1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:03,520 Speaker 1: This episode is brought to you by P and C Bank. 2 00:00:03,920 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: A lot of people think podcasts about work are boring, 3 00:00:06,880 --> 00:00:10,719 Speaker 1: and sure they definitely can be, but understanding of professionals 4 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:14,040 Speaker 1: routine shows us how they achieve their success little by little, 5 00:00:14,440 --> 00:00:18,040 Speaker 1: day after day. It's like banking with P and C Bank. 6 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 1: It might seem boring to save, plan and make calculated 7 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:24,479 Speaker 1: decisions with your bank, but keeping your money boring is 8 00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:27,840 Speaker 1: what helps you live a more happily fulfilled life. P 9 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:32,800 Speaker 1: and C Bank Brilliantly Boring since eighteen sixty five. Brilliantly 10 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:35,479 Speaker 1: Boring since eighteen sixty five is a service mark of 11 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:38,760 Speaker 1: the PNC Financial Service Group, Inc. P and C Bank 12 00:00:39,159 --> 00:00:41,360 Speaker 1: National Association Member FDIC. 13 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:46,600 Speaker 2: All right, guys, welcome back, ey l, you got a 14 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:49,559 Speaker 2: special episode. Yah my god Jay Majors in the building, 15 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:53,199 Speaker 2: better known as the Godfather of Barbara. 16 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 1: That's a heavy title. 17 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 3: I know. 18 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 4: Take that title. You accept that. I mean, I feel 19 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:02,400 Speaker 4: weird because there is a lot of my predecessors, but 20 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:06,200 Speaker 4: I believe that a lot of the business moves I 21 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:09,319 Speaker 4: made for the barbering industry was able to better the 22 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:11,759 Speaker 4: barbering industry as a whole. Not like I'm calling shots 23 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:15,560 Speaker 4: like Don Carter, but I believe like I embraced it because, 24 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:19,400 Speaker 4: like with my story with barbering saving my life, I 25 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:22,679 Speaker 4: felt like the opportunities that I was given, I want 26 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:25,320 Speaker 4: to give to others, you know. So maybe that's why 27 00:01:25,319 --> 00:01:27,000 Speaker 4: they call me got file. A lot of the young bucks, 28 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:30,080 Speaker 4: the young barbers getting in come to me for advice, 29 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:31,920 Speaker 4: and I try to be there for him. A little 30 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:33,399 Speaker 4: too accessible sometimes, but. 31 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:36,560 Speaker 2: Now it's gonna be a dope conversation, and it's important 32 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 2: conversation because barbering is something that is huge and essential 33 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:44,840 Speaker 2: in every community. It's essential. Yeah, during COVID, they deemed 34 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:47,640 Speaker 2: as essential workers. So you have a story not just 35 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:51,360 Speaker 2: of like being a barber, but building a real business 36 00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:51,800 Speaker 2: behind it. 37 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 4: Right, you have the largest barbering. 38 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 2: Event in the world, you have a business model of 39 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:01,760 Speaker 2: suites that we're going to talk about. You're a consultant, 40 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 2: So I guess that's why the title comes into play, 41 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:08,520 Speaker 2: not just from barbering skills, but like how you've been 42 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:13,440 Speaker 2: able to grow and scale massively from the barbering industry 43 00:02:13,440 --> 00:02:17,400 Speaker 2: most most people kind of haven't got past the barbering phase. 44 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:20,280 Speaker 2: But we're going to talk about first one. Well, thank 45 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:22,400 Speaker 2: you for joinings. Appreciate it. I appreciate it. I honored 46 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:22,680 Speaker 2: to be here. 47 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:25,760 Speaker 4: I've been watching you guys, especially from COVID when we're 48 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 4: all glued to our phones, watching your growth and what 49 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:32,160 Speaker 4: you've been. You know, I believe that people like us 50 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:34,640 Speaker 4: are blessed by what we give. The opportunities we've given 51 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:37,400 Speaker 4: and the platform that you've given so many people is 52 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:39,640 Speaker 4: what made Eyl what it is today. So have you 53 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:40,480 Speaker 4: watched her to be here? 54 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:43,360 Speaker 1: Have you watched the development of my beard? Yeah, you 55 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:46,240 Speaker 1: guys are always I'm going I appreciate that. 56 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:47,080 Speaker 4: I appreciate that. 57 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:50,120 Speaker 2: So all right, you have an interesting story how you 58 00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:52,720 Speaker 2: even got into barbering. You said, borrowing save your life. 59 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 2: You want to tell that story? 60 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:57,880 Speaker 4: I mean in and out of institutions and troubles with 61 00:02:57,919 --> 00:03:02,200 Speaker 4: the loss since fourteen, my real like incarceration away from home, 62 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:04,720 Speaker 4: a year sentence at the age of seventeen. So I 63 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:09,200 Speaker 4: spent like my eighteenth birthday incarcerated. And I came from 64 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:10,920 Speaker 4: the family, Like my family didn't have much, so they 65 00:03:10,919 --> 00:03:13,360 Speaker 4: couldn't send me money when I was locked up. So 66 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:15,480 Speaker 4: like you do the crime, you do the time, So 67 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:18,280 Speaker 4: I made the I made pretend I was a barber 68 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:20,440 Speaker 4: because I was already like doing my own edge ups 69 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:22,960 Speaker 4: and stuff. Because we didn't have money for haircuts like that, 70 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:25,920 Speaker 4: I didn't go all the time, and I should have 71 00:03:25,919 --> 00:03:27,560 Speaker 4: went back to jail for the haircuts I was given. 72 00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 4: Bro I was put this to me, the hairlines back, 73 00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 4: I mean, that's dangerous. You ain't getting no trouble, yeah, 74 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:38,120 Speaker 4: I mean I almost had to fight a couple of times. 75 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:42,520 Speaker 4: It was never that that bad, but you know, definitely 76 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 4: like mediocre beginner haircuts. But I started getting better because 77 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:49,760 Speaker 4: you have nothing but time in there. And I had 78 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:53,440 Speaker 4: an epiphany on my last incarceration because I was like 79 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:55,480 Speaker 4: a repeat offender and I remember seeing it as being like, 80 00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:58,080 Speaker 4: you know, in that bait, like you'll be back, And 81 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:02,320 Speaker 4: I was like, why am I dedicating so much time 82 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:04,160 Speaker 4: to being in the streets when I could take this 83 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 4: barbering thing really serious? Because I had a lot of 84 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:09,200 Speaker 4: commissary in there. I was like, the man, you got good, 85 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:11,280 Speaker 4: I got really good? How long take how long take 86 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:15,000 Speaker 4: you get good? Tought yourself. I personally believe like I 87 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:17,280 Speaker 4: still needed more practice with scissors because weren't allowed to 88 00:04:17,360 --> 00:04:20,520 Speaker 4: use them in there. But I would say like two 89 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:22,680 Speaker 4: and a half years into my sentence, I was, I 90 00:04:22,720 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 4: was cutting here from the second I woke up to 91 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:26,680 Speaker 4: the second I went to bed all day, and it 92 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:29,920 Speaker 4: made my time go by faster. But it was really 93 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 4: an eye opener, like I could really do this when 94 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:32,800 Speaker 4: I go home. 95 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:34,880 Speaker 1: What type of equipment they allow you using this? 96 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:37,560 Speaker 4: I was using a beard trimmer with a with a 97 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:41,280 Speaker 4: mcguivered battery packs. We could plug it into the wall 98 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 4: because it was they were battery operated. And then you 99 00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:45,599 Speaker 4: know there's ways like you break a razor open for 100 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:48,960 Speaker 4: the edge ups, and you know, use coffee for beerd dye. 101 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:52,960 Speaker 4: I mean you have beerd dye coffee for temporary they're 102 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:55,680 Speaker 4: going to a VI. We would use instant coffee for 103 00:04:55,760 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 4: beer dye. So you toaught yourself pretty much, Yeah, self taught. 104 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:01,479 Speaker 4: There was no YouTube and stuff back then. It wasn't 105 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 4: like an og barber in the jail that kind of 106 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:07,000 Speaker 4: there was. There was a couple, you know, but like 107 00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:09,720 Speaker 4: basically it was a hustler, right like I was. I've 108 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:11,160 Speaker 4: always been a hustler in my whole life. I used 109 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:14,719 Speaker 4: to sell mixtapes, not mixing these mixtapes like digable planets 110 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:17,960 Speaker 4: do effects like that far back deep, Okay, we from 111 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:20,880 Speaker 4: the same Yeah, exactly. So I felt like I was 112 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:23,560 Speaker 4: always a hustler. But you know, when I chose to 113 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:28,080 Speaker 4: sell drugs, I would always get incarcerated. Something always would happen, 114 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:30,600 Speaker 4: and I was like, I'm going to treat this barbering 115 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:33,320 Speaker 4: just like I treated the streets, and I'm going to 116 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:35,640 Speaker 4: go full throttle with it. And I never looked back. 117 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:39,719 Speaker 1: So after you you get released, how do you now 118 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:42,719 Speaker 1: turn this? You've obviously learned a skill? Yeah, how do 119 00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:45,640 Speaker 1: you turn this into a business? Are you like renting 120 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:47,640 Speaker 1: a chair? You go into somebody's shop. 121 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:50,840 Speaker 4: So, ironically enough, I grew up in a Hartford area 122 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:53,520 Speaker 4: of Connecticut, and I went about forty five minutes up 123 00:05:53,560 --> 00:05:56,719 Speaker 4: the highway to New Haven County, and I thought I 124 00:05:56,760 --> 00:05:59,120 Speaker 4: got a job, like in a really nice upscale shop. 125 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:02,040 Speaker 4: But I was like right in the hood, just like 126 00:06:02,080 --> 00:06:05,640 Speaker 4: the hood that I left in Harford. So I was like, damn, Like, 127 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:08,080 Speaker 4: no matter where you go, there you are. Though, Like 128 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:09,919 Speaker 4: I felt as if a lot of my friends that 129 00:06:09,960 --> 00:06:11,400 Speaker 4: I grew up in number one they were all dying. 130 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:15,279 Speaker 4: Like I lost four of my real close friends to murders. 131 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:18,160 Speaker 4: One bonus ycle accident when I was incarcerated like my 132 00:06:18,680 --> 00:06:21,360 Speaker 4: true friends. And when I came home, my friend's mother 133 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:23,760 Speaker 4: was like, you're next. I had a dream that You're 134 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:26,200 Speaker 4: going to die next, and I was like it was. 135 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:28,160 Speaker 4: It really hit me because I was really close to 136 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:31,960 Speaker 4: him and his mother, and I was like, it even 137 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 4: pushed me a little bit more to take this barbering series. 138 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:37,200 Speaker 4: So I relocated to New Haven County in a halfway 139 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:41,080 Speaker 4: house and I started building a lot of clients, but clients. 140 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:43,960 Speaker 4: I was fortunate to get clients that were like realtors 141 00:06:44,520 --> 00:06:47,359 Speaker 4: and loan officers at banks because I knew how to 142 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:49,560 Speaker 4: use sheares at the time like scissors, and I was 143 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:53,479 Speaker 4: building these clientele and rather than talking about the game 144 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:56,839 Speaker 4: like the Lebron game, or like nowadays Diddy is a 145 00:06:56,839 --> 00:07:00,599 Speaker 4: big topic, right like the rather talking about bullshit in 146 00:07:00,680 --> 00:07:03,800 Speaker 4: the barbershop, excuse my language, I would talk about like 147 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:05,920 Speaker 4: how do I get my credit score up? How can 148 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:08,360 Speaker 4: I get a loan for my first property. I would 149 00:07:08,360 --> 00:07:11,320 Speaker 4: speak to these clients about that, and they built me 150 00:07:11,440 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 4: up so like I'm not self made? Is my clients 151 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:16,600 Speaker 4: is sat in my chair? That opened so many doors 152 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:16,880 Speaker 4: for me. 153 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:19,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, we only say the barber is like a therapist 154 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:23,440 Speaker 2: for people, and it's it's a relationship that people have 155 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:26,280 Speaker 2: once a week an hour they sit down and yeah, 156 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:28,480 Speaker 2: like you said, it's a great office, a great networking opportunity. 157 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:31,760 Speaker 4: One hundred percent before the Internet, there was the barbershop. 158 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:33,440 Speaker 4: So like people, yo, where do. 159 00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:34,280 Speaker 3: I get my windows tinted? 160 00:07:34,320 --> 00:07:34,760 Speaker 4: Where can I? 161 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:36,000 Speaker 3: You know, where can I do this? 162 00:07:36,080 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 4: And we were networking for so many years without even 163 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:42,760 Speaker 4: knowing it, you know, like every you know back in 164 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:44,640 Speaker 4: the days, if you need to hear something, you would 165 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:47,560 Speaker 4: hear in the barbershop, especially in the hood where I 166 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 4: was at. 167 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:52,480 Speaker 1: You guys are a very unique people. It's like the 168 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:55,160 Speaker 1: one person that you, at some point in your life 169 00:07:55,200 --> 00:07:57,840 Speaker 1: are going to trust more than yourself. Like some people 170 00:07:57,880 --> 00:08:01,960 Speaker 1: won't even touch their own here own beard because they 171 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:03,440 Speaker 1: are a fear they are going to mess it up. 172 00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:07,120 Speaker 1: They only will allow their barber to do that. How 173 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:09,720 Speaker 1: did obviously you get these clients? But the most important 174 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:12,280 Speaker 1: thing is to trust, right, because like that's what keeps 175 00:08:12,320 --> 00:08:14,880 Speaker 1: us coming back. How did you build that up? 176 00:08:15,520 --> 00:08:17,840 Speaker 4: I don't even think it's like I think a lot 177 00:08:17,840 --> 00:08:22,160 Speaker 4: of barbers unfortunately in twenty twenty five are lacking customer service. 178 00:08:22,640 --> 00:08:24,560 Speaker 4: They're doing it for the money. I never did this 179 00:08:24,640 --> 00:08:27,080 Speaker 4: for the money. I did this for the passion. And 180 00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:29,800 Speaker 4: like I got to know these people that became my friends. 181 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:32,640 Speaker 4: Like one guy was Joe the plumber, another guy was 182 00:08:32,920 --> 00:08:35,520 Speaker 4: Frank the electrician, and I and I will put them 183 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:37,120 Speaker 4: on my phone unerneath that because I know one day 184 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:38,800 Speaker 4: I'm gonna need a plumber. One day I'm need an 185 00:08:38,800 --> 00:08:40,480 Speaker 4: electrician if I want to open my own business. So 186 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:43,120 Speaker 4: I built bonds and I will support their business just 187 00:08:43,160 --> 00:08:45,640 Speaker 4: like they support mine. My plumber has been my plumber 188 00:08:45,679 --> 00:08:48,319 Speaker 4: for twenty two years now. I just bought three airbnbs 189 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:51,920 Speaker 4: and he's as we speak, he is doing a plumbing 190 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:55,160 Speaker 4: cap off on all three of my properties to winterize them, 191 00:08:55,520 --> 00:08:58,160 Speaker 4: like right now while we're in this podcast. So these 192 00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:00,959 Speaker 4: are relations I support those that support me. I'm at 193 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:07,559 Speaker 4: four generations, father, grandfather, great grandson, like grandfather, four generations 194 00:09:07,559 --> 00:09:10,120 Speaker 4: because I've been open twenty one years now and people 195 00:09:10,160 --> 00:09:12,719 Speaker 4: are having kids young. So you know, to me, it's 196 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:14,160 Speaker 4: like it's all about the community. 197 00:09:14,559 --> 00:09:17,240 Speaker 2: So you start off, you're working in a barbershop. Correct, 198 00:09:17,559 --> 00:09:20,400 Speaker 2: when do you scale to own a barber shop? 199 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:24,880 Speaker 3: So at this point I was working in a barbershop. 200 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:28,679 Speaker 4: I had like a little clothing business, like white when 201 00:09:28,679 --> 00:09:30,280 Speaker 4: white teas are big, and I was wearing the five 202 00:09:30,440 --> 00:09:33,160 Speaker 4: x white tea's, you know. I was selling teas and stuff. 203 00:09:33,559 --> 00:09:35,760 Speaker 4: And there was an older gentleman who was a real 204 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:38,880 Speaker 4: estate developer and he took a liking to me, and 205 00:09:38,920 --> 00:09:40,280 Speaker 4: he was like, I got to get you out of 206 00:09:40,280 --> 00:09:42,480 Speaker 4: this neighborhood because neighbor was getting really bad. It was 207 00:09:42,559 --> 00:09:46,760 Speaker 4: really bad at a lot of drugs, dangerous. And he's like, 208 00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:50,040 Speaker 4: I'm opening a strip mall in West Haven, Connecticut. I'll 209 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:52,440 Speaker 4: help you with the fill up. It's a Manila envelope. 210 00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:55,040 Speaker 4: I'm like, what's a manilla envelope? What's a fit up? 211 00:09:55,160 --> 00:09:57,559 Speaker 4: Like I'm from the streets, Like I didn't know these things, 212 00:09:57,920 --> 00:10:01,200 Speaker 4: and he goes, just you pick which spot you want. 213 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:03,480 Speaker 4: I'll give you like three four months rent free. And 214 00:10:03,559 --> 00:10:05,520 Speaker 4: I helped pay for your electric cool and stuff, which 215 00:10:05,559 --> 00:10:08,520 Speaker 4: was a big which was a big opportunity because electricians 216 00:10:08,559 --> 00:10:11,480 Speaker 4: are very expensive. And I opened my first shop, but 217 00:10:12,040 --> 00:10:13,840 Speaker 4: I chose a fourteen hundred square for a spot, and 218 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:14,840 Speaker 4: that's a big barber shop. 219 00:10:16,080 --> 00:10:17,680 Speaker 3: So but if you build it, they will grow. 220 00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:19,800 Speaker 4: Like one of my mentors said, you'd rather grow into 221 00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:23,040 Speaker 4: your barbershop than out of your barbershop. So I went 222 00:10:23,080 --> 00:10:25,640 Speaker 4: from a twelve cheer shop, I only had three barbers. 223 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:29,000 Speaker 4: My fourth barber had to buy his own chair in 224 00:10:29,120 --> 00:10:30,439 Speaker 4: order to work for me, and I took it out 225 00:10:30,440 --> 00:10:33,000 Speaker 4: of his rent because I ran out of money on 226 00:10:33,040 --> 00:10:35,959 Speaker 4: the build up from twelve. 227 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:37,280 Speaker 3: Chairs with a thirteen and fourteen. 228 00:10:37,840 --> 00:10:39,640 Speaker 4: Then the business in thet store was a pet store, 229 00:10:39,679 --> 00:10:41,720 Speaker 4: went out of business, and then it was a twenty 230 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:45,200 Speaker 4: two chair shop shop operating. But the beauty about my 231 00:10:45,240 --> 00:10:47,920 Speaker 4: shop that was like the United Nations. I had West 232 00:10:47,920 --> 00:10:51,640 Speaker 4: Indian barbers. I had Latinos, you know, all different types 233 00:10:51,679 --> 00:10:55,320 Speaker 4: of Latinos, White Asian, so like anyone could come to 234 00:10:55,360 --> 00:10:58,880 Speaker 4: my barbershop and get a haircut, and to me, the 235 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:01,160 Speaker 4: diversity was was important. You know. 236 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:02,720 Speaker 3: We had black barbers and. 237 00:11:03,760 --> 00:11:06,320 Speaker 4: Like some people at that time, like I only want 238 00:11:06,360 --> 00:11:08,160 Speaker 4: to go to them. He looks like me, okay, he 239 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:09,959 Speaker 4: cuts my hair. Like women barbers weren't even get in 240 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:12,679 Speaker 4: love twenty years ago. Now they're getting Now they're killing 241 00:11:12,679 --> 00:11:15,360 Speaker 4: it in the industry. So like for real, like I 242 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:17,360 Speaker 4: had a woman barber and I felt so bad and 243 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:20,800 Speaker 4: she was nice. She came straight from dr and people 244 00:11:20,840 --> 00:11:23,040 Speaker 4: really didn't want to sit with her and until they 245 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:26,439 Speaker 4: seen her haircuts. So you know, I believe like diversity 246 00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:28,640 Speaker 4: is key. I think that the barbershop is like should 247 00:11:28,640 --> 00:11:31,439 Speaker 4: be common grounds for people just to feel comfortable. 248 00:11:31,760 --> 00:11:34,000 Speaker 1: Did you you saw that early on in the landscape. 249 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:36,280 Speaker 1: I feel like, you know, you grow up, it's like, 250 00:11:36,320 --> 00:11:38,600 Speaker 1: oh there was super cuts, Nobody's going there, and it 251 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:40,360 Speaker 1: was like, oh yeah, we got to go to the 252 00:11:40,400 --> 00:11:43,079 Speaker 1: local barbershop. But to unify it all, I mean, it's 253 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:45,320 Speaker 1: a brilliant technique. I see it now more than ever. 254 00:11:45,400 --> 00:11:49,400 Speaker 1: Like the guy who does not like bid he's Colombian, 255 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:53,600 Speaker 1: but I mean everybody goes into the shop, even like 256 00:11:53,600 --> 00:11:57,960 Speaker 1: you said, his barber was a woman. So like that diversity, 257 00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:00,880 Speaker 1: you saw that how the game was going before it 258 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:03,040 Speaker 1: or you just like you know what, we've got to 259 00:12:03,080 --> 00:12:03,559 Speaker 1: adapt to you. 260 00:12:04,160 --> 00:12:06,199 Speaker 4: I mean, I feel like I'm just such a businessman 261 00:12:06,280 --> 00:12:08,520 Speaker 4: that I want everyone's money, you know what I mean. 262 00:12:08,520 --> 00:12:11,840 Speaker 4: Like there's always been a stereotp type where like a 263 00:12:11,880 --> 00:12:13,640 Speaker 4: black gentleman will come into the shop and be like, 264 00:12:13,800 --> 00:12:16,480 Speaker 4: y'all call it black hair, or a white person would 265 00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:17,840 Speaker 4: come in to the shop and be like you do 266 00:12:17,920 --> 00:12:20,280 Speaker 4: this type of hair like it was like it was, 267 00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:23,600 Speaker 4: it was a stereotype. And I feel as if, like 268 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:26,840 Speaker 4: with the clippers nowadays, being cordless with our tools that 269 00:12:26,880 --> 00:12:30,320 Speaker 4: we have, you know, I think the kids in school 270 00:12:30,360 --> 00:12:33,360 Speaker 4: nowadays are learning all different types of hair textures, and 271 00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:37,800 Speaker 4: I believe the game has definitely has elevated a lot. 272 00:12:37,840 --> 00:12:39,680 Speaker 4: Barbers are getting I'm sure you're paying a lot more 273 00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:42,280 Speaker 4: for your beer than what you paid what ten years ago? Right? 274 00:12:42,360 --> 00:12:42,600 Speaker 1: Yeah? 275 00:12:42,679 --> 00:12:47,400 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean but unfortunately, historically barbers were getting the 276 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:50,960 Speaker 4: same for haircuts from the nineties all the way to 277 00:12:51,040 --> 00:12:55,320 Speaker 4: about two thousand and ten, twenty fifteen, twenty twenty. They 278 00:12:55,920 --> 00:12:57,720 Speaker 4: were scared to go up on their prices. So what 279 00:12:57,880 --> 00:12:58,320 Speaker 4: changed that? 280 00:12:58,400 --> 00:13:01,839 Speaker 2: Because now, I mean like one hundred that was a 281 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:05,120 Speaker 2: big debate online one hundred dollars hairdcut. I think Kysonna 282 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:06,800 Speaker 2: said he would never pay a hundred off for a haircut. 283 00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:10,400 Speaker 2: But I mean you got people that's paying tree hundred 284 00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:13,320 Speaker 2: dollars for a thousand who started that Atlanta? 285 00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:16,880 Speaker 4: I mean, I don't I really look at it like this, man, 286 00:13:17,480 --> 00:13:21,440 Speaker 4: how much is an hour worth of your time? How 287 00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:24,000 Speaker 4: much is an hour worth of your time? Like? Are 288 00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:26,760 Speaker 4: you paying for the haircut. Are you paying for the 289 00:13:26,840 --> 00:13:31,000 Speaker 4: professionalism the time management that that person has, Like, I 290 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:33,560 Speaker 4: know when I call my barber, he's gonna be on 291 00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:34,760 Speaker 4: time to cut my hair. 292 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:36,160 Speaker 3: I'm a very busy man. 293 00:13:36,280 --> 00:13:38,520 Speaker 4: I rather pay extra to get in and out of 294 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:41,960 Speaker 4: his chair than to be sitting in the barbershop bsing 295 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:44,280 Speaker 4: with a bunch of people, or you know, forty minutes 296 00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:48,320 Speaker 4: late for an appointment with possibly some dirty clippers. You know. 297 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:51,240 Speaker 4: I feel there's different calibers, right, Like some people shop 298 00:13:51,280 --> 00:13:54,240 Speaker 4: at Louis and Sacks and some people are cool with Target. 299 00:13:54,640 --> 00:13:57,000 Speaker 3: So I really depend now. 300 00:13:57,040 --> 00:13:58,800 Speaker 4: Also on the flip side, there's lot of barbers a 301 00:13:58,880 --> 00:14:01,600 Speaker 4: charge hundred dollars for haircuts, don't have the credentials, that 302 00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:05,080 Speaker 4: don't have the professionalism and the punctuality. If that's what 303 00:14:05,120 --> 00:14:07,640 Speaker 4: they think they're worth. They might be doing less haircuts 304 00:14:08,679 --> 00:14:11,559 Speaker 4: and getting paid that, but I don't think they're fully booked. 305 00:14:12,320 --> 00:14:15,319 Speaker 1: Talk about I mean, you just brought up a pain point. 306 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:17,760 Speaker 1: I felt like for the barbershop industry. We grew up 307 00:14:17,760 --> 00:14:20,240 Speaker 1: in the era where it was Saturday, you're going to 308 00:14:20,240 --> 00:14:22,320 Speaker 1: get a cut, You go in there, it's nine o'clock. 309 00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:24,000 Speaker 1: You might be in there till four before you get 310 00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:28,760 Speaker 1: your cut. Technology all day technology has definitely changed. That 311 00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:32,240 Speaker 1: has that obviously, I mean to me, that would help 312 00:14:32,320 --> 00:14:35,360 Speaker 1: increase profit margins. Right now you can have it scheduled 313 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:38,760 Speaker 1: and put more people on that regiment and scheduled than 314 00:14:39,160 --> 00:14:41,200 Speaker 1: how they used to be. Talk about the royal technology 315 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:41,960 Speaker 1: is played in the space. 316 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:44,280 Speaker 4: I mean yeah, and especially you know, a big shoutouts 317 00:14:44,320 --> 00:14:48,680 Speaker 4: to Squire for only focusing on the barber you know aspect, 318 00:14:48,760 --> 00:14:51,680 Speaker 4: like they could do salons and many of the nail salons, 319 00:14:51,760 --> 00:14:54,680 Speaker 4: but they mainly focus on barbering. I feel like I 320 00:14:54,680 --> 00:14:57,880 Speaker 4: feel like everyone's in a rush nowadays, especially after COVID, 321 00:14:58,040 --> 00:15:00,320 Speaker 4: Like you know, everything's at the palm of our and 322 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:03,480 Speaker 4: some gratifications at the palm of our hands. I miss 323 00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:06,000 Speaker 4: the days when my fun clients would be in the 324 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:08,320 Speaker 4: barbershop for three four hours. You always know, you got 325 00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:10,480 Speaker 4: the barbershop clown, you got the dude that's coming in 326 00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:14,320 Speaker 4: with the bootleg CDs. Like I missed those days. Unfortunately, 327 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:17,840 Speaker 4: they have changed and a lot of people are sensitive. 328 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:21,000 Speaker 4: Like in the barbershop you had to have thick skin. 329 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:23,400 Speaker 4: I remember, like want to go home crying because me 330 00:15:23,440 --> 00:15:25,000 Speaker 4: and one of my barbers would be ranked on each 331 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:27,800 Speaker 4: other so bad or you did a bad haircut. But 332 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:30,760 Speaker 4: I feel like society on you know, unfortunately, is getting 333 00:15:30,760 --> 00:15:34,640 Speaker 4: a little soft. You know, people can't take certain you know, 334 00:15:34,680 --> 00:15:36,680 Speaker 4: Oh you're bullying him. No, we're just catching wreck in 335 00:15:36,720 --> 00:15:38,880 Speaker 4: the barbershop. That's what we do. So I feel like, 336 00:15:39,040 --> 00:15:40,800 Speaker 4: unfortunately the environment changes. 337 00:15:40,840 --> 00:15:42,760 Speaker 3: That's kind of why. And I know we'll speak about 338 00:15:42,800 --> 00:15:43,480 Speaker 3: this a little bit later. 339 00:15:43,520 --> 00:15:46,760 Speaker 4: I shifted to the suits because I feel like with 340 00:15:46,880 --> 00:15:51,280 Speaker 4: that intimate relationship that we have with our clients getting 341 00:15:51,360 --> 00:15:53,320 Speaker 4: them in and out, that they just really want to 342 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:54,560 Speaker 4: be focused on themselves. 343 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:57,000 Speaker 3: If they're paying top dollar for haircuts. 344 00:15:56,560 --> 00:15:58,360 Speaker 4: Well yeah, talk about that as far as the sweets. 345 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:02,080 Speaker 2: Could you at one point transition from a regular traditional 346 00:16:02,120 --> 00:16:06,080 Speaker 2: barbershop model to the suite? So explain your model with 347 00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:08,880 Speaker 2: the suites and what made you transition intoday. 348 00:16:09,120 --> 00:16:12,080 Speaker 4: So I'm controversial, like some people don't agree with me. 349 00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:15,120 Speaker 4: I don't believe you own the barbershop unless you own 350 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:18,600 Speaker 4: the building, You own the name, you on the sign, 351 00:16:18,880 --> 00:16:21,440 Speaker 4: You might own the chairs, but if you have a landlord, 352 00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:24,880 Speaker 4: and a lot of these landlords pocket watch and unfortunately 353 00:16:24,880 --> 00:16:27,520 Speaker 4: a lot of barbers don't have a real big education. 354 00:16:27,520 --> 00:16:29,640 Speaker 4: They don't even get an attorney to look at their lease. 355 00:16:29,840 --> 00:16:32,440 Speaker 4: They're so excited to open their business that they'll sign 356 00:16:32,480 --> 00:16:35,040 Speaker 4: like a three year lease. And what happens is it 357 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:37,360 Speaker 4: takes about eighteen months to really grow your brand and 358 00:16:37,400 --> 00:16:39,800 Speaker 4: get your money back from your business, even just to 359 00:16:39,840 --> 00:16:43,720 Speaker 4: break even, right. And I've seen landlords pocket watch people 360 00:16:43,760 --> 00:16:45,800 Speaker 4: and be like, oh man, this car's going in and 361 00:16:45,840 --> 00:16:48,400 Speaker 4: out this lot. This barbershop's busy, So we're going to 362 00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:50,080 Speaker 4: go from three thousand dollars a month to forty five 363 00:16:50,160 --> 00:16:53,280 Speaker 4: hundred dollars a month. Now, this barber just started making money, 364 00:16:53,920 --> 00:16:57,600 Speaker 4: and now they have to go up on their haircuts. 365 00:16:57,600 --> 00:16:59,560 Speaker 4: They have to hire more people, or they might have 366 00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:01,600 Speaker 4: to move out and find a cheaper location once their 367 00:17:01,680 --> 00:17:05,520 Speaker 4: lease is up. So I've told this and people argue 368 00:17:05,520 --> 00:17:07,560 Speaker 4: with me, like, you might own the brand, you might 369 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:10,119 Speaker 4: own the name, but unless you own the land, unless 370 00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:13,080 Speaker 4: you own the property and a lot of a barbershop. Nowadays, 371 00:17:13,119 --> 00:17:15,320 Speaker 4: a fit ups about eighty thousand dollars. Are you really 372 00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:19,040 Speaker 4: going to put eighty thousand dollars into someone else's business, 373 00:17:19,040 --> 00:17:21,960 Speaker 4: someone else's building, and then pay their mortgage on top 374 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:24,679 Speaker 4: of it, and pay the common area charges, which sometimes 375 00:17:24,720 --> 00:17:27,240 Speaker 4: aren't even met to a good standards. Sometimes they don't 376 00:17:27,240 --> 00:17:30,840 Speaker 4: plow the snow in time. So I once I had 377 00:17:30,840 --> 00:17:33,359 Speaker 4: that twenty two cheer shop and I saved up enough money, 378 00:17:33,359 --> 00:17:36,240 Speaker 4: I was like, my rent is a mortgage. I need 379 00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:39,320 Speaker 4: to find the building. So that was why I transitioned 380 00:17:39,359 --> 00:17:42,080 Speaker 4: into the two suite. And what was that first step 381 00:17:42,119 --> 00:17:45,760 Speaker 4: to find a building and do that? So you know, obviously, 382 00:17:46,320 --> 00:17:48,480 Speaker 4: like you talk about here building your credit, right building 383 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:52,239 Speaker 4: your LLC's credit. Also, my first step was getting with 384 00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:54,399 Speaker 4: one of my real litor clients saying, hey, can you 385 00:17:54,440 --> 00:17:59,240 Speaker 4: find me something off market? And coincidentally, right before COVID nineteen, 386 00:17:59,280 --> 00:18:00,720 Speaker 4: at the end of the two tho I was nineteen, 387 00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:04,879 Speaker 4: I found a building which had eight apartments upstairs and 388 00:18:04,880 --> 00:18:07,680 Speaker 4: it had a dental office downstairs. So when I did 389 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:09,720 Speaker 4: a walk through with my contractor, was like, all right, 390 00:18:09,720 --> 00:18:10,919 Speaker 4: we gotta rip all these walls down. 391 00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:12,200 Speaker 3: We're gonna put twenty chairs here. 392 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:15,600 Speaker 4: I'm like, wait a second, they're talking about social distancing 393 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:19,280 Speaker 4: right now. There's shampoo sink, there's hand sinks and dental 394 00:18:19,320 --> 00:18:21,840 Speaker 4: sinks in every room. I could turn one sink into 395 00:18:21,880 --> 00:18:24,679 Speaker 4: a hand sink, one sink into a shampoo sink, and 396 00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:26,920 Speaker 4: the barbers could all have private rooms to cut here, 397 00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:30,399 Speaker 4: which the salon suites have been around for a while, 398 00:18:31,480 --> 00:18:34,240 Speaker 4: but not in art industry one hundred percent for barbering. 399 00:18:34,680 --> 00:18:36,880 Speaker 4: So what I did was I came up with this location, 400 00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:39,280 Speaker 4: and it's like micro real estate. If you're getting three 401 00:18:39,320 --> 00:18:40,920 Speaker 4: hundred and twenty five dollars a week, you're getting about 402 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:43,640 Speaker 4: thirteen hundred dollars a month for a ten by ten room. 403 00:18:44,119 --> 00:18:46,520 Speaker 4: You put twenty ten by ten rooms in a four 404 00:18:46,560 --> 00:18:49,520 Speaker 4: thousand square foot space. You do the math, and then 405 00:18:49,560 --> 00:18:51,280 Speaker 4: you could do like a two man suite where two 406 00:18:51,320 --> 00:18:53,359 Speaker 4: barbers that are friends. Let's say you guys want to 407 00:18:53,440 --> 00:18:55,920 Speaker 4: go on an endeavor together. You get a little break 408 00:18:55,920 --> 00:18:57,960 Speaker 4: on a rent, but you guys could work together because 409 00:18:57,960 --> 00:19:00,679 Speaker 4: you've been so used to working together. I'm on my 410 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:05,000 Speaker 4: second location now and it's been an amazing journey for that. 411 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:07,840 Speaker 1: That's an interesting model. We've heard about that in a 412 00:19:07,880 --> 00:19:10,320 Speaker 1: salon space where they get sweets, it's like they're going 413 00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:12,879 Speaker 1: to do here here, there's nails there, there's an aesthetician there, 414 00:19:13,119 --> 00:19:15,280 Speaker 1: and it makes a lot of sense. You said something important. 415 00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:17,399 Speaker 1: You said, it takes about eighteen months to build your 416 00:19:17,440 --> 00:19:20,400 Speaker 1: brand in this space, I mean, because it can be tough. 417 00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:23,800 Speaker 1: How do you market yourself? Because I feel like you're 418 00:19:23,800 --> 00:19:25,320 Speaker 1: coming from an era where it was here said it 419 00:19:25,359 --> 00:19:27,520 Speaker 1: was like yo, yo, he's nice with the lineups. You 420 00:19:27,560 --> 00:19:29,120 Speaker 1: know he can you know, you can tape it your 421 00:19:29,119 --> 00:19:31,880 Speaker 1: fade crazy. You should go check him out. Now. It's 422 00:19:31,960 --> 00:19:33,720 Speaker 1: like once you get your barber, it's going to be 423 00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:35,960 Speaker 1: tough to move from that barber, right, So how do 424 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:38,640 Speaker 1: you market your brand in this era? 425 00:19:39,280 --> 00:19:41,760 Speaker 4: Well, due to me doing the Connecticut Barber Expo, being 426 00:19:41,760 --> 00:19:46,159 Speaker 4: an educator, being a consultant, having a decent following on Instagram, 427 00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:49,360 Speaker 4: people tend to gravitate towards you that want to do 428 00:19:49,440 --> 00:19:54,399 Speaker 4: what you're doing. And to me, that's always like keeping 429 00:19:54,440 --> 00:19:56,439 Speaker 4: my word has always been a big thing for me, 430 00:19:56,600 --> 00:19:59,360 Speaker 4: Like my word is my bond. And I stand by 431 00:19:59,359 --> 00:20:02,200 Speaker 4: that belive that when you do that in business, people 432 00:20:02,240 --> 00:20:04,040 Speaker 4: have no choice but to respect it. We always gonna 433 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:06,959 Speaker 4: have our haters, right Like unfortunately people we grew up 434 00:20:06,960 --> 00:20:09,440 Speaker 4: with can't handle our success. 435 00:20:09,480 --> 00:20:11,160 Speaker 3: I'm sure you guys might be going through it. That's 436 00:20:11,160 --> 00:20:12,280 Speaker 3: a whole another. 437 00:20:12,040 --> 00:20:17,080 Speaker 4: Podcast, right, But I feel as if you know the 438 00:20:17,119 --> 00:20:20,199 Speaker 4: way the way I've always held it down is like 439 00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:22,080 Speaker 4: I've been giving so many people the opportunity. 440 00:20:22,480 --> 00:20:23,359 Speaker 3: I can't even tell you this. 441 00:20:23,480 --> 00:20:26,399 Speaker 4: Coming up on my twenty year anniversary in January, and 442 00:20:26,440 --> 00:20:28,600 Speaker 4: we're going to do a reunion of everyone that's opened 443 00:20:28,600 --> 00:20:32,040 Speaker 4: their own barbershop, because I have thousands of men and 444 00:20:32,080 --> 00:20:34,840 Speaker 4: women that are able to open their own brand just 445 00:20:34,920 --> 00:20:38,359 Speaker 4: because they worked underneath my umbrella at one point. To me, 446 00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:41,600 Speaker 4: that's extremely gratifying and I think that's where the blessings come. 447 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:44,720 Speaker 2: So let's go back to the salon suite to really 448 00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:47,520 Speaker 2: break it down. So you have you brought the building. 449 00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:51,520 Speaker 4: You have eight apartments, these eight apartments upstairs? Correct, Okay, 450 00:20:51,520 --> 00:20:54,080 Speaker 4: three barbers currently live upstairs, so they just come right 451 00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:54,800 Speaker 4: downstairs to work. 452 00:20:55,119 --> 00:20:58,359 Speaker 2: Okay, so it's a eight apartment real estate play that 453 00:20:58,359 --> 00:21:01,400 Speaker 2: you're written out apartments bottom level it is how many 454 00:21:01,480 --> 00:21:04,840 Speaker 2: chairs twenty four twenty four chairs, but they corner it 455 00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:08,679 Speaker 2: off to each like it's like a you have your 456 00:21:08,680 --> 00:21:09,280 Speaker 2: own space. 457 00:21:09,480 --> 00:21:12,159 Speaker 4: Yeah, maybe when we edit this, I can give you 458 00:21:12,200 --> 00:21:15,200 Speaker 4: some b roll it. But so basically, both of my 459 00:21:15,320 --> 00:21:18,240 Speaker 4: locations have a four chaer barber shop in the front 460 00:21:18,280 --> 00:21:20,880 Speaker 4: because I don't want to really lose the barbershop culture. 461 00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:23,680 Speaker 4: I'm trying to hold on to it the most I can, right, 462 00:21:24,080 --> 00:21:26,879 Speaker 4: So I have a four cheer barbershop. I own a 463 00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:30,359 Speaker 4: barber school. Once a student graduates, the school is in 464 00:21:30,359 --> 00:21:34,080 Speaker 4: the buildings, No, it's another location. So once the school, 465 00:21:34,400 --> 00:21:36,840 Speaker 4: once they graduate and I feel that they're good enough 466 00:21:36,880 --> 00:21:38,760 Speaker 4: to work for me, I will put them in a 467 00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:42,560 Speaker 4: four chair barbershop at a cheaper rate than a suite. 468 00:21:43,840 --> 00:21:45,959 Speaker 4: Once they build up enough clientele and they're like, Jay, 469 00:21:45,960 --> 00:21:48,560 Speaker 4: I'm ready. Someone just moved out into a suite and 470 00:21:48,600 --> 00:21:51,560 Speaker 4: open their own business. Because that's usually what happens. They 471 00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:53,960 Speaker 4: start off in a shop, go to a suite, and 472 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:57,840 Speaker 4: then open their own barbershop. I'll move that student into 473 00:21:57,880 --> 00:22:00,320 Speaker 4: a suite and I'll just keep recycling it. So it's 474 00:22:00,359 --> 00:22:04,560 Speaker 4: like a three sixty rotation deal that I have train them, job, 475 00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:07,400 Speaker 4: place them, get them in a suite, then set them 476 00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:10,520 Speaker 4: on to open their own business. And we provide accountants 477 00:22:10,560 --> 00:22:11,639 Speaker 4: and everything for them to do that. 478 00:22:12,240 --> 00:22:16,360 Speaker 2: And so the suite is like you get to call 479 00:22:16,400 --> 00:22:17,960 Speaker 2: it whatever you want to call it. Yeah, but you 480 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:21,080 Speaker 2: technically you have your own barbershop in that suite. 481 00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:23,000 Speaker 4: Correct, So they could put their own stickers as long 482 00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:26,040 Speaker 4: as they match the aesthetic. And yeah, anything they do 483 00:22:26,040 --> 00:22:27,800 Speaker 4: in the room, they pretty much could do on their own, 484 00:22:28,200 --> 00:22:29,919 Speaker 4: as long as they give me their room back. So 485 00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:32,199 Speaker 4: I have two options. You could get them anilla envelope, 486 00:22:32,240 --> 00:22:34,399 Speaker 4: which is just an empty room. You could paint it. 487 00:22:34,680 --> 00:22:37,200 Speaker 4: We have TV plugs, you know, we have wires ran 488 00:22:37,600 --> 00:22:41,280 Speaker 4: so you could design it yourself or my design team 489 00:22:41,320 --> 00:22:44,680 Speaker 4: could design it. And they could also lease the furniture 490 00:22:44,680 --> 00:22:47,640 Speaker 4: from me. So I buy containers of barber cheers from Turkey, 491 00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:51,239 Speaker 4: and I buy certain you know, toolboxes. So if you 492 00:22:51,320 --> 00:22:52,720 Speaker 4: let's just say you came and you work for me 493 00:22:52,720 --> 00:22:54,280 Speaker 4: and you're like Jay, I don't know how to do 494 00:22:54,280 --> 00:22:56,720 Speaker 4: any this construction stuff, I'll get you quotes like my 495 00:22:56,760 --> 00:22:58,840 Speaker 4: guy's gonna charge you this to paint it, and then 496 00:22:58,880 --> 00:23:00,840 Speaker 4: you could finance the chair from me. I'm buying the 497 00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:03,560 Speaker 4: chairs wholesale, so I also get to make money off 498 00:23:03,560 --> 00:23:04,720 Speaker 4: the furniture as well. 499 00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:07,880 Speaker 1: Wow, equipment as well. They bring their own equipment. 500 00:23:08,000 --> 00:23:09,920 Speaker 4: Now, Like if you wanted to, if you're like Jay, 501 00:23:10,240 --> 00:23:12,080 Speaker 4: I like that black and gold chair and I like 502 00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:14,560 Speaker 4: that station, I'd be like, all right, well, you know, 503 00:23:14,600 --> 00:23:16,480 Speaker 4: we'll add it to your lease and you could pay 504 00:23:16,520 --> 00:23:19,080 Speaker 4: me like one hundred dollars a week towards the chair 505 00:23:19,440 --> 00:23:21,800 Speaker 4: until it's paid off. So they can also finance furniture 506 00:23:21,840 --> 00:23:22,040 Speaker 4: from me. 507 00:23:22,280 --> 00:23:26,080 Speaker 2: They and they pay you acceet price anything over and 508 00:23:26,119 --> 00:23:26,920 Speaker 2: above that they keep. 509 00:23:27,359 --> 00:23:29,399 Speaker 4: Correct, you don't get a percentage of the hair. I 510 00:23:29,400 --> 00:23:32,080 Speaker 4: have some barbers that make no nothing, I mean, you know, 511 00:23:32,119 --> 00:23:35,400 Speaker 4: and to me, some people are like, oh go percentage, 512 00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:36,280 Speaker 4: you make more money. 513 00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:37,959 Speaker 3: It's also babysitting, you know. 514 00:23:38,440 --> 00:23:40,720 Speaker 4: Like by them having their own online booking they have 515 00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:43,280 Speaker 4: it's called the squire Flex app. By them having their 516 00:23:43,320 --> 00:23:45,879 Speaker 4: own online booking, they manage everything. And what happens is 517 00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:47,440 Speaker 4: they come and they paint it, they hang a TV, 518 00:23:47,840 --> 00:23:50,239 Speaker 4: they give it their own personality, and you have a 519 00:23:50,280 --> 00:23:54,000 Speaker 4: longer lasting renter or slash, barber employee, whatever you want 520 00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:56,160 Speaker 4: to call it. They last, they're with you forever because 521 00:23:56,160 --> 00:23:57,680 Speaker 4: it's it's their own personal space. 522 00:23:57,720 --> 00:24:00,240 Speaker 2: So you got twenty four rents coming in, yeah, twenty 523 00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:04,680 Speaker 2: four rents yeah, and eight apartment rints correct every month. 524 00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:06,760 Speaker 4: Every month, and at one location. Then I have another 525 00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:10,840 Speaker 4: one with two apartments upstairs and twenty four same twenty 526 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:15,920 Speaker 4: four as well. And the beauty is so you got 527 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:17,160 Speaker 4: like fifty rents coming in. 528 00:24:17,240 --> 00:24:20,399 Speaker 1: Correct, every for two buildings, for two buildings, and the 529 00:24:20,480 --> 00:24:23,520 Speaker 1: chairs you said for well, the suits you said is 530 00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:24,920 Speaker 1: three twenty five. 531 00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:27,560 Speaker 4: Two man suites are five hundred or five twenty five, 532 00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:29,879 Speaker 4: depending if they have a shampoo bowl in the suite. 533 00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:32,200 Speaker 4: And then it's three hundred to three twenty five a week, 534 00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:35,639 Speaker 4: depending on what's a week? Okay, week, gotcha weekly? And 535 00:24:35,680 --> 00:24:38,439 Speaker 4: then the we even like have it to a science, 536 00:24:38,520 --> 00:24:42,119 Speaker 4: Like every suite has to use different color towels because 537 00:24:42,119 --> 00:24:45,080 Speaker 4: there's a washer and dryer in house. And when I 538 00:24:45,119 --> 00:24:46,680 Speaker 4: first open, everyone's fighting, like those. 539 00:24:46,600 --> 00:24:48,520 Speaker 3: Are my towels. These are my towels. 540 00:24:48,680 --> 00:24:51,119 Speaker 4: So there's a little sticker on the window for what 541 00:24:51,240 --> 00:24:52,960 Speaker 4: color towel they use, and then I give them a 542 00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:54,520 Speaker 4: link to or order the towels. 543 00:24:54,840 --> 00:24:56,520 Speaker 3: Like I kind of have everything to a science. 544 00:24:56,640 --> 00:24:59,720 Speaker 4: How much of the building? Call this my first building. 545 00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:03,159 Speaker 4: I two buildings, the one with the apartments upstairs. I 546 00:25:03,160 --> 00:25:05,040 Speaker 4: had to knock down the house next door for parking. 547 00:25:05,960 --> 00:25:08,000 Speaker 4: The house was pretty beat down, but I kept it 548 00:25:08,040 --> 00:25:10,119 Speaker 4: as a lot. I kept it subdivided so if I 549 00:25:10,119 --> 00:25:12,920 Speaker 4: ever wanted to build on it, I can that one. 550 00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:14,320 Speaker 4: I paid seven to ninety for. 551 00:25:14,280 --> 00:25:16,600 Speaker 3: Two buildings, for two buildings. Two buildings. 552 00:25:16,640 --> 00:25:19,639 Speaker 1: Yeah, you turned a lot into parking. 553 00:25:19,160 --> 00:25:22,240 Speaker 4: A parking lot. Yeah, and I even have Evy charging 554 00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:25,320 Speaker 4: for the spaces for the spaces as well to make 555 00:25:25,359 --> 00:25:27,800 Speaker 4: money off of that. And then the second location I 556 00:25:27,840 --> 00:25:30,719 Speaker 4: got for five to ninety It has got two two 557 00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:33,560 Speaker 4: bedroom apartments upstairs and then the suite. It was actually 558 00:25:33,680 --> 00:25:34,840 Speaker 4: a Chinese restaurant. 559 00:25:34,960 --> 00:25:38,480 Speaker 2: So you all together you paid like one point two million. Yeah, 560 00:25:38,520 --> 00:25:42,560 Speaker 2: and you're getting fifty rents every single month because those 561 00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:44,720 Speaker 2: rents are like an apartment rate more. 562 00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:47,200 Speaker 4: I mean, there's no way, yeah, I mean, there's no 563 00:25:47,280 --> 00:25:49,200 Speaker 4: way you're gonna rent out of four thousand square foot 564 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:52,440 Speaker 4: business in the state of Connecticut for I mean, I 565 00:25:52,480 --> 00:25:55,840 Speaker 4: would think maybe on the high side, I get thirty 566 00:25:55,880 --> 00:25:59,520 Speaker 4: five hundred a month on just one of mine. I mean, 567 00:25:59,520 --> 00:26:01,520 Speaker 4: if I'm. 568 00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:02,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, and you gotta get twelve hundred this week. Yeah, 569 00:26:04,359 --> 00:26:09,639 Speaker 1: and then the chairs that get rented charging for parking. 570 00:26:09,720 --> 00:26:12,320 Speaker 4: That's a good model, man, And that's a nice hit 571 00:26:12,400 --> 00:26:12,720 Speaker 4: right there. 572 00:26:13,119 --> 00:26:16,200 Speaker 2: I mean it makes sense though, because you know, it's 573 00:26:16,240 --> 00:26:19,840 Speaker 2: that level of exclusivity right where you feel like I 574 00:26:19,840 --> 00:26:22,159 Speaker 2: don't necessarily want to be in the waiting room with 575 00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:24,119 Speaker 2: thirty seven people that I don't know and have to 576 00:26:24,160 --> 00:26:26,280 Speaker 2: deal with the people lying like that. So it's like 577 00:26:26,320 --> 00:26:29,520 Speaker 2: the barber has their own little and then that real 578 00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:31,160 Speaker 2: estate play is perfect too. 579 00:26:31,240 --> 00:26:33,159 Speaker 4: I mean a guy like you goes in the barbershop 580 00:26:33,720 --> 00:26:36,160 Speaker 4: in Queens on a Saturday. 581 00:26:36,520 --> 00:26:37,479 Speaker 3: You know, I need some advice. 582 00:26:37,640 --> 00:26:40,560 Speaker 4: Should I do LC or escort? Like we can't go 583 00:26:40,720 --> 00:26:44,880 Speaker 4: anywhere without so like the doors closed, the shades down, 584 00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:49,359 Speaker 4: whatever music you choose. I mean to me, it's a 585 00:26:49,359 --> 00:26:52,520 Speaker 4: beautiful thing. Some people I don't recommend. It's not for 586 00:26:52,560 --> 00:26:54,240 Speaker 4: the week if you don't have a lot of clients. 587 00:26:53,920 --> 00:26:55,440 Speaker 2: Because you gotta have. It's gotta be a point how 588 00:26:55,440 --> 00:26:57,680 Speaker 2: to have clients. It's a disappointment based yeah. 589 00:26:57,560 --> 00:26:59,480 Speaker 4: I mean it is a believe it or not, Thank God, 590 00:26:59,520 --> 00:27:00,000 Speaker 4: my sweets. 591 00:27:00,080 --> 00:27:01,840 Speaker 3: We can't do walkings like. 592 00:27:01,840 --> 00:27:03,560 Speaker 4: You have a waiting room. Are you have a waiting 593 00:27:03,600 --> 00:27:05,680 Speaker 4: room area with a TV and have a directory of 594 00:27:05,720 --> 00:27:06,800 Speaker 4: who's in what suite? 595 00:27:06,920 --> 00:27:07,679 Speaker 1: It's like the dentist. 596 00:27:08,840 --> 00:27:11,320 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean I kept it, you know, with the 597 00:27:11,440 --> 00:27:14,320 Speaker 4: kind of the idea to do this. I mean I've 598 00:27:14,359 --> 00:27:16,520 Speaker 4: heard of it, like JC Sweet's been doing it for years, 599 00:27:16,520 --> 00:27:21,280 Speaker 4: solo suites. I just honestly, COVID was like the gift 600 00:27:21,320 --> 00:27:24,440 Speaker 4: and the curse, right, because to me, I feel like COVID. 601 00:27:24,880 --> 00:27:29,000 Speaker 4: COVID gave a lot of separation to people, you know, Democrat, 602 00:27:29,200 --> 00:27:33,679 Speaker 4: Republican or what people's beliefs are. But you know, it 603 00:27:33,680 --> 00:27:35,639 Speaker 4: gave us time to sit down and think. You know, 604 00:27:35,680 --> 00:27:37,560 Speaker 4: I was like I was, you know, in the house 605 00:27:37,600 --> 00:27:41,800 Speaker 4: of the family, and I feel that no one really 606 00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:44,960 Speaker 4: gave me the idea, but I kind of So my 607 00:27:44,960 --> 00:27:48,800 Speaker 4: my suites are called major Luxury Suites, right, My abbreviation 608 00:27:48,960 --> 00:27:50,160 Speaker 4: is MLS. 609 00:27:50,200 --> 00:27:51,280 Speaker 3: What does MLS stand for? 610 00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:57,439 Speaker 1: Like no Major League Soccer? 611 00:27:57,680 --> 00:28:00,439 Speaker 4: No, That is the real estate listening. So when if 612 00:28:00,480 --> 00:28:03,920 Speaker 4: you're on your so my I'm on to McDonald's a 613 00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:09,280 Speaker 4: less number less numbers. So basically for the real estate listenings, 614 00:28:09,359 --> 00:28:12,160 Speaker 4: my MLS model is to own the building. So if 615 00:28:12,160 --> 00:28:15,000 Speaker 4: I ever franchise it out, that would be my thing. 616 00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:16,840 Speaker 4: Like I don't want to own the building. You could 617 00:28:16,840 --> 00:28:18,479 Speaker 4: do what you want to do. That's what McDonald's does, right. 618 00:28:18,480 --> 00:28:20,159 Speaker 4: They don't sell burgers, they sell real ESTs and you 619 00:28:20,160 --> 00:28:23,040 Speaker 4: always have apartments and that's your model. Is that tries 620 00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:26,440 Speaker 4: to be my motto because like to me, the apartment's 621 00:28:26,440 --> 00:28:27,120 Speaker 4: paid the mortgage. 622 00:28:27,119 --> 00:28:28,119 Speaker 3: Everything else is profit. 623 00:28:29,280 --> 00:28:33,439 Speaker 4: You know, there's a shorting houses everywhere, especially in Connecticut. 624 00:28:34,200 --> 00:28:35,600 Speaker 1: How long did it take to you to get that 625 00:28:35,680 --> 00:28:39,960 Speaker 1: level of structure, because that's not so. I mean, when 626 00:28:40,080 --> 00:28:42,960 Speaker 1: you grow up, you'd ever think of the barber as 627 00:28:42,960 --> 00:28:46,360 Speaker 1: the entrepreneur. But this is the first entrepreneur most people 628 00:28:46,400 --> 00:28:49,040 Speaker 1: probably ever meet, is the person that is cutting their hair. 629 00:28:49,360 --> 00:28:50,760 Speaker 1: How long did it take to you to get to 630 00:28:50,800 --> 00:28:54,080 Speaker 1: that point of structure to have what you're running now? 631 00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:57,640 Speaker 4: I mean, like I started that on the street, Like 632 00:28:57,680 --> 00:28:59,800 Speaker 4: you know what I mean, Like those are the first 633 00:29:00,080 --> 00:29:03,240 Speaker 4: entreneur entrepreneurs. Like even when I was selling mixtapes, I 634 00:29:03,240 --> 00:29:05,800 Speaker 4: would go to Canal Street right where we are and 635 00:29:05,880 --> 00:29:08,640 Speaker 4: buy the mixtapes from I'm gonna do. I want to 636 00:29:10,280 --> 00:29:13,320 Speaker 4: I'm gonna do men here forever, legend dollar mixtapes. 637 00:29:13,680 --> 00:29:14,640 Speaker 1: We all know I'm gonna do. 638 00:29:14,760 --> 00:29:17,880 Speaker 4: Man, I'm gonna do buy dollar mixtapes and sell them 639 00:29:17,920 --> 00:29:22,400 Speaker 4: for five in Connecticut, you know. So you know what, man, 640 00:29:22,440 --> 00:29:26,240 Speaker 4: Like I always say this, I'm here for a reason. 641 00:29:26,240 --> 00:29:28,840 Speaker 4: I've been through so much. I'm incarcerated and people tried 642 00:29:28,880 --> 00:29:30,680 Speaker 4: taking my life. When I was younger, I lived a 643 00:29:30,720 --> 00:29:32,880 Speaker 4: really rough life. I chose it. I didn't have to 644 00:29:32,920 --> 00:29:34,560 Speaker 4: do that, you know, like I didn't come from a 645 00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:38,120 Speaker 4: very we didn't have money, like I was like it 646 00:29:38,160 --> 00:29:40,320 Speaker 4: was like there was food in the house, but I 647 00:29:40,480 --> 00:29:43,440 Speaker 4: chose the streets for whatever reason that was, you know 648 00:29:43,520 --> 00:29:47,520 Speaker 4: that that's what attracted me. So you know, I kind 649 00:29:47,520 --> 00:29:50,000 Speaker 4: of feel as if like I've always been a hustler. 650 00:29:50,160 --> 00:29:53,280 Speaker 4: Adding the structure came as time, by my mentors, by 651 00:29:53,280 --> 00:29:54,880 Speaker 4: the people that sat in my chair, Like I said, 652 00:29:54,920 --> 00:29:57,280 Speaker 4: for thirty five minutes, I'm going to pick your brain 653 00:29:57,320 --> 00:30:00,400 Speaker 4: on how to better myself as a businessman rather than to. 654 00:30:00,320 --> 00:30:03,040 Speaker 3: Talk about sports or who's better at bigg A j 655 00:30:03,160 --> 00:30:03,560 Speaker 3: Z or not. 656 00:30:03,960 --> 00:30:07,400 Speaker 4: Like it's really sad the conversations that go, Like a 657 00:30:07,400 --> 00:30:10,280 Speaker 4: lot of barber stays stagnant because they're in the shop 658 00:30:10,360 --> 00:30:12,480 Speaker 4: sixty hours a week and there's not a lot of 659 00:30:12,480 --> 00:30:16,280 Speaker 4: good information coming in there. It's all controversy, it's all 660 00:30:16,840 --> 00:30:19,400 Speaker 4: and you know, I wanted to change the narrative. Like 661 00:30:19,440 --> 00:30:21,040 Speaker 4: I didn't let a lot of that stuff go on 662 00:30:21,120 --> 00:30:23,040 Speaker 4: in my shop. A lot of people didn't want to 663 00:30:23,040 --> 00:30:25,280 Speaker 4: work for me because of that. Like we're not playing 664 00:30:25,320 --> 00:30:28,040 Speaker 4: music with swears in it. We're not you know, like 665 00:30:28,080 --> 00:30:29,680 Speaker 4: I don't want to talk about that street stuff who 666 00:30:29,720 --> 00:30:32,520 Speaker 4: got shot, we got indicted, Like you could talk about 667 00:30:32,560 --> 00:30:34,880 Speaker 4: that on your break, But I didn't want my place 668 00:30:34,920 --> 00:30:37,640 Speaker 4: to be an atmosphere for breeding that type of negativity. 669 00:30:37,680 --> 00:30:40,480 Speaker 4: Shouts all the barbers that's playing analsia. Yeah. I've made 670 00:30:40,520 --> 00:30:43,880 Speaker 4: into several lots, fact a lot. That's why the first 671 00:30:43,920 --> 00:30:46,160 Speaker 4: Barbara that's been out here. Now we had a few 672 00:30:46,160 --> 00:30:48,440 Speaker 4: we have you know, wait, wait. 673 00:30:48,520 --> 00:30:49,880 Speaker 1: My guy, yeah with the pieces. 674 00:30:49,920 --> 00:30:51,680 Speaker 4: Yeah yeah. 675 00:30:51,760 --> 00:30:55,640 Speaker 2: But so all right, so you you got this rocking 676 00:30:55,680 --> 00:30:59,720 Speaker 2: and rolling as far as the salon suits, then you 677 00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:01,880 Speaker 2: have the biggest event in the world. 678 00:31:02,240 --> 00:31:03,520 Speaker 4: Yeah, So when do. 679 00:31:03,560 --> 00:31:06,320 Speaker 2: You have the idea to actually have an in person 680 00:31:06,360 --> 00:31:08,280 Speaker 2: event and how do you how do you scale that 681 00:31:08,320 --> 00:31:09,480 Speaker 2: to where it is now? 682 00:31:09,760 --> 00:31:12,880 Speaker 4: Kind of people come to that event? That ten eight 683 00:31:12,960 --> 00:31:17,400 Speaker 4: hundred last year was my biggest attendance that we counted, 684 00:31:17,480 --> 00:31:22,320 Speaker 4: like you know sometimes people that's including vendors. So I 685 00:31:22,360 --> 00:31:24,160 Speaker 4: was cutting a lot of celebrities, a lot of Latin 686 00:31:24,240 --> 00:31:27,560 Speaker 4: artists as well. I was doing and I partnered in 687 00:31:27,600 --> 00:31:30,600 Speaker 4: a nightclub, which was worse mistake I ever. Connecticut, Yeah, 688 00:31:30,600 --> 00:31:33,320 Speaker 4: he Connecticut. I partnered in the nightclub. I invested in 689 00:31:33,320 --> 00:31:35,160 Speaker 4: the nightclub that lasts about a year and a half. 690 00:31:35,800 --> 00:31:39,720 Speaker 4: For some reason, Connecticut men rather fight than spend time 691 00:31:39,760 --> 00:31:42,840 Speaker 4: with women in a nightclub. No I mean no, I 692 00:31:42,880 --> 00:31:45,600 Speaker 4: mean I'm from Connecticut, but just it's just they fight 693 00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:49,320 Speaker 4: like every night, and my attorney goes, you got so 694 00:31:49,480 --> 00:31:53,640 Speaker 4: Major League barbershop was sponsoring these nightclub events because the 695 00:31:53,720 --> 00:31:55,840 Speaker 4: promoters were getting haircuts in my shop. And the club 696 00:31:55,840 --> 00:31:58,120 Speaker 4: owner came to me and said, bro, you're bringing more 697 00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:00,440 Speaker 4: people to my club than the promoters. Why don't you 698 00:32:00,480 --> 00:32:03,240 Speaker 4: just keep the door and I'll keep and I'll keep 699 00:32:03,280 --> 00:32:05,880 Speaker 4: the bar. So I started doing that, and then eventually 700 00:32:05,880 --> 00:32:08,840 Speaker 4: I bought a club and I was cutting a lot 701 00:32:08,840 --> 00:32:10,960 Speaker 4: of artists and I would book them. Because I was 702 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:12,960 Speaker 4: cutting them, they would give me better prices. I was 703 00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:15,000 Speaker 4: cutting their management, and they'd be like, hey, we're going 704 00:32:15,040 --> 00:32:17,680 Speaker 4: to be in Boston tonight. You have a venue and 705 00:32:17,720 --> 00:32:20,520 Speaker 4: I will book like a lot of Latin artists. Actually, 706 00:32:20,640 --> 00:32:22,200 Speaker 4: I work with fifty cent for like a year and 707 00:32:22,240 --> 00:32:24,160 Speaker 4: a half when he lived in Connecticut. I did two 708 00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:27,120 Speaker 4: boxing events with him, and I started learning the organization 709 00:32:27,320 --> 00:32:31,640 Speaker 4: of events. So by accident, I was like, let's do 710 00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:34,360 Speaker 4: There's a lot of controversy about who could cut here better, 711 00:32:34,640 --> 00:32:37,240 Speaker 4: so I did a barber battle called Your Barber's Favorite 712 00:32:37,240 --> 00:32:39,960 Speaker 4: Barber in a nightclub. It was twenty dollars to get 713 00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:42,440 Speaker 4: in and you can compete for free, and my first 714 00:32:42,440 --> 00:32:46,080 Speaker 4: sponsor was fifty dollars. Everyone said, who's going to come 715 00:32:46,080 --> 00:32:49,320 Speaker 4: to Connecticut. No one's going to fly to Connecticut. It's 716 00:32:49,360 --> 00:32:51,840 Speaker 4: hard to get in and out of And I'm like, watch, 717 00:32:51,880 --> 00:32:53,040 Speaker 4: I'm gonna make it happen. 718 00:32:53,320 --> 00:32:55,280 Speaker 1: Ernest, what's up? You have a walk into a small 719 00:32:55,320 --> 00:32:58,720 Speaker 1: business and everything just works like. The checkout is fast, 720 00:32:58,760 --> 00:33:02,320 Speaker 1: there are seats of digital tipping is a breeze, and 721 00:33:02,360 --> 00:33:05,080 Speaker 1: you're out the door before the line even builds. Odds 722 00:33:05,120 --> 00:33:09,240 Speaker 1: are they're using Square. We love supporting businesses that run 723 00:33:09,240 --> 00:33:11,800 Speaker 1: on Square because it just feels seamless. Whether it's a 724 00:33:11,840 --> 00:33:14,760 Speaker 1: local coffee shop, a vendor at a pop up market, 725 00:33:14,920 --> 00:33:17,800 Speaker 1: or even one of our merch partners. Square makes it 726 00:33:17,920 --> 00:33:21,280 Speaker 1: easy for them to take payments, manage inventory, and run 727 00:33:21,360 --> 00:33:25,000 Speaker 1: their business with confidence, all from one simple system. One 728 00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:28,040 Speaker 1: of the things we love most is seeing neighborhood businesses 729 00:33:28,120 --> 00:33:31,440 Speaker 1: level up. Business West Indian spired writing our community that 730 00:33:31,560 --> 00:33:34,960 Speaker 1: started with a small takeout counter. Now with Square, they've 731 00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:37,880 Speaker 1: been able to expand into a full sit down restaurant 732 00:33:37,920 --> 00:33:41,640 Speaker 1: and even started catering events across the city. That's the 733 00:33:41,720 --> 00:33:45,080 Speaker 1: kind of growth that inspires us, and it's powered by Square. 734 00:33:45,480 --> 00:33:48,200 Speaker 1: Square is built for all types of businesses, from the 735 00:33:48,280 --> 00:33:51,320 Speaker 1: corner bagel shop that turned into a local chain, to 736 00:33:51,400 --> 00:33:54,600 Speaker 1: the specialty market with thousands of unique items, to the 737 00:33:54,640 --> 00:33:57,720 Speaker 1: stylists who's been holding you down for years. If you're 738 00:33:57,720 --> 00:34:01,040 Speaker 1: a business owner or even just thinking about launching something soon, 739 00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:03,960 Speaker 1: Square is hands down one of the best tools out 740 00:34:03,960 --> 00:34:07,280 Speaker 1: there to help you start, run and grow. It's not 741 00:34:07,360 --> 00:34:10,560 Speaker 1: just about payments, it's about giving you time back so 742 00:34:10,600 --> 00:34:13,279 Speaker 1: you can focus on what matters most Ready. To see 743 00:34:13,280 --> 00:34:17,759 Speaker 1: how Square can transform your business, visit Square dot com backslash, 744 00:34:17,800 --> 00:34:23,000 Speaker 1: go backslash eyl to learn more that Square dot com backslash, 745 00:34:23,040 --> 00:34:27,640 Speaker 1: go backslash eyl. Don't wait, don't hesitate. Let's Square handle 746 00:34:27,680 --> 00:34:30,320 Speaker 1: the back end so you can keep pushing your vision forward. 747 00:34:31,880 --> 00:34:33,960 Speaker 4: I had a lot of Connecticut support in the beginning. 748 00:34:34,600 --> 00:34:37,200 Speaker 4: As the show started building, I was losing that support 749 00:34:37,440 --> 00:34:39,200 Speaker 4: because you know, they start saying they want to see 750 00:34:39,200 --> 00:34:41,120 Speaker 4: people you don't want to see you do good but not 751 00:34:41,160 --> 00:34:42,719 Speaker 4: better than them. I feel like people don't want to 752 00:34:42,719 --> 00:34:45,680 Speaker 4: see you do good nowadays. And I have more people 753 00:34:45,719 --> 00:34:48,480 Speaker 4: in Dallas, Texas in twenty twenty two of my show 754 00:34:48,520 --> 00:34:54,680 Speaker 4: than Connecticut statistic like ticket wise. And so I started 755 00:34:54,680 --> 00:34:58,160 Speaker 4: in the nightclub. I did it two years in the nightclub. 756 00:34:58,760 --> 00:35:00,759 Speaker 4: The health of the fire depart and shut us down 757 00:35:00,880 --> 00:35:04,640 Speaker 4: to capacity. Then I moved to Toyota Oakdale Theater. Did 758 00:35:04,680 --> 00:35:07,160 Speaker 4: three years there. Then I brought it to my hometown 759 00:35:07,160 --> 00:35:09,920 Speaker 4: at Hartford. I did it for about four years there. 760 00:35:10,200 --> 00:35:11,640 Speaker 4: I got the key to the city, I got the 761 00:35:11,680 --> 00:35:14,600 Speaker 4: proclamation for the mayor for bringing so much tourism to 762 00:35:14,640 --> 00:35:17,440 Speaker 4: the state of Connecticut. And I was fortunate enough to 763 00:35:17,440 --> 00:35:20,640 Speaker 4: get into Mohican Sun night Club. That was actually a 764 00:35:20,680 --> 00:35:24,279 Speaker 4: fifty play because someone that fifty does bookings with put 765 00:35:24,320 --> 00:35:26,919 Speaker 4: me on with the casino and I've been there ever since. 766 00:35:26,960 --> 00:35:28,680 Speaker 4: It's a beautiful. That's a beautiful. Was that your first time? 767 00:35:29,719 --> 00:35:30,280 Speaker 3: That's a beautiful? 768 00:35:30,360 --> 00:35:33,120 Speaker 2: I appreciate it, man, I was happy to be there. So, 769 00:35:33,840 --> 00:35:35,400 Speaker 2: but how did you scale it though? Like, how did 770 00:35:35,440 --> 00:35:37,680 Speaker 2: you get to the point where this is the premier event? 771 00:35:38,160 --> 00:35:41,080 Speaker 4: So I will I had to put a lot of 772 00:35:41,080 --> 00:35:44,160 Speaker 4: money into it. Like so I felt as if Barber's 773 00:35:44,480 --> 00:35:48,319 Speaker 4: when we go to an international hair show because we 774 00:35:48,320 --> 00:35:51,480 Speaker 4: were urban quote unquote where they were tattooed up. They 775 00:35:51,520 --> 00:35:53,960 Speaker 4: would kind of put us like by the bathroom. They'd 776 00:35:53,960 --> 00:35:55,919 Speaker 4: be like, are you guys get a little stage over here. 777 00:35:56,080 --> 00:35:58,560 Speaker 4: We'll keep you away from the big brands. And I 778 00:35:58,560 --> 00:36:02,799 Speaker 4: felt defended by that. So what I did was I 779 00:36:02,800 --> 00:36:05,440 Speaker 4: took a lot of the smaller brands. I just scaled 780 00:36:05,480 --> 00:36:07,960 Speaker 4: it by building. I would go shop to this day, 781 00:36:08,440 --> 00:36:11,239 Speaker 4: I would go shop to shop, school to school, and 782 00:36:11,400 --> 00:36:13,600 Speaker 4: like I go to speak to students around the nation. 783 00:36:14,000 --> 00:36:16,239 Speaker 4: I start in Maine and I drive all the way 784 00:36:16,239 --> 00:36:19,000 Speaker 4: to Connecticut, and I started Philadelphia, and I drive and 785 00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:20,759 Speaker 4: I'll do three schools a day, and I kind of 786 00:36:20,760 --> 00:36:23,640 Speaker 4: tell my story how I went from you know, absolutely 787 00:36:23,680 --> 00:36:27,200 Speaker 4: nothing to homelessness to the entrepreneur I am today. So 788 00:36:27,560 --> 00:36:31,200 Speaker 4: I think it's a lot of groundwork. Because at that time, 789 00:36:31,480 --> 00:36:34,400 Speaker 4: barbers didn't even have credit cards. Like they would have 790 00:36:34,400 --> 00:36:36,879 Speaker 4: to buy tickets cash. I would have barbers drive from 791 00:36:36,960 --> 00:36:40,240 Speaker 4: Queen's and meet me off the highway because they couldn't 792 00:36:40,520 --> 00:36:42,080 Speaker 4: buy a ticket online. 793 00:36:42,239 --> 00:36:43,360 Speaker 3: They have a credit card. 794 00:36:43,480 --> 00:36:46,640 Speaker 4: That's how primitive our industry was. In two thousand and eight, 795 00:36:46,960 --> 00:36:51,280 Speaker 4: they accept credit card. I just accepted and like cash 796 00:36:51,360 --> 00:36:54,440 Speaker 4: is not even king anymore. You know, it really isn't. 797 00:36:54,520 --> 00:36:58,080 Speaker 4: So it just you know what, man like it was organic. 798 00:36:58,440 --> 00:37:01,799 Speaker 4: It just kept growing. I'm not a very religious person, 799 00:37:01,800 --> 00:37:05,319 Speaker 4: but I'm spiritual, like God has like this is God, Like, 800 00:37:05,360 --> 00:37:07,799 Speaker 4: this is not me. I'm not this powerful to bring 801 00:37:07,800 --> 00:37:09,960 Speaker 4: ten thousand people to the middle of my state. But 802 00:37:10,239 --> 00:37:12,360 Speaker 4: I think that what happened was the energy in that 803 00:37:12,480 --> 00:37:15,000 Speaker 4: room and the doors that were opening from everyone that 804 00:37:15,120 --> 00:37:17,040 Speaker 4: was attending. They would go back and say, Bro, you 805 00:37:17,040 --> 00:37:18,320 Speaker 4: need to go to the show. I just got a 806 00:37:18,360 --> 00:37:20,480 Speaker 4: sponsorship with a clipper company. Bro, you need to go 807 00:37:20,520 --> 00:37:22,560 Speaker 4: to this show. I just found a place to furnish 808 00:37:22,640 --> 00:37:24,840 Speaker 4: the barbershop. You need to go to this show. I 809 00:37:24,960 --> 00:37:26,480 Speaker 4: meant so and so, so and so on, and I'm 810 00:37:26,480 --> 00:37:29,400 Speaker 4: possibly going to do a collaboration on social media. So 811 00:37:29,440 --> 00:37:31,640 Speaker 4: I think it was more of what was happening in 812 00:37:31,680 --> 00:37:33,440 Speaker 4: the rooms that made it big. 813 00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:36,120 Speaker 1: I think as the average person who's listening, it's probably 814 00:37:36,160 --> 00:37:38,319 Speaker 1: like what happens at the show. I remember hearing about 815 00:37:38,360 --> 00:37:40,280 Speaker 1: trade shows, but you hear about them it was always 816 00:37:40,320 --> 00:37:43,800 Speaker 1: like for salons and hear stylists. When you hear about barbershop, 817 00:37:43,960 --> 00:37:45,680 Speaker 1: all those are the type of things. We're looking for 818 00:37:45,719 --> 00:37:49,200 Speaker 1: new equipment, we're looking for potential partnerships. Is there new techniques? 819 00:37:49,280 --> 00:37:53,160 Speaker 1: Like what are we bringing each year in? And it's 820 00:37:53,160 --> 00:37:55,120 Speaker 1: tough because when we do an event, it's like, how 821 00:37:55,120 --> 00:37:56,640 Speaker 1: do you top last year? What can you do that's 822 00:37:56,640 --> 00:37:58,759 Speaker 1: innovative this year? Like what's that process for you? 823 00:37:59,680 --> 00:38:01,440 Speaker 4: It's it's the same thing, you know. I want to 824 00:38:01,440 --> 00:38:04,040 Speaker 4: go over here, Yes, you can learn about haircuts. To me, 825 00:38:04,200 --> 00:38:06,279 Speaker 4: like a lot of these barbers go there already know 826 00:38:06,280 --> 00:38:08,239 Speaker 4: how to cut hair good. There's some beginners that might 827 00:38:08,280 --> 00:38:10,359 Speaker 4: want to learn here. The reason why I want to 828 00:38:10,360 --> 00:38:12,920 Speaker 4: earn your leisure at my show is I feel like 829 00:38:14,040 --> 00:38:17,759 Speaker 4: barbers as a whole make a lot of cash, but 830 00:38:17,920 --> 00:38:22,680 Speaker 4: retire broke. I've seen barbers that have rolexes that have 831 00:38:22,719 --> 00:38:25,719 Speaker 4: a GoFundMe because they got into a car accident. I've 832 00:38:25,719 --> 00:38:28,160 Speaker 4: seen barbers that can't afford to pay for their own burial. 833 00:38:28,520 --> 00:38:31,120 Speaker 4: They can't even pay for their own funeral, an eight 834 00:38:31,160 --> 00:38:35,880 Speaker 4: thousand dollars funeral, but they're popping bottles every weekend. It 835 00:38:36,000 --> 00:38:38,719 Speaker 4: was money coming in, but it was going out just 836 00:38:38,760 --> 00:38:40,799 Speaker 4: as fast as it was coming as it was coming in. 837 00:38:41,120 --> 00:38:44,839 Speaker 4: So at my education seminars. I've been focusing more on 838 00:38:44,920 --> 00:38:49,320 Speaker 4: building wealth four one k roth Iras sep Brus, putting 839 00:38:49,360 --> 00:38:52,640 Speaker 4: your children on payroll. I mean so many different things 840 00:38:52,760 --> 00:38:56,239 Speaker 4: that I feel like the barbers, they don't teach you 841 00:38:56,280 --> 00:38:58,440 Speaker 4: that in barber school. Number one, they don't teach you 842 00:38:58,440 --> 00:39:00,960 Speaker 4: that in barber school. And if you're not speaking to 843 00:39:01,000 --> 00:39:03,080 Speaker 4: the right people sitting in your chair, or if you're 844 00:39:03,120 --> 00:39:06,799 Speaker 4: not attracting the right people to your chair, how are 845 00:39:06,800 --> 00:39:09,399 Speaker 4: you going to learn this stuff? Majority of barbers get 846 00:39:09,400 --> 00:39:11,080 Speaker 4: their barber license and never go back to school a 847 00:39:11,160 --> 00:39:13,839 Speaker 4: day of their life. So you know you can come 848 00:39:13,840 --> 00:39:15,880 Speaker 4: to my show. There's a huge competition. I always have 849 00:39:16,000 --> 00:39:18,560 Speaker 4: entertainment after party pre parties. We also do a big 850 00:39:18,560 --> 00:39:21,560 Speaker 4: award set of ceremony, giving back to people that cut 851 00:39:21,560 --> 00:39:23,400 Speaker 4: the homeless, giving back to people that do things for 852 00:39:23,440 --> 00:39:26,400 Speaker 4: the community. So it is definitely a community based event. 853 00:39:26,760 --> 00:39:29,640 Speaker 4: But to me, my most important thing is the reason 854 00:39:29,680 --> 00:39:32,480 Speaker 4: why I invited you guys and other speakers in the past, 855 00:39:33,360 --> 00:39:39,120 Speaker 4: whether it's men's mental health or it's about investing your money. 856 00:39:39,320 --> 00:39:41,520 Speaker 4: I believe if we don't have a good retirement plan 857 00:39:41,560 --> 00:39:44,160 Speaker 4: as a barber, then real estate should be the way 858 00:39:44,200 --> 00:39:46,440 Speaker 4: to go. They're not building more land, you know. 859 00:39:47,560 --> 00:39:50,000 Speaker 2: And then even yeah, the bar but the financial planning 860 00:39:50,000 --> 00:39:53,000 Speaker 2: aspect of it. The last event that I spoke about 861 00:39:53,000 --> 00:39:56,359 Speaker 2: the own occupation, disability and shurance alsome that just came 862 00:39:56,400 --> 00:39:59,440 Speaker 2: to me because I used to be a financial advisor, 863 00:39:59,640 --> 00:40:05,320 Speaker 2: Like you know, they can get insurance on their hands 864 00:40:05,600 --> 00:40:08,680 Speaker 2: because like if they get carpal tunnel syndrome, then they're 865 00:40:08,680 --> 00:40:11,840 Speaker 2: no longer able to perform dentistry, but they can still teach, 866 00:40:12,640 --> 00:40:13,800 Speaker 2: they can still make money. 867 00:40:13,880 --> 00:40:17,600 Speaker 4: So you can get insurance. 868 00:40:17,120 --> 00:40:21,000 Speaker 2: Policy disability insurance policy for just one particular thing, and 869 00:40:21,000 --> 00:40:23,000 Speaker 2: for a barber, that's the same thing that's their hands, right, 870 00:40:23,080 --> 00:40:25,480 Speaker 2: like that that's vitally important. So even for them to 871 00:40:26,000 --> 00:40:27,560 Speaker 2: know that, like you said, for them to set up 872 00:40:27,560 --> 00:40:31,160 Speaker 2: the IRA, because there is nobody that's doing it for them, 873 00:40:31,600 --> 00:40:35,640 Speaker 2: right it's like the even health insurance. And that's another 874 00:40:35,680 --> 00:40:38,560 Speaker 2: thing too, is that what's your thoughts on this? Because 875 00:40:38,560 --> 00:40:41,240 Speaker 2: most people get paid in cash or some form off cash. 876 00:40:41,920 --> 00:40:44,839 Speaker 2: So like when your taxes come right, like you might 877 00:40:45,400 --> 00:40:48,000 Speaker 2: not have that full amount of money. Then you try 878 00:40:48,040 --> 00:40:50,279 Speaker 2: to buy real estate and then they see, oh, you 879 00:40:50,320 --> 00:40:53,319 Speaker 2: made ten thousand dollars for the year, like say, how 880 00:40:53,320 --> 00:40:55,440 Speaker 2: we're going to qualify you for a million dollar mortgage. 881 00:40:55,760 --> 00:40:58,359 Speaker 2: So what's your thoughts on that? How is you able 882 00:40:58,400 --> 00:41:01,560 Speaker 2: to like navigate that as far it's like making sure 883 00:41:01,560 --> 00:41:03,840 Speaker 2: you're keeping a record, make sure you're paying enough taxes 884 00:41:03,880 --> 00:41:05,359 Speaker 2: so you can get a mortgage. 885 00:41:05,440 --> 00:41:08,040 Speaker 4: So I strongly recommend, like if you're a barber renting 886 00:41:08,040 --> 00:41:11,759 Speaker 4: a chair and rashads of barber, so I would get 887 00:41:11,760 --> 00:41:14,640 Speaker 4: like Rashod barber LLC and I would set up a 888 00:41:14,640 --> 00:41:17,600 Speaker 4: business account with a local bank and anything you buy 889 00:41:17,640 --> 00:41:20,239 Speaker 4: with that. See, the big problem is barber's buy a 890 00:41:20,280 --> 00:41:24,319 Speaker 4: lot of supplies, next trips, talk powder brushes, they don't 891 00:41:24,320 --> 00:41:26,880 Speaker 4: even write them off. So those are business expenses. So 892 00:41:26,920 --> 00:41:29,560 Speaker 4: I recommend getting an LLC, and I want to be 893 00:41:29,560 --> 00:41:32,080 Speaker 4: that LLC guy on the podcast. We hear that all 894 00:41:32,120 --> 00:41:35,160 Speaker 4: the time, but it's important for barbers to understand this. 895 00:41:35,600 --> 00:41:38,600 Speaker 4: You get that LLC, you get that business credit card, 896 00:41:38,840 --> 00:41:42,000 Speaker 4: and honestly, unless you're paying sixty thousand dollars a year 897 00:41:42,080 --> 00:41:46,480 Speaker 4: nowadays at least claiming like sixty thousand a year, banks 898 00:41:46,480 --> 00:41:48,480 Speaker 4: don't even look at you to buy a property. But 899 00:41:48,719 --> 00:41:51,560 Speaker 4: what the key is, and it was an old Italian 900 00:41:51,600 --> 00:41:53,520 Speaker 4: guy who owned a lot of real estate, and I 901 00:41:53,560 --> 00:41:55,759 Speaker 4: would cut his hair and he barely had here to cut. 902 00:41:55,960 --> 00:41:58,799 Speaker 4: And he goes, your first home should always be a 903 00:41:58,880 --> 00:42:02,640 Speaker 4: multi family matter what, because he says, your home. 904 00:42:02,560 --> 00:42:03,759 Speaker 3: Is your worst liability. 905 00:42:03,800 --> 00:42:06,720 Speaker 4: You think it's an asset one hundred percent. So he goes, 906 00:42:06,800 --> 00:42:09,520 Speaker 4: So I bought my first home. I wanted to go 907 00:42:09,600 --> 00:42:11,319 Speaker 4: buy a single family. They didn't approve me. For one 908 00:42:11,400 --> 00:42:14,600 Speaker 4: hundred and forty nine thousand dollars. I did not get approved. 909 00:42:14,719 --> 00:42:17,640 Speaker 4: So he's like, you got to pay more tax s 910 00:42:17,680 --> 00:42:20,919 Speaker 4: five fifty like mustling backwards here, you know what I mean. 911 00:42:21,360 --> 00:42:25,080 Speaker 4: So I bought a two family house. I built an 912 00:42:25,120 --> 00:42:27,359 Speaker 4: addition on it. I got a tool three k loan 913 00:42:27,520 --> 00:42:29,840 Speaker 4: where I could put fifty thousand dollars of that construction, 914 00:42:30,960 --> 00:42:33,560 Speaker 4: paid some of my contractors cash or whatever it was. 915 00:42:34,000 --> 00:42:36,080 Speaker 3: But you know that house I still own to this day. 916 00:42:36,120 --> 00:42:39,520 Speaker 4: I'm it. I owe like sixty thousand dollars on that house. 917 00:42:39,560 --> 00:42:41,960 Speaker 4: And that house right there's bringing in like forty two 918 00:42:42,000 --> 00:42:45,000 Speaker 4: hundred dollars a month, and my mortgage is eleven eleven 919 00:42:45,080 --> 00:42:46,759 Speaker 4: hundred dollars with tax and insurance. 920 00:42:47,160 --> 00:42:48,920 Speaker 3: So I moved out of that house. 921 00:42:49,440 --> 00:42:52,680 Speaker 4: I bought another house, rented that house then I bought like, 922 00:42:52,880 --> 00:42:55,200 Speaker 4: not my dream house, but a very comfortable house for 923 00:42:55,320 --> 00:42:58,399 Speaker 4: my family with a really good school system. And then 924 00:42:58,440 --> 00:43:00,879 Speaker 4: I just see, I don't know, I'm a little different. 925 00:43:00,920 --> 00:43:03,120 Speaker 4: I'm not the refinance guy. I don't like being in debt, 926 00:43:03,520 --> 00:43:06,120 Speaker 4: so I'll hold the equity and with the money that 927 00:43:06,200 --> 00:43:09,000 Speaker 4: I earned from everything every show, I try buying a 928 00:43:09,040 --> 00:43:12,160 Speaker 4: new property. So for my profits of every expo, I 929 00:43:12,200 --> 00:43:14,279 Speaker 4: buy another piece of real estate because I don't think 930 00:43:14,280 --> 00:43:17,840 Speaker 4: the expos are going to go forever. That's just my person. 931 00:43:17,840 --> 00:43:20,120 Speaker 4: I feel like the younger generation of Barbers don't believe 932 00:43:20,360 --> 00:43:22,799 Speaker 4: in the power of shaking hands and networking. They're like, oh, 933 00:43:23,320 --> 00:43:25,480 Speaker 4: you're streaming it or can I see it on YouTube? 934 00:43:25,719 --> 00:43:28,399 Speaker 4: So I don't know how much long longer of a run. 935 00:43:28,440 --> 00:43:30,440 Speaker 4: I don't want to put that out there, like, you know, 936 00:43:30,440 --> 00:43:32,000 Speaker 4: I hope and pray that I could keep going because 937 00:43:32,160 --> 00:43:35,480 Speaker 4: I know it's helping so many people. But if that 938 00:43:36,120 --> 00:43:38,080 Speaker 4: doesn't go, I'm gonna find another way. And I think 939 00:43:38,480 --> 00:43:40,640 Speaker 4: that's the key to being a true entrepreneur, like you're 940 00:43:40,680 --> 00:43:42,040 Speaker 4: always going to find a way to earn. 941 00:43:42,640 --> 00:43:44,839 Speaker 1: It's crazy. As you said that, it made me think 942 00:43:45,080 --> 00:43:49,600 Speaker 1: this new generation. It ties into the same as you 943 00:43:49,600 --> 00:43:52,680 Speaker 1: made earlier about attracting the right clients. Is there a 944 00:43:52,800 --> 00:43:56,120 Speaker 1: formula to it? Because when you think about it, if 945 00:43:56,160 --> 00:43:58,319 Speaker 1: you have the same people coming in the conversation, isn't 946 00:43:58,320 --> 00:44:00,560 Speaker 1: elevating those same people are going to come in because 947 00:44:00,600 --> 00:44:02,920 Speaker 1: of your clients. How do you get a new base? 948 00:44:03,200 --> 00:44:04,120 Speaker 1: Is it social media? 949 00:44:04,160 --> 00:44:04,239 Speaker 4: Like? 950 00:44:04,280 --> 00:44:06,680 Speaker 1: How how does one get that if they're like in 951 00:44:06,760 --> 00:44:07,520 Speaker 1: this space right now? 952 00:44:07,719 --> 00:44:11,600 Speaker 4: I mean Google reviews are great, you know, integrating Google 953 00:44:11,640 --> 00:44:14,520 Speaker 4: reviews word of mouth is to me, like we go 954 00:44:14,600 --> 00:44:17,560 Speaker 4: back to a biblical I mean there's been there's been 955 00:44:17,719 --> 00:44:21,480 Speaker 4: drawings in Egyptian chambers of people getting haircuts. So like, 956 00:44:21,520 --> 00:44:23,520 Speaker 4: we are one of the oldest professions in the world, 957 00:44:23,560 --> 00:44:26,680 Speaker 4: and I think people try complicating it. I think just 958 00:44:26,719 --> 00:44:29,640 Speaker 4: giving out a business card or you know, or you know, 959 00:44:29,680 --> 00:44:32,080 Speaker 4: trying to during the holidays is the best time to 960 00:44:32,080 --> 00:44:34,440 Speaker 4: build clients because it's like when people go to their 961 00:44:34,480 --> 00:44:37,759 Speaker 4: regular barber. Regular barber is so overbooked if you don't 962 00:44:37,760 --> 00:44:39,960 Speaker 4: get there in time. So during the holidays, I tell 963 00:44:40,000 --> 00:44:42,399 Speaker 4: my barbers, like, when these people are walking in, they're 964 00:44:42,440 --> 00:44:46,239 Speaker 4: coming from all foreign barbershops. Like, if you win them over, 965 00:44:46,400 --> 00:44:48,839 Speaker 4: you probably could have a new client. Because people get 966 00:44:48,840 --> 00:44:52,759 Speaker 4: offended when they can't get a holiday haircut. So you know, 967 00:44:53,080 --> 00:44:55,360 Speaker 4: when it comes to like getting a more high end clientele, 968 00:44:55,520 --> 00:44:58,000 Speaker 4: where are you looking for your clientele? Are you looking 969 00:44:58,000 --> 00:45:00,520 Speaker 4: for the guys that are popping bottles? You know? Are 970 00:45:00,520 --> 00:45:03,319 Speaker 4: you looking for? I mean you might have to go 971 00:45:03,360 --> 00:45:05,760 Speaker 4: to a Chamber of Commerce meeting and bring your business 972 00:45:05,760 --> 00:45:08,960 Speaker 4: cards and meet with a realtor, or meet with a firm, 973 00:45:09,080 --> 00:45:11,440 Speaker 4: or meet with loan officers, like show me who you 974 00:45:11,480 --> 00:45:14,239 Speaker 4: walk with. I tell you who you are, right, And 975 00:45:14,280 --> 00:45:16,320 Speaker 4: there's been a time where like my circle has changed 976 00:45:16,360 --> 00:45:20,040 Speaker 4: so much, and unfortunately there's someone like my real good 977 00:45:20,080 --> 00:45:23,640 Speaker 4: friends that they're still up to the same. You know, bs, 978 00:45:23,680 --> 00:45:25,600 Speaker 4: I was up two years ago and I kind of 979 00:45:25,719 --> 00:45:29,239 Speaker 4: to separate myself from them. You know, it's a growing pain, 980 00:45:29,320 --> 00:45:31,640 Speaker 4: right because I love them, but I can't be around 981 00:45:31,680 --> 00:45:35,000 Speaker 4: that in the position that I am in the community today. 982 00:45:35,760 --> 00:45:37,200 Speaker 4: So you just got to go out there and just, 983 00:45:37,600 --> 00:45:40,360 Speaker 4: I guess, put yourself in different places. You know, instead 984 00:45:40,360 --> 00:45:42,960 Speaker 4: of being in a hood hookah spot, you might need 985 00:45:42,960 --> 00:45:46,160 Speaker 4: to be in an upscale you know, steakhouse and rubbing 986 00:45:46,200 --> 00:45:48,319 Speaker 4: shoulders with them people, you know, to. 987 00:45:48,360 --> 00:45:52,719 Speaker 2: Talk about your consulting business. When death started, How's that call? 988 00:45:53,040 --> 00:45:53,239 Speaker 4: Yeah? 989 00:45:53,280 --> 00:45:53,960 Speaker 3: That started. 990 00:45:55,160 --> 00:45:58,640 Speaker 4: Man, it's been going on about twelve years now. People 991 00:45:58,719 --> 00:46:00,680 Speaker 4: were amazed that I could get people to fly to 992 00:46:00,719 --> 00:46:04,359 Speaker 4: the middle of Connecticut, and it started off consulting other 993 00:46:04,520 --> 00:46:07,239 Speaker 4: smaller barber shows. I was one of the first shows 994 00:46:07,280 --> 00:46:10,759 Speaker 4: that were getting big paychecks from corporate sponsors because of 995 00:46:10,800 --> 00:46:13,440 Speaker 4: the numbers that I was doing and the activations. I 996 00:46:13,480 --> 00:46:17,080 Speaker 4: was getting very creative with activations, as you saw, like 997 00:46:17,120 --> 00:46:19,759 Speaker 4: at the show how we have cool Little Activations? And 998 00:46:20,440 --> 00:46:23,319 Speaker 4: being a barber for so many years and being successful 999 00:46:23,640 --> 00:46:26,240 Speaker 4: and having worked with some of the biggest like artists 1000 00:46:26,280 --> 00:46:29,680 Speaker 4: in the industry, I was able to sell myself. I 1001 00:46:29,680 --> 00:46:31,920 Speaker 4: have my own pitch deck and I just would send 1002 00:46:31,960 --> 00:46:36,040 Speaker 4: it to people and I've gotten publications Yahoo Finance and 1003 00:46:36,200 --> 00:46:39,000 Speaker 4: say hey, like, I am a barber originally, but I'm 1004 00:46:39,000 --> 00:46:43,080 Speaker 4: a barber entrepreneur. So by me having business savvy and 1005 00:46:43,120 --> 00:46:46,000 Speaker 4: the savvy of an actual creative barber, I was able 1006 00:46:46,040 --> 00:46:48,080 Speaker 4: to say, well, if you have a product line, I 1007 00:46:48,120 --> 00:46:50,120 Speaker 4: could help you pump it because I know what barbers 1008 00:46:50,120 --> 00:46:53,480 Speaker 4: are looking for, but you're gonna have to pay for it, 1009 00:46:53,960 --> 00:46:55,799 Speaker 4: so you know, I do that. Like one of my 1010 00:46:55,960 --> 00:46:58,680 Speaker 4: biggest clients in the World is a kan Air corporation. 1011 00:46:58,760 --> 00:47:02,440 Speaker 4: There are fifty dollar annual industry in the in the 1012 00:47:02,480 --> 00:47:05,399 Speaker 4: hair world. You know the Kanye blow dron and they 1013 00:47:05,440 --> 00:47:08,920 Speaker 4: have the baby lists and they have different derivatives, own 1014 00:47:08,920 --> 00:47:12,120 Speaker 4: Babyless as well. They own Queason Art, kitchen equipment. I mean, 1015 00:47:12,160 --> 00:47:14,200 Speaker 4: they own a lot of everything that They're one of 1016 00:47:14,239 --> 00:47:17,680 Speaker 4: my biggest clients. They've actually helped elevate me so much 1017 00:47:17,800 --> 00:47:20,759 Speaker 4: because when you work with companies like this, you get 1018 00:47:20,760 --> 00:47:23,839 Speaker 4: on big platforms in the hair industry. And the more 1019 00:47:23,880 --> 00:47:26,520 Speaker 4: magazines I made it to or the more podcasts I 1020 00:47:26,560 --> 00:47:29,319 Speaker 4: made it too, was able to grow my brand and 1021 00:47:29,800 --> 00:47:34,440 Speaker 4: you know, the consulting things. It's it's good if you 1022 00:47:34,440 --> 00:47:36,799 Speaker 4: have the right people, because there's nothing worse than giving 1023 00:47:36,800 --> 00:47:39,040 Speaker 4: someone advice and they don't take it. You got to 1024 00:47:39,080 --> 00:47:42,040 Speaker 4: deal with that. Like sometimes you feel like you're dropping 1025 00:47:42,080 --> 00:47:45,200 Speaker 4: some gems and they just do the opposite or do nothing, yeah, 1026 00:47:45,320 --> 00:47:47,640 Speaker 4: or do nothing. Yeah, I'd rather them try it and 1027 00:47:47,760 --> 00:47:48,240 Speaker 4: do nothing. 1028 00:47:48,360 --> 00:47:53,400 Speaker 1: But yeah, no, it was I was thinking to myself, 1029 00:47:53,520 --> 00:47:56,040 Speaker 1: how do you choose the brands that you actually say 1030 00:47:56,040 --> 00:47:59,000 Speaker 1: all ideas align with me? Like kind of obviously that 1031 00:47:59,040 --> 00:48:00,920 Speaker 1: makes sense, and it's makes sense. There's a lot of 1032 00:48:00,920 --> 00:48:03,160 Speaker 1: brands in this space, how do you decide? 1033 00:48:03,200 --> 00:48:03,319 Speaker 4: All? 1034 00:48:03,440 --> 00:48:05,360 Speaker 1: Right, they are aligned with what I'm trying to do 1035 00:48:05,400 --> 00:48:06,560 Speaker 1: with my vision, so. 1036 00:48:06,640 --> 00:48:09,480 Speaker 4: A lot of them choose you, right. And I've interviewed brands. 1037 00:48:09,760 --> 00:48:14,239 Speaker 4: If they don't meet like my morals, like in what 1038 00:48:14,280 --> 00:48:15,800 Speaker 4: I stay, I've turned down a lot of money. Not 1039 00:48:15,840 --> 00:48:19,040 Speaker 4: all money is good money, right. If they have a 1040 00:48:19,040 --> 00:48:22,160 Speaker 4: good mission statement and they're good to people, I'll work 1041 00:48:22,239 --> 00:48:24,600 Speaker 4: with anybody. And that's why I started working with Squire 1042 00:48:24,600 --> 00:48:29,640 Speaker 4: in twenty nineteen. I got hired twenty nineteen and then 1043 00:48:29,680 --> 00:48:33,440 Speaker 4: shortly after the world shut down for COVID, and I said, 1044 00:48:33,600 --> 00:48:35,480 Speaker 4: I will get with you guys, but there's a couple 1045 00:48:35,480 --> 00:48:37,839 Speaker 4: of things that want you to do, and I think 1046 00:48:37,880 --> 00:48:40,640 Speaker 4: it would be great for our industry. And they like 1047 00:48:40,800 --> 00:48:42,920 Speaker 4: they said, we were already going to do that. We 1048 00:48:42,960 --> 00:48:46,600 Speaker 4: waived all of our monthly fees for membership like instead 1049 00:48:46,640 --> 00:48:48,799 Speaker 4: of just keeping it like gym memberships didn't do that. 1050 00:48:50,080 --> 00:48:55,280 Speaker 4: We also sent tallets of Rubert Glove's hand sanitizer barber 1051 00:48:55,400 --> 00:48:59,640 Speaker 4: side bleach cleaning equipment so people could reopen their barbershops. 1052 00:49:00,080 --> 00:49:03,400 Speaker 4: Once I saw that David's song did that for the industry, 1053 00:49:04,040 --> 00:49:07,040 Speaker 4: I knew and at this point, there were some glitches 1054 00:49:07,080 --> 00:49:10,760 Speaker 4: with our software, like with our app that I didn't 1055 00:49:10,760 --> 00:49:13,279 Speaker 4: believe in because people were complaining about it. And now 1056 00:49:13,440 --> 00:49:15,840 Speaker 4: obviously it's amazing. It's to you know, and I'm not 1057 00:49:15,840 --> 00:49:18,120 Speaker 4: saying because I worked for them, but we thought of everything. 1058 00:49:18,520 --> 00:49:21,080 Speaker 4: Now we have the Squire AI that you saw at 1059 00:49:21,080 --> 00:49:25,000 Speaker 4: the show. I realized that when David's song were willing 1060 00:49:25,000 --> 00:49:28,359 Speaker 4: to give back to our community, Like there was one 1061 00:49:28,400 --> 00:49:31,200 Speaker 4: company they just got with Squire two months before, and 1062 00:49:31,280 --> 00:49:34,200 Speaker 4: we send them like fourteen hundred dollars worth of stuff. 1063 00:49:34,280 --> 00:49:35,719 Speaker 3: We never even made money with them. 1064 00:49:35,680 --> 00:49:39,239 Speaker 4: Yet so like to me, they aligned on my principles, 1065 00:49:39,760 --> 00:49:42,279 Speaker 4: and you know, I feel like the barbering industry was 1066 00:49:42,280 --> 00:49:45,960 Speaker 4: so underserved in so many different areas as far as 1067 00:49:46,440 --> 00:49:49,480 Speaker 4: the resources we were given in school and then the 1068 00:49:49,560 --> 00:49:53,439 Speaker 4: resources we were looked at, Like I remember people telling me, damn, 1069 00:49:53,480 --> 00:49:55,000 Speaker 4: you're just going to be a barber, Like is this 1070 00:49:55,040 --> 00:49:56,400 Speaker 4: going to be like a little thing you're going to 1071 00:49:56,480 --> 00:49:59,239 Speaker 4: do for now? We weren't really respected, you know, I 1072 00:49:59,239 --> 00:50:01,839 Speaker 4: mean due to some of the practices that were going 1073 00:50:01,880 --> 00:50:02,839 Speaker 4: on in barbershops. 1074 00:50:02,920 --> 00:50:05,759 Speaker 2: But you also, you know, did the seven stream thing right, 1075 00:50:05,760 --> 00:50:08,040 Speaker 2: Like you had the multiple I talked about that at 1076 00:50:08,080 --> 00:50:10,080 Speaker 2: the XPO too, Like you got it. You can't just 1077 00:50:10,160 --> 00:50:12,720 Speaker 2: cut here. I think that's gonna be a pathway to success, 1078 00:50:12,800 --> 00:50:16,719 Speaker 2: Like you gotta. You've found a lot of different avenues 1079 00:50:16,719 --> 00:50:19,160 Speaker 2: to make money off of your expertise of being a bar. 1080 00:50:19,239 --> 00:50:21,239 Speaker 4: One hundred percent. And I think, and I'm not no 1081 00:50:21,360 --> 00:50:23,239 Speaker 4: different than anybody, you know what I mean, Like, I 1082 00:50:23,280 --> 00:50:26,120 Speaker 4: think we all could do it, but you got to 1083 00:50:26,440 --> 00:50:29,240 Speaker 4: You got to stop that barbershop mentality. I'm no longer 1084 00:50:29,239 --> 00:50:32,000 Speaker 4: behind the chair because what would happen is at this 1085 00:50:32,160 --> 00:50:35,759 Speaker 4: point in two thousand and eleven, I was getting fifty 1086 00:50:35,840 --> 00:50:38,480 Speaker 4: or sixty dollars a haircut, which was good money back then, 1087 00:50:39,040 --> 00:50:42,360 Speaker 4: but I would also neglect a thirty thousand dollars sponsorship 1088 00:50:42,400 --> 00:50:45,600 Speaker 4: phone call while I'm doing a fifty dollars haircut. So 1089 00:50:45,680 --> 00:50:48,640 Speaker 4: I'm like, damn, I just missed a call from Gillette 1090 00:50:48,840 --> 00:50:52,600 Speaker 4: because I'm shaving this dude. And I didn't believe in 1091 00:50:52,600 --> 00:50:55,360 Speaker 4: answering the phone because that's not professional while you're servicing 1092 00:50:55,400 --> 00:50:58,840 Speaker 4: a client. But did you ever hear that saying you 1093 00:50:58,840 --> 00:51:02,200 Speaker 4: can't trip over quarters pennies? And what happened was I 1094 00:51:02,280 --> 00:51:05,120 Speaker 4: was cutting so much hair and I wasn't making enough 1095 00:51:05,120 --> 00:51:08,440 Speaker 4: as I was getting from consulting and from sponsorship deals 1096 00:51:08,719 --> 00:51:10,480 Speaker 4: that I had to slowly but surely get rid of 1097 00:51:10,520 --> 00:51:14,399 Speaker 4: all my clientele. And that that's when I converted over 1098 00:51:14,520 --> 00:51:18,520 Speaker 4: to being a full time consultant and entrepreneur, like real 1099 00:51:19,239 --> 00:51:22,799 Speaker 4: like the business side of barbering. So you're not cutting, No, 1100 00:51:22,840 --> 00:51:24,719 Speaker 4: I haven't managed every now and I got two sons. 1101 00:51:24,760 --> 00:51:27,719 Speaker 4: I cut there here if it's an emergency, if my 1102 00:51:27,760 --> 00:51:30,880 Speaker 4: plumber needs a haircut, like because I always got plumbing 1103 00:51:30,920 --> 00:51:32,520 Speaker 4: issues for some reason. When you own a lot of 1104 00:51:32,560 --> 00:51:36,760 Speaker 4: real estate, there's always something with frozen pipe, someone flushed 1105 00:51:36,760 --> 00:51:40,799 Speaker 4: the Barbie doll down a toilet. I mean, so what's 1106 00:51:40,800 --> 00:51:43,799 Speaker 4: your how many how many properties do you own? Right now? 1107 00:51:43,840 --> 00:51:49,960 Speaker 4: I own one, two, three, four, eleven, eleven properties all 1108 00:51:50,040 --> 00:51:55,560 Speaker 4: in Connecticut. Yes, all in Connecticut. So yeah, for now, 1109 00:51:55,760 --> 00:51:58,680 Speaker 4: you want to scale that to more, you know, so 1110 00:51:58,920 --> 00:52:02,080 Speaker 4: my like, so here's the thing, like, the more roofs, 1111 00:52:02,080 --> 00:52:05,680 Speaker 4: the more leaks, right, I always want to scale it, 1112 00:52:05,760 --> 00:52:09,120 Speaker 4: right because obviously I use real estate as a depreciation 1113 00:52:09,320 --> 00:52:12,080 Speaker 4: tax from and now with the new law that's been 1114 00:52:12,160 --> 00:52:15,120 Speaker 4: passed with the short term rental, I believe, you know, 1115 00:52:15,160 --> 00:52:16,360 Speaker 4: being able to write off one hundred. 1116 00:52:16,440 --> 00:52:18,600 Speaker 3: It's not as easy. It's not a loophole, but it 1117 00:52:19,080 --> 00:52:20,800 Speaker 3: is a tax advantage break. 1118 00:52:22,280 --> 00:52:24,440 Speaker 4: I do want to scale it, but like at my 1119 00:52:24,480 --> 00:52:29,000 Speaker 4: own pace, I feel as if like I bought you know, 1120 00:52:29,040 --> 00:52:31,920 Speaker 4: you talk about earn your leisure. I've earned my leisure, 1121 00:52:32,640 --> 00:52:34,160 Speaker 4: you know, like I could, like I could leave here 1122 00:52:34,239 --> 00:52:37,279 Speaker 4: right now and go to Dubai and go shopping when 1123 00:52:37,320 --> 00:52:39,359 Speaker 4: I get I could do what I want when I want. 1124 00:52:39,360 --> 00:52:43,040 Speaker 4: There's no obligations, and to me, that's priceless. The more roofs, 1125 00:52:43,040 --> 00:52:46,120 Speaker 4: the more leaks, uh these everything I got going on 1126 00:52:46,239 --> 00:52:48,040 Speaker 4: is cool. It looks good on paper, but there's always 1127 00:52:48,040 --> 00:52:50,680 Speaker 4: something like the biggest problem I have with that sweets 1128 00:52:51,080 --> 00:52:54,360 Speaker 4: is the air conditioning. One Sweet's too cold, one Sweet's 1129 00:52:54,360 --> 00:52:56,319 Speaker 4: too hot, the one that's facing the windows how at 1130 00:52:56,320 --> 00:52:59,279 Speaker 4: all the time. So it's like there's nothing perfect right, 1131 00:52:59,480 --> 00:53:01,680 Speaker 4: and when you're made and money, nothing's just I haven't 1132 00:53:01,680 --> 00:53:05,480 Speaker 4: met too many types of businesses that everything's smooth saling. 1133 00:53:05,760 --> 00:53:07,200 Speaker 4: So yeah, I want to scale, but I want to 1134 00:53:07,200 --> 00:53:09,960 Speaker 4: scale up my own pace. You know. Right now it's 1135 00:53:10,000 --> 00:53:12,240 Speaker 4: about my children. Like I got an eighteen year old 1136 00:53:12,440 --> 00:53:15,279 Speaker 4: and a fourteen year old, and you know when my 1137 00:53:15,320 --> 00:53:17,840 Speaker 4: father died, he left me with a funeral and a 1138 00:53:17,880 --> 00:53:21,759 Speaker 4: car payment, you know. So it's like I don't want 1139 00:53:22,440 --> 00:53:25,719 Speaker 4: I believe I'm the first millionaire in my family, and 1140 00:53:25,760 --> 00:53:28,400 Speaker 4: I just want to break that, like that generational not 1141 00:53:28,480 --> 00:53:30,800 Speaker 4: generational curse, but I just want to break. 1142 00:53:31,040 --> 00:53:32,960 Speaker 3: I want to break that. I want my kids' kids 1143 00:53:32,960 --> 00:53:33,479 Speaker 3: to be good. 1144 00:53:34,120 --> 00:53:37,520 Speaker 1: So you mentioned Dubai. I wonder it does the teaching 1145 00:53:38,280 --> 00:53:42,680 Speaker 1: expand internationally and they didn't work in Ireland, Russia, Portugal, Chile, 1146 00:53:42,880 --> 00:53:45,600 Speaker 1: Like is that part of the plan or is that 1147 00:53:45,640 --> 00:53:46,480 Speaker 1: already in place? 1148 00:53:46,640 --> 00:53:50,360 Speaker 4: Yeah, So the issue is with the other countries like 1149 00:53:50,680 --> 00:53:53,800 Speaker 4: to be very transparent. There's not a big bag there 1150 00:53:54,239 --> 00:53:57,040 Speaker 4: for sponsorship dollars because they don't do a lot of 1151 00:53:57,120 --> 00:54:01,080 Speaker 4: revenue like in the Third world countries or like a 1152 00:54:01,160 --> 00:54:04,960 Speaker 4: less developed country. They'll buy one hundred dollars clipper and 1153 00:54:05,080 --> 00:54:09,800 Speaker 4: they will fix, repair solder that one clipper for sixteen years, 1154 00:54:10,040 --> 00:54:12,440 Speaker 4: whereas a barber here would just throw it out and 1155 00:54:12,480 --> 00:54:14,640 Speaker 4: buy another clipper when a supply guy comes. 1156 00:54:15,320 --> 00:54:18,480 Speaker 3: Also, there's certain laws. 1157 00:54:18,239 --> 00:54:21,280 Speaker 4: When you know, like people have distribution rules in certain 1158 00:54:21,320 --> 00:54:25,239 Speaker 4: cities and there's certain states. Also there's there's the wattage 1159 00:54:25,400 --> 00:54:28,600 Speaker 4: the plugs. Certain clippers are going to blow up, so 1160 00:54:29,719 --> 00:54:32,160 Speaker 4: I'll go to where the money is. Like I was 1161 00:54:32,280 --> 00:54:35,120 Speaker 4: speaking to a shot earlier, like I'm finally my first 1162 00:54:35,160 --> 00:54:38,560 Speaker 4: time going to Africa being I'm going to Lagos, Nigeria, 1163 00:54:38,640 --> 00:54:40,239 Speaker 4: and I was asking them a little bit about it. 1164 00:54:40,520 --> 00:54:43,080 Speaker 4: I'm going to go there December, December eleventh to get 1165 00:54:43,120 --> 00:54:46,440 Speaker 4: some footage and I'll be doing hosting my first event there. 1166 00:54:46,760 --> 00:54:48,920 Speaker 4: That's pretty dope. I have family and Angola, but that's 1167 00:54:48,960 --> 00:54:52,520 Speaker 4: on the other side of Africa, so I'm just pretty 1168 00:54:52,560 --> 00:54:55,080 Speaker 4: happy to go there as well. So yeah, I mean 1169 00:54:55,680 --> 00:54:58,280 Speaker 4: I want to see the world and tell my story. 1170 00:54:59,520 --> 00:55:02,640 Speaker 4: And like I said, the money's always like if you're 1171 00:55:02,640 --> 00:55:04,319 Speaker 4: doing the right thing and you're helping others, the money 1172 00:55:04,400 --> 00:55:06,920 Speaker 4: is always going to follow, you know. So I mean, 1173 00:55:07,040 --> 00:55:09,560 Speaker 4: I think we all we have no choice, but the scale, 1174 00:55:09,600 --> 00:55:12,640 Speaker 4: I can't look back now. But like when it comes 1175 00:55:12,640 --> 00:55:14,759 Speaker 4: to real estate, man, I have to feel it. I 1176 00:55:14,800 --> 00:55:16,359 Speaker 4: have to feel it in the heart. Do you ever 1177 00:55:16,360 --> 00:55:18,359 Speaker 4: get some real estate like stuff thrown at you like 1178 00:55:18,600 --> 00:55:21,239 Speaker 4: it's either too good to be true or something's not 1179 00:55:21,360 --> 00:55:24,480 Speaker 4: right with the property. And I usually get that, like 1180 00:55:24,880 --> 00:55:27,279 Speaker 4: my third eye sees that. So like I just bought 1181 00:55:27,280 --> 00:55:32,359 Speaker 4: these three, three airbnbs in a beach town that's extremely on, 1182 00:55:32,680 --> 00:55:35,399 Speaker 4: like new money's moving into the town. I'm literally ten 1183 00:55:35,440 --> 00:55:38,800 Speaker 4: steps away from the ocean in Connecticut, right on the shoreline, 1184 00:55:38,800 --> 00:55:41,400 Speaker 4: next to a carousel, next to an ice cream stand. 1185 00:55:42,200 --> 00:55:44,319 Speaker 4: I bought it off market, but I felt it. I'm like, 1186 00:55:44,560 --> 00:55:47,360 Speaker 4: I looked at the building. It's two two families and 1187 00:55:47,400 --> 00:55:49,440 Speaker 4: one one family, and I'm like, this is going to 1188 00:55:49,480 --> 00:55:52,160 Speaker 4: be a gold mine. So I don't know, I'm not 1189 00:55:52,239 --> 00:55:55,360 Speaker 4: as risky as some of these investors, Like I know 1190 00:55:55,480 --> 00:55:59,040 Speaker 4: some really risky investors. So I just I don't know, 1191 00:55:59,040 --> 00:56:02,000 Speaker 4: a little more calculated that I would think. But I 1192 00:56:02,080 --> 00:56:04,279 Speaker 4: might need some advice on that man, because you guys 1193 00:56:04,320 --> 00:56:06,040 Speaker 4: are the masters of scaling. 1194 00:56:06,400 --> 00:56:09,520 Speaker 1: No thing or two. Yeah, you know, I can't let 1195 00:56:09,600 --> 00:56:11,920 Speaker 1: you get out of here without asking this question because 1196 00:56:11,920 --> 00:56:16,680 Speaker 1: you are the godfather. What are the essential pieces of 1197 00:56:16,719 --> 00:56:20,920 Speaker 1: equipment that a barber should have or that you have? 1198 00:56:21,120 --> 00:56:21,279 Speaker 4: Right? 1199 00:56:21,320 --> 00:56:24,080 Speaker 1: Like, what's the trimmer, what's the like? What should we 1200 00:56:24,120 --> 00:56:25,919 Speaker 1: be using or what would you use? 1201 00:56:26,080 --> 00:56:29,279 Speaker 4: Yeah? I mean, I see, I'm putting I have to 1202 00:56:29,360 --> 00:56:31,239 Speaker 4: use baby Less because I'm in contract with them. 1203 00:56:31,280 --> 00:56:31,759 Speaker 3: I use that. 1204 00:56:31,960 --> 00:56:34,120 Speaker 4: Yeah, that's dope. So I'm gonna I got a dope 1205 00:56:34,120 --> 00:56:36,200 Speaker 4: care packages for you guys, too perfect I need to 1206 00:56:36,200 --> 00:56:39,880 Speaker 4: get I'm gonna get it to you guys. You know, honestly, 1207 00:56:41,200 --> 00:56:42,759 Speaker 4: if you're a good barber, you could cut here with 1208 00:56:42,800 --> 00:56:45,799 Speaker 4: Walmart clippers. Like I'm gonna be completely transparent with you. 1209 00:56:45,840 --> 00:56:48,120 Speaker 4: If you have the technique, you have the technique. My 1210 00:56:48,239 --> 00:56:51,720 Speaker 4: personal stuff is this new Compact series because I believe 1211 00:56:51,760 --> 00:56:53,799 Speaker 4: in traveling, so everything I have is like like for 1212 00:56:53,840 --> 00:56:57,320 Speaker 4: little traveling kits or whatever. So there's a new compact 1213 00:56:57,360 --> 00:57:00,960 Speaker 4: series on babyless clipper, trimmer shaver, And I always like, 1214 00:57:01,040 --> 00:57:03,279 Speaker 4: my biggest piece of advice to barber's is like you 1215 00:57:03,280 --> 00:57:08,120 Speaker 4: should always have overstock and equipment always. A good friend 1216 00:57:08,120 --> 00:57:12,080 Speaker 4: of mine like went to cut Puff a long time 1217 00:57:12,120 --> 00:57:15,280 Speaker 4: ago and he didn't have any This is when clippers 1218 00:57:15,280 --> 00:57:18,240 Speaker 4: were wired. He didn't have an extension cord. So he 1219 00:57:18,360 --> 00:57:21,440 Speaker 4: was in France and Puff wanted the haircut on a 1220 00:57:21,480 --> 00:57:24,240 Speaker 4: balcony and the clipper wires in the reach and he goes, yo, 1221 00:57:24,360 --> 00:57:26,840 Speaker 4: I can't cut your hair here on a balcony. 1222 00:57:27,680 --> 00:57:28,720 Speaker 3: We got to cut in the bathroom. 1223 00:57:28,720 --> 00:57:31,280 Speaker 4: He's like, play boy, I'm paying you this much money 1224 00:57:31,320 --> 00:57:33,280 Speaker 4: to cut my hair, and I flew you to France. 1225 00:57:33,560 --> 00:57:35,880 Speaker 4: You better find an extension cord. You got twenty minutes, 1226 00:57:36,520 --> 00:57:41,320 Speaker 4: so like it. He ended up finding it. Yeah, but 1227 00:57:41,400 --> 00:57:43,480 Speaker 4: he was like, but am I right or wrong? Right? 1228 00:57:43,920 --> 00:57:48,240 Speaker 4: Like you should be completely prepared you're going to any 1229 00:57:48,400 --> 00:57:51,080 Speaker 4: because you'll never know, like you'll never know what you're 1230 00:57:51,120 --> 00:57:55,320 Speaker 4: gonna need. So you know, with that being said, just 1231 00:57:55,760 --> 00:57:58,400 Speaker 4: regardless of what equipment you have, make sure you have it. 1232 00:57:58,480 --> 00:58:00,880 Speaker 4: Make sure you like you'll never know who's going to 1233 00:58:00,920 --> 00:58:02,680 Speaker 4: show up on that set. You might go to cut 1234 00:58:03,080 --> 00:58:06,480 Speaker 4: rashats here, but as managers a Mexican cat from Texas 1235 00:58:06,520 --> 00:58:08,080 Speaker 4: that has straight here out to here. And you didn't 1236 00:58:08,080 --> 00:58:10,880 Speaker 4: bring scissors because rashot than any scissors, or you know, 1237 00:58:10,960 --> 00:58:13,080 Speaker 4: you don't you might get here beard color. You didn't 1238 00:58:13,080 --> 00:58:15,760 Speaker 4: bring beard color to enhance your beard or an enhancement 1239 00:58:15,840 --> 00:58:19,520 Speaker 4: of some sort. So I've learned be prepared because you'll 1240 00:58:19,600 --> 00:58:22,080 Speaker 4: never know if you're on a movie set or video set, 1241 00:58:22,080 --> 00:58:24,439 Speaker 4: what's going to come your way? Where did the best 1242 00:58:24,440 --> 00:58:28,040 Speaker 4: barber's co phone? I don't know? Man all over man, 1243 00:58:28,080 --> 00:58:28,680 Speaker 4: I don't OK. 1244 00:58:29,040 --> 00:58:30,280 Speaker 1: It's okay to say New York. 1245 00:58:31,360 --> 00:58:34,160 Speaker 4: Because you know dr got they came in and they 1246 00:58:34,280 --> 00:58:37,040 Speaker 4: just say about dr Because I have a Dominican Sloan 1247 00:58:37,080 --> 00:58:39,960 Speaker 4: that rents in my in my basement on my of 1248 00:58:40,000 --> 00:58:43,280 Speaker 4: my suits. The thing about Dr is like, at the 1249 00:58:43,360 --> 00:58:46,280 Speaker 4: end of the day, you got Haiti and Dr. Right, 1250 00:58:47,120 --> 00:58:51,280 Speaker 4: they're African people. They're African, but one that speaks French 1251 00:58:51,320 --> 00:58:55,640 Speaker 4: and one to speaks Spanish. So but with the colonization 1252 00:58:55,720 --> 00:58:59,000 Speaker 4: and everything that happened, you got light skinned, blue eyed Dominicans. 1253 00:58:59,600 --> 00:59:03,400 Speaker 4: You got black Michael Blacks and dark skinned Dominicans light skin. 1254 00:59:03,720 --> 00:59:05,880 Speaker 4: So I feel as if the Dominicans were able to 1255 00:59:05,960 --> 00:59:10,200 Speaker 4: master all hair types and a lot like so for 1256 00:59:10,240 --> 00:59:13,760 Speaker 4: all my women, like predominantly the clientele at my sweets 1257 00:59:13,760 --> 00:59:16,200 Speaker 4: are black women that a lot of them work at 1258 00:59:16,240 --> 00:59:19,000 Speaker 4: Yellow Haven Hospital and they come to the Dominican ladies 1259 00:59:19,000 --> 00:59:21,960 Speaker 4: because they know they're here. They're affordable, they get their 1260 00:59:22,040 --> 00:59:25,120 Speaker 4: roller sets, they get their blowouts from the Dominican women. 1261 00:59:25,720 --> 00:59:27,720 Speaker 4: So yeah, big up the Dominican barbers because they do 1262 00:59:27,800 --> 00:59:30,959 Speaker 4: all hair types. Men. To me, you're not a master 1263 00:59:31,040 --> 00:59:34,040 Speaker 4: barber unless you could cut any hair type, Like you 1264 00:59:34,120 --> 00:59:36,120 Speaker 4: have to be able to cut every single hair type 1265 00:59:36,160 --> 00:59:37,160 Speaker 4: to be a master barber. 1266 00:59:38,240 --> 00:59:41,520 Speaker 2: You know that's something shouting my barber Bob's I think 1267 00:59:41,520 --> 00:59:43,120 Speaker 2: he went to your event a few times because I 1268 00:59:43,120 --> 00:59:44,560 Speaker 2: was telling them I was going. He said that he 1269 00:59:44,560 --> 00:59:46,760 Speaker 2: didn't go this year, but he had been. He's very 1270 00:59:46,800 --> 00:59:49,040 Speaker 2: familiar with the event and had good things to say 1271 00:59:49,080 --> 00:59:52,480 Speaker 2: about it. So, yeah, man, Barbara's are vitally important to 1272 00:59:52,560 --> 00:59:53,400 Speaker 2: the ecosystem. 1273 00:59:53,560 --> 00:59:56,680 Speaker 4: You know, they keep the world spinning. That's a fact. 1274 00:59:57,000 --> 00:59:57,840 Speaker 1: He's looking good. 1275 00:59:58,320 --> 01:00:01,040 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean you had a real like Barber's will 1276 01:00:01,080 --> 01:00:03,200 Speaker 4: cut you here for the most important days of your life, 1277 01:00:04,320 --> 01:00:07,040 Speaker 4: you know for sure. And I think if we have 1278 01:00:07,120 --> 01:00:11,760 Speaker 4: the ability to like to use our relationships because like 1279 01:00:11,920 --> 01:00:13,880 Speaker 4: I said, there's nothing worse when I see self made 1280 01:00:13,880 --> 01:00:17,400 Speaker 4: in the barber's Instagram by bio, because like, without our clients, 1281 01:00:17,640 --> 01:00:21,680 Speaker 4: we ain't nothing. And like the real celebrity client is 1282 01:00:21,720 --> 01:00:24,200 Speaker 4: that father that brings his son in every single week. 1283 01:00:24,440 --> 01:00:26,720 Speaker 4: Because I remember when I was younger man being waiting 1284 01:00:26,760 --> 01:00:30,320 Speaker 4: in hotel lobbies doing half a haircut. A celebrity gets 1285 01:00:30,680 --> 01:00:33,240 Speaker 4: gets on the zoom phone, call comes back and like, 1286 01:00:33,280 --> 01:00:35,480 Speaker 4: I'm not chasing no, bron. 1287 01:00:37,880 --> 01:00:40,520 Speaker 2: Well, I appreciate you, my brother, anything else you want 1288 01:00:40,520 --> 01:00:42,360 Speaker 2: to say, or you know, socials and all that. 1289 01:00:42,600 --> 01:00:46,080 Speaker 4: Yeah, I'm j a y Underscore Majors at Connecticut Barbara 1290 01:00:46,120 --> 01:00:50,880 Speaker 4: Expo June fifth, fifth through the eighth. This year, there's 1291 01:00:50,920 --> 01:00:52,560 Speaker 4: going to be a Mohican son. It's my fifteen year 1292 01:00:52,560 --> 01:00:55,800 Speaker 4: anniversary of the show. So thank you. So we're probably 1293 01:00:55,800 --> 01:00:58,560 Speaker 4: gonna do like a big I'm thinking of possibly doing 1294 01:00:58,560 --> 01:01:01,000 Speaker 4: a comedy show. I'm talking to some big commute and 1295 01:01:01,280 --> 01:01:04,320 Speaker 4: you know, just just come on out. It's a dope resort. 1296 01:01:04,480 --> 01:01:05,760 Speaker 4: And you know, I just want to thank you guys 1297 01:01:05,800 --> 01:01:08,640 Speaker 4: for honestly you having me here. Man. I'm I'm a 1298 01:01:08,640 --> 01:01:10,360 Speaker 4: big fan of what you guys are doing because it 1299 01:01:10,400 --> 01:01:14,439 Speaker 4: is needed. It's like, this is essential right now, man, 1300 01:01:14,520 --> 01:01:19,480 Speaker 4: because money is scarce, and you know what is gold 1301 01:01:19,480 --> 01:01:22,120 Speaker 4: at today? Man? That sways like up one hundred thousand 1302 01:01:22,200 --> 01:01:24,520 Speaker 4: the other day right that we. 1303 01:01:24,520 --> 01:01:26,800 Speaker 1: Will check in two seconds it was a forty three 1304 01:01:26,960 --> 01:01:30,240 Speaker 1: hundredunce shut down to forty one. 1305 01:01:30,320 --> 01:01:32,240 Speaker 4: But why have you guys here real quick? Man? What 1306 01:01:32,400 --> 01:01:35,400 Speaker 4: is eyl Like? What are y'all doing now? Because I'm like, 1307 01:01:35,440 --> 01:01:38,240 Speaker 4: I love the investment. I'm definitely making it. You gotta come. 1308 01:01:38,280 --> 01:01:40,440 Speaker 2: We got to do some level of collaboration, That's what 1309 01:01:40,480 --> 01:01:42,720 Speaker 2: I was thinking, barbar especially we got the ve in 1310 01:01:42,800 --> 01:01:43,440 Speaker 2: the marketplace. 1311 01:01:43,680 --> 01:01:45,160 Speaker 4: Yeah, it's sad to be dope to kind of have 1312 01:01:45,240 --> 01:01:47,600 Speaker 4: some level of part city. Are you doing Atlanta again? 1313 01:01:48,440 --> 01:01:51,680 Speaker 4: You know we haven't announced it yet. Okay, okay, alert 1314 01:01:51,760 --> 01:01:55,720 Speaker 4: issue coming to alert coming soon. Yeah. I want to 1315 01:01:55,760 --> 01:01:59,200 Speaker 4: be able to hopefully give you guys some sponsorship or 1316 01:01:59,200 --> 01:02:02,320 Speaker 4: some way to help out. I appreciate just for what 1317 01:02:02,360 --> 01:02:04,800 Speaker 4: you're doing. I feel like so many people need to 1318 01:02:04,840 --> 01:02:07,840 Speaker 4: hear this man, and you guys are genuine you know 1319 01:02:07,840 --> 01:02:10,160 Speaker 4: what I mean, Like you really care. So I appreciate that. 1320 01:02:10,280 --> 01:02:11,800 Speaker 1: Thanks you man, appreciate my brother. 1321 01:02:11,880 --> 01:02:12,040 Speaker 4: Yeah. 1322 01:02:12,120 --> 01:02:14,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, let's definitely. Let's definitely connect anything we possibly can't. 1323 01:02:15,080 --> 01:02:17,520 Speaker 1: If you got any students that uh interested in coming 1324 01:02:17,560 --> 01:02:19,560 Speaker 1: down and we can work something out. Get some here 1325 01:02:19,600 --> 01:02:20,480 Speaker 1: cuts away, Yeah. 1326 01:02:20,400 --> 01:02:23,280 Speaker 4: Let's do it. Whatever had a barber for y'all today, 1327 01:02:23,640 --> 01:02:26,200 Speaker 4: he's not. I guess someone messaged him and the authentic 1328 01:02:26,360 --> 01:02:29,040 Speaker 4: someone from your team messaged him. He cuts Jalen and 1329 01:02:29,280 --> 01:02:30,520 Speaker 4: Ray Kwan and a. 1330 01:02:30,560 --> 01:02:36,000 Speaker 1: Couple of other Oh yeah, yeah, that's the he might 1331 01:02:36,040 --> 01:02:37,400 Speaker 1: be ahead of Jalen. 1332 01:02:37,520 --> 01:02:41,240 Speaker 4: Got the well now, Jayleen Rose Yeah, Jaylen Roses is here, 1333 01:02:41,320 --> 01:02:43,840 Speaker 4: is like he's the king, He's the king from our 1334 01:02:43,880 --> 01:02:46,479 Speaker 4: team message him someone Yeah, he's like, I'm so mad. 1335 01:02:46,520 --> 01:02:49,360 Speaker 4: Son happened. He thought someone from Earned your Leisure message 1336 01:02:49,400 --> 01:02:52,040 Speaker 4: him a while ago. I think he was. He was 1337 01:02:52,080 --> 01:02:53,760 Speaker 4: on ESPN a lot with Jalen. 1338 01:02:53,840 --> 01:02:59,920 Speaker 1: So Jalens is ridiculous, Yeah, crazy, Ray kwans fable. 1339 01:03:00,120 --> 01:03:03,400 Speaker 3: Jalen gets a haircut four times a week. Oh that's 1340 01:03:03,440 --> 01:03:05,720 Speaker 3: a lot. Four times a week. That's a lot. That's 1341 01:03:05,760 --> 01:03:06,080 Speaker 3: a lot. 1342 01:03:06,320 --> 01:03:09,440 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, not as lone as crazy. 1343 01:03:09,600 --> 01:03:12,320 Speaker 2: Hi, my brother. I appreciate you man. Thank you guys. 1344 01:03:12,400 --> 01:03:13,360 Speaker 2: Rock on to you next week. 1345 01:03:13,440 --> 01:03:13,640 Speaker 4: Pace