Joshua Fitzgerald | CEO, Zoomin Groomin

When Joshua Fitzgerald became CEO of Zoomin Groomin, he wasn't stepping into an unfamiliar business - he had already lived it as a franchise owner. Before leading one of the fastest-growing mobile grooming brands in North America, he spent years hiring staff, optimizing routes, improving profitability, and solving the same day-to-day challenges franchisees face today.

Now, after surpassing 300 mobile grooming vans, Fitzgerald is focused on something many franchise systems struggle to achieve: scaling without sacrificing consistency. In this conversation, he explains why operational discipline beats flashy growth, the metrics every franchisee should obsess over, how Loyalty Brands gives Zoomin Groomin a competitive advantage, and why becoming the industry's clear market leader starts with helping franchisees build better businesses.

You went from franchisee to CEO in a remarkably short period of time. Looking back, what experiences as an owner prepared you most for leading the entire Zoomin Groomin operation today?

It happened fast, but I think the transition made sense because I had already been in it every day as a franchisee. Owning a market forces you to figure everything out, hiring, staffing, client retention, scheduling, profitability, and fixing problems as they happen. You learn quickly what actually moves the needle and what doesn’t.

That gave me a big advantage stepping into the CEO role because I’ve lived the same challenges our franchisees face. I know what it feels like to invest your own money, build a team, and carry the pressure of making it work. So when we make decisions at the corporate level, I’m always looking at it through that lens.

The biggest thing I learned as an owner is that small details matter. A few extra dollars on ticket average, one more groom a day, tighter routes, better hiring, those things seem small until you scale them across hundreds of vans. That’s where growth really happens.

At the end of the day, I think being an owner first gave me credibility. I’m not asking anyone to do something I haven’t done myself, and that matters.

Zoomin Groomin recently crossed the 300-van milestone. What does that number represent to you, and what is the next big milestone you have set?

Crossing 300 vans is a huge milestone, but to me it’s more than just a number. It’s proof that the model works. Every van represents a franchisee who took a chance on the brand, a groomer building a career, and thousands of clients trusting us with their pets. That’s what makes it meaningful.

What I’m most proud of is how fast we got here and the quality of growth behind it. We’re not just adding vans, we’re building stronger operators, improving systems, and creating more consistency across the brand. That’s what makes growth sustainable.

But I’ll be honest, I don’t spend much time celebrating numbers for long. We hit 300, and almost immediately it became about 400. That’s the next target. For us, the focus is continuing to improve the performance of the vans we already have while bringing in the right franchisees to keep growing the right way.

One thing you've talked about is growing the right way. As Zoomin Groomin continues to expand, what processes or systems have become essential to keeping everyone aligned?

Growing the right way, to me, really just means not outgrowing your systems. It’s easy to sell and add units, but if your support, training, and standards don’t keep pace, it catches up to you fast.

At 300 vans, consistency becomes everything. We’ve had to get a lot tighter on SOPs, training, and communication. How we onboard franchisees, how we hire groomers, how we train, how vans are cleaned, how clients are handled, all of it has to be clear and repeatable.

A big focus for us has been making sure franchisees know what good actually looks like. The numbers matter: average ticket, grooms per day, route density, retention. If you can track it, you can improve it.

I think the biggest thing is just staying close to the operation. The bigger you get, the easier it is to drift. We work hard to keep feedback tight between franchisees, groomers, and corporate so we can keep improving without losing what got us here.

For someone exploring franchise ownership, what do you think separates the Zoomin Groomin franchise model from other opportunities in the pet industry today?

What stands out to me about Zoomin Groomin is that it’s a business people actually need. We’re not trying to convince someone they should groom their dog. They already do. We’re just making it easier, more convenient, and honestly less stressful for both the pet and the owner.

I also like that it’s a very practical business. It’s not overly complicated. If you follow the system, hire well, and stay focused on the basics, it works. I think that’s a big difference from a lot of franchise models out there.

What makes it special, though, is the people. A lot of franchise systems can feel transactional. Ours doesn’t. We stay close to our franchisees, and because I came from the franchise side myself, I understand what they’re going through. That matters.

At the end of the day, it’s a business where you can make a good living, build something real, and provide a service people genuinely appreciate. That’s a pretty good combination.

You've worked closely with franchisees at every stage of the journey. What are the traits you consistently see in the owners who go from one van to multiple vans?

The biggest thing I see in the owners who go from one van to multiple vans is that they follow the system. That sounds simple, but it’s true. They trust the process, stick to the model, and don’t spend a lot of time trying to reinvent it.

The ones who scale the fastest usually get the basics right and stay disciplined with them. They focus on route density, average ticket, rebooking, hiring, and client experience. None of it is flashy, but it works.

They also understand when to shift from being the operator to being the owner. The first van is usually about proving the model. The second and third are about building a team and creating consistency. That only happens if you’ve built the first one the right way.

At the end of the day, the people who grow are usually the ones who stay coachable, trust the system, and execute it over and over. It’s not always the most experienced person who wins; it’s usually the one who stays the most consistent.

Zoomin Groomin sits under the Loyalty Brands umbrella alongside several other businesses. How does being part of that ecosystem help franchisees and accelerate growth for the brand?

Being part of Loyalty Brands gives us a huge advantage because of the leadership behind it. When you look at John Hewitt and the executives around him, many of whom have been building businesses with him for decades, you’re talking about hundreds of years of combined experience in franchising, operations, and scaling brands. That kind of experience matters.

A lot of brands are learning as they go. We have leadership that’s seen the highs, the lows, and everything in between, so we’re able to make better decisions faster and avoid a lot of the mistakes younger systems make.

On top of that, the buying power that comes with being part of a group like this is massive, and Zoomin Groomin benefits directly from that. From vendor relationships to equipment to technology, there’s leverage there that helps our franchisees keep costs down and stay competitive.

At the end of the day, our franchisees aren’t just buying into Zoomin Groomin. They’re getting the support of a proven leadership team, real infrastructure, and a bigger ecosystem that helps us grow smarter and faster.

Mobile grooming has exploded over the last few years. What trends are you seeing from pet owners today, and how has that shaped the way Zoomin Groomin operates?

I think the biggest thing we’re seeing is that people just want things to be easier. Life is busy, and pet owners don’t want the hassle of loading their dog up, driving across town, and waiting around if they don’t have to. If we can save them time and make it easier, that matters.

We’re also seeing that people care more than ever about the experience for their pet. A lot of dogs get anxious in traditional salons. Being around a bunch of other dogs, cages, car rides, all of that can be stressful. The one-on-one environment we provide solves a lot of that.

That’s shaped how we operate because it’s made us focus even more on the full experience, not just the groom itself. Communication, showing up when we say we will, building trust with clients, and making the process easy. That stuff matters just as much as the haircut.

At the end of the day, pets are family. People are spending more on them, caring more about their comfort, and expecting a better experience. That fits really well with what we do.

Every franchise brand talks about support, but support can mean a lot of different things. What are some of the ways Zoomin Groomin helps franchisees succeed after they've launched and are out in the field?

Support can mean a lot of things, and I think that’s where we’re different. For us, support doesn’t stop once the van is on the road. That’s really when it starts.

A lot of what we do is staying close to the business. We’re helping franchisees with hiring, coaching on performance, looking at their numbers, helping them improve route density, average ticket, rebooking, all the things that actually move the business forward.

We also spend a lot of time building better systems. Better training, stronger SOPs, updated videos, clearer processes, because the easier we can make it for them to execute, the better they’ll perform.

And honestly, a big part of support is just being available. Sometimes franchisees don’t need a huge strategy; they just need someone who’s been there to help them work through a problem. Since I’ve been in their shoes, I think that helps. I understand the pressure, and I understand what it takes to get through it.

At the end of the day, our job is to help them get profitable faster, stay profitable, and grow when they’re ready.

As you evaluate new franchise candidates, what qualities make someone a great fit for the Zoomin Groomin culture and model?

The biggest thing I look for is coachability. You don’t have to know pet grooming, and honestly, a lot of our best franchisees didn’t. But you do have to be willing to follow the system, ask questions, and stay open to learning. That’s huge.

I also look for people who understand this is still a people business. Yes, it’s about pets, but it’s really about building relationships with clients, with groomers, and with your team. The people who do well usually care about the experience just as much as the numbers.

Work ethic matters too. This isn’t a passive business, especially in the beginning. The owners who do best are usually willing to get in it, learn it, and put in the time to build it the right way.

And probably the biggest thing is mindset. The best candidates aren’t looking for a shortcut. They’re looking to build something real. If they trust the process, stay consistent, and are willing to put in the work, they usually do really well here.

When you think about the next three to five years, what excites you most?

What excites me most is how much runway we still have. We’ve grown fast, but I still feel like we’re just getting started. There’s so much opportunity ahead, not just to add more vans, but to keep getting better at what we do.

For me, the exciting part is building something that lasts. Growing the brand, strengthening the systems, and helping more franchisees build real businesses that can change their lives. That’s the part that keeps me going.

I’m excited to see more of our franchisees go from one van to two, two to five, and start building something bigger than they thought possible. That’s when you know the model is working.

And personally, I’m excited about where we can take Zoomin Groomin as a brand. We’ve proven the concept. Now it’s about scaling it the right way and becoming the clear leader in mobile pet grooming. That’s the goal.