Vegas in 2009. There she placed 6th out of 50 competitors with a Scottish Terrier. She was honored to be the first recipient of the Groomy Spirit Award, and a nominee for 2009 Cardinal Crystal American Groomer of the Year. She was the first competitor to bring the Rustic Coated Hungarian Pumi into the grooming contest arena where she won 1st place! Kendra was also the creator of the feline ‘Barbary Lion Cut’ in honor of the nearly extinct Barbary Lion.

In 2013 Kendra opened her own salon called The UpScale Tail Pet Salon. Ltd. in Naperville, IL. The Upscale Pet is recognized as one of the premier Pet Grooming salons in Naperville. They have won several awards including, “Best of Naperville” Pet Age Silver Award. The salon’s focus is to promote great pet health and wellbeing, create a trusting relationship with pets and their owners while providing excellent safety and quality services.

Kendra is a published author in industry related magazines. She has also been featured in several pet grooming training videos via Andis home grooming tools; YouTube videos; Learn2GroomDogs.com. Plus, she has been a host for GroomerTV. She’s a certified judge with; International Judges Association and a United Show Managers Alliance.

She holds certifications with The International Professional Groomers Association; National Dog Groomers Association of America; Pet Tech Pet 1st Aid & CPR; AKC Salon Safety Certification; Canine Esthetician along with others.

Kendra was the board Secretary for GroomTeam USA from 2011-2013 and a board member from 2012-2014. She is an international representative for the Andis Company and was a representative in 2009 for Chris Christensen Systems.

Although no longer grooming full time, Kendra specialized in grooming challenging and fearful dogs. She enjoys the challenge of gaining their trust while seeing the transformation. This part of her career she finds more rewarding than any award she’s ever received. She instills this trait in her business as well. She will not hire anyone who is not willing to do the same. Today, she supports her team, encouraging continued education, training and even has several award-winning competitor stylists employed.

Kendra has taught seminars and judged in Sydney, Australia. She continues to groom a few dogs a year coming from the show circuit.

Lisa Leady

Lisa Leady is a third generation groomer, with over 25 years experience. She is also a clinician, speaker, Certified Master Groomer, and Certifier for IPG.

She has many Best All Around and Best in Show placements.

Lisa is a multiple Cardinal Crystal Achievement Award nominee and was the recipient of the 2003 Congeniality Award.

In 2002 Lisa sold her shop of ten years and began a new career as a grooming school instructor.

After five years in the classroom, Lisa has made the move to mobile. She is now the proud owner of Primp My Pooch Mobile Pet Salon based in Genoa, Illinois.

Lisa is currently a GroomTeam Board Member.

She has completed the Judge’s Orientation/Training Class required by the United Showmanagers Alliance, and was approved as a Sanctioned Judge.

Business Name(s): Primp My Pooch
Business Address: 712 Tyler St.
Genoa, IL 60135
Business Phone: (815) 333-5197
E-Mail: [email protected]

Industry Affiliation:
USA Judge
Competitor (Retired)
Mobile Stylist/Owner
Speaker

Vendor Associate: Wahl Extreme Team Member

GroomTeam Affiliation: She has been a GroomTeam USA member since 2000. In 2004 she qualified to travel with GroomTeam to France, where she helped bring home the silver medal, and also went to Italy in 2007.

AKC Exhibitor Breeds: Shown and bred champion Smooth Fox Terriers.

Suesan Watson

Suesan is a third generation pet stylist whose dynamic career stretches over 40 years. A “Certified Master Groomer”, she owns a successful mobile grooming business, serving the Chicago/Northwest Suburban area. Sue is proud to be part of Wahl’s “Extreme Team” and is approved by the “United Show Managers’ Alliance” as a “Sanctioned Judge”.

She began grooming competitively in 1995, and has received many class and group placings. Sue is a winner of the “Wahl 2003 Groomer of the Year” award, and only recipient of three consecutive “Cardinal Crystal Grooming Achievement Awards for American Groomer of the Year”. In addition, Suesan has been nominated multiple times for “Cardinal Grooming Contest Judge of the Year”, and Cardinal “Congeniality” awards.

Making “Groom Team USA” in 2000, Suesan was in the top five positions for five years in a row, before retiring from competing to become a judge in 2005. Her 2004 placings garnered her the honor of competing with the “Groom Team USA Travel Team” in France, in 2005; with the USA team placing second, only one point behind France. Sue also won “Best Clipping” recognition with her Mini-Poodle in the “individual open class”, at the same competition.

Her keen eye for dogs, understanding of the “standards” and knowledge of grooming techniques, coupled with her pleasant demeanor, has made Sue a sought after competition judge and speaker, both in the United States and abroad. And with a natural ability to communicate grooming techniques to others in an understanding and often-humorous way, she regularly draws crowds at her seminars and grooming demonstrations around the country. Sue also does private hands-on seminars with individuals and smaller shop groups.