Beyond the Barber's Chair

About this episode... I really hope that all Barbers either hear this episode or learn about Autism in some way. In all candor, this has probably been the most challenging introduction for me to write. While I want to communicate the importance of this subject, I also don't want to be over-dramatic to where I sound like a carnival-barker. I'm just going to let the interview do the talking....

About this episode... Well... he said that I would start cutting without straining my body and/or the pain... ...and he was right. We were originally going to record this immediately after the workshop in September of 2024, but by the end of the workshop, we were both pretty well worn out and decided that we would do it later. While I don't think either one of us expected it to be eight months...

We get taught one way to hold our shears, our bodies, and our clippers, and then we have to take it from there. About this episode... Ergonimics for Barbers... I have been looking high and low for ergonomic developments for Barbers.  I have spent thousands of dollars on shoes, inserts for my feet, special socks, extra floor pads, swivel thumb shears, and countless other items to make sure that I c...

I see a skin disorder... a splotch... seems innocent enough, but I'm not sure that it is... About this episode... I often share the story from a couple years ago where I saw a brown splotch on a client's head. He got it checked out, and it turned out to signal an advanced stage of cancer. We see all sorts of skin disorders throughout the day. While we are not empowered to diagnose and trea...

I'm getting people in my chair, but they're not my favorite people to hang out with... About this episode... Marketing ourselves as Barbers can be tricky. Yes, we are all supposed to take on all comers, yet each of us has a certain type of person that we vibe best with. In the Barbershop where i cut, soccer fans are more likely to wind up in my chair because we talk about soccer and vibe w...

We've all tried to sneak a bite in between clients - what if we didn't have to do it? About this episode... This episode hits close to home... I am just as guilty as anyone else of trying to eat something really quickly between clients. Yet a couple adjustments can make it a lot easier and healthier. In this episode, we talk about: Fueling ourselves at the start of the day How we create ou...

It takes a lot of work, yet my Google listing brings in more customers than my Instagram. About this episode... I am very excited about this episode...it has taken a long time to make it happen... Why Google is so important The most important parts of Google for Barbers The one section which makes a big impact (spoiler alert: it's the section that most businesses fail hard at!) About my Guest...

Can we carry our shears in a carry on bag? Who can we ask to make sure? About this episode... Nearly every week or so, I see Barbers asking about what we can and cannot keep in our carry on bags when we fly. As I go through these discussions, I see many different answers, yet I don't see a lot of definitive answers, so we remain confused. In this episode, we talk about: What we can and can&#39...

Dangit - this guy is always doing dumb stuff in the Barbershop... What can I do about it? About this episode... In the game of chess, each piece has its own role and its own job... and it is our job to use our pieces together to capture the opponent's king and win the game. How do we make this work in the "game of Barbershop"? Do we know what each person does? How do we work with each...

What if you could open a Barbershop in a Publix shopping center (or another high-traffic location)? What do they knw that we don't know? About this episode... Most of the Barbershop owners I have met opened their shop by finding a space (maybe a recently closed shop?) and then moving in. Most of them also wonder what it would have been like if they could have opened in a better, busier locatio...

Hackers aren't trying to into my Barbershop, Right?.... Right? About this episode... Are hackers tryin specifically to get into a Barbershop's network and computers? Or is it a numbers game where they just try a lot of things to see what they can get into? In this episode: Hackers go after everybody... it's a numbers game How they get us through our email and our phones About my Guest...

Hackers aren't interested in Barbershops, Right?.... Right? About this episode... A casino was hacked though a thermometer in a fish tank several years ago... ...but aren't Barbershops too small for a hacker to try to get into? In this episode: Hackers go after everybody... it's a numbers game How they get us through our email and our phones How our wifi networks leave us open to being...

It's in Barbicide, so it's okay.... Right? ....Right? About this episode... Walk into any Barbershop, and we will see Barbiicide on almost every station... We will also probably see varying shades of blue inside each bottle, varying levels of fullness/emptiness, and other inconsistencies within the shop and the jars. Ivan Zoot breaks it all down for us - and if you have ever attended one o...

I don't want my customers seeing my disinfect... or do I?.. About this episode... if it is true that perception is reality, then we control what our clients think about us... Which means that we control our first image by what we do... ...and if our clients see us disinfecting, then they know we run a clean shop. In this episode: What customers will forgive us for What customers will NOT forgi...

The Barbicide messed up my shears... right? About this episode... When a Barber first learns about how to use Barbicide in school, we know to sanitize our combs and other tools, and then put them into Barbicide for 10 minutes before taking them out. Then real life happens... and some of us... well... we get so busy that we forget they're in there So what happens after those 10 minutes? In this...

That blue stuff in the jar... I've got so many questions.... About this episode... IF WE'RE BEING HONEST... How many of us Barbers REALLY know the right way to use Barbicide? Yeah.... me, neither. Ivan Zoot breaks it all down for us - and if you have ever attended one of his classes or been at any of the hair shows and Barber expos where he is involved, you know that he explains things in...

What happens when two Barbers start talking? We talk for hours without missing a beat! About this episode... This is the first time I was interviewed by another podcaster. I had run across his podcast and found something pretty cool: a couple Barbers talking simply talking about the life of Barbers. I enjoyed hearing his episodes and how he would deep dive into observations, "beefs" within...

Sure, the swivel thumb shears feel good, but what are they doing to help Barbers? About this episode... Willy Hyde is the Director of Education for SharkFin Shears, a shears manufacturing company which focuses on the ergonomics of cutting hair. Willy breaks down the ways that using a set of swivel thumb shears affects how a Barber's whole body works The immediate effect in the hands and wrists...

Whether we are behind the Barber's chair, or out and about, or at home, if we are in pain, we are not fun to be around. About this episode... Every now and then, one statement can sum up an entire concept. Willy Hyde is the Director of Education for SharkFin Shears. His statement really says all that needs to be said about ergonomics and protecting our bodies. Episode Summary Pain keeps us fro...

"They" (whoever "they" is) told me that if I'm going to switch to a swivel thumb shear, that I should do it early in my career... it didn't sound right, but... About this episode... Almost every person I know who cuts with swivel-thumb shears really likes it. I'm trying to remember anyone I've spoken with who didn't.... Now early in my career, I was told that if...

Having a swivel thumb ring on my shears is a big part of my last cut of the day feeling as good as the first, and my first cut of the day feeling as good as the last About this episode... Willy Hyde is the Director of Education for SharkFin Shears. He discusses why swivel thumb shears protect our hands so well and how they make haircutting easier on our entire bodies. Episode Summary Why does the...

Getting foot pain under control... What more needs to be said? About this episode... Dr. Quentre Shannon with Legacy Chiropractic discusses Barbers' foot pain, why it happens, and how it can be addressed. Episode Summary What is happening with the body How our stance affects our pain in our feet and in our legs and back Looking at our choices of shoes and how their effect About my Guest Dr. Sh...

When I was a musician, the words "carpal tunnel" seemed to be a death sentence. Yet nowadays, there are ways to keep it from taking us out of the game. About this episode... Dr. Quentre Shannon with Legacy Chiropractic breaks carpal tunnel down to the basics for us Episode Summary What is really happening when carpal tunnel comes up Ways it can be treated, both surgical and non-surgical Ab...

I had to listen to this a couple times to understand... if we do one single thing, we can reduce the pain and stress on our bodies and prolong and ease our careers... About this episode... Dr. Quentre Shannon with Legacy Chiropractic talks about the one adjust that we Barbers can make to make the greatest impact on our physical ability to perform our craft. Episode Summary If Dr. Shannon were in a...

Pain in any part of our bodies is one of the most common issues we Barbers talk about, yet there are simple steps we can take to reduce it in our bodies. About this episode... Dr. Quentre Shannon with Legacy Chiropractic shares things we can do to reduce the pain associated with the Barber craft. From stretches, to exercises, to footwear choices, Dr Shannon's tips help us work with less pain a...