Today we’d like to introduce you to Kami Rice Triptow.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
When I first considered a career in the pet industry I actually wanted to be a dog trainer. I was in school for dog training, and the school suggested finding a job in the industry while completing the training program. I decided to the reception at a grooming salon close to my house.
As I watched the other girls groom, I started to wonder if I would like grooming more than training. At that time the salon wasn’t looking to train a new groomer. So, I applied for a job at a corporate company. I was hired as a bather. During this time, I started struggling health-wise. I was diagnosed with a seizure disorder when I was 16 and had just been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia.
The company felt I wasn’t a good fit for their grooming training program due to my epilepsy, and chose not to send me to the program. Once I found this out I decided I would take the training into my own hands, and found a small shop in the area that was looking for a grooming apprentice. I worked as an apprentice and learned how to groom for a few months, but decided the shop wasn’t the right fit for me. I jumped around corporate salons for about a year after that before landing at a salon in Heber Valley. Once there I found my true passion for grooming, and have the owner of that salon to thank for my career turning out the way it is. I started taking seminars, online courses, and emerging myself into the world of competitive grooming.
After a few months there my health started acting up again. I’ve found over the years that a seizure disorder can be difficult for employers to work around. Due to this, I chose to open my own salon. I chose the name Stella’s Pet Salon in honor of our Rat Terrier, Stella. She was mine and my husband Jordan’s first dog as a married couple and made us fall in love with the Terrier class as a whole. The salon opened in November 2020. Once it was open, I started pushing even harder to further my career because I no longer had groomers in the salon with me to help me learn. I decided to fly to Florida to begin my certification as a master groomer through the National Dog Groomers Association of America.
To achieve the title of National Certified Master Groomer (NCMG) a groomer must take a practical exam and a written exam in each of the breed categories (Short Legged Terriers, Long Legged Terriers, Sporting, and Non-Sporting). While in Florida, I passed the practical exam for my Short Legged Terrier on a West Highland White Terrier. Passing that part of the test gave me the confidence to consider competing. Last Spring, I chose to enter the Utah Groomers Competition with a West Highland White Terrier and a Standard Poodle that I did creative grooming (color) on, and took first place in entry-level Terrier breeds and in the entry-level class, as a whole. As well as second place in the entry-level creative grooming. When I found out, I cried. I had never really won anything before, and to win such a high honor in my first competition was crazy to me.
I sat and refreshed my screen several times thinking it was a typo. A few months later there was another online grooming competition that I entered a West Highland White Terrier into, and I won in the purebred category. I also cried this time too. I couldn’t help it. Throughout my career, I’ve been told over and over that I wouldn’t make it as a groomer and I would never be able to develop a decent skill set. All of this was proof that my hard work had paid off. Since then, I have taken a lot of seminars, become Pet CPR and Safety Certified, and passed my Sporting Breed practical exam and Non-Sporting written exam with the NDGAA.
Getting to where I am has been the hardest thing I have ever done. Doctors have told me I wouldn’t be able to do it because of my medical disorders. Bosses have told me I wasn’t cut out to be a groomer. I’ve had other groomers ask me how I am still in the industry after hearing the negativity in my story. It has everything to do with my passion for the career. I’ve been able to prove that anyone can live their dreams with hard work and dedication.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Definitely not. I talked a little about the obstacles in the previous question. I was diagnosed with a seizure disorder when I was 16, and Fibromyalgia when I was 23. Grooming isn’t a low-stress job- physically, emotionally, or mentally. Epilepsy is often brought on by stress, and Fibromyalgia is a nerve and muscle disorder.
Beyond my body struggling, I was also discriminated against by many managers due to my medical conditions. I don’t want to go into who or where to avoid getting people in trouble, but over the time of dealing with abusive and discriminatory bosses, I learned the best way for me to grow as a groomer would be to employ myself.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Stella’s Pet Salon?
Stella’s Pet Salon was named after our first Rat Terrier-Stella. There’s a cartoon version of her on my logo. I chose a ’50’s style diner look for my logo and salon because I have always loved vintage styles and 50’s movies and stars. Over the last year, I’ve become known for my fluffy doodle cuts and my West Highland Terriers.
According to a few people one of my clients is handing out my card at the dog park telling other doodle parents I’m the doodle queen (to whoever it is, thank you. No one can ever remember your name.) I’m so proud that I have achieved that level of business and am gaining a presence in the community. It’s more than I thought would ever happen for me.
Stella’s offers all types of grooming on all breeds and sizes. I also groom cats and exotic pets (rabbits, guinea pigs, hedgehogs, etc.).
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I feel that my kindness and will to help others have helped me become a successful business owner. My clients (pet and human) mean the world to me and I do everything I can to make sure they are well taken care of.
If it means staying late, coming in early, answering all the questions they can think of, or just listening to them rant about their lives.
Contact Info:
- Email: stellaspetsalon@gmail.com
- Website: www.stellaspetsalon.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stellaspetsalon/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stellaspetsalon
