STANDING OUT in today's barber market. Here is what I learned.

I do not want to scare you, but I want you to be prepared.

Social media has been a great tool for barbers. I can confidently say it has been a mirroring system that has helped me become the creator I am today through exploration and discovery, BUT just like in life as a whole, you can’t have good without the BAD.

When I first started out, I really hated how people felt about barbering. It was uninteresting and I felt that people valued it like a last resort type of job. If I had known this was the general public consensus, I wonder if it would have impacted my interest before I got in. Barbering content has been floating through my instagram since 2011. In many ways, it seems like the art of barbering is appreciated and respected by many both people in the industry and spectators outside now. Our industry has been growing every single year. Here is a current quick statistic I just looked up on Google and it says:

“The market size of the Barber Shops industry in the US is measured at $4.9bn in 2023”.

Prior to working in the barbershop, I was at Home Depot working a minimum wage job, making $1000-1200 a month getting paid every 2 weeks. I remember standing on the cement greeting people at the door one day on a 8 hour shift, achy feet, friendly and serious people walked through maybe saying it back to me or not, and halfway through my shift, I remember saying to myself, “this can’t be it.”

A year and half later, I found a way to enroll at a nearby college and the rest was history. Getting into the industry is one thing, but existing and growing in it is a completely different beast ESP in todays market. It is easy to build a rhythm after putting in some time and while putting in the work, you will EVENTUALLY master the skill too. I am not worried that people won’t learn how to cut hair properly. Everyone can do it, I promise, it just takes time. But, how good and fast you will get depends on your level of self-awareness. I know barbers who have been cutting forever and stay at a certain level while some that are new to the game are levels better. I don’t believe the progress is in the years, it is the desire to improve each time and you can only do that if you notice what areas need work. But still, we are only talking about the skill. What about everything else?

When I travel to do shows, I listen to the questions people ask - and after doing this for awhile, you start to pick up a few things about people by what questions they have. I can usually tell what level people are currently at by the type of questions they propose. The further along you get into your studies (in any area), the more depth you understand about yourself, and THEN you’ll be able to craft better questions. Life hack: BETTER questions get you BETTER answers. Think of it like ChatGPT. The better you give descriptive details to your question, the better results you will receive.

Put yourself in this scenario real quick: If someone were to ask you how much money you want to make this year, what are you going to say? Most people feel uncomfortable to say it out loud or to give a specific number. I know this because a few years ago, Val asked me this and I instantly got nervous thinking what should I say. If i say a lot would that make me look weird or materialistic? Or, if i say too little, do I not value myself? So many questions fly through your mind in the short span that you have to answer what seems to be a simple question. 

As I described that scenario, it is the same when I ask people about social media in relation to “how do I stand out?" People get nervous about what to say. It is like they avoid saying it is something they are REALLY interested in. The truth is, maybe they want to be an influencer, a brand ambassador for their favorite brand, but might be afraid to be judged by close friends or family. They exude self-doubt and simply do not know what to do next. We can save THAT topic for another upcoming newsletter, but give it some thought. How comfortable are you in answering questions about your craft, your goals, your passion? Have you thought about it enough and practiced talking about it enough to be able to give a solid answer?

If you do not own a camera (even a basic one) or understand how to utilize your smartphone to the max, I would suggest that it will not be long before you fall behind in the industry even more. The point of ENTRY at THIS very moment to answer the question so many people desire to know, is that unless you are investing in yourself beyond whats asked of you, its going to be very hard to keep up with the speed everyone is working at. The output requirements are higher which require more of you, especially for anyone who is a one person business (meaning you do EVERYTHING yourself from cutting hair, marketing, strategizing, branding, creating content, staying on top of your bookings, educating yourself in a variety of areas, etc). There’s a famous quote that’s perfect for this and maybe this is how you can remember to keep this topic a priority… 

“Day 1 or 1 day, you choose.”

Let’s say we just want to get booked in the shop and we don’t care about the extra “fancy” idea of taking photos and videos…that is a lane that absolutely works too!! Maybe this topic of social media doesn’t mean as much, but aren’t you CURIOUS about the other side of MAYBE it does matter or what if there’s more for you? I relate to this because I did not think about these things when I bought my first cheap DSLR Canon for $400 to take finished photos of my work. My only goal at the time was for my online portfolio to show to new clients to trust that I could do the job. As time went on, I was curious about its video features and I starting using it and learning. If I show you my old videos, you would laugh at the way they were composed. It is true that most of us SUCK when we start something new. The higher quality photos did actually make my work stand out on my IG and shop business page. I was in a space with 11 other barbers and I was the ONLY one with a camera at the time. Other clients in barber chairs and waiting area starting seeing my mini photoshoots in the corner and questioned why they weren’t getting the same treatment with their barbers. It got to be such a big deal, they would actually DM me and try to see me when their barber wasn’t in. As it continued, I thought well, maybe this is just shop vibes, but the real focus point is that I was creating a buzz that people wanted to experience. Not long after, people were so curious about the experience that even at the end of the cut when I wasn’t always planning to take a photo, they would politely ask: “Will you take a pic?” It was so cool to see people enjoy that part of the experience and want to participate.  The more I shot, the better I got at capturing people in a light that even the clients were impressed and used the photos for their Tinder accounts and profiles, lol!

In order to get good at anything, you have to put in the time to practice and look for ways to improve, so I continued doing that. The higher quality photos made me stand out in the shop and even more on my social channels. As my following grew, people started coming to see me from nearby cities. One craziest moment for me, was when someone was visiting the country and out of all the barbers in Orange County, they chose me! All because of what they saw online. It was my first conscious moment of realizing social media was a tool to be seen and spread the word on my work. 

Before that, my belief was that unless you were a celebrity or born into it, you would never be known or recognized. Here we are though, with the power of the internet and social media, it introduces us to people and barbers like ourselves (from small towns and big cities alike) a chance to stand out; and not just locally, but globally too. 

This wasn’t something I was seeking, it was something I discovered along the way. It was something I needed to do for my local list of potential clients that led me to have more curiosity towards this “content” and “social world.”

A memory just came to mind - It was a busy Friday at the shop around 12:30pm and I got a random call from a barber I didn’t even know personally. He said “Hey Sofie, my name is Marcus and I got a VIP client that needs a cut right now, can you be available?” I started debating it in my mind because it is Friday and my day was fully booked. Initially, it just seemed like a hassle to leave where I was to cut someone random. I was curious though and wanted to see who it was so I asked who the VIP client was and he said “NAS.” I am sure I said “WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!” Not even trying to act cool, just wanting to make sure I heard right. He confirmed. “Yes, NAS, the rapper.” In my mind I was like; OMG. This will be my first Celebrity Client, I cannot say no. The truth was,  Marcus went through his list of LA barbers and most of them either were not available but as he went down his list, I just happened to be on it. 

I texted all my clients that I had to cancel and promised that I would explain it later.  I drove through the worst traffic between OC and LA, but i made it with a few minutes to spare. 

Crazy right?! You can’t plan for moments like this. But, they started happening more and more. 

As these instances kept happening and it was getting clearer. This area of the unknown was worth trying and figuring out. I wanted and still want to keep growing. Maybe it is those little wins that changed the way I feel, but I wouldn’t have gotten those chances had I not made the initial choice to upgrade my camera and cultivate my interest to build my portfolio in more detail. All those extra hours learning how to edit photos, it was worth every minute. I was not inspired by anyone to take photos at the time like we can see now on social media. I was purely acting off interest that I wanted my barbering portfolio to be top notch to potential clients AND I wanted to show the world how awesome the barbering industry is. Eventually, I wanted to share my insights of what it is really like to be a barber.

2017 came around (keep in mind I started barbering 2011) and I had spent some solid years just putting in the work the best way I knew how. I started getting featured on BarbershopConnect, which felt massive in the early IG days because you would actually get followers (so much harder for that to happen today). I remember attending the New York Barbershopconnect event and Lee (the creator of the event/brand) gave me the 2017 Female Barber Award. It was my first breakthrough award. My voice shook speaking to this massive crowd and I cried (haha, I laugh about it now)! It felt so good to be recognized for my work after so many years of feeling like it was overlooked and in that moment, I finally felt fully accepted by the men in the industry. Felt like I was finally one of them. The rest, as they say, is history. 

That moment (of getting the award) inspired me to really start sharing my story and journey as a female barber. The more I shared, the more I realized that many women were going through similar situations and I started really connecting deeper to my craft. There was a mission to continue building my voice and sharing my journey, it was becoming more and more clear. 

The responsibility to be a positive representation felt necessary in my role as a woman, lgbtq+, and Asian-American in barbering. Lena Piccininni was the first female barber on social media for me to look up to and I remember thinking wow, how cool. Someone thats like me out there and known. As all these things continued happening and the intention kept growing to stay connected through social media. 

The social leverage I was building allowed me to build friendships with some of the top barbers in the industry. I remember meeting all of them in person and being sooooo shocked they knew my name. From Vince, Julius, Rob, Famos, Arod, Los, Mr. Official, Patty, Mark, Pacinos, Jay, Dom, Linh, just to name a few. By having some social status, it also made it easier to collab with people. They knew I came with my own value that they could benefit from and in the beginning, that made them more likely to say yes.

SIDE NOTE: If you are looking to collab with someone bigger than you, always lead with giving value first. Answer these questions:

*What can I do for them? 

*How can I help? 

*How will it be worth it for them to include me in something they have already built and are sharing that with me by allowing me into their space? 

Think about those things next time. Or you can always collaborate with someone in your same level too to start.

You have no idea the power and knowledge you can learn just from being in the same room as other barbers. The things I offered in those situations to provide extra value was usually to cut their hair for free, take their photo/video, or try to find anyway to help in the moment. I wanted to always make a genuine lasting impression. Social media got me through the door but I had to make it count once I was there.

When it comes to investing in yourself, that comes in many forms. It may be that you are always learning more about barbering, cameras, programs, your personal style and aesthetic, personal branding, how to market yourself, and so many more topics around your business. 

You have nothing to lose, but EVERYTHING to gain. 

You are going to put in the time anyway, so why not go all in ON YOU in these areas too? Is it intimidating? Yes. Is it hard? Yes. Will people say mean things? Yes. Will your friends and family not understand? Maybe. If you can adapt to a “do or die” mindset, you will do well in this area of personal growth. It takes a certain personality and drive. 

For those reading who are farther along, think of it like back when you were learning how to become a barber. You maybe did not get it at first and you probably have taken some hits from clients and outsiders on your work. That part is not fun, but it is part of the process and you haven’t stopped! You kept going. You just need to apply those same lessons to this area. 

If you are new, you probably have not created too many bad habits yet as you are just absorbing the life around you. Think of it like children: they are fearless and they are going to go for it and find out later it was a bad idea or not. For my millennials and beyond, we have life experiences that have tainted or made us questions things a bit more before making the move. It can be paralyzing because of that, but we can look at GenZ and get inspiration from them being so action based and going for things. Remember, we have the foundation of our parent’s wisdom and can become that sweet middle ground.

I have been on social media since 2011 and it has played a huge role in where I am today. As I have dived further into it, I have really learned about myself. My habits, my struggles, my level of patience, my reaction to peoples feedback, and just being able to look at myself through a different lens. Self-improvement and reflection started growing and getting deeper the more I created. I found out my pain points when I got lazy, and it helped keep me accountable because I KNEW deep down, I wanted more. 

To have more, we have to do things that are DIFFERENT than what we have been doing to have a different experience. Recycled thoughts and actions give you the same result every day. I make it goal to try and do new things that challenge me (like this newsletter you are reading). I never thought of myself as a writer but if I can help someone along the way who may feel like me, why not TRY to write?!

Another thing might I add, that aids in all of this, depends on how we like to learn. Some people benefit from podcasts, books, and/or youtube videos. I started reading books about self-discovery, mindset, and self-awareness. It gave me a new perspective to think about myself and how to be better. 

For many years when I started out, I was that go with the flow person. Things were working out just fine for me being a booked and busy barber, but eventually I hit a wall. I got stagnant and burnt out. I was following a path that was comfortable. I knew what was going to happen each day and who I was going to see. To be quite honest, for me personally, it was leaving the barbershop space that allowed me to really see clearly my own dreams and goals. Prior to that moment, I was able to experience 6 shops in total, before I made the decision to go on my own. 

The honesty I have been able to build with myself has become deeper the more I focus on it. I ask myself all of the time, why do I like cutting hair? Why do I enjoy teaching? Why do I like creating content? I think of these questions and I take them 2-3 levels deeper so I can stay connected to my “whys”. 

The better you get good at analyzing yourself, the more you can continue to grow into the person you were meant to be.

The outside world will always try to tell you what you should or shouldn’t do, but remember, it is not their life, it’s yours. I got into hair against the wishes and opinions of my mom and family. They thought it was a very unstable job with rude clients who only wanted to ONLY sit in a mans chair. People still to this day, publicly write on social that women don’t belong in the barbershop. It felt heavy when I made the choice to be a barber. I felt I had a lot to prove to them and most importantly myself. I always felt that there was no Plan B. 

I work for 2 major brands and when they are looking for educators or ambassadors, they want people who have figured out their identity and how they want to be seen in the world. 

Everyone will eventually have the skill built over-time, but you can’t teach your heart and values. They are yours to nourish and grow.

Social media is a tool that gives us what we put into IT. People search you, read reviews, before they choose how they value you. I do this myself when I’m looking for services. What is their reputation? What I know is that I have a limited amount of energy to use each day. It is alway geared towards growth and I want to make sure that every part of that process is people who feel the same as me. I grow, you grow, we all grow.

This week, I challenge you to do something new that you are not used to. Start with writing things down. Short term goals that you can dig into right away. Ask yourself what is next for you that you want to explore a little more? And what are 3 steps you can take to get there. Get curious. Get honest, and take action!

Have a wonderful work week ahead of you.

Sof!