From Train Wreck to Catwalk in an Hour or Two
TeLisa Bearden, owner of TeLisa's Tailored Tails in Stone Mountain, Georgia. (Courtesy photo)
American author Joseph Campbell once said, "Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging.". While this is just a more refined way of saying, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!" the sentiment could not have been more accurate during the onset of a worldwide pandemic in 2020. Nor could it have been truer for Animal Behavior College's Grooming Instruction Program graduate TeLisa Bearden.
Hailing originally from Memphis, Tennessee, and raised east of Atlanta, Georgia, Bearden found herself a full-time mom who juggled motherhood with a busy gymnastic schedule for her child and a well-rounded professional career with a business degree. But she wanted more.
Bearden knew she wanted to be in the pet industry in some way, but she didn't want to go into the veterinary world. For her, it boiled down to choosing between grooming or pet training. "I chose grooming. I learned quickly that some grooming salons aren't open to teaching. They want you to come with experience! I couldn't get in anywhere as a bather with the intention to work my way up, so I enrolled in grooming school with ABC. I don't have a single regret about my decision!"
Once enrolled, Bearden was off to the races. "I enjoyed that there was no pressure. I set my own pace, and my program manager was amazing with communication. As far as the actual curriculum, I loved that ABC explained why certain cuts originated for certain breeds. The history lessons in the first few stages were very intriguing. My externship with Patty's Fur-Topia in Pine Lake, Georgia, was great. Patty was very good to me, supportive, and helpful. I learned a lot, and she hired me right after I completed my volunteer hours. I will forever be grateful for her."
With her newfound ABC education, grooming training, and tools from Groomer's Choice, the opportunities to use her certification and training were endless. Graduating in 2020, Bearden, in the past year, has worked in a grooming shop, done house calls, and even served as an advisory cohost on a podcast for pet parents. But how does a groomer thrive during a worldwide pandemic? Taking the aforementioned lemons to make lemonade, Bearden went mobile! "I have started a mobile grooming service called TeLisa's Tailored Tails. During the pandemic, I noticed there was a demand. People don't want to leave their homes because of safety concerns, so I decided to fulfill the people's needs in my community. It's been amazing, and I've been surprisingly busy!"
Proving that animal lovers have the biggest hearts; Bearden has also found time to give back via volunteer and nonprofit work. "I've taken part in the Pup Relief Tour. It's a project that originated in NY, and groomers came together to provide full-service grooms to dogs all over the country. I've done the Georgia and Louisiana locations. The experience and the reactions from the pet parents have been incredibly rewarding. We've even done grooms for shelter dogs."
ABC congratulates TeLisa Bearden on her newfound success and encourages others to chase their pet industry dreams.
What parting piece of wisdom can you take from Bearden now that she's thriving in her own business and giving back to the pet community? "I've noticed many people think grooming is just playing with dogs all day. Grooming is not playtime. It is work between potential bites and using sharp objects, but the transformations are the most rewarding. Dogs come in matted or just in bad shape in general, and we as groomers can take them from train wreck to catwalk in an hour or two!"
