April… The season of spring, rain and new life. Here at American Grooming Academy we are celebrating new life in a different kind of way, the professional way! Many of our students come from all different walks of life, with many different careers and backgrounds. This makes our students uniquely qualified to adapt to many different challenges, locations and industry changes.
This month we are going to see how one man changed everything for his family, by being a student before he enrolled in classes!
Kent Bailey, another potential students with one big difference…. “You What?” Angela Clark, President of AGA, said at their first potential student meeting. “I already purchased my Wag N’ Tails Elite Mobile Grooming Salon.” Kent Bailey had already made a huge purchase without even STARTING school yet, yet alone graduating. This makes him unique and also still the only student of AGA’s that had his van before class started. He started class just one month later.
Kent, like so many others, had a career that he became the best at. “I made a hobby into a profession by going to cooking school and becoming a professional chef. After many cooking and chef positions, two restaurants and leadership positions in college and university food service, I realized it was time for a change. Kent researched the pet care business because he wanted something new, fun and challenging. After finding that pet stylist learn new skills, get to be with pets all day and help their owners keep them healthy, he knew this was the new career path for him!
After buying his Wag N’ Tails grooming van, and finishing curriculum online, Kent came to our academy campus, in Temecula, California. “Kent was a very present student, and although he finished all of his theory work before he began classes, he was still very engaged in lecture.” Kat Marchant said of Kent’s school work. During the last weeks of school Kent brought his mobile van to the academy. Angela Clark, “He brought the van to the campus and parked it in the rear of the property, BOOM you have a learning environment for a particular student. Kent could groom in his unit and have us, his instructors, only a few feet away!”
We recently had students graduate, that Kent advised to go the American Grooming Academy way. Denise Ray finished our academy and graduated in December of 2014. She is currently getting her field training with Kent as a mentor. “She is doing very well and taking on her own clients!” Kent decided to send his potential employees to his alma mater because, “without good and well trained employees, its difficult for a business to grow successfully!”
Kent currently has plans to add another Mobile unit or start a salon in addition to his already very popular, “Bailey’s Groom Service”. Kent says his favorite part of being a new business owner is the “Independence”!!!
Here at American Grooming Academy our students mean everything to us, and now Kent, an alumni, business owner and mentor is the shining light in our dream to create the best pet stylist in the world! Thank you Kent, you make us so proud!
