“Believe in me, who believes in you.” I say this frequently during my seminars and in the salon that I co-own with Corina Stammworthy: The laundromat. This resonates with me because many groomers, myself included, say, “I can’t do what they do, because…” *Insert endless reasons here.* But there is always someone who will look and who says the same thing.
My name is Macie Pisa. As a second generation groomer, I grew up being told that under no circumstances should I become a groomer. It seemed difficult, stressful and messy. I wanted to be an interior designer! I wanted to live in Seattle! I would be cool and artistic! Well, here I am in Buffalo, New York, doing exactly what I said I wouldn’t do. I love it and always stay cool and artistic.
I started grooming in 2014 after working two years as a bather for a local salon in Buffalo. I finally decided that this is where I wanted to be. I was a cocky, know-it-all kid (some would say I still am) and I give a lot of credit to the owner of this salon for sticking it out, teaching me, and giving me excellent basics.
She was a kind woman, always helping her community and donating her salon and staff to the city shelter whenever they had a dog in need. This was a great opportunity for me because I decided to foster one of these dogs in hopes of being able to take him to my very first grooming competition. We then attended the Groom Expo in Hershey, PA in September 2014. We placed second in entry and I was hooked!
At PetQuest in 2015, I participated in Entry again with my 9 month old black standard poodle puppy, Vlad. We placed first and I was about to leave Entry! (There are three levels of preparation for the competition: entry, intermediate and open, and it takes three wins for first place to advance to the next level.)
PetQuest was also the first show Corina and I traveled to together, and it was the start of one of the best years of my life. I made lifelong friends, learned, traveled and had a blast. We stuck to East Coast shows, ate bags of salad, cups of noodles, PBJs, and stayed in questionable hotels. I’m pretty sure we shared tacos and margaritas after my placement at this show.
Traveling all the time is expensive. Plus, Corina and I had a baby room at home to take care of, but we had so much fun it was worth it! That first year we learned how important it was to make friends and share the cost of all expenses. By March 2016, I had won my first three places and was in intermediate. Then, in September 2016, I was nominated for Up-and-coming Groomer of the Year AND managed to enter the Open with the big kids, ready to earn some points!
The New England Grooming Show was next, and that’s when I decided MarriedTeam was going to be my goal. I hadn’t dared to believe myself capable of achieving it. But it was my first Open show, and I received my first points, seven points on my Bedlington Terrier.
Seven points. It doesn’t seem like much, but it put me on the scoreboard. What is the dashboard? This is a list of all competitors who have earned points during this calendar year. This is a big deal, especially the first time you get it. And I was number 20! I became determined to make it to the top 10 – the cutoff for who will receive their GroomTeam jacket and who will not.
The following year was interesting. When you’re in the lower levels, you hear about the drama and stress of the Open, but it’s easy to stay out of that and keep things exciting. At my first show of 2017 – my second Open show – I was told that I made it this far because I was pretty and I wasn’t ready. It was a huge blow to my confidence and a rude awakening to my new REAL world of competitive dog grooming. I started hearing more criticism and becoming paranoid about my skills. I started to wonder if it was really for me. I stopped having fun and finished the year with three points and a lot of frustration.
In 2018, I decided to take some time for myself and took a year off. But I didn’t stop grooming myself. I practiced, learned, and watched my friends do amazing things online. I started to really miss being there. I missed the rush, the stress, the excitement; and I missed my friends! Competing, you make friends all over the country and see them pretty regularly at shows. It’s special to have people around you who understand your drive and passion for such a weird and niche sport. Yes, I said it – SPORT!
I came back in 2019, and I came back strong. I was determined to make the top 10! I wasn’t going to let others ruin my fun. So, Corina and I packed up the dogs and hit the show circuit. We taught classes and started trying to carve out more time to enjoy the places we were visiting. It was a great year filled with amazing dogs and I finished the year in the TOP FIVE! I had exceeded my goal and was about to receive my jacket.
I had so much fun competing against so many amazing groomers and pushing myself to see how far I could go. It felt so good to prove to myself and the people who told me I couldn’t that I absolutely could do it! In March 2020, I received my team jacket and official recognition as a member of GroomTeam USA.
Joining GroomTeam is not the end. It’s a constant struggle to stay on top. Every year everyone gets bigger and better, and the competition gets tougher. This is a great encouragement to continue learning.
But why? Why do we do it? Many competitors strive to be part of the GroomTeam as a mark of validity as an instructor. We see it as a way for people to know that we know what we’re talking about.
It’s much more than that. There’s something incredible about being the best, about having proof that all your hard work has amounted to something. Out of everyone who competed in your country, you were at the top. You make it to the top 10, then you start dreaming bigger – you start realizing there’s another level and you could be the best in the world.
And that’s where they take you. Where you’re sucked in forever. Where you can never slack off or you will lose – not an actual game, but the game you play with yourself where you can never fall behind. There is always another dog, another breed, another breed.
It’s not an easy goal, and it’s not an easy life; but we wouldn’t want it if it were easy.