Representing Iowa on a National Stage:
Sierra Elbert Honored During National Small Business Week in Washington, D.C.
For Sierra and Patricia, the week was an opportunity to celebrate how far Groom Curriculum has come, connect with entrepreneurs and national leaders, and represent both Iowa and the professional grooming industry on a national stage.
More Than an Award
While the recognition itself was an incredible honor, some of the most meaningful moments happened in the conversations surrounding it.
Throughout the week, Sierra and Patricia connected with small business owners from across the country and heard the stories behind what they had built, the risks they took, the challenges they faced, the moments they questioned whether they would make it, and the reasons they chose to keep going.
Despite representing completely different industries and communities, there was a common thread among the state winners: each had made the decision to build something they believed needed to exist.
For Sierra and Patricia, those conversations offered a chance to reflect on Groom Curriculum’s own journey.
What began as an idea to bring greater structure and consistency to professional grooming education has grown into an organization working with colleges, employers, workforce partners, and grooming professionals to create clearer pathways into the trade.
The experience expanded their network and perspective, but it also strengthened their sense of responsibility for what Groom Curriculum is continuing to build.
Conversations About Skilled Careers and Workforce Development
The week also created opportunities for conversations with leaders whose work intersects with entrepreneurship, workforce development, and skilled career pathways.
Sierra and Patricia had the opportunity to meet and speak with Ken Rusk, author and advocate for skilled-trade careers, as well as Brandon Beach, U.S. Treasurer.
Those conversations were especially meaningful as Groom Curriculum continues working to establish professional grooming as a viable skilled career and expand access to structured education, employer-based training, and workforce pathways.
For an organization built around creating opportunities outside of the traditional four-year college path, being able to share what is happening within professional grooming and the opportunities that exist for the people entering the industry made the week about much more than recognition.
It was also an opportunity to advocate for the future of the profession.
From Iowa to the White House
National Small Business Week also included time at the White House, creating another memorable milestone in Groom Curriculum’s journey from an Iowa-founded small business to a growing national education provider.
Sierra had the opportunity to meet President Donald Trump, one of those surreal moments that offered a chance to reflect on just how far the journey had come. Mr. Donny.jpeg
But neither Sierra nor Patricia views that journey as something they accomplished alone.
Groom Curriculum exists because people believed in the idea before it was proven. Colleges were willing to take a chance on a different approach to education. Partners opened doors. Employers shared what they needed from the next generation of grooming professionals. Students trusted Groom Curriculum with the beginning of their careers.
And professional groomers across the country continue showing what is possible when a skilled trade is supported by stronger education, standards, and career pathways.
Building Groom Curriculum Together
For Sierra and Patricia, being together in Washington also made the recognition especially meaningful.
The two built Groom Curriculum around a shared belief that professional groomers deserved better access to structured education and that people interested in the career deserved a clearer way to enter it.
That vision has continued to evolve as Groom Curriculum has grown.
Today, the organization works to connect education with employment through college partnerships, employer training, professional credentials, and Registered Apprenticeship pathways. The goal is not simply to teach someone how to groom a dog. It is to help create a stronger, more sustainable profession with clearer opportunities to learn, work, grow, and build a career.
National Small Business Week provided an opportunity to look back at where that work began while also thinking about where it can go next.
This Is Not the Finish Line
Being named Iowa’s Small Business Person of the Year is an important milestone for Sierra and Groom Curriculum, but it is not viewed as a finish line.
If anything, the experience in Washington reinforced the responsibility that comes with continued growth.
There are still students looking for a career path they may not know exists. There are employers searching for trained professionals. There are colleges and workforce organizations looking for new ways to connect education with meaningful employment. And there is an industry continuing to evolve.
Groom Curriculum intends to keep building the connections between them.
As the organization continues expanding its work across the country, the mission remains the same: create stronger education pathways, elevate professional standards, support employers, and give more people a clear path toward a successful career in professional grooming.
National Small Business Week was an opportunity to celebrate what has already been built and an even greater reminder of what is still possible.
Groom Curriculum provides professional dog grooming education for colleges, employers, and aspiring groomers through structured training, credential-backed education, and workforce-aligned career pathways.
