Groomer Has It: CDW Interview with Krista Castellarin

Krista Castellarin is the owner of a pet spa and boutique, “Fabulous Furballs”, having relocated from Las Vegas, Nevada to Canada to pursue a career grooming dogs and cats in Northern Alberta. In addition, despite having only 2 years of grooming experience, Krista is a grooming school administrator, educating over 40 groomers per year in the Edmonton area and has her own exclusive line of doggy couture clothing!

Krista was the fourth contestant to be clipped from the potential Groomer of the Year roster in season two of Groomer Has It. She kindly answered our questions afterward and here are her answers:

CDW:  Do you feel your relatively brief professional experience was a factor in your not being able to persevere in the competition?

Krista: I felt like it was a huge risk to put myself out there, knowing almost certainly that I would be the contestant with the least amount of experience, but I balanced that with knowing that it would encourage groomers from all backgrounds and levels of experience to get out there and try something new.

CDW:  You said you felt your personal grooming strengths weren’t show-cased. What exactly do you feel those strengths are that you wish you had been able to exhibit?

Krista: Well, since my husband is the “cat whisperer” of Canada, I really wished we would have had a cat grooming challenge, but I think that would have given me an unfair advantage.

CDW: Your reaction to several situations was a sort of open-mouthed shock or confusion. Was that just TV editing, your normal reaction to things, or were you really rendered speechless with some of the results?

Krista: I think our viewers have to remember that this was for entertainment purposes and a lot of those shocked or confused looks were because all of us were thrown a lot of curve balls throughout the competition.  The producers did an excellent job of keeping us on our toes and it has translated into a fabulously entertaining show!  CDW: Even though you came up with a good invention and catchy pitch, how did your entire team miss the point of the Quick Sniff challenge? Did it cross your mind earlier on that you were barking up the wrong tree and you just went along with Marco’s plan because he had a marketing degree?

Krista: Our entire team was exhausted and clearly not as prepared as we should have been.  Marco is an excellent business person and leader, so I felt the best thing Jessica and I could do is be good team members and assist him in doing what he did best.  Once we realized that we had been so off the mark from what the challenge was, Jessica and I did everything we could to step in and try to mitigate the damage.  Ultimately, I think the viewers got to see that I was in the competition 110%- I ran around the streets of LA begging for grooming tools, I sang (albeit horribly, but to the best of my ability- it wasn’t American Idol!), and I barked like a dog to win.  I left the dog house knowing full well that I had given it my best effort and I wasn’t disappointed in the least.

CDW:  You felt so confident about using the vacuum clipper in the Grooming Challenge; what happened that you nicked the dog’s sanitary area? Do you feel you might have been over-confident or was it more a matter of time management?

Krista: I felt it was a combination of poor time management and sheer exhaustion.  Remember, during filming I did not realize that I was pregnant- I just couldn’t figure out why I was so tired!  All of the dogs we were given for this particular challenge were in an extremely matted condition and the limited time we were given was hardly realistic for what you would allow in a real grooming salon.  My dog had 4 testicles- the 2 that the Lord gave him and 2 large mats that were worked into the side of the first pair.  In order to remove them, so he could move freely, I had my head right in his sanitary area and did my utmost to minimize any injury to him.  In the real world, I would have gone into great depth with the owner about the importance of frequent maintenance, the risks of major matting, and the risks of removing mats that were so tight to the skin.  This was hardly my best groom, but I don’t know that I would say the four grooms I did on the show were tremendous examples of my work to begin with.

CDW:  Do you think your grooming transgression was a more valid reason to be the groomer clipped this week than Bill’s inefficient use of the vacuum clipper?

Krista: I think Bill is a far more experienced and talented groomer than I, whom I personally respect greatly.  I think Bill & I were given the two most challenging coats to work with and he did a much more effective job of managing his time than I was able to.  I will be rooting for Bill to take it home in all of the future episodes, so I think the judges made the right choice.

CDW:  Who in the Dog House did you have more in common with? Who did you have the least in common with and why?

Krista: I probably had the most in common with Marco since we come from business backgrounds and tend to view grooming as a business instead of our life’s passion.  I had the least in common with Chicken Joe- he’s my father’s age, very dramatic, and a show in his own right!  However, I have to tell you that Chicken Joe and I have become close personal friends- my husband and I have recently adopted one of his Pomeranians, we speak constantly, and he is as genuine in person as he was on the show- just a fabulous human being that I dearly love.

CDW: What was your favorite of all the challenges and which was your least favorite and why?

Krista: I’m biased- I loved the safety challenge because Jessica & I won.  We got to get some time away from the rest of our house mates and I was so proud that we came from behind and won with a handicap.  My least favorite was probably the Yorkie challenge because I own a Yorkie myself and I should have known better!  That little biter got the best of me and I didn’t even try to comb out his beard, which is a beginner mistake.

CDW:  What is the one predominant concept that made the strongest impression on you during your experience on Groomer Has It?

Krista: I was really surprised at how few of the groomers even knew what certification or licensing was.  I don’t think everyone needs to go through a structured training program or get certified, but I think that if you truly consider grooming a professional career, one would assume that you would want to obtain a professional credential and seek out training opportunities.  In so many other industries, credentials and formal training are basic requirements, but too many groomers continue to view grooming certification and licensing in a poor light, where I really believe it will only serve to enhance the professionalism in our field.

CDW:  Was there anything you learned during the competition that you’ll be able to take back and apply to your professional practice?

Krista: Overall, I think I learned a lot about grooming under pressure and where I need to personally develop in my career.  I am always striving to improve my skills and seek out great training, so I’m looking forward to taking some on line courses with the Nash Academy after I have the baby and attending some grooming conferences to see what skills I can fine tune.  The entire experience was such a positive one and I would encourage all groomers to apply for the next season!