The Kings Creek Podcast
Fueled by our love for God’s creation, we spark fresh and funny conversations that unite listeners through shared passions like the outdoors, golf, and music. Although uncharted waters can be frightening, they also tend to yield the greatest rewards. So, grab your life jacket and hop in the creek... it's a journey worth taking.
The Kings Creek Podcast
The Head Under the Hat | Adam Smith | Ep. 003
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What happens when you step into a barbershop? You're not just there for a haircut, but you also become a part of a close-knit community that's all about camaraderie, connection, and comfort. Join us in a hearty conversation with Adam, a seasoned barber from Augusta, Georgia. Adam sheds light on the powerful resurgence of the barbershop as a haven for men to freely express themselves. But the chatter doesn't stop at the barbershop chair. This episode immerses you in the rewarding world of barbering, the intricate relationships built with clients, and the profound satisfaction derived from crafting the perfect haircut.
Ever wondered about the hairstyling trends that are making a comeback? Are you a fan of the mullet or perhaps the innovative "broccoli top"? We dissect these trends while shedding light on the influences of popular culture on hairstyle preferences. Moreover, we examine the role of barbers in shaping these trends and share our personal experiences and the unique challenges that come with finding the right haircut.
Sports enthusiasts, this one's got something for you! We've got golf, the Masters, and the art of building relationships through sports. Hear all about our experiences at the prestigious Masters golf tournament and the unforgettable moments at the Augusta National Golf Club. Wrapping up this episode is a heartfelt conversation about friendship and its positive impacts on personal growth with our friend Adam. Come along for this ride as we explore the world of barbering and its cultural significance. This isn't just another episode about haircuts, it's about the bonds formed, the stories shared, and the experiences that shape us. Don't miss out!
If you're ready to jump in the creek with us, head over to Kings Creek Apparel HERE!
Alright, everyone, welcome to episode 3. This is going to be a little bit different than the previous two episodes. The previous two episodes were under a series. We will continue to do series as this podcast progresses, but we are also going to be doing a little bit more casual stuff like this, which is a conversation with someone who we think identifies with and personifies the brand of Kings Creek. So, that said, welcome.
Speaker 1Adam, thank you, glad to be here.
Speaker 2Why don't you just? I think it's always better when the guest gets to introduce himself. So I don't miss anything or feel bad for missing anything. So why don't you take the floor and just kind of introduce yourself? Who is Adam?
Speaker 1Yeah, my name is Adam, obviously, and I'm a barber downtown in Augusta, georgia. I've been here for about almost four years and met Jesse through the barber shop and definitely been pretty good friendship.
Speaker 2What? What did you move here for barbering, like just for a barbering position?
Speaker 1No, I actually moved down here with my ex. She took a job at SRS and that was during the pandemic and just decided that I should give this a shot, and I'm glad I did.
Speaker 3Did you? I always forget this, and Melissa asked me all the time did you barber in up north too?
Speaker 1I was more of a cosmetologist up north, so my clientele was probably like an 80, 80, 20 up there, where it's the opposite down here, right.
Speaker 3Yeah, and just I guess, maybe to give some of the listeners an idea, the barber shop where Adam is is more of a I don't know how do you say a manly boutique type. Yeah, cool vibe, yeah.
Speaker 2And on the website it says like a European culture, like a European barber culture. How accurate is that? I mean, I don't even know what that looks like I can even look Europe.
Speaker 3Thank you, european. Yeah, maybe the mustache.
Speaker 1Maybe the mustache yeah, you know, the mustache is a November thing.
Speaker 2We're working on it. I'm working on it.
Speaker 1We can get into that. That's just I grow it out for men's health awareness Do usually you try to. I raise money and donate to a November for men's health awareness.
Speaker 3Yeah, that's a cool deal, but I just know the vibe down there and there's, you know, when you get connected to a barber who I've always just been enamored by barbers. I didn't really want Adam to know how enamored by barbers I was, because then he kind of you know, I lose my control a little bit.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 3No, and all seriousness, though, I've always really been interested in just the environment of the barber shop for men and then, as you know, we it's kind of like it's the resurgence and this might just be in my opinion, I might be totally off, but it's kind of like the resurgence of the man's barbershop.
Speaker 1I mean I think that's what he was going for when he created this place and it's a very comfortable, you know very relaxed, good vibes. You know you can come in and chill or you can come in and have a conversation about something and you got to get off your chest and it usually stays there. You know you would with me. I mean I try to keep it in house. You know some guys just need a vent, some guys just want to feel good, and it's a pretty cool career. You can do that for some people.
Speaker 2Yeah. Yeah, we were saying prior, just kind of planning for this episode, that like it feels like barbering is like the last bastion of like a man's place where you could just go be a amongst other men and just kind of like I don't know talk, but like talk freely. It feels like and that's not to say you're talking about crazy bad things, but just I don't know it's, it's a different speech. That's how I feel.
Speaker 1Yeah, different vibe and kind of. You know you don't feel judged, you're just going in there right, you know usually you build a good rapport with your clientele and they feel comfortable talking to you and stuff like that. Sometimes you just listen. It's great and it's, it's. It's not like I mean I guess. I mean we do this at uh, at the clubhouse, at the golf course and stuff like that. We'll go in there and just relax. Everybody kind of talk about it and it kind of gives me that same kind of vibe sometimes.
Speaker 3Right Kind of like the hunt club you know, sitting around the fire, sitting at the hunt club, the locker room, you know that same, that same feel, but I feel like it literally has disappeared for a long time.
Speaker 1It definitely did. It took off about I think it really took off about 10 years ago that I can remember. Um, it kind of like went away Uh, men's cuts weren't that popular, weren't making that much, you know income for I mean the stylist, I guess you could say. And then it really started taking off. Uh, in the industry again, they started promoting it again. That's where I really started seeing the change.
Speaker 3And I think it's so cool because you could be used, obviously, in so many different ways, but for me, the neatest part is I'm, I'm, you know, my son. That's. That's where Noah gets his haircut. Um, so it's just something I feel like has been lost in the de-masculinization. How do you say that word? Can we figure that out real quick?
Speaker 2Yeah, is it?
Speaker 3de-masculinizing or de-masculinization or infant infantile is Asian.
Speaker 3I was just taking the man out of men. Um, I think one of the things that was lost with that was that the barbershop connection was a place that you could go with your son and you could have him around. You know all different walks of life and he can meet many different people and if you want to learn about the community that you're in, just sit your rear end down in that barber seat for a little while and you'll kind of see what what I was out there and and opportunity to get involved.
Speaker 1Yeah, definitely. I mean, you see all walks of life and it's, it's great. I mean, if you can, uh, I feel like I'm pretty open to anybody that wants to come in and just get a haircut. You know I could be a friend with anybody, you know, if they just need to talk. Or you know, you got a lawyers, you got plumbers, you know all walks of life and it's uh, it's pretty great.
Speaker 3See, I think that's the. I would never get a haircut. You know I could not complete one. What?
Speaker 2are you talking about? You never get a haircut. I'm not talking about.
Speaker 3I'm talking about I was a stylist or barber, I could never. I wouldn't get anything done. Oh yeah, you know what I mean. I'm sitting there and I want to hear this conversation going, and Adam look, dude you got to go. I got three people Wait, you know, and I'm still trying to dig my claws in. But just when I think about it, just as we're sitting here, I think about from a community standpoint my brother-in-law, my little nephew, um Melissa's step-sister, her husband, and and her son.
Speaker 3They both go there, my son, I mean, there's so many people now. Yeah, um, and it's just a cool thing, it's just something that we've all got, that you know. If I don't know, I could go on and on about it, but I highly recommend, if you don't, if you can afford the plane ticket, if you're not from around here, you need to go spend some time with Adam.
Speaker 2So yeah, thank you. I guess I want to take it back a little bit.
Speaker 1So you grew up up north, that's what it sounds like we're at East Cleveland Ohio, so mostly in Madison Ohio, and then moved over a little bit closer to Cleveland and a men are Ohio.
Speaker 2All right, did you do any swimming in Lake Erie?
Speaker 1I did yeah, yeah, definitely when I was younger.
Speaker 2Drury Erie.
Speaker 1Yeah. Yeah, it wasn't that bad. I mean it's, it's a lake, yeah.
Speaker 2But uh, well, that's a lake. And see, this is what's funny. So I grew up in Rochester, New York. I don't know if you know where the day sits, maybe I don't know five, six hours from Cleveland, something like that Sounds about right. And we're on Lake Ontario and those are like lakes to me, to where, like you, can't see across. But then I come here like Clarkson, it's like I could throw a stone to the other side of this lake. This is a lake.
Speaker 3And it's hot. Yeah, it does get hot, it gets like 70 degrees. Get in like Michigan in July, you will freeze. Oh yeah, it's cold, it is, and I thought it was the ocean. Yeah, you know, I didn't know any different.
Speaker 2I think I was telling you Lake Ontario is like 800 feet deep, but Lake Superior, I think, is 1600 or something like that.
Speaker 1It's super deep, oh yeah. Lake Ontario, I think, is the shallowest out of them all, I think.
Speaker 2Yeah. Um, so it's a little bit warmer than those lakes, but yeah, there's a lot of cities though that kind of border, that lake though. So what was grown up in Cleveland like?
Speaker 1I mean it was great, um uh, good people, but definitely into the sports scene and uh, Are you a Browns fan? Oh yeah, yeah, that's funny.
Speaker 2I know the pain. I'm a bills fan. Yeah, I granted we're having. Well, this is yours kind of already gone, but we've been better than years prior, but so are you all yeah, we're, we're actually better this year than we've been in a minute.
Speaker 1So, yeah, with a lot of injuries and they've overcome a lot of injuries actually with the quarterbacks and everything.
Speaker 3So I mean Chubb got hurt too.
Speaker 1Yeah, dude that. I thought this season was over when we lost job snapped his knees back.
Speaker 2Oh, it's not funny, but round two yeah.
Speaker 3It's a lot more ish situation, I think, with him.
Speaker 1I just uh, you know, I was up there last week and I got to go to the Brown Steelers game and it was his first time showing up, I think, at the game and that was pretty cool to see the stadium.
Speaker 2Yeah, really show appreciation for it.
Speaker 1Yeah, I was going crazy.
Exploring a Career in Barbering
Speaker 2Yeah, I mean he almost single-handedly kind of turned it around for that team. He's a dynamite, yeah, so good. So, um, I guess, moving into more like the career aspect, so growing up did you always kind of have an eye on being a barber, or I guess you were. You were a stylist at first. So kind of explain what led you into this career or if maybe you had your eye on something else and this is what you fell into.
Speaker 1I kind of fell into it. I, when I was growing up I definitely loved golf, so I kind of I mean Jessica and that's that, but uh, so I did a lot of that. I didn't know what I was going to do coming out of high school, Um, so I started, uh, pursuing golf a little bit and stuff like that, and uh, that wasn't working out too well. So, you know, I went off and on trying to figure out, you know, uh, community college and stuff like that, and it just wasn't really working.
Speaker 1Yeah, I guess you could say the feeling wasn't there and I was trying to figure out what it was is. And uh, somebody. You know, my brother and I used to cut our hair, uh in the basement when we were younger, and somebody brought it up I can't remember who, I think it was a friend of my mom's and I kind of just blew it off. And then, uh, later that month I got a haircut and I went in and uh wasn't feeling that great, but when I left I was like in the best moon, I mean, I just felt great. So I was like man, maybe I should look into this. This is kind of rewarding. You know, you can really make somebody uh feel good about themselves every day. And um went to, uh, the Paul Mitchell Academy.
Speaker 2And I know about that. I think that was it when. Where is that the Paul Mitchell Academy? I mean, they probably have places all over.
Speaker 1They do, yeah, um, the one I went to was in twinsburg, ohio. I was about 45 minute drive every day, which was wasn't bad. It's all freeway, yeah.
Speaker 2Yeah, we had one grow where I grew up. I remember going to visit it one day, um, for some school. What do you call that? It's called a field trip. There you go For a field trip. We went out and saw.
Speaker 3Can't do those things. Saw one of us.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 3Really, I don't think they get to leave school. It's such a prison. You know they lock them down to make sure that they're all safe. Yeah, they're safe and sound. It's dangerous outside world.
Speaker 2Yeah, I think so. Um, you're, you're a barber. That like do you take? Do you claim the title barber? Do you more or so identify with stylist? Cause Paul Mitchell is not. I mean, you don't come out of there being a barber, right?
Speaker 1Correct, right. Yeah, I came out of there as, um I guess you could say, a stylist, yeah, and um, they set it up recently in the past where you would have dual license, you know, barber, cosmetologist or stylist. And uh, when I moved down here, um, dale shop, the real life, it's a salon slash barber shop. So I was able to get into that and be on the barber side more than the stylist that. And I think when I got into the industry I knew I wanted to be more of a barber where you're cutting hair instead of uh, dying and stuff like that. And it's kind of how I just went uh full swing with the barber part.
Speaker 3Yeah, yeah, just not a fan of the updo.
Speaker 1I am not. Yeah, they tried to in the past up north to get me into it and I'm. I remember the second shop I worked at and they're like you're going to start doing updo's and I was like, okay, I'm not going to do updo's or perms and uh the perm.
Speaker 2I'm going to have to look this up because I don't know what an updo is.
Speaker 3It's just a you know kind of fancy hair for like weddings and proms and something to tighten it all up on a girl.
Speaker 2Yep, yeah, it's just like oh, all of this stuff, yeah, yeah, literally just pulling it up, all right, yeah, you know the odd thing that you were talking about, some crazy haircut. Oh, no, no, no, no, yeah.
Speaker 3Not a fade or nothing. No, it's just an updo for women, yeah. They're expensive too.
Speaker 3Um one thing that is kind of interesting that a lot of people don't know is I have a cousin that was a barber for probably 45, 50 years in my hometown in Alabama and he ran a barber shop and I used to go down there and get my haircut from him and it was just an awesome time and my grandmother was also.
Speaker 3That's what she did. She was a beautician forever and she had her own, her own spot, um, that she worked out of. And so I've kind of always I'm not saying that, look here, I'm not saying that I have aspired and and tried to pursue it it has just been something that's been super fascinating to me, just the life that you can have outside of the barber shop, so you can come in and do a lot of good and then you've got some free time and for some reason I look back, regardless of where I was at my career, the free times always kind of it's always kind of been important to me what I did outside of the office, and I think that Probably something that a lot of people don't know because of the way that everything was going more towards cosmetology, stylist and then maybe the Demographic of I Don't know how to say it but you know it may not have been attractive to a lot of men.
Speaker 3Yeah, yeah, but I think we're kind of getting around that now 100%, and so for any guys out there that are Wondering, you know that that are sitting there like yourself, like all of us, at some time, trying to figure out what we want to do, it Seriously should rank up there. I mean, it's it's checks all the boxes.
Speaker 2I'd be lying if I said I never thought of being a barber, like to me it's. It's that aspect where, like I get to interact with so many different people on a daily basis and, like learn a skill in in the process of doing it, like you're always continually learning, I'm assuming.
Speaker 1Oh yeah, I mean. I Mean, you're learning how to do the cuts, you're learning how to communicate with people. Yeah you know You're. You're trying to help people have a better day.
Speaker 2Yeah, yeah, it's cool I think Specifically with men's haircuts, because I know there's like you go to a woman's salon and they'll take two inches off and that's like a huge deal. But for a guy, like when I go, I don't look the same when I leave because I always get like a skin fade, low skin fade, and I don't look the same, like I'll let it go a couple weeks. I come back, come out and I'm like man, I look like a new person, I'm younger, I look fresh right, you're a little pep in your step and you feel that like you said it just it turns someone's day around.
Speaker 2Oh yeah, I mean you can do work for 30, 45 minutes, however long it takes. Show them a mirror and watch the person's day change as they look in the mirror. Yeah, that to me, is so cool.
Speaker 1Yeah, I had a, a Client new client today, which was pretty cool. He was probably 12 and he went and got a haircut and he hated it from another spot I won't say name and His mom took him out of school great clips he took, took him out of school because we couldn't get him in. This is the only time I can get him in. It was like at 2 o'clock, so you know he's pretty nervous. He's coming in, he's all over the place. He's, you know, putting his phone in his mom's purse, walking around her. I'm like, I'm like, buddy, I got you, don't worry, come on, come on back, calm them down. Talked about school sports Cutting his hair, and you could just see his face light up as I'm cutting his hair, the way that he kind of envisioned it was supposed to be, and you know it was pretty rewarding. At the end he's like, yeah, he's like I'm home, I'll be back, you know, and it's pretty nice and mom's happy.
Speaker 1Oh, mom's, mom's day, because he's been.
Speaker 3You know he's been a tyrant for a day. Ever since that he had the barret bad haircut.
Speaker 3So you know, and maybe in defense to a lot of the females that you might would go to as a man, you know a lot is lost in translation. You know, when you try to I know that there's not many Barbers and stylists out there that you know wake up and say I'm really gonna mess somebody's hair up today, you know, I think it's just a product of their training and their commitment to it. Maybe you know there's an aspect of that, but a lot of it is you can do. Only you know you can only do what you know you've got in front of you and what you've been told.
Speaker 1That that comes to. Yeah, some of these two Um Barbers or stylists, uh, they're just uneducated and not, you know, seasoned into it. I'm not gonna say like I haven't messed anybody's hair up in the past I mean I definitely did when I was first starting off but you, you hope you have a good mentor behind you. Yeah, I can you know, fix what you've done, stuff like that.
Speaker 2Or coach you on what you should be doing, and stuff like that Um yeah, I think you're, that you're obviously the expert opinion here, but to me, barboring is almost more about Relationships and networking than it is about actually cutting the hair. Like there's the skill to do it, but like, like you said, you need a great mentor to teach you how to be a good barber but also kind of teach you some of the more soft skills, like how to communicate with customers yet you know how to grow relationship with customers so that they come back.
Speaker 1Yeah, um, I definitely have like a mentor like that. That was a Anthony D Benedictus big name. Yeah, sounds Greek, he's.
Speaker 2Italian sounds important. Benedictus, yeah, he's probably a mayor of some Italian city over there.
Speaker 1So no, he's, he's in Cleveland, he's, he's in Mayfield. But he definitely educated me a lot. Him and his dad didn't carry Both phenomenal talkers, you know, just non-stop talking. And when I first got into this I didn't, I was not good with communicating, like was very Closed in and just let me do what I got to do. One I think I was kind of, you know, trying to figure out my craft and just Do it right.
Speaker 2Yeah, more worried about the hair at this point, thinking about it more than just Trusting what I was already taught. So yeah, that's so cool. See it's it's to me it's just such an interesting yeah. And then, like we said, like you get all walks of life in that sit in the chair. I'm just kind of curious. Obviously, you've probably had thousands of people in front of you. Within there there's probably some pretty crazy stories like people coming in just telling you off the wall things You're like why are you telling me this?
Speaker 1Yeah, yeah, I do, but then I think about it. I'm like they needed to tell somebody something.
Speaker 2Yeah right.
Speaker 1So um, a lot of my inner circle friends you know in the past will be like you know what's the, you know stories, what you know would you hear in. I usually keep everything at house, you know. I think that's a respect thing. They're telling me this stuff, so I kind of keep it low-key. Unless they're joking around, they want to, just you know.
Speaker 2Joke around right. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3Yeah, you'll meet a cool guy that just is just fun to be around. You know you want to. That's something that you don't mind talking about, but it's similar to a you know, almost a therapist. You know a lot of people that is their therapy, you know, to be able to sit down and vent, because what we were talking about earlier, like the locker room, the clubhouse at the golf course, the you know, the fire station, wherever you may be, you know just there's a lot of good conversation that comes out of that, and I know that there's a lot of you know, because my son does go there as well, yeah, he was in today and I found out about that on a phone conversation while ago.
Speaker 3I was just like, yeah, I've got to get ready for the podcast and Adam's yeah, I just left Adam and then he proceeds to tell me a funny story about a store he went in downtown. It said you need to come back with me, we would have fun in there. And I'm like this is, it's a clothing store down. Why he ends up there, I don't know, that's just kind of how he is, but anyway. So he just brings it up in conversation. But there's, you know, there's some kind of a solace to knowing that he's there and I know he's getting some, some good advice, because I do think that Adam does a good job, you know at that, you know it giving advice, and that's sometimes you just need somebody to affirm something that you're thinking or maybe you know, tell you why you might want to pump the brakes on that just a little bit, or, and that's To be in a position to where and you've got a pretty captive audience when you got a couple pairs scissors in your hands and clippers and You're strapped to the chair.
Speaker 3Yeah, you know straight you move, you're gonna get that hair all over you and that's the worst thing in the world. So I'm about as captive as I can be throughout the day when I'm sitting there, and it is such a reprieve for me. Did you sit there every couple weeks?
Speaker 2I was just I mean just now I'm thinking about this out loud. I think what's cool about the barbering? But In the past I'm probably thinking I don't even know 80s, 70s, when, like barbers like this is a thing my grandfather had the bar, had the same barber for like 30 years and I think that that was common for that generation. Like you went and saw Tony Every two weeks at this time and it became like a routine. But I think we had more of that so, like you, had more time to have conversations and really get to know people. Like now, we're so glued to our phones and so independent that we don't ever really communicate with people. So now that the barbering is kind of like Taking a new wind to me it's cool.
Speaker 1So I think that that'll be great for men's men's health, especially men's mental health definitely, and you know they can't really be on their phone when I'm cutting their hair, right. You know People try to, but usually I'm like you know, Stop you got to put your phone down so I can work. You know like I can't keep when you're going like this, you know it's not gonna it's not gonna be the same vibe.
Speaker 1Yeah and people respect that, and I think it's uncomfortable at first because everybody's glued to the phones, but it's good for them, yeah, yeah to me.
Speaker 2I don't know, it's funny. So my wife yells at me I'm the person that likes to talk. Also, like, even if my barber is not, or whoever is cutting my hair, I'll be like I'm gonna ask them about their day, about their life. I do that with all the things. So, like I'm a Zeus. I didn't know that you weren't supposed. Yeah, I didn't know that you weren't supposed to talk there. Massage, my wife had to tell me that. I mean, I'd be asking them like huh, what do you do? Like, you play pool, you play billiards? All right, cool, I was in a league too, and you just get to know people I didn't know you got massages every once in a while.
Speaker 3Yeah, I got that scoliosis back so.
Speaker 2I need that fact, my back looks like the Superman symbol.
Speaker 3Yeah, I mean, I had none of that.
Speaker 1No, I mean, I've never gotten massage. Are you serious? Yeah, which is crazy. Yeah, people rave about it. They're like you got to go. I'm like.
Speaker 3I'm on the other side of that.
Speaker 1This is I think you're good, I'm good.
Speaker 3Yes, yeah, I think you find you a good stretcher, somebody that can really like. That's what I want, lay me down and stretch me.
Speaker 2Those are new, those are things.
Speaker 3But that's rubbing all that oil in your scam out on that and really I'm out on just awkward conversation. Do you want a guy to do it or girl to go?
Speaker 1I'm a second. You're a hundred percent. You want a girl to do it?
Speaker 3Yeah and then, it's like I don't. You know saying it's like I don't, I don't want to enjoy it.
Speaker 2Yeah why?
Speaker 3why, because it's not my wife. I don't want anybody. You know, like I don't. It's just a weird thing for me. I don't.
Speaker 3It is such a I do go with Melissa and it started because she, when Melissa wants me to do something that I'm not really feeling, then she'll recruit Olivia, my daughter, to come in and ask you know, so then I'm in a catch-22, you know, it can't be that. Oh, I know this must be really important to Melissa, because she's even asked my daughter to say something. She don't even see it that way. It's more like you're only doing it because she wanted you to do it, you know. Kind of a deal.
Speaker 3So, anyway, I get putting that pickle quite a bit, but I'll go get a pedicure and it does all I can do to sit down in that chair while they Are just grinding on your feet and digging inside your feet. And you'll see women leave from there similar to they leave, similar that, you know, as we do leave in the barber shop. It's, they're refreshed, yep, and they, you know, they're gonna go home other than the summertime. They're gonna put socks back on, you know, within a little bit of time, and then they're done, covering up the what you just spent the fortune on, but it's just not a good to me, it's just not a good feel.
Speaker 1I Think it comes down to like with me a Massager, a pedicure, I can't relax and you need to relax.
Speaker 3Yeah.
Speaker 1Um, my chiropractor tells me that all the time he's like bro, you gotta, you gotta relax, I like it. I don't think you've golfed with Chris, but I did one time in a tournament. Oh, that's right, and he's actually was my.
Speaker 3I had to go to him.
Speaker 1Yeah, north Augusta chiropractic yeah.
Speaker 3I had to go. I saw you talking about Chris Walker. I was Jacked up on my podcast. Oh, I was jacked up.
Speaker 1I don't think it's Chris Walker, yeah, other Chris yeah, and it was a lane.
Speaker 3Yeah, my back Was so jacked up after that. Um, anyway, and then I had to call him. I said you look, can you do me a solid man and get me in? And and he jammed me up.
Speaker 1Mm-hmm.
Speaker 3I guess that's probably a good word. He did a jam up job. I mean, he loosened me up and got me back mobile. But Talk about a cool guy. That's another cool guy.
Speaker 2I don't know, I didn't. I was so skeptical on the chiropractor stuff I went. Had it done two, three different times, I would take a massage over a chiropractic visit every time. I don't know that, maybe that's just me, but I'm also not out there getting pedicures like you.
Speaker 3So you can count on two hands. How many times I've gotten one?
Speaker 1they do say almost two digits. Take care of your feet, and I Feel like I'm not doing a very good job at that. Not that my feet are bad, but you know it's important and Chris talks about it too.
Speaker 3He's like everything starts from your feet.
Speaker 1Yep.
Speaker 3So you know, you just need to take care of them. Bad boys, yeah. And if you think about really the pampering type things that are out there, if they were looked at as more medicinal and less bougie, I Think more people would do it. Like we might need to put get a male pedicure place. I almost called it a salon, but Like a yeah, hang out, yeah.
Speaker 1I think they do have a barbershop said do that full service, where they do pedicures and their cuts and stuff.
Speaker 2Um really is it weird that? So this is something that I've noticed. It feels like a lot of those services fall Kind of under the realm of like a barber, like a barber might start to do miss not a massage therapist, but like massages with the guns after or whatever, and a sports clips does something similar to that. I was gonna say that really a barber shop, but but they do do that. Yeah, yeah, they have like the massage gun or whatever. Um, why does it all kind of fall under Barber cuz? To me it's so different.
Speaker 1Well, um, I don't know, maybe it's because, uh, you don't have a lot of Industries where your hands on another person and they're just comfortable. So maybe the massage part is you know, they're already cutting my hair. Well, I might as well let them right, go ahead and get the knot on my shoulder, yeah, or it's supposed to be relaxing, so I Think that's where it goes with. Can you imagine getting it at the dentist.
Speaker 3No putting the drill down and grabbing the gun and just going to work on your back.
Speaker 1Maybe I'd relax more yeah.
Speaker 2My blood pressure is through the roof at a dentist.
Speaker 3I can't stand it if you think about it. I mean, a dentist has got the opportunity to where they need to really Step up some of their pampering.
Speaker 2Yeah, they just come in and grind out and go give me some dumb glasses and throw on some kids Show and you're like I'm an adult. Why am I watching Nickelodeon?
Speaker 1I mean I have quite a few dentists as clients and I love them, but I don't want to go visit them, you know. I mean they can come visit me, but no and I've got a good one.
Speaker 3I mean I've really in. If you want to say enjoy, I'm not meaning it like I enjoy getting my haircut, but it is a. I just think that we have come way too far With technology for the dentist to still be such a nuisance to people. Yeah, I mean, how in the world Can you, can we, you can see your baby how it looks inside a woman's stomach, but yet we're still using primitive drills and grinding it? I mean.
Speaker 1I've thought about that in the past. You and you're just like where is the technology wise in it? More advanced?
Speaker 3I mean it just stops with kind of like insurance. Yeah, insurance just stops at the dentist?
Speaker 2Yeah, well, I mean to be fair. They've been using shears for how long now For cutting hair, straight razors at that. Yeah, do you? Are you a straight razor guy?
Speaker 1I do.
Speaker 2Yeah, yep, our, do you do like the safety blade or the the legit one piece?
Speaker 1It's a it's. It's a little bit of a safety blade. Yeah um they're sharper, okay, they just, they're disposable, probably cleaner. We can't have a true blade. I believe In the state of Georgia, I think that's what it was but I mean it's not really a safety razor. I mean, yeah, it's a straight razor for sure. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2But yeah, I think that there's something to that too. I got, I really like the aesthetic of. I like the idea of getting cut with one, or like shaved with one.
Speaker 1Yeah, yeah, I mean it's definitely. I mean it's, it's. It's a very calming Experience when you have somebody else give you a shave. Then when you're shaving, you know, and you're just trying to rush through it, you kind of really feel you know the strokes.
Speaker 3Yeah, there's a lot more to it than just taking a big disposable and Running it down the side of your face.
Speaker 1Yeah yeah, and then cleaner lines and stuff like that, and If the barber is good you'll have a good experience. If it's not, well you know you'll have a little bit of could be a tough spot.
Speaker 3Yeah, yeah, I enjoy, you know just a warm, you know foam, the whole bit. I mean it could be realized something I haven't. I've had a handful of them, but I also don't have just this huge need to Knock out the five o'clock shadow all the time I'm sure yeah my hair just don't grow that fast.
Speaker 3Yeah, on my face, but Anyway, let's talk about Some of the out of the office things that Adam likes to do. We talked about golf and I have got the golf with Adam couple times, few times. Has probably that one of the coolest dads.
Speaker 1I'll thank you met.
Speaker 3Thanks, yeah, he is a Freakin stud. He's such a cool guy. We had him at our club and Know what I did and talk about a good time. I think he enjoyed it.
Speaker 1Oh yeah, he loves your course.
Connecting Through Golf and Hair
Speaker 3Yeah, he just enjoyed getting out and playing and and we had a great time. And you talking about a stick. I can tell back he.
Speaker 2He played back in the day. Oh, he was a step. Yeah, is that? Who taught you golf?
Speaker 1He helped teach me golf. Yeah, um, he was a teaching professional for. Oh, wow yeah, majority of my life, yeah, so that's awesome.
Speaker 2So of course, then you're a stick for sure yourself. He's gonna be humble about it, of course, but that's working.
Speaker 1I'm working on it. I got a goal. Let's see if I can get there.
Speaker 2Yeah, man, I heard the Northeast and that one.
Speaker 3I got a goal.
Speaker 2He's got a.
Speaker 3So that was a good time that we we got to play some golf and and and just hang out a little bit. He's some lunch. It was a good time.
Speaker 1Yeah, definitely a great time. Really appreciate it. You know he enjoyed it. He talks about you guys a lot, always asking about you. I Said I don't know, daddy doesn't call or anything. We don't play golf anymore.
Speaker 3I don't know. I see him every two weeks, yeah, and then I got to play with his brother.
Speaker 3Yeah, daniel then he come to play and son, he was ready Now he, you know he wasn't maybe as polished with his game, but I promise you he had more fun than the rest of us had. Yeah, yeah, you loved it, and that's one of the things that I like to do. Similar to Adam, I like to get Together with people that especially like with Adam. In Adam's case, you know his family. The majority of them are still up north, not the majority 100% of them.
Speaker 1Yeah, um, besides my sister Kate, she's in Charlotte, Okay so she's semi cultured With the rest of us.
Speaker 3But anyway, it's pretty neat when you get to have you know, create some sort of a Connection there, and then get to get out and do something fun. I've done it with a couple other friends too, but it's always so fun to me just to see the interaction and just to get to experience some of that together. And of course his dad was pretty adamant. He was, like you know, just Look out for him, look out for my boy kind of a deal.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 3I was like, look man, I'll do it. I don't want no trouble. You know cuz he's he. You could tell back in the day he was probably a pretty stern guy.
Speaker 1Oh yeah.
Speaker 3And I didn't want to test any of that, and I promise you I wouldn't test his brother. Yeah, his brother would kill you. So it is pretty cool, though, to to get to see them interact and and how much they enjoy. You know the time getting to spend together and then you do it. This just so happened to be over golf because it was that right time of year and that's Adam sweet spot, so that's why we kind of did that. But you know there's a lot of other ways you can connect, but it all goes back to the same thing with me that I talked to a lot of people about is Just the art of getting back to connecting in that community type deal. Mm-hmm, it is. It's something that's really changed my life. I guess it's become more of a passion of mine. Where it used to be more success driven, or I used to be that way, now it's more just staying connected, and I think that's something that in your line of work, there's a lot of opportunity for you to Stay connected with people.
Speaker 1I mean definitely. I mean I'm like we've said before. You know you meet people off walks of life. You know Engineers and all kinds of stuff and you know you. You build good friendships if you want to. You know um, definitely with you. You definitely hold your bargain when dad said to look after me what you have.
Speaker 2So yeah, you do good. Yeah, have you ever seen your chairs like a platform for you to kind of like help other? I mean, like what do you do you see your chairs? I guess that's a better question. Do you see your chair as a platform?
Speaker 1Um, I Don't know, because I wasn't really you know what. What's your definition of a, like a platform, I guess?
Speaker 2like just, and a place for you to kind of like like that's your soapbox to help others, so speak, yeah yeah, I mean, that's one of the reasons I got into doing the hair, is you know? Like I said before it's.
Speaker 1It's pretty. It's very rewarding for me to have somebody leave and they're in a better mood, or do they just feel good about themselves and it's not like you know, using the platform to like, share my opinion about Governments or like that or and stuff. I mean they could talk to me about it and stuff like that and they want my opinion. I'll give my opinion, but it's more or less just Making people feel good about themselves and that's awesome.
Speaker 3Yeah, not an agenda put, agenda pusher no, or narrative pusher All right.
Speaker 2Well, I didn't want to take it fully away from golf, but when you find out that you were gonna move here to Augusta, I was very pumped.
Speaker 1That was a.
Speaker 2And then have you been there since? Have you been to the Masters?
Speaker 1I've been to the Masters. Yeah, I Got to go there the second year I was here.
Speaker 2Which was what year?
Speaker 1two years ago actually was who won? It wasn't, it was um. How do you put me on the spot? I should have known one that year.
Speaker 2I went the year Tiger went or Tiger won, so 18 the year prior. Yeah, you went 18. Yeah, I got 19 was closed.
Speaker 1That was that was all masters. And then I went to the one after that and I think that was Scotty that one no, it wasn't, it was um, what's his name?
Speaker 2Dustin Johnson won the Fall Masters right Correct, and then Scotty Schaeffler won the following year. There's one in between.
Speaker 1No, it's um what's his name? Yats.
Speaker 2Hideki Matsuyama. I think that's yats.
Speaker 1Is that him? Oh yeah, that was right.
Speaker 3That's when the caddy had the cool moment at the end. Yeah, yeah went back and be tribute to them, whatever.
Speaker 2Yeah, that place is just so beautiful.
Speaker 2I mean it's. It's so incredible. It's like a golf fan. I grew up playing golf, like you, and when I found out that I was getting stationed here with the army, I was like heck yeah, are you kidding me? I get to go here. And then I got to go to the master it's like the following year, and I was like this is a dream come true. But you go in there and you just like there's so much to appreciate. Oh yeah, and what I realized is you don't even have to like the game of golf to appreciate what's there 100%, like they've built it for everyone.
Speaker 1They definitely have. It's kind of funny. You say that because, um, dale sorry, the owner of the shop he's never been, todd's never been. And you know, when I went the first year, you know they saw how exciting it was and how I would talk about it. And then they, todd didn't go this year but Dale did for the first time. I'm like you just got to experience, you just got to go in, take the opportunity, see what it's about, and you left. Me was like, yeah, you're right, it's not all about golf, it is, but there's so much more. You can look at the landscaping, you can look at the details, the, the structure of the buildings, the way that they, their staff, is handling stuff. It's uh, yeah, it's like art, it's like a masterpiece, yeah it really is.
Speaker 2And then I want to talk about so you, you got to go to the course, not as a spectator, necessarily. One time you did a really cool thing working for Netflix with full swing.
Speaker 1Yeah, I got the. Got the opportunity to work with them, with their film crew, last year when Ron won it and I was there every day Just cruising around. You know watching golf, helping them change out their lenses. You know, driving around the property we got to go behind a men corner. You know behind the scenes.
Speaker 2That's so cool.
Speaker 1You know, by Hogan's bridge. Yeah and it was this. Oh man, I mean that view, just to see it. I was like that's from that angle.
Speaker 2I'm sure right it was because, you're so used to seeing it from TV and from paintings and pictures from that one side, so to see it from the opposite side is got to be just so cool.
Speaker 1It was very cool. We I think Mara Cowell was walking over the bridge when we were standing there, so that was pretty sweet yeah.
Speaker 3That's you think it can't be real, like yeah you hear so many of the little tales that people tell about digustin national and you know, pumping in chirps and birds and all this kind of stuff, and you're like, man, there's no way that place is like it is Until you walk through there and you're like, yeah, there is no way, it's, it's better. Yeah, and for it to be better in person. I guess maybe that it's not as unusual To everybody else as it was to me. I just felt like it was so put on that there's no way that it's gonna live up to the hype.
Speaker 2Until you go yeah there's.
Speaker 3This is insane, insane and it's the service there that, to me, if you want to know how to pro it up and pro everything up, like take it to the next level, and I'm talking about Way above Disney, way above and this isn't gonna be a popular thing to say here but way above Chick-fil-A. You know there are levels above Chick-fil-A. There is that. You know Christian chicken is is a big thing around here, but there's stuff that's there's a way to do things better. Them and they have got it. They've kind of got it nailed.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 3Pretty cool experience everybody, if you get an opportunity. Yeah just walk up to the gate and tell me you want to come check it out. Tell me you want to go in and check things out. You could do it. See how that works.
Speaker 2Did it surprise you, kind of like figure it, when you first got here, like driving by it? Were you like, what were your expectations Prior to that?
Speaker 1so I mean when I've, I mean I.
Speaker 2Didn't know what to think when I first drive when I grew up.
Speaker 1You know all you do is you see the course on TV. I haven't seen anything else right. So when I got here and I'm driving down in Washington, I'm like where's the course? I'm like what's going on? What's all this bamboo? I can't see anything, you know. So I was a little I'm not gonna lie, I was disappointed.
Speaker 1I was disappointed. I was like all right, it took me about another month and a half to get comfortable where we were at and then I'm like I'm going golfing Just to see what the courses are like around here and stuff like that, and I'm Kind of fell in love with the place. It was just the area you're talking about.
Speaker 1Yeah, Augusta, and then I got that wrong. It took me Almost two and a half years to get on the course and I kept, you know, just telling myself somehow I'm gonna get on the course, I'm gonna need on the course, you know, and you know how I was gonna do it. If I'm gonna get a ticket, somebody you know- and I'm like yeah yeah, klein came up to me and he's a jack along.
Speaker 1He Was like last minute. He's like, hey, a client of mine's using the ticket for a half a day. You want to go? I'm like, let's go. So and Out on there and then I got to the next year, got to work with full swing. How did that come about, mike Crawley? He probably jacked up here. I'm sorry, dude, he he's a client of mine and he works for the national. He wanted me to work with them, the national, and I kind of slept on it a little bit for some reason.
Speaker 1Yeah, doesn't sound like me, but not very smart. Thank you, well worked out. He came in for a haircut a week before the tournament. I'm like I'm in, I'm going. He's like well, it's gone. I'm like all right, he's like, but full swings in town. I'm like sign me up. And he made a couple phone calls and they Contacted me like two days later and that was it.
Speaker 2Wow, yeah, that's just. I mean that that's. But to me that's what's cool about being a barber. It's because, like all the opportunities that can present themselves also, to the right person. Yeah, I mean, obviously you have to be the right person.
Speaker 3That's a testament to doing the right thing and treating people the right way. Opportunities somewhat, you know it presents itself to you and that's you know. I was fortunate enough to where I had get to drive that week some and get to meet some pretty cool people. And I did it to help a friend out the first year and he was like there's no way you're not going to drive. I'm like, no, seriously, that's cool with me, I mean I'll do it. So anyway, I similar to your situation.
Speaker 3I was floored by how much it wasn't necessarily the working, because it's a lot, it's a lot of hours. You know you're you're, you're there a long time. To me, what I found out about doing it was how much I enjoyed just the people. I enjoyed getting to meet people from all over the world and I have been extremely fortunate, um, to have driven some pretty pretty cool people. Um, and getting to go behind the gates and, and you know whether it's with players and stuff like that is a, it's a treat. Yeah, I mean it's nerve wracking it is you know.
Speaker 3I thought that you know I was going to be arrested. You know I had to go pick up a guy, um, call it that. Anyway, I was driving down. I had to go to him. He said, yeah, just come to. They said, yeah, you just go down Magnolia and make a left the clubhouse. And I'm like I'm still thinking in my Augusta brain like I'm going to go down Washington road and make a left at Magnolia. I mean, what are you talking about? Yeah, no, no, no, no, you need to, you need to come in the gate. And I'm like, man, there's no way. Um, but anyway, I did it. And and then I'm making a left and I'm thinking at any moment, this road that I'm on, I'm going to end up on the part three course. I'm like going to top the hill and being in play because I just you don't realize how big it is for one, but you also don't realize you to never made it that far. You know that they're going to take care of that pretty quickly.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 3Um, but I was so nervous to go pick them up, you know, in the private housing there and so I agree, yeah, it's.
Speaker 1it's the first day working with them. Uh, it was so nerve wracking, probably the first two days. You're just like you don't know what boundaries you can, you know cross or you know cause, like you said, you know there's so many rules you can't if you mess up.
Speaker 3Yeah.
Speaker 3Sorry, so you might just come up missing, right, it's that kind of a deal, so the whole time you're trying not to screw up, right, it's not about enjoying, and you know, because I had a lot of the guys. When I got back they were like, well, what was it like? Had to blah, blah, blah, and I was like, dude, I don't know, I don't know, I know nothing about it. I was so afraid I was going to mess something up that I didn't really even enjoy it. You know, fortunately I had I've been able to go back in several times after that, so it was a little less mind boggling to me.
Speaker 3Um, but anyway, yeah, it's a. It's a special place, definitely, and it brings out a special side, I think, in people, whether you like golf or not, to your point, I think it's a cool and really, if you want to drill down into it, it's just the you know, the appreciation for something that you don't normally get to experience. It's kind of like, you know, one of those moments where and I don't know why I feel like I find myself saying it a lot, like there's no logical reason why I should be where I'm at right now.
Speaker 1It doesn't make sense.
Speaker 3You know whether it's you know something to do with music or whatever it is. I just have found myself like there's no way that some redneck like me should be experienced. I mean, I'm way too close to something you know it's. It's like this is unbelievable and I think that it's pretty cool. When you get to experience those kinds of highs and and you know, I think that's the thing that we tend to take for granted Tend to take for granted a lot more than we should.
Men's Haircuts Making a Comeback
Speaker 2Yeah, all right. So I want to wrap things up a little bit, but I want to make it fun. So I'm I Googled search just some haircuts that are coming making a comeback for men and I want to know your take on it. The first one it's not on this list, but I know it is coming back the mullet. What do you think of the mullet?
Speaker 1Oh yeah, I love it. That took off a lot after it's been years old Mike.
Speaker 2Yeah, it's, it's. I know it's making a comeback. Oh, it's come back.
Speaker 3I know it's back.
Speaker 2Yeah. It's gone already it's not it's not gone, but All right. So who popularized it then, in your opinion?
Speaker 1That would be the great wives of COVID cutting all their husband's hair. When the barber shops in Ceylon's were closed. They were just cleaning up around the years and guys were just growing it out. And then I remember we opened up about a month and three days after COVID. We were one of the first shops open and I remember oh, what was it, kyle? Kyle came in. I think he was one of the first mullets. He's like I just want to want to do a mullet and I said, not a problem, and he had. He had decent amount of hair and he grew it all the way out. And then had another guy, nick. He was on it and he's still rocking it. He's still rocking the mullet.
Speaker 2Yeah, so All right, the bull cut, bull cut. I don't even believe these, I don't believe a lot of them, but the bull cut.
Speaker 1Yeah, I mean all right, let's, let's see Back in the skater.
Speaker 2I was going to say a shaved head. Shaved head is definitely coming back. Yeah, people are doing a shaved head, sure. What what do you think? That it's just less maintenance, or is it like a look? It's just a look.
Speaker 1Yeah, you know the old maroon five. It comes and goes. All these looks are going to come and go again, back and forth.
Speaker 2You know, what?
Speaker 1Here's one that's pretty popular right now the um very curly hair on top. Oh, the broccoli top, I mean, that's what I call it.
Speaker 3That's the Mahomes cut.
Speaker 1I probably had a big part of it, right, and then, uh, you know it's, it's just definitely taken off. I can what's his name? Do you like it? I mean, I, I rocked it for a little bit. My hair is pretty curly, yeah. Um, I didn't really shave the bottom, I was just trying to grow it out like Jesus, and then I couldn't do it anymore. Yeah.
Speaker 2Yeah, um, what about the slicked back? I don't know, that's kind of coming back. Yep, yep, definitely I believe our boy.
Speaker 1Noah is rocking that. Look right now he does. He looks like John Gotti.
Speaker 3He looks kind of like John God, one of the Trumps.
Speaker 1One of the Trumps. Yeah, oh, that's a good one.
Speaker 3He's an.
Speaker 2Eric Trump lookalike. Yeah, he is. And then, um, yeah, he's just always to the nine. So did he come in in a suit? He didn't.
Speaker 1I was calling him out. I'm like a three piece suit. Look at you. Yeah, he's like it's cold outside. I'm like, yeah, it's cold outside. That's why I call him John.
Speaker 2Gotti now. He's never not to the nine. I'm like you, look good man.
Speaker 1Just stepped it up, coming in there with this.
Speaker 3Harvey Specter. Look, yeah, that's supposed to be so fun, yeah.
Speaker 1The glasses on and everything. Today I was like all right.
Speaker 2Um, and then I just want to get your take. So I was in um the arm and when I deployed to Afghanistan, they have barbers there. Well, quote unquote barbers, but it's all like contracted out and none of them are like American people. They're all from different countries. Yep, we went to the Indian person and I don't know if you know this, but they're bar like they do. They go the extra mile. It's like they do like your sinuses, like they'll rub your sinuses. They like smack your head. Have you ever seen it?
Speaker 1I have um partially, but I haven't seen you know been a uh, I haven't experienced it in person, or anything like that.
Speaker 2It's crazy, and I feel like they're constantly snipping the scissors, even if they're not cutting your hair, like there's just something about that. I guess it's playing through money, but it's like there, I mean do you go to get your skin exfoliated and your pimples mashed?
Speaker 3I mean, is that really necessary?
Speaker 2No, it's not necessary.
Speaker 3Let me show you. I mean I'm. I mean for starters. How do you do that in 30 minutes? Is that about the average time?
Speaker 2And it'll cost like six bucks, like just, I mean, that's, it's in there, now you can wash my hair as long as you want to.
Speaker 2They do. They like slap your head with like your fingers, and I didn't expect I hadn't like there was the first time I went there. There was nobody in front of me, so I didn't see this. All of a sudden, this guy starts like smacking my head. I'm like I'm not really a confrontational person, so I'm just kind of like looking at my buddy who's with me, like is this normal? He's like I don't know you get punched.
Speaker 2What's going on? I don't know, but I did it, I went through with it, and then you start to learn to like, enjoy it. They start like squeezing your head like this, and you're like all right, I'll take it.
Speaker 3I need more of that at him, no.
Speaker 2We're going to bring this to to real life barbering.
Speaker 1This is what I got to start doing.
Speaker 3Yeah, if you start doing that. I just want to have a camera on all the other guys.
Speaker 2He's literally massaging his eyebrows.
Speaker 3You massage my eyebrows. Yeah, it's going to be a different experience for me, wow.
Speaker 2Look at that. Yeah, I do like a hot towel. There's the, just the bang on the head.
Speaker 3I don't know, that's kind of, that's a no fly zone for me.
Speaker 1Right, you know, that's what I was thinking.
Speaker 3I was like he was really aggressively hitting the guy in the head and I was like I don't see that being relaxing but no, I don't see that as like a, but hey, the Judy chopped to the head is where I would.
Speaker 2It's probably probably accident that one. Yeah, I just didn't know it. To me it's cool, though, that like there's barboring, but like in different cultures it's much different experience, but it's still the same result, I guess. Sure.
Speaker 1Yeah, I mean I guess you get that with everything in life, right? You know, all around the world there's something a little bit different than what everybody else is doing, so kind of makes it unique in their own way.
Speaker 2Yeah, it's pretty cool.
Speaker 1I feel lazy now after watching that, but I mean yeah.
Speaker 3All you're doing is cutting air. One thing I did want to talk to you about for some of the people out there is, you know you moved to the area you didn't have like a built in customer base here. I don't guess, I don't guess we call it a customer base, maybe a client base Client tell.
Speaker 3Client tell it's great, I knew there was a word for it, but anyway you didn't have any built in. Client tell so what do you think were some of the things that you did to help get that going and how do you feel the role of networking and what have yous played and success?
Speaker 1So I mean, when I first came down here it was definitely tough, but you know, dale definitely helped me out a little bit. You know, they would give me quite a few clients that would call in, you know, and I would just be myself and do a decent job and Usually the client would rebook. I also, you know it sounds funny. I mean I didn't know a lot of people so I'd go on the golf courses and just set a tee time by myself and link up with some, you know a foursome, and they would book an appointment with me. So I pulled a couple people off the golf course and, you know, just slowly letting it mature, you know, and that's how things got started. Yeah.
Speaker 3But you do think that I guess it is fair to say that growing that clientele comes from just relational more than anything else. You're not running ads in the paper and I don't see a billboard of you.
Speaker 1No, I didn't do that. I just, you know, I think people gravitated and they could see that I was pretty knowledgeable in what I was doing and stuff like that and they liked you know the product afterwards and you know, when I moved down here I was already doing hair for 10 years, just under 10 years. So I think the confidence and just you know doing a decent job on their haircuts and you know the way communicating stuff like that. So you know, I don't want, I mean COVID, definitely that was tough because you know we had nothing going on and then it just kind of blew up a little bit and when people could get their haircut again after COVID.
Speaker 3They just came in droves.
Speaker 1They did actually a little bit. We had one guy come all the way from Charlotte no, no, north Carolina, I think. He drove around trip nine hours to get a haircut.
Speaker 2That's crazy.
Speaker 1There's literally a number two and then tapers, fade, taper and the sides and stuff like that.
Speaker 2That's crazy Spent drive nine hours for it.
Speaker 1I took a little bit more time, you know, because it's pretty quick haircut and just talking to him he was a analyst or something like that, but you know he's never come back, but he just needed to get out of the house and stuff like that. So it kind of opened up the window for him to. He looked for the closest barber shop. We were the closest barbershop, so that's insane. That was his decision.
Speaker 3That's crazy Four and a half hours away to get a barbershop.
Speaker 2Yeah, have you ever cut like a celebrity's hair or someone like that? I mean, I'm just saying like have you ever cut someone's hair where you've been nervous to cut their hair.
Speaker 1Um, yeah, sure, Um. When I first started off cutting hair, I was nervous.
Speaker 2Yeah, but now you're kind of like it doesn't matter.
Speaker 1It's. I mean they all matter, but it's a I'm confident in what I do now. So I mean, you know, if they give me some ideas of what they're looking for, I can usually hit the mark. You know, if they come in, they're like you know do whatever you want to do. And I'll do whatever I you know, look at their, you know face, shape and stuff like that, and we're like all right, your hair could do this, your hair could do that Kind of talk them through it, give them some ideas and then execute.
Speaker 3It's an easy mark to hit Do whatever you want, yeah.
Discussions About Haircuts and Styles
Speaker 2That's what I started doing. I mean not really Now. I kind of have like just a look, but I, I, I wish that like a barber would just be like all right, have you ever tried this? Like this might look good.
Speaker 3That type of stuff. That's code, for your hair looks jacked up the way that you want it done, so let me help you fix it.
Speaker 1I do do that sometimes, though, yeah.
Speaker 2I don't even. It's not even that it's jacked up, though, like you might be, like hey, have you ever thought about doing this? I know you come in like for me. I used to get a line, the line, cut into my, like the what do they call it? A hard part, and that was off a recommendation, but then I stopped.
Speaker 3Yeah, I don't think I've ever done anything kind of weird. No, I kept it pretty normal.
Speaker 2You ever done like the designs in the head. Oh yeah, Designs in the head really.
Speaker 1Oh yeah.
Speaker 3He did that in my little nephew's hair.
Speaker 1Yep.
Speaker 3Hooked him up with a mullet and a little lightning bolt or something. I don't know what it was.
Speaker 1I think it was a lightning bolt. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2That's like are those? Do you enjoy those types of hair cuts where it's like you get to be more creative?
Speaker 1Oh yeah, it's cool. I mean, I have one client she, you know, shaves underneath her, the back of her head, just the back part and do some crazy designs, Like we did a spider web for Halloween and stuff like that. And, you know, flowers checkerboard. I'm not doing anything like super, you know.
Speaker 2You're not doing the Mona Lisa. No yeah, we're not going to, I don't do enough.
Speaker 1I don't spend enough time on that stuff to you know. Perfect that.
Speaker 2I guess you could say yeah, but some of those barbers out there, man, they're masters.
Speaker 1I mean it's amazing. It looks like a tattoo on their head. Yeah, yeah, it's incredible. Yeah, with the shading and everything, it's pretty, pretty amazing.
Speaker 3No, I feel pretty boring. You're not boring, just getting the boring old haircut.
Speaker 1I mean we could change it up. I got a couple of ideas.
Speaker 2I think you should do the Mohawk, inverted Mohawk.
Speaker 1I was thinking like a mullet, don't you think you'd look at it with a mullet?
Speaker 2Oh yeah.
Speaker 3You got an old man like me with a mullet. That's what we need to do?
Speaker 1I mean you'd be killing it at the country concerts, man, you could fit right in.
Speaker 3I would yeah. You know, even Morgan Walling shaved his head.
Speaker 2Yeah, I think he looks better with it.
Speaker 1He cut it down pretty low.
Speaker 3But it was. He got rid of the Theo and went to the Eric Church look.
Speaker 1Everything comes and goes.
Speaker 3And it is pretty cyclical, isn't it? It's just like everything cycles in and out same cuts, yep, because I think now a lot of the I don't even know what you call it the pump, is it a pump or door, or something Pump or door. You know that kind of made a pretty big resurgence. I guess you could say where you saw a lot of people. I don't know if it's a Bruno Mars, but you know it was a lot of.
Speaker 2It is crazy how much influence like just someone with a new hairstyle will have on the masses, Like the whole Patrick Mahomes thing.
Speaker 3Yeah, look at Rachel. Rachel off of Friends, I think, started it with that layer cut in the back.
Speaker 1Yep, I had to learn that back in the day. You know like you got to know this, Rachel.
Speaker 3It was literally. That's what they called it. Yeah, the Rachel that's crazy.
Speaker 1The neat that I knew that. Yeah, good job.
Speaker 3Yeah, it is pretty cool though, but you'll find something somebody that's pretty influential and everybody decides that to accurately take on that persona. We need to get that cut. Yeah, I mean cool.
Speaker 1Yeah, I mean, what do we do? We watch a lot of TV and you know screens and stuff like that, or sports, and these people influence us and yeah. And you know, especially if they're younger, you know they see their favorite sports star doing a cool cut and they want to look like that when they're playing sports. So you know, yeah.
Speaker 3Well, who, let me ask you this who cuts Adam's hair?
Speaker 1Usually anybody in the shop. One of them I led when PJ was first starting out. You know I was trying to coach him a little bit so I really would let him just create as much as you could and you know, and I would talk him through and stuff like that. I mean he's awesome now. I mean he's probably the fastest barber stylist that I've ever seen really take off.
Speaker 3He's the one next to you, right, yeah, yeah, really cool guy.
Speaker 1Yeah, he's doing a phenomenal job. And then you know, dale can do it, he'll do it, todd will do it. But usually I'm like begging them to cut my hair before I go up north or something. I'm like I need a haircut, Somebody's got to cut my hair. And they're always like book an appointment. I'm like that's, they always rip on me and they're like come in early. And that's one of my downfalls. I don't really come in early, yeah.
Speaker 3Well, what is? What's your current ratio you think of male to female?
Speaker 1Probably 80, 20. Really, yeah, maybe a little bit more 85. But I chose that down here. I mean it's just, I mean I love doing women's hair too, and it just the men's clientele, I'm able to get them in and get them out and you know, go that route.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1Not that you know the woman's haircut. It will take maybe 45 minutes, where men's hair could be 15 to 30 minutes. So yeah.
Speaker 2I got some just like fire questions. Sure, what are some of the products that you should stay away from?
Speaker 1hair products- I mean research, everything right, you know, like that LA that.
Speaker 2LA look, is that good stuff? That's probably not the best stuff.
Speaker 1It's probably got a lot of alcohol in it.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1Right, you know you got to think of stuff like that. You know anything that's going to dry out your scalps and stuff like that.
Speaker 2Is it a myth that wearing a hat causes hair loss?
Speaker 1I would say that I don't know enough information on it, but I would say it's a myth.
Speaker 3Yeah, yeah, we have found out, it will break up, it'll break your hair.
Speaker 1It will definitely break your hair.
Speaker 2What does that mean? I can show you? I don't get. What are you showing me?
Speaker 3You can't see those little hairs up there.
Speaker 2For those listening. Oh, I see them.
Speaker 3Yeah, baby hairs, yeah they look like little baby hairs, but it's. We've been monitoring it.
Speaker 1Yeah, what happens is there's tension, right? So even with women putting their hair up in a ponytail, you know the hair can only take so much stress, so eventually it weakens and breaks, just like us wearing hats all the time. You know it's pushing against it, it's weakening the hair, it's going to break.
Speaker 3That's why we redesigned the sweat band in our hats now and it is just to greatly reduce that from happening Wow.
Speaker 1Did I inspire that?
Speaker 3I would like to say you may have highlighted it, but me looking up there at my dome, and those little baby hairs.
Speaker 2The mirror is what told me.
Speaker 3What in the world is going on right now? Why does he keep shaving my head up here? I thought he was trying to put one of them little chalk lines up there. He's like no man. I mean they're breaking. I said let's just try to let them go and see what happens, and I got some length in them. Now they might get to join the rest of the crew pretty soon. Yeah they will. But it's pretty, it's kind of funny.
Speaker 2Well, cool, I think that that's all I got. Unless you got something, I'm just going to throw a few random.
Speaker 3You got some questions that I wanted to throw at him. Oddly enough, the first one was bad haircut or bad dye job.
Speaker 2Which would what? What would he rather fix? What would you rather have I?
Speaker 3mean obviously to me a bad dye job, what do you mean? A?
Speaker 2rather, you want blue hair.
Speaker 3You want a bad haircut or you want bad hair dye?
Speaker 2Bad hair dye sounds like it would like kill your hair.
Speaker 3Well, I mean possibly could, but it also sounds fixable.
Speaker 1It sounds well. Yeah, I would say a bad haircut Dying would be I could fix a haircut Dying could be you're shaving all your hair off and starting over.
Speaker 2Have you ever gotten a case of Nair in the shampoo?
Speaker 1No.
Speaker 2I've heard about that. Like I was, like I have to.
Speaker 3That always scared me, nair. Yeah, I've heard of it.
Speaker 2Yes, Someone told me once that they, you know, put Nair in someone's shampoo.
Speaker 1I don't know if that sounds like it would suck. That's a friendship.
Speaker 2Like all of a sudden you're looking like you got a alopecia or something.
Speaker 3That's the hair thing. That is a. Yeah, I think that's like a, a friend, friendship ending.
Speaker 1Ending right. Yeah, that's not a friend you want to keep around. I think yeah.
Speaker 3Well, we did refer back to our first series that we did on gratitude, which we had a couple of pretty cool guests, and we're going to add a couple more I don't know how many before the end of the year, but we're going to be bringing in some other people and I don't know if this is going to be like the the head under the hat series, or Mike's wife was genius enough to come up with that. So it's pretty cool to get to know a little bit more about the head under the hat.
Speaker 2Yeah, the man, the man with the head under the hat, I guess Roman.
Speaker 3Yeah, I mean, and it's you know, I'm not opposed to having a female, that that uh. Where's that happen?
Appreciation for Adam and Positive Change
Speaker 3I'm going to tell you he, adam, obviously is somebody that we're not only you know friends with now, but, um, we're grateful for as well. So we appreciate you taking time to come over here after working all day long. It wasn't the easiest thing in the world to do, but you know, I feel like, uh, we've been blessed because of it and hopefully, if you need to get a haircut, you can go down to real life and see Adam Smith I'm going to say his last name on here for the first time. It was kind of like we had.
Speaker 2Adam, even that.
Speaker 3I mean like the very first, adam. Yeah, but he does spell his name ATOM. It's a little different than I'm just I love it.
Speaker 2It was like that's weird, that's some Cleveland stuff.
Speaker 3That's right, straight out of Cleveland. Thank you, um. But yes, we, we are proud to. I proudly try to represent, yeah, him to as many people as I can, um, because I do know you will leave there different Um, now, different, you know it's open. I mean you, you're going to leave different, sure enough, but it's up to you whether or not it's going to be positive. So, anyway, that's all I want to say. I'm just thankful for Adam and for what he does for me and everybody I sent to him and and he's kind of, he's kind of manned up for me, and that's what we need more of.
Speaker 3So, is there anything you want to throw out at him as in? Uh, just in general, your time to shine. I didn't anything else that you've got.
Speaker 1I just want everybody to know that, uh, if, uh, you know, if you need somebody you know, don't be afraid to ask. And you know, uh, it's always good to be uh, open as much as you can and kind of get out of your comfort zone. Yeah, and uh, jesse is definitely helping me do that.
Speaker 2It'll help you. Do that for sure, he does, he does, he pushes me.
Speaker 1Yeah, he does, it's great stuff.
Speaker 2Love it. All right. Well, Adam Smith, thank you. Uh, thank you again and I'll I'll plug. I'll make sure I plug your stuff.
Speaker 1Thanks, All right, Appreciate you All right man, Thank you. Thank you guys Thanks.
