Uncle Eshawn

For the first time this season, I trade places with the guest. Instead of asking the questions, I’m answering them. Joined by my longtime friend Samantha, someone who’s known me since we met at the Apple Store in 2008, we reflect on the journey of creating Season One, the conversations that shaped it, and the lessons I’ve learned along the way. We also revisit parts of my childhood, growing up bet...

Episode 9: Three Pillars Over the last few weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to sit down with three men whose stories are deeply connected to a chapter of San Francisco barbering that helped shape my journey. In this episode, I reflect on my conversations with Robert Harlin, Anton, and Ken—three individuals who each played a different role in the legacy of Chicago’s Barbershop. From mentorship and l...

In Episode 8 of Uncle Eshawn, I sit down with barber and longtime Chicago’s Barbershop veteran Ken. We talk about his journey into barbering, the relationships that shaped him, his time at Chicago’s, helping build Attention to Detail, and what ultimately brought him back home. Along the way, we discuss loyalty, growth, mentorship, friendship, and the lessons learned from navigating different chapt...

In Episode 7 of Uncle Eshawn, I sit down with barber, entrepreneur, and Attention to Detail founder Anton. We talk about his journey into barbering, his years at Chicago’s Barbershop, the leap of faith it took to build his own shop, and the influence he’s had on a generation of Bay Area barbers. We also discuss barber culture, representation, ownership, and what it means to leave your mark on an i...

For the first guest episode of Uncle Eshawn, I sit down with my mentor, Robert Harlin, owner of Chicago’s 2 Barbershop in San Francisco. Over the course of this conversation, Rob shares his journey from Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Los Angeles and eventually San Francisco, where he would go on to become one of the city’s most respected barbers and business owners. We talk about his early life, discovering...

In Episode 5 of Uncle Eshawn, I reflect on the barbers, mentors, peers, and personalities that helped shape me — not just as a barber, but as a man, creative, and business owner. This episode is about influence, mentorship, competition, friendship, and the lessons passed down through barbershop culture. From Chicago’s Barbershop to the people who sharpened me through conversation, pressure, style,...

Episode 4 picks up where Part 1 left off. In this episode, I talk about my experience in barber college, the relationships and insecurities that shaped me early on, and eventually stepping into Chicago’s Barbershop — an environment that pushed me creatively, professionally, and personally. This episode is about pressure, growth, identity, mentorship, and trying to find your place while building co...

In Episode 3 of Uncle Eshawn, I take you through the beginning of my barber journey and the path that led me here. Before the barbershop, before the podcast, and before becoming my own boss, I was trying to figure out who I was and what kind of life I wanted to build. I talk about growing up in the foster system, wanting to become a social worker, working at the Apple Store, working at the airport...

In Episode 2 of Uncle Eshawn, I talk about the role and responsibility behind the name. This episode is about becoming a guardian, growing into responsibility, and learning how life can change the way you move through the world. I reflect on identity, pressure, discipline, family, and what it means to show up for someone outside of yourself.

In the first episode of Uncle Eshawn, I’m introducing myself and the mindset behind starting this podcast. I talk about taking a leap of faith, asking for forgiveness instead of permission, and stepping into something new without waiting for everything to be perfect. I also break down the different identities I’ve built over time , from Furious $tyles to SFzoo — and how they all connect to who I a...