06/05/2026
1. Creating a great haircut is way harder than it looks.
Watching someone with years of experience makes cutting hair look easy. Starting from scratch is extremely humbling and gives an appreciation to those who have mastered the craft.
2. It’s more about the person in your chair than just the haircut.
You can learn to be a great barber when it comes to technical skills, but being able to build a relationship with a stranger in 30 minutes is a rare talent.
3. A good haircut isn’t just a good haircut.
Face shape, hair type and texture, and someone’s personality and lifestyle will make the same haircut look totally different on different people. Visualizing and executing the right haircut person to person separates the good from the great.
4. Success is going to take time.
There is no way around the slow start but through it. Building a clientele is an exponential curve with a very flat beginning.
5. Haircuts take forever in the beginning.
My first couple haircuts on real people took well over an hour.
6. Cutting hair is addictive.
A unique combination of seeing constant improvement, the power to make people look/feel better, and spending time in a social atmosphere makes it feel like fun, not work.
7. Barbering is a tight knit, welcoming community with tons of supportive people.
People want you to succeed. Work hard and be humble and others will want to help you reach your goals.
8. Taking care of your body is very important.
Barbering is not a job you can do at 80%. You are on your feet all day, in constant conversation, and focusing on executing a great haircut simultaneously. Take care of yourself or you will crash. I’ve done roofing, landscaping, serving, and personal training, and none demand the same constant physical and mental output that barbering does.
