āMaster Barberā is thrown around a lot as a title by Barbers who can barely use shears and are only proficient at cutting one texture of hair, doing variations of the same haircut.
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My Mentor @barberdan had to test for his apprentice Barber license 59 years ago, satisfy those requirements and then take another test for his Barber license, satisfy those requirements and go back to test for his Master Barber license. All of his tests required practical, written and oral examinations and completing significant shop hours before moving up in licenses. He is recognized as a true Master Barber because the state board issued him a license validating that accomplishment.
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Today the state only issues a Barber license, so many will argue that completing 10k hours of anything would make you a master of it, including Barbering. Iāve long since surpassed that benchmark and consider myself anything but a Master of this craft.
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I understand that the loose use of the title āMaster Barberā may give clients the perception of a Barberās experience, but Iād dare to wager that there a very few actually licensed āMaster Barbersā around anymore, and just as few self-proclaimed āMaster Barbersā who have actually learned and can command the expertise of all things Barbering.
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What do you guy think? Is there a point in referring to yourself as a Master Barber anymore just in title?
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This canāt be purely a generational thing, because I donāt get how even the most basic fundamental advice you can give new Barbers for success just goes in one ear and out the other.
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Trade life is clearly not for everyone, just as blue collar, get your hands dirty, start from the bottom and learn and earn as you go isnāt for the weak or timid or lazy.
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Maybe the internet, social media and all of these over promising Barber influencers have got the general perception after trade twisted, or maybe peopleās expectations of what they can get out of Barbering for doing the least amount of work and giving the least amount of effort has just become too screwed (or screwed).
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Whatever it is, thereās no sugar coating what it takes to become a successful Barber. Itās not being lazy, entitled, timid, or lacking work ethic of any kind. If any or all of those of those things, stay out of Barberingā¦..we donāt want you!!!
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A good Barber with a service first mindset never lets their next client sit straight in the chair as their last one is leaving it. Not because theyāre tired and necessarily need a break or breather (although itās a good idea to take a few minutes to recalibrate oneself).
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The reason a good Barber wonāt let this happen is because they understand that no paying client should have to walk over another clientās hair trimmings on the floor, sit in a chair with more hair trimmings, and look at at a disorganized work station with scattered unsanitary tools and implements spread out over it.
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Thatās no different that if a restaurant server or host/hostess sat you down for a dining experience at a table that hadnāt been bussed/cleared from the last party, with dirty plates, silverware, cups, and crumbled used napkins spread all over the table.
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Please never use being too busy as an excuse for the lack of presentation, preparedness or procedure when transitioning between clients. And be firm with clients when asking them to give you the time to reset yourself and your work area for their benefit.
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Donāt give your clients less service quality standards than you would give yourself if the roles were reversed!!!
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āDonāt worry kid, the real learning is out there in the real world!!ā
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Now not all Barber Colleges and programs are built the same, there are some out there that really are invested in their future professions learning and success.
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BUUUUUUT if we were to take a poll on whether Barbers felt they got their money worth in education, guidance, mentoring, or actual teaching from the trade schools they attended, Iād wager the house and my next born (jk) that the odds would favor them having a bad/poor overall experience.
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While itās true that the real learning happens on the job, there is a huge disconnect from basic skill and proficiency in many of todayās Barber College graduates. Many schools donāt instruct, but rather encourage students to just learn from other students, for better or for worse. Thatās not what schools are paid to do!
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If youāre thinking of attending Barber College, Iāll give you the same advice Iāve been giving people in your shoes for over a decade -
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YOU have to make your school experience what you want it to be. If you want to prepare for a professional career as a Barber, then you MUST treat your school experience as such!
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Stay clear of the slackers and distractions as thereāll be plenty of that from other students who really arenāt serious about their futures as Barbers.
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Lock in with the instructions who are making an effort to teach. A closed mouth doesnāt get feed, so ask them for help, guidance, mentoring and in return, show them youāre serious, teachable and appreciative.
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Donāt be afraid to make mistakes on clients of the school because thatās where youāre supposed to mistakes while learning, because people are far less forgiving of them when youāre a licensed professional.
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Understand that Barber College is just the stepping stone and launching pad for a career where constant learning and education and improvement are key. That means lose your ego at the door because no fresh Barber Colleg
Until my dying days as a Barber, I will keep preaching this very simple message,ā¦..there can be no true success in Barbering if there is no relationship building with clients. And there can be no relationship building if all you do as a Barber is cut hair and not open up any authentic dialogue or communication with the clients you serve.
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A good haircut is easier to get than ever before, because thereās more education and resources accessible to Barbers outside of just going to school. But a good haircut alone cannot retain the loyalty of a client if the service is without any emotional connection or content. Often the busiest Barbers in a shop are not the most technically proficient ones, but they are the ones who ensure that every client in their chair is appreciated and heard.
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Iām not in the shops as often anymore due to my travels to visit my kids and family back in Samoa, so itās not uncommon for me to go in when I do, and see faces that Iāve never seen before. These faces may be new to me, but not necessarily to new to their Barber cutting their hair or new to our shops either.
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Be that as it may, I make it a point as the owner to talk to and acknowledge every new face even if itās just to say hello, to welcome them in, to include them in a discussion, or to thank them for their visit and business on their way out. It is important to me that they know they belong annotate us, especially in a day and age where men need to feel a sense of community and fellowship more than ever before.
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Even with a New Year dawned, to a lot of men itās just another extension or carryover from last years troubles, struggles, challenges and obstacles. And trust thereās more pressure on them today because theyād hoped to have been further ahead or already past their demises.
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So I encourage the Barbering community to be more vocally welcoming, inviting, encouraging, supportive, and present for your clients as we begin this new years, because all of us fighting battles that no one else can see.
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Hey Barbers,ā¦..do yourself a favor and take a lunch break!!
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Youāre no good to yourself or your clients if youāre pushing through a work day without fuel, being hangry and moody and not being able to function at your best performance levels.
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You can afford to take 15 to 30 mins for yourself, or more, every workday and it not be the thing that keeps you from being successful or making money.
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Remember that a successful Barbering career is an about the long game, itās a game of endurance and sustainability, and the burnout from not taking care of yourself when it matters most is extremely real.
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āYou either die a Hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain!ā š¦
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Itās the teamwork that makes the dream work in almost any work place environment and Barbershop culture shouldnāt be any different, especially with Barbering being a Trade.
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The success of all Trade work comes from the constant on the job learning that happens from the first day on the job to the last. Thereās never any egos in the mentoring or teaching because every member on a crew remembers being the worm, the low man newbie who was wet behind the ears, and just trying not to F up on job.
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Sure there is some impatience from older and experienced workers because theyāre having to teach on the fly and trying to do their jobs too, but thatās often the type of sink or swim mentality every new tradesperson needs to make it.
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Closed mouths donāt get fed, and big egos donāt get grace, so if youāre a worm, the newbie, or someone who struggles with how to get things done on the job, SPEAK UP and donāt be too proud to ask for help. Youāre not the first Barber whoās had to figure out how to fit in and do things, and you wonāt be the last either. Everyone wants to you to succeed, but absolutely no one will care if you donāt because you didnāt want it bad enough for yourself!
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Hindsight is always 20/20, and a few bad days or challenging events spread out over 365 days doesnāt make it a bad year. It just means that your choice of perspective was to hyper-focused on the bad days or challenging eventsā¦.rather than truly opening your eyes, your heart, and overall big-picture perspective to see how much you laughted, ate, shared, saw, enjoyed, embraced, and experienced that made for far more better days that you can remember.
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My life is by no means perfect, or without itās moments of pain and discomfort, BUT through my FAITH and my intentionally CHOOSING to focus on my blessings, I am always in a place of peace, happiness and gratitude because my plot and parcel in life is easily far more than what one man deserves through my health, my children, my family back home in American Samoa, my business, and the small circle of friends who are now my aiga, my ohana, my family by choice.
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Faāafetai, mahalo and thank you to everyone who supports the life journey I travel, and I pray that not only will your New Year be prosperous, but more importantly, that your ability to see how truly blessed you are grows greater with every new day! šš½ā¤ļøš¤š½šŗ
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I love you all!
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- MJ
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#MyYearInReview2024
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Finally learning to self-braid the skullet so that Iām not scaring the natives in-between cornrow sessions with @cutzbylexxi when the skullets is out and wild and free š
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Second attempt and Iām not mad at it. š½ š½š
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Braided, faded, and feeling R-Ratedā¦..eh who am I kidding, Rated PG because itās a family show šš
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Barbers will complain about not being tipped even though theyāre being paid for the service price they opted to charge. And if they do get a tip, theyāll complain it isnāt enough.
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I donāt want to hear the complaints about making a living wage, or how tips are what we live off, because if thatās your mentality or frame of thinking, then youāre not charging enough. Additionally, the second you start complaining about tipping or even expecting a tip is the second you allow entitlement and ego to take over as the governing principles of your Barbering journey.
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Honest days work, earnest days wageā¦.do a great job for what you charge and expect nothing more than a happy client who will return regularly to support you.
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And IF by chance they SO CHOOSE to pay you a gratuity of any denomination, be humbled and grateful for it, and consider it to be a blessing and not their obligation!!
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Not everyone believes in tipping culture which is a very American practice, so as a Barber itās always a best practice to not expect it to begin with!
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Another Barber special coming up!
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Iāve seen many a Barber over my lifetime dish out the same haircut to every client regardless of whether itās the haircut the clients asked for or not. While this can be common for old head Barbers to do because theyāre at a point in their careers where they donāt really care about service or anyoneās opinions, itās a very problematic habit for new Barbers today too who are one dimensional in what they choose to do.
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Barbering is not āone size fits allā like it used to be during war times, with āhigh and tightsā or āshort sides and backā being the standard issue haircuts. Barbering as a trade has evolved, which requires Barbers to evolve as well.
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Iāve had many of these kinds of Barbers pass through my shops over the years and all of them were asked to leave because not only could they not understand how poorly they were performing technically, they also couldnāt understand that their kind of barbering was counterintuitive to the service and experience driven culture of Barbering I promote.
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If youāre a one trick pony Barber, I suggest you learn to broaden your arsenal and repertoire unless you plan on working in a military base chop shop where fast and furious is the pace, and one kind of haircut is the name of the game.
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