By: Joshua Finley

James Bennett always had a love for dogs, growing up with them as a kid and helping his mom with her grooming business. But he never saw it as a career path for himself – at least at first.

The Brisbane native grew up with a single mom and siblings, surrounded by dogs. His mom ran her own grooming business and showed dogs on the weekends as a serious hobby.

As a teenager, James was focused on sports. He attended a sports high school in Australia, playing rugby league and aspiring to be a professional athlete like many of his friends who made it.

But at the age of 16, his life took an unexpected turn when his mom suddenly passed away, and the traumatic event put James on a different path.

Growing Up with a Passion for Dogs

James gave up sports dreams to start an engineering apprenticeship as a fitter and turner, taking on a trade career. He still dabbled in grooming and showing dogs on the weekends, a hobby he had grown up with.

At 15, his mom had given him a dog grooming ultimatum – either learn the skill or she would get rid of his favorite pup. This pushed James to start learning about show grooming more seriously.

After trade school, he found himself drawn back to the world of dogs. “I avoided being in the grooming world since I was 16…I didn’t want to do that as a job at all,” James admitted.

However, he needed stable work and used his experience in show dogs to get employment. Apprehensive at first about grooming as a young man in a female-dominated industry, he overcame those insecurities. James started working at dog salons, quickly becoming head groomer and supervisor and learning new skills.

Turning Around a Struggling Business

At age 24, an unexpected opportunity came James’ way. The owner of a grooming salon he managed wanted to sell her struggling business, presenting him with a unique chance to turn things around.

Most people would have walked away. But James had an inkling it could thrive with some TLC. Taking a leap of faith, he waited until the end of the financial year when the price became more affordable.

With financial help from his supportive fiancée, James bought the salon. He rebranded it, worked long hours doing everything from grooming and renovating to management, and pushed through self-doubts.

Within months, James hired his first employee. His perseverance paid off; his salon was voted the Premier Grooming Salon in Brisbane. Three years later, it was voted Premier in Australia.

Expanding with a Second Location

Buoyed by newfound confidence, James doubled down on his business in 2022 by purchasing a second dog grooming salon in Melbourne which he rebranded to be called La Casa De Pooch Melbourne.

Now, with locations in two major Australian cities, James has built an empire of pet care businesses, including:

His salons in Brisbane and Melbourne

James Bennett Grooming Academy (now Australian Dog Grooming Schools) in Brisbane and Melbourne

An international school partnership overseas

His own line of grooming products and tools

James has leveraged his passion for grooming into related education ventures as well. He started his own grooming academy in 2021 after realizing he loved teaching and had a lot to share from his experiences.

Today, his Australian dog grooming schools teach hundreds of students per year across Australia. Teaching others is one of his greatest joys. “I get to educate people on the art of dog grooming, and I never wanted to be a teacher…our job is to educate people and make their dream become a reality.”

Paving a Path to a Brighter Future

While financially successful, James measures his significant rewards in life changed. His vision is to professionalize dog grooming in Australia through education, regulation, and leadership.

James wants to showcase grooming as a viable, lucrative career – whether employees or self-employed. He aims to “create dreams and goals and their vision of what they want their pet to look like.”

And he’s adamant about pushing for official trade qualification for groomers in Australia, similar to hairdressing.

“I’d love by the age of 50 to have left the industry in a better place and be one of the main people who helped get it to where it should be,” stated James.

At just 30 years old, James Bennett has already made massive strides with his dog grooming schools, salons, grooming education initiatives, and achieving his big vision. James is poised to achieve further success in Australia’s pet industry and beyond.

To learn more about James Bennett and his Australian Dog Grooming Schools, check out his website.

Published by: Martin De Juan