Barbers Are Worth Every Penny: Insights on Value and Service

Society doesn’t want to believe that barbers DESERVE to make money too.

I’m as much of a social media consumer as I love to create content. I want to stay updated with the waves of the world, always led by curiosity: What do people think of barbers and the craft?

As the social scape gets filled with creators from all over the world making barbering-focused content, I’m noticing a favorable perspective. You’re getting celebrities who vouch for high-ticket haircuts, while some believe that haircuts should never exceed $40, and then there are those in between who believe haircuts should always be $20, as they were 10 years ago, and also forever going forward.

Who is anyone to count anyone else’s pockets?

I can’t remember a time when I would be mad at a service provider—whether a server, technician, therapist, chef, photographer, videographer, server, dog walker, dancer, or even in this case, a beauty/grooming professional—that I would make a definite thought in my mind that they could not make past a certain wage.

With the amount of information overload, the door opens to many opinions, and most of them hold no weight if you really dig into who they are. They are trolls, to say the least, or people who would never book you anyway at certain rates. We live in an amazing era where becoming a YouTuber is a real career! We are not blind to the public knowledge that even in a space like that, people make from a few hundred dollars to 20+ million a year.

It sounds crazy, until someone does it. If you know anyone that has, the make-believe thought of it should fall off quickly.

Whether someone charges $50 or $500 a cut really depends on the way they’ve set up their priorities. It’s a question I ask barbers I meet all over the world when I travel. There was this barber who’s popular and well-known, and at one point he charged like $125 and now he’s enjoying $40-45 for his regulars because for him, it’s just for fun. He could charge more, but doesn’t need to because of his other obligations with running shops and selling products.

Another woman I met at an event, one of the state's best and busiest. Crazy overflow of clients; she couldn’t find balance in her life. I asked her why she didn’t charge more to lighten her load, and her thing was fear. Fear of losing those day-ones.

A neighborhood shop charged $12 in Florida. Super busy, high traffic, walk-in shop. I’m watching everyone get laced with pretty decent cuts, and I’m like, why are you guys priced so low? The owner said because the guy down the street would do the same for $2 less, so they felt locked in to keep their prices there.

A girl in another country, Costa Rica. She’s in this barber battle and she stands out; her fade was clean from a distance and she was doing a design. Went to ask her background, and she’s a shop owner and charges $4 and cuts like 40-50 a day. I was mind-blown.

One day I was running just a random post to ask if there were any locals in need of new tools. I said, tell me a story about you and why you want it, and I’ll choose a few winners from the area. One guy stood out because someone had stolen his car and taken all his tools with it. I gave him the good news, and I ended up gifting him a full set up: clipper, trimmer, foil, and a backpack to hold all his tools. I was like, yo please take this bag as an extra gift and don’t lose this bag and keep your equipment safe. It could have been a few weeks or months later and he reached out and said if that moment hadn’t happened, he really would have stopped barbering and lost hope and pivoted somewhere else. I felt happy to hear that, and it’s just a trip what a small act of kindness could do for someone. The next time I spoke to him after that he told me he followed my advice, and raised his prices!

He went up from $25 and just bumped it up to $75! I’m like bro, AND WHAT HAPPENED WITH YOUR CURRENT PEOPLE?

He was one of the stories I remember vividly because even for me, jumping rates has always been nerve-wracking in the weirdest way, and I would do it in smaller increments like $17 to $19 or $20 to $25. He just believed, went for it, and was fine. Didn’t need a transitional stage.

It was a great story I’ve enjoyed passing along and now to you too.

I wanted to share a scope of stories of these scenarios because it’s never easy believing you deserve more. Idk why we’re like this, but it’s true that most of the world doesn’t believe it.

I’m starting to see a new standard of prices which seems to be around the $40-$50 mark, and I LOVE seeing this for people as a base. Now obviously out the gates, it seems crazy for people to get that price and although I believe we all gotta earn it, but we don’t live in the early 2010s anymore. This is 2024, and life is expensive. We out here getting mad at kids charging up the ass, but maybe that's a wake-up call. They’re always going to be a little more fearless, they’re building off new energy while mid-older folks are building off tainted energy and memories. If you can get it, go for it. More power to you.

Just recently, I came back from the Chicago ABS show and asked barbers and stylists if clients should always tip barbers/hairstylists? It’s an interesting topic because again, society gets heated by the idea of someone like us getting tips while electricians, auto mechanics, people who do taxes, doctors don’t get tipped. Or that they WOULD tip if we went back to $20 haircuts. All you can do is read and laugh. You can’t compare healthcare providers with personal services. Services provided by hairstylists and barbers often have more transparent pricing, and the tip can be seen as a direct reflection of customer satisfaction with the service. In contrast, the fees for medical services, auto repairs, or tax preparation can be less predictable and more dependent on external factors like parts, medical tests, or complex tax laws, which don’t straightforwardly correlate to the effort or quality of service in the same way a personal service like hairstyling does.

Hair is a very essential part of many people's lives. Actors, musicians, artists in general. Whether it looks messy or well-kept, that is a style that is sought after in some way. It influences the way we feel when we look at ourselves. It’s emotional for some and a huge part of your presence in how you show up in the world. Even choosing to shave and have a short cut or bald head has become a statement in itself. Although culturally some places look at women with short hair as a sign of masculinity, it’s happening more often than ever that women love going short. It’s powerful and liberating. Hair is a big part of my image. From the start of my journey, hair + tattoos were a big way that helped me stand out. It’s so crazy, that even my hair was part of the images that people are getting tattooed on their bodies.

So where do our prices come from? Circumstance mixed alongside self-worth and perceived value. When you appreciate someone’s art and craft, you will find a reason to pay for it. For example, let's discuss shoes, a topic I was just debating with some people. I asked them the most they would ever spend on shoes. Their limit was $300. But what really matters to us? It varies from person to person. Personally, my limit would be $2,500, which is the resale cost for shoes that I truly desire. Ultimately, both pairs of shoes serve the same function, but it boils down to our individual style, taste, and the values we prioritize.

In another case, lets talk about cameras. Not everyone needs the fanciest camera of all. It just needs to shoot exactly what you want. My buddy of mine is going back and forth between 2 options that is between 2000-3500. While he would choose 1, I would get both. It is necessary? no, but do i love options, yes. I find use for it when i’m shooting and i can have two angles going on at the same time.

Let's talk about tacos now. I love trying new restaurants, and dining out is something I definitely don't mind investing in to enjoy quality time with the people closest to me. It’s one of my favorite activities. I've come across various dishes, including street tacos. A few years ago, while working in Santa Ana next to a food truck, we would buy steak tacos for $1 each. Spending $4-$5 for a meal was great—satisfying and affordable. However, I recently came to terms with paying $11 for a single carne asada taco. For two people eating four tacos each, the total comes to $88 plus tax. But they are so good that I'm willing to do it again.

What it comes down to is getting accustomed to what matters to you. I've realized I value higher quality meat, so yes, I’ll pay more. Often, higher prices at many places come with higher expectations of service, and I love receiving better customer service. I’m at a point now where I don’t want to stay where I’m not appreciated—I can always take my business elsewhere. I cherish quality items that come with great reputation and service, and they are worth the comfort I seek. This experience is what I'm willing to spend on, and I haven’t always felt this way. Growing up without much money and working in the service industry has taught me the value of giving and receiving excellent service. Unfortunately, budget-friendly places often don’t meet my expectations, so over time, my patience has faded, and now I prioritize comfort. This shift in my preferences is similar to how I believe it happens for others, depending on what matters to them. We all spend money where we see value, regardless of our income. We all splurge on that 'something' that's important to us.

With a slow and steady price increase over the last 12 years, it’s hard to stay up to date and not fall behind. I pivot a lot for that reason. I’m ready to adapt when necessary. I gotta find more than one way to find inspiration to continue creating which is very important to me as an artist. Learning is a hobby for me. I want to learn about the things I use every day in more detail. With raising prices over the years allowed me more space in my schedule to pick up and build new skill sets and again, this isn’t everyones reality. Whether we know do this or not, we always chose the schedule that completes our life. We find joy in different scenarios and that is 100% ok.

In the current state of the world, which is in the masses, people don’t believe barbering deserves to be a respected craft where artists are making a very good living out of it. We can’t change the past, but we can continue expanding new narratives and showcasing stories of why we chose this art to be the thing we spend the most time on trying to refine and grow year after year.

For those who always go the extra mile, who don’t let up at the first sign of no, thank you. It’s the smallest amounts of effort from anywhere in the world that will add up collectively in how society views us. Whether it’s a negative or positive impact, we are the same community of artists.

Rise above the noise, lower the distractions, and allow yourself to grow into the giant you are supposed to be. If you don’t believe you make a difference, you are wrong. Everyone is placed on this earth to leave their footprints on their journeys of becoming. Don’t ever forget that.

Have a wonderful week ahead!

SOF!