Barber On George

I don't pretend to have the answer to this.

A lot of people still choose the traditional apprenticeship pathway, but over the last few years I've watched a growing number of young barbers take a completely different route into the industry.

And I can understand why.

As a shop owner, finding someone who already has basic skills, a passion for barbering and the confidence to cut hair is appealing. It's much easier to develop someone who has a foundation than start completely from scratch.

But it also comes with challenges.

After years behind the barber's chair, employing and training apprentices, I'm watching the pathway into our trade change.

Social media has changed how people learn, how quickly they can build a clientele and how early they can start earning money from barbering.

I don't think that's necessarily good or bad. The playing field has simply changed.

There are some incredibly talented young barbers coming through.

Maybe the question isn't just whether the traditional apprenticeship still fits the world they're entering.

How do experienced tradespeople make mentorship valuable to a generation that no longer needs them to get started?

Because getting started and mastering a trade are two very different things.

Where do you think our trade goes from here?

I look around and see other shop owners dealing with the same challenges.

Customers see the haircut.

What they don't see are the interviews, the training, the scheduling, the staff shortages, the problem solving, and the responsibility that comes with keeping a business moving forward.

Building a team, maintaining standards and creating a culture that both staff and customers enjoy being part of is often harder than the work itself.

The funny thing is, when you're a barber, you think the hard part is cutting hair.

When you become an owner, you realise finding the right people is harder than any haircut you'll ever do.

Barber on George is a very high-paced, high-flow barber shop.
Not often do I stop to take photos of my work, and even more rarely do I remember to post them.

Sometimes I scroll back through my camera roll and find haircuts I’ve done and completely forgotten about.

There’s a lot of enjoyment to be found in slowing down and appreciating the art of cutting hair.
At the same time, I also enjoy producing quality work in the fastest timeframe I can.

I have clients who appreciate both sides of that skill set — the precision and the pace.

I know my market, and I’ve always tried to stay consistent in delivering what that market comes to us for.

The convenience clients don’t want to be stuck in a chair for 45 minutes, while the clients who associate time spent with quality don’t want a rushed 10-minute haircut either.

The real skill is understanding both clients and being able to deliver for both of them consistently.

Speed means nothing without consistency.
Anyone can rush a haircut — the challenge is producing quality over and over again, all day, every day.

That’s something I’ve always taken pride in.

After nearly 25 years behind the chair, I still enjoy the process.
Every head of hair is different, every client is different, and somehow the job never really gets old.

A lot of people think barbering is just about cutting hair.
For me, it’s also about reading people, managing pressure, creating flow in the shop, and making clients feel comfortable while still delivering a quality result.

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