Summary
How Angel (@bhonstylez) went from charging $30 a cut to $80 at 20 years old
Here's what we cover:
1. How Angel began his journey cutting hair, and got into his first shop
2. How Angel decided to leave the comfortable shop life to venture out and run his own solo studio
3. How Angel Learned about Elevated Mentorship and why he joined
4. How Angel approached growing his business when COVID lockdown happened.
5. How Elevated Mentorship shifted Angel from being a full time hustler, to a businessman as a barber and growing his career
6. Angel's plans for 2021 and getting to $200 a cut
Angel's advice to any barber who wants to build and grow their business:
"Invest in your business, especially in this industry where the norm is the labor mentality. Find the freedom in your business at the end of the day!"
Ready to join the Elevated Mentorship program?
Click the button below to book a call with me and my team to see if we can help your business scale!
Hey everyone, Daniel Contreras (@dlucs_) here founder of The New Era Of Barbering.
Speaker 1: And today I am joined by one of our customers in the elevated mentioned program Angel. What's going on, dude.Speaker 2: It was going on bro. Presets for him. Y'all hear me.Speaker 1: Yeah, appreciate you coming on. And, and really I wanted to bring angel on because he has a pretty interesting story of like, when we first started working together in the inside of the program now angel, what? It was like a week into getting into the program COVID happened. And like we went on lockdown and he couldn't cut hair. Um, and we were still able to grow as business. So by the time he went back in we're on par, got him up to, I believe like 50 bucks. Cause you're at 30 prior before. Um, and then he kinda got against like these roadblocks, you know, kind of got, I don't wanna say lazy, but definitely fall out, fell off like locked in wise. So I definitely want to go in terms of like, sharing, like your process through that, to where you are right now. I believe you're up to 85 right now.Speaker 2: Oh, Eddie. So I started at 35 and now my 80.Speaker 1: Cool. Yeah. So we'll definitely want to go over like just the mental battles even for you. Cause I, I got to see it firsthand inside of working with you in the program. So you're definitely shining some light on that, I guess, for the viewer who doesn't know who you are never heard from you, can you give us some background about, you know, where you're from, you know, how you got into barbering. Um, and I guess all the way until we kind of met and started working together.Speaker 2: Okay. So my name is Angel Maldenado. I really, I really, for the most part, always lived around the Dallas area. I currently work in Dallas and how I started Curtin was really when, uh, whenever I was little, my, I grew up with my older brother cutting my hair. And then, you know, you get into high school and everything, and then you, you start wanting like more consistent coats and everything. And you know, around that time he ended up taking Barbara and a little bit more serious and he didn't have the time no more to become my headlights that, you know, I'd be like [inaudible] man tomorrow, that's tomorrow. So a week or two weeks on my man. I just gotta, I got to come on here at one point. Like I started Clippers laying around with her. So was trying to just come on here.Speaker 2: It took me like eight hours, Clippers, overheating, you know, y'all know the drill. And really from there, like I had some home and started asking me to cut their hair, you know? And you're still in high school, you know, word spreads around school. And that's the day. I really just started picking things up. Really. I didn't want to go to a college or nothing. So my, you know, they was picking up. I like it over time. I started enjoying what I was doing because developing, you know, little Patrick for it and everything. And from there I was a senior. So I started towards the end of my junior year. I started cutting through summer and everything is summertime already. You know, I gained some, my senior year, things are a little bit more consistent and I actually ended up graduating early. I graduated like half a semester early from high school, you know, got right into a Greg guidance, his shop where my brother was working at to when everything and yeah, bro, that's really how I got into it.Speaker 1: So you just started like right after high school just went into the shop,Speaker 2: Right? Yeah, man. Got, I got started into it. Wow. I already had maybe eight months of experience, but really I caught on a little quicker though, because like I said, my brother, I grew up with my brother couldn't Meyer, so I'd be paying attention to everything, bro. And it's funny how everything played out. Cause I, I find myself watching like tutorials. I remember watching IDZ cause Bozzio bro like on YouTube, just studying that like final satisfaction out of it. You know, I was watching some, some, I think, uh, Barbara and videos were on Instagram already out at that time, but you know, I was always around the ball. I was just like keeping the game and everything, but yeah bro. So that's what helped me, I think kind of catch on quicker, you know?Speaker 1: Got it. What year was that like when you started? Like, cause I know um, yeah, I guess what year was that? When, when you really started diving down the YouTube stuff?Speaker 2: Uh, it was before I even got into coding. So like 20, 2016, 2015 maybe. But really first time I started coding was like 2017. Got it.Speaker 1: Okay. So you got into the shop, um, I guess how did things go? Things go from there? Like, did you have, like obviously you had some business from, you know, cutting hair in high school. What did you do after that? Or just after like you got in the shop and started cutting full-timeSpeaker 2: Really just remained a student brought throughout the whole time. As soon as I got in there, I started to start working from open to close is trying to pay attention to where other barbers were doing, you know, Western Victoria, you know, just trying to just try and keep on growing as a barber, you know, especially, you know, right after, you know, that first year you're really just trying to develop your, you know, your skill, you know, get it right. You know? Uh, yeah bro, I really just try to learn a lot, learn, learn as much as I could, you know, as fast as I could. And what, what were you charging them at that time? 15, 20,Speaker 1: 15, 20 for a haircut right out of high school. Um, where you, I mean like, I, I think even then you were probably in that mindset of just hustle, hustle, hustle has many more cuts what has madeSpeaker 2: Right. Most definitely bro, this labor mentality,Speaker 1: How'd you build your business up then at that point? Like what were you doing?Speaker 2: Like just getting walk-ins bro. Like I was blessed enough to be in the shop that had a lot of traffic, you know, and we kind of grew up around that area too. So I know my, my brother had some people who we knew from high school and stuff when he was over there, you know, they'd come in, you know, they'd be, I was done, you know, so really, but for the most part, just like staying open the close bro, like getting as much likes in as many people as I could bro, this, you know, this consistently there, you know, that's how I built my clientele really from walking under bro. You're getting the numbers on everything. Okay.Speaker 1: So from 2017, I guess when that's, when you were in the shop, uh, to 2020, when we first started working here, the March, 2020, what, what was kind of in between that gap? Was it just doing the same thing? What was kind of like that progress in there?Speaker 2: So around that time, so it was really 2018 because I got into SAP at the shot. Yeah. It was like at the very end of 2017, I believe, early 2018. So two from 2010 to 2020. Uh, really, can you rephrase the question again? What was, uh,Speaker 1: What were you, what were you doing in between that timeframe? Was it just like continue doing redundant stuff, you know, kind of more, walk-ins cut more hair. Were you kind of just doing that cycle where you raising prices at all? Like what, what was kind of like the timeline in between there and just to fill that up.Speaker 2: So around that, around that time, but I was really, I was already trying to make videos brought to market. Like I think that's what was really going on Barbara in industry. Uh, I don't really know what I was doing with that. Uh, I, I entered some different courses and everything. It just wasn't in real detail bro, in, you know, long term, uh, I just didn't really get results like that, you know, but I still, I never quit those videos. I was like consistently making videos. I was like the only one in my shop doing that, you know, just trying to get constant from that, which I did, you know, but it wasn't, it wasn't consistent. And that, that, uh, I never made business cards around that time until I got into the actual suite at the beginning, I realized that that wasn't really working either, but uh, during the shop really broke the, uh, making videos, burden trying. And so, you know, trying to see what I could learn from that and walking in to, you know, convert them into clients.Speaker 1: Sure. Um, and I know we were talking prior to, to, uh, doing this interview. Um, you did switch like before a little bit, maybe a month or so before we started working with her to your own solo studio. So up until that time, you were still in the same shop that you were in prior. Um, I guess what went into that decision to like go and do your own thing in a solo studio?Speaker 2: Really just trying to, trying to grow independently, you know, uh, being an Assad because sometimes I have restrictions on, you know, how much you can charge, you know, uh, what else? Like just rules, you know, rules and boundaries set on your business, you know? And then if you want to just, uh, keep on growing beyond that, I felt like I had already been there two years. It was time for me to make that next step, you know, and keep on growing.Speaker 1: It was just, it was a progressive move, like okay, cool. But it played it's time out. Like I've kind of grown outgrown it. And like, I think also too, one thing that stood out to me is like, you, you knew like you were, you were supposed to be doing more in the industry when we first talked. And I think that was like going into there, I guess, making that move, um, prior to us working in there and you just made the move, what was kind of going through your head? Were you worried at all about like, okay, what am I gonna do for business? I know you said you were passing my business cards mentally. Where were you at?Speaker 2: Creamy Brown was on the fence for the mammo. It's the right boom, uh, control, you know, I just decided to just go, go make that leap, bro. Uh, so, well, where I was at was like 15 minutes away from my borderline Dallas. So I'm like, man, I know some cops will follow me, you know? And that's there I'll be, I'll pass out business cards, bro. Uh, I really, it was still like, you know, I was about to just grind my way up, you know, uh, I had printed out a whole bunch of business cards. I was going to apartment complexes, you know, passing them out to the managers, trying to see, you know, if they could put in a welcome home, welcome home package or something. But uh, how did that work? It didn't work at all, not one person. You know, I worked right across the major mall, nothing near there.Speaker 2: Like I was, you know, grabbing people's emails, you know, numbers, everything. I want her to be working out. But, uh, I wasn't, I was like kind of worried though during that mind-state like during that timeframe, you know, uh, but I ended up making up that move and you know, I was determined to succeed bro. Like something about, you know, being independent for whether I swim or drown, you know, that was, that wasn't important to me. And I was, I took that as motivation, like, man, I'm gonna, I'm going to make some out of this, you know, I'm not going back. You know, it's all, it's all forward from right here. So I mean, yeah, there was, there was some like, uh, resistance, but I'm like, not like I had to shut that, shut that up, you know? Yeah,Speaker 1: Absolutely. So I guess, you know, cause that happened for a month and a half, how did you get introduced to the program? Like where like, was it just, I know you probably were following me for a little while. Like was it just through organically? Like how was that process and then why'd you make the decision to like apply to see like, okay, this might be the program for me to join.Speaker 2: Okay. Uh, um, well, yeah, I had already been following you for awhile. Uh, I remember whenever you were still making those products to, you know, like the powders, you know, I had purchased that, you know, so, uh, from there I think a senior profile on Instagram and I seen you make YouTube videos. And then from there you started making podcasts and though it was so one day I was listening on the podcast, he was talking about how you mentor people and, and I started liking how you were, you were talking about like, it wasn't, you wouldn't take anybody, just anybody. It was about, you know, they were right for your program and everything you'd develop them. You know, you'd make sure that they ended up having their own style and their own way, you know, and you know, uh, just building up a platform for them specifically, you know, so I liked that, uh, um, you know, just building up that like the following, that's what I was thinking about initially too. And you know, especially being in the, in a suite, I'm like, yeah, there's no waffles no more at this one. So I gotta, I need something, you know, I need something to, you know, uh, put me on the right path, you know, start building from here. So yeah, definitely from like a business standpoint, I feel like, yeah, I got a, like this isn't working out. So I got to find someone to do it, you know? Got you. Make it work.Speaker 1: Got you. And then obviously like, you know, we found it was a right fit. Obviously I was really like, this is the guy, like I want to be working with him. Um, cause you just have everything in terms of like the mindset you were locked in, you knew what you wanted and you knew you, you wanted more. And I was like, I can help somebody like this. Um, I guess for you the biggest thing that that's incredible at your story, we start working together and for about a week we hit, set up everything up, we're getting excited. I was like really excited and then literally locked down, happened like everywhere. It was like March last year and 2020 and everything got shut down. What was like your mental state? Cause I think a lot of people in the barber industry were like freaking out what was going on with you mentally. And like, how did you handle it knowing that cool, I just got in this program now, are you starting to doubt, like, was this the right move or anything of that sort?Speaker 2: I don't think I died today, Brian. Oh, it was really good. Uh, trying to make the most out of with the circumstances, you know, I was already in it though with no points would be like, you know, uh, you know, overthink much like, you know, when you're confident in work, if anything, it was more time to, you know, work on my marketing, my social media aspect and everything. Uh, you know, just building everything up, you know, perfecting it, uh, uh, what else was going on through my mind around the time? Yeah. It was just really making the most out of my situation. Yeah.Speaker 1: Yeah. And I remember even, cause I remember telling you, I was like, I think you would set a cool, like what are we going to do? Or like what what's kind of like the plan. I said, plan slow, build your business too. It's like planting flowers on plan aid, nothing has changed at all. Um, and I think for you, what helped, uh, amount immensely was that you didn't have a lot of content before. It was just like dumb improv. It wasn't done the correct way. And so we can just manipulate it and we actually built you out like a pretty good following, like also like a lot of momentum. So that when you went back in w what was the difference between like, you know, when you first, when you left and like shut down first happened to when you went back after, like, I think it was like three months of just building that platform up for you.Speaker 2: Uh, I could feel it already. Uh, I had already gotten to some of the results. Some people had already found me off of social media and, you know, I already had that with some videos doing pretty good on there. So it was already, I could already start seeing results from the, from what we were doing, you know, videos wise, even down to some of the stuff that you be telling us to do is like, uh, you know, as far as if we, I wasn't going to physically start, I remember specifically were telling me, you know, visualize nothing you talk about on the program that was making me to, you know, a certain aspects. You know, I, I, wasn't going to physical John COVID respect and all that. So I was, uh, my wanting to get better at certain aspects. And it gave me time to do all that, you know? Yeah.Speaker 1: Yeah. More like that mental side, the mental approach of like branding a business as well. Now I know, obviously once you went back, you were busy, we got your business up to what'd you go up to 60 after that? Or was it 50 55? 55. Okay. Um, and I know after that, because I got to witness this as well too. You were like locked in at a moment in time. I think a lot of barbers that are locked in at a certain price point and they get that price point and then they just fall off. Talk about a little bit of that. Like, I guess getting, not like falling off and not being on your top a game and being sharp and what you did to like really lock back in. Cause there was a time where it was just kind of like, all right, I think I got it. I don't think I know what I'm doing. Um, what was that for you? Like,Speaker 2: So after the price rise going up to 55 and it was a little slower, so I had a lot of time, you know, and with that time I wasn't, I wasn't choosing to, you know, be completely productive with it. That's what was really messing with me for a little bit. Uh, uh, yeah, I just had a snap back into it. Uh, I guess kind of like a feedback loop, you know, you're like you have a lot more time. You're not being productive with it. You're not seeing results, you know, uh, or asking that as most of you, like, you know, like as far as where you were trying to get out of it and you're like, man, uh, you start overthinking, you know, and, but it's like, you have to, you have to keep it moving, you know, at the end of the day, like this, be, try to be relentless with it, you know, just keep on pushing for those results. Uh, yeah. Like, you know, I invested in it, so it was like, I have to, I have to make the most out of it, you know?Speaker 1: Sure. Now I know you talked about a little bit, um, about the mindset shift that's happened and you, I think like Angela, I'm talking two days complete different than angel. When we first talked last year, 20, 20 Marsh, what would you say is the biggest difference between like who you are right now versus who you were back then?Speaker 2: I feel like I have a way bigger abundant mindset now. Like, you know, as far as like even confidence, like can, you know, my, my work and just like with, I've always been a progressive thinker, but now it's like, like the program helped me, like just programmed my mind to like, you know, just think success, you know? Uh, uh, yeah, like it just helped me. It was not the best coming to me, you know, it was like, I just have to work for it. You know? Like, there's way there's so much stuff out there, you know, I just have to manifest there and, you know, put the work behind it. Yeah. Like really, it was like a real big, positive mental shift, you know, to where like, I don't feel like nothing's impossible, you know, like I'm a, I'm a, I'm a the world I've talked to, you know? Absolutely.Speaker 1: Absolutely. I mean, was, it was a scarcity mindset more of just like a little bit from, I mean, a little bit of paradigm shift, but also like not really knowing what, how to run your business and like what parts to move or where did that really, I guess the scarcity mindset and the survival mode instinct come from priorSpeaker 2: And repeat that. Yeah.Speaker 1: Like, like where did that scarcity, because you said like, obviously you're more abundant, obviously the opposite of abundance scarcity. So on pages already saying prior to that, more, more of a scarcity mindset, more of that survival mode. Like I just got to get it how I am obviously hustling day in, day out. Where do you think that like, developed from just as a barber and how that, like, I guess put itself into your business out and show up at your business,Speaker 2: The scar seat? Uh, I'm not sure, man. I'm not sure. Uh, yeah. Uh, maybe just like following what everybody else is doing, you know, or sometimes maybe just letting outside talk, you know, get to you. Uh, yeah, but I'm not, I'm not really too sure. Yeah.Speaker 1: Yeah. Well, I mean, like, I guess like, I mean, I think that's somewhere down the line, like where, what outside talk would you let in or what'd you, what were you like kind of mimicking or doing what other people told you to do?Speaker 2: Yeah, really? I don't know, man. It's like, uh, I just tended over think, you know, that was, that was pretty much say like it could have been, you know, how other barbers are maybe like running their business, you know, or, you know, just letting like, uh, like if somebody has something to say, you know, just letting that get to you a little bit, but you know, yeah. I'm not really too sure, bro. I never really thought about that. Like, you know, where did they, well, yeah,Speaker 1: Yeah. Cause I know like when we first start working at like, you were, you were very worried about like, Oh, well how my client's going to like where I'm going up and pricing or like doing this and that structure, my business this way, that way. I remember just, you were, you were very like, um, um, I guess conscious about like, well the clients, what are they going to think about my business and more thinking about that rather than like, well, what do you want overall? Right. I think you, like, sometimes we lose sight as Barbara's like, we lose sight of like, we w we're the service business, we're servicing a person, but it ultimately depends on like what we want to be able to like develop that in our business and, and get to where we want to get to. Um, I guess for you, um, what would you say was like the most beneficial part of like the, the program so far? Obviously you've been in it for like actually like a year now. Right. So it was like March 20, 21. Like what, what do you feel like w what do you feel like was the most, um, yeah, just, just the, uh, most influential part. Just the thing that, that you took out of it the most out of the program.Speaker 2: Uh, so since going back to the last question, like now, now that you brought that up, that was a good point, I guess that's kind of where it came from, you know, that still that labor mentality, you know, what feeling like we had, uh, we had to do everything based on what our clients wanted, instead of really thinking about what we wanted. Uh, you said, what was the most influential part though?Speaker 1: Yeah. What'd you find most helpful or useful inside the program overall and like the past year, like what had the most impact on you and your business overall?Speaker 2: The tracking definitely tracking the tracking, like a business, uh, like finances, uh, even down to like, what will you prioritize in your by day to day, you know, uh, tracking, like, what should you do on your day to day basis really? Uh, really destructuring out how you optimize your day, you know? So a lot of the tracking, you know, instead of just going into it blindly and, you know, going off of feeling, you actually start just tracking everything I seen, where you're, where you're falling off at, you know, instead of just being all, I felt good, but then you look back, you didn't really do much. Now, if I, you know, you, you have everything laid out for you, you know, to go back and study, uh, same thing with like the finances. Like you, you look through the charts and you're like, all right, you know, uh, is this going out like, am I'm making this much money? Well, how much is it going out? And I think that that's some of the, some of the stuff that isn't really talked about, you know, we're not taught that too much. So, um, yeah, definitely like the tracking man, just having, having that, uh, that stuff to look over, you know?Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely. I think, um, I know like w like we focused on, especially like, even most recently, we just, how to even structure your day, like, what do you, like, what do you know, what to, or what are you supposed to be doing day in and day out? Like, I think most people think you were even for awhile, just kind of waking up and like, all right, I think I'm going to do this today. Instead of like having a, you know, a dialed in a planning approach to like, okay, if I want to make 15 K a month, this is what I have to do to, like, that's not my business right now. I have to build that. What comes first. And then if that comes first, what does that process to be able to even have that present? Right. And then, like, you can start taking action day in doubt. Um, I guess for you, like, like, you know, you're obviously charging a, you said 80, 85 right now, 88, 80. Nice. So I guess like, kind of foreshadowing, like what's to come and like 20, 21, what are your plans for this year? What have you learned in the past year that you're like, okay, cool. I'm not going to do this anymore. Um, and, and kind of do things a little bit differently this year, at least,Speaker 2: Like what I have planned for this year. Yeah. Like your plans, like what have yourSpeaker 1: Biggest lessons that you've learned in the past year working together that like, okay, cool. I not iterate and improve on this and change up. And I guess those different inputs that are going to be doing for these next 12 months.Speaker 2: Okay. So definitely by the late this year, early next year, it started charging that 200, 200 Mark. And what I would do differently is definitely just stay consistent with this. Like, you know, uh, you want to, we want to give into like that instant urge to, you know, just do whatever makes them comfortable. But, you know, at the end of the day, we didn't, we didn't get into it to be comfortable. You know, this has pushed, like this has pushed me away far way more than, you know, I thought any, uh, most could, you know, a lot of programs are, you know, uh, really just a set, consistent with everything, you know, make a, I always like what you said is make everything your lowest standard, you know, have a high, lower standard. So you won't fall under that. You know, your conflict is being proven though really does, uh, stay focused, stay consistent, you know, stay disciplined. You know, I feel like that's more important than my motivation and all that, because once that's gone, you know, w w what do you really fall back on? Um, and really like having that balance, you know, like we talked about just having, we have our own life too, so, you know, we gotta adjust that to our schedule and all that, you know, uh, so definitely given, giving ourselves proper rest, you know, proper, uh, time off and all that to, you know, be able to take you to the lack of highest degree, you know?Speaker 1: Absolutely. I know you talked about, like, I think the first thing you just said was consistency. What do you feel like, like aided in like being inconsistent on, on your half, just in your business, what do you feel like is the biggest, I guess the thing that you fall off with, or areas that you lack at with that,Speaker 2: Like in my business.Speaker 1: Yeah. Just overall that leads to your inconsistency and thingsSpeaker 2: Really does not, not making the best actions, you know, not acting, uh, like, you know, there's just like the smaller things. Like, you know, you gotta, you gotta get proper rest, you know, uh, even like just being consistent when we recording, you know, stuff like that, like, you know, you don't feel like it, but, you know, at the end of the day, you got to, you know, where you're trying to get to, you know, so you gotta keep that at the forefront of your mind, you know, have that goal, you know, in the, uh, you know, just always be thinking about it. Cause you know, that, that's where you're at right now. It's always about who you are becoming. So, you know, just trying to keep pressing on, you know,Speaker 1: Basically just not like again, to not, not getting comfortable with like, cool. I just did that. I can finally relax. Everything's all good type of, I guess, type of attitude toSpeaker 2: Not getting comfortable. Really. Yeah.Speaker 1: Yeah. Because I think, I think, I mean, I kind of noticed that like, I'm not, not like that was new completely, but I know it's like once you went up to 50, it was like, you were very aggressive, locked in, like from like 30 bucks to 50 bucks and 50 bucks. I kinda, you could, you could just kind of tell from like the way you were talking, you kind of like let off that gas pedal. I think a lot of barbers think that like, okay, once they get up to that level, like everything's gonna come easy. If anything, you gotta like, press down harder on that thing. And I think he even said it too. Like you, you had to, you it's, the program has pushed you to reach new levels that like you didn't even think were possible in yourself. I think that's, what's required for success. Cause like building a business, as you know, it's not easy at all. It's not for everybody. And um, you definitely need to change who you are overall. I think even yourself, you just pass your knowing you dude, like you've changed completely. I don't even know who the hell is. Angel is compared to like last year's angel, which is a good thing too, right? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, dude, you're like tracking on like whoop you like doing yoga and stuff. Like I see you're you're acting.Speaker 2: Can I borrow, Oh, I don't know why it says yoga. Huh.Speaker 1: Okay. And Andrew begin to stretch on that's good.Speaker 2: Um, I guess, I guess, uh, one time I ended up, uh, I guess weightlifting bro, and then ever since I seen it that yoga, I didn't act on it. I didn't fix it right away and they kept good doing it the whole time, bro. I haven't done yoga in my life, man. It's always weightlifting. I don't know how to let it, let it do its thing.Speaker 1: I was like, okay, I don't know why he's tracking yoga, but like, Hey, like I do yoga for a while and I couldn't, I couldn't do it. I'm not flexible at all, but I know you do soccer and yoga or weightlifting technically, but yeah, just, yeah, just getting consistent rest, I guess for you. Um, especially just giving any advice to maybe somebody who, you know, like yourself in this situation, when you before, like when you were joining the program maybe who has gone off into the own thing, they're kind of worried, like Ahmed's, it's the right move. I went in with this. Maybe the marketing things passing on business cards is not working for them. What advice would you give to them?Speaker 2: Uh, just the best. And they really, uh, especially in this industry to where the norm is kind of like to think like labor, you know, labor mentality, you know, finding your freedom in it. Uh, lot, you got to find your freedom in it and like this business, you know, it's your business at the end of the day. And uh, I w I would recommend it, like the reason why the biggest thing, one of the biggest things was that I kinda, you helped me transition from, you know, uh, like a hustler, like, you know, a grinder to now a business man. No, it's like a complete shift. Uh, yeah, just, I would say if you want, if you're looking for that growth, just make that and make that jump, you know, make that go Koch and take that leap and, you know, take, uh, investment.Speaker 1: Absolutely. I kind of want to pick your brain on that last point too, in terms of like the hustler versus the businessmen, what's the difference between the two for you? Like what, what do you see as like the clear-cut I guess you who the hustle was angel and then, or beyond style, and then now the businessman has beyond sellsSpeaker 2: Well, you know, uh, just sacrificing almost our, you know, uh, peace of mind, you know, to maybe fit in a client or, you know, going on your days off and you don't want to, uh, that is trying to be a good guy. Uh, go ahead.Speaker 1: I was going to say that that's the hustler I'm assuming, correct.Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I forgot. Yeah. It's always like, you know, just try and be the go guy, you know, you're afraid to go up and prices, uh, you know, just taking care of yourself as the person and, you know, in, in your business, you know, trying to make sure that, uh, NAMI and those are the things that, you know, we, we usually don't, don't think about when we're in that grind mentality, you know, we're just trying to cut as much as, as much as possible, even though we're not, we're not getting what we deserve sometimes. Uh, and I transitioned to the businessman to where you, uh, you have a lot more respect for your business, you know? And when the, once you had that, you know, your clients respect the more, you know, uh, you know, being able to get paid, what you, what you deserve. Uh, just having a lot more structure, you know, a set appointment times, uh, yeah, just having a lot more, more structure, more and more detail, like detailed methods, you know, going about things. Uh, yeah, just, just having, uh, just prioritizing, you know, your, uh, your peace of mind for your business and all that.Speaker 1: Absolutely. I think like, yeah, I think, I think like the hustler, like, even in myself and my, when I was cutting hair, like 16, 20 with the house that you're just like thinking more cuts, let me just like, again, peace of mind, screw that thing. Like I just needed to, like, this day need to fit in as many cuts in the next day. Let's do as many cuts as I can too, as well. And kinda just burn, burn yourself to the ground, which, I mean, like, maybe for like that first day, it's fun. Cause it's like, you know, you're on the, I mean, of course we're like being young. We were able to do that. Like, you know, just like working all day, but at some point in time it just becomes annoying. You're like, do I really got to do this after a while? Yeah.Speaker 2: Yeah. Like, uh, I remember, uh, even down for having clients book on, uh, online, you know, it's the simplest thing you can do, but you know, people still try to complicate it. You know, some like back then mostly, you know, and you started letting people off easy now, you know, just come in for that one time. But you know that it, because it's a habit, you know, you laid in the CERN, uh, you letting your client develop certain habits in your business. You know that it's not good for long time. You know, you gotta respect, uh, you gotta respect your business, you know, uh, just put your foot down. Uh, and yeah, you're right. You do, you know, you just bring yourself down, you know, you wake up next day back hurting and everything come, my Nan, you know, you booked out.Speaker 1: I think even, I mean, you'll probably agree to this too. Cause you worked in a shop in a barbershop. That's like the, that's like the thing to do like, Oh man, like I'm Tom more tired. Like it's like, who's the most tired, but can still work the most. Right. And that's like a very, um, I don't know, like just very, it's like a disease mentality. Like it's terrible. It's like when you, when you kind of get out of that and you're like, what the hell are we thinking? Like that's not the smartest thing to be doing.Speaker 2: Yeah. It's like that misery loves company. You know, you got kinda that, you know, you gotta, you got a really like disrespected business, you know, and you know, just, you know, what, what you deserve and you know, you'll start attracting it.Speaker 1: Yeah. I know what you want first. Like if you, if you, if you, if you want, like, if you want to have like business success, you really got to start with the question is what I'm doing right now. Like making progress on that goal. Yes or no. And I think most people, they don't want to be brutally, like, I'm brutally honest with all of you in the program too. Right? I'll be like, this sucks. Like this is not like, what are you doing with this? What the going on? Switch this up. And I think some people like, especially as Barbara, I never want to be brutally honest. You even said it with the financials. I think the financial structure is just like, that's the most brutal thing that any barber could do is just know exactly the health of their business. Because once you see that, like, I don't know what it was like for you first time seeing you remember the first time seeing my financial like structure. And I was like, Oh, I'm. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Um, yeah. Do, I mean, I don't have any other questions. I mean, I think just overall it's been like a pleasure to like, watch you grow and like again, to like watch the businessman just develop in you, especially like, I mean you're 23, correct. Or 24.Speaker 2: I'm 20, I'm turning 21 on the 20th foodSpeaker 1: And drink right now.Speaker 2: So it's all good.Speaker 1: That's one thing I had to give up too. And it's like one of the most ROI, heavy ROI things I think I've ever done, um, do this phenomenal you're 20 years old charging 80 bucks. I mean, did you ever think something? I mean, I'm sure you did, like, that was your, Oh, your plan to run a business when you, when you got into barbering out of high school. Right,Speaker 2: Right. Yeah. Yeah. So you're asking that. I always think that it'd be a, that it comes like I sooner, what do you mean?Speaker 1: Um, I guess more because I think everybody assumes, like, that's what they want or that's what they get industry for business doing that. I mean, I'm sure there was a point when you were working that barbershop where you were like, Oh, I don't know about this. Or even like, when you move to the studio where you're like, Oh man, I don't know if this is going to work out. Like you just started having, even if it wasn't like the biggest out you started having that like little thought your mind, like, I don't know if this is, if I can do this thing that ever crossed your mind at all.Speaker 2: You know what, uh, yeah. Like in short spurts, but long term on you at auto was be good. You know? Uh, even I remember, uh, talking to one of the barbers and model of the shop and I'd be telling my man, like one day I'm going to charge 80, you know, or, you know, around 80 to a hundred, you know? Uh, and yeah, like I knew, I knew it happened, you know, I definitely knew like that was in, uh, in my future and yeah, man, but that's, uh, thanks to the program. Like I didn't expect to be doing it like not even, not even a year and a half after I told them that, you know, this was like, it was, this was recent, you know? Really. Yeah. Wow. Wow. SoSpeaker 1: Now it's on the road to 200.Speaker 2: Oh yeah. Most definitely past that.Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely. Dude. Um, yeah. Other than that, dude, I appreciate you coming on again to sharing your story. Just kind of sharing your insight so far and honestly, to do, it's been a pleasure so far working with you and I'm really excited again the next 12 months. Hopefully we don't get another lockdown, but if it does happen, we both know what the hell is coming. Just more work.Speaker 2: Oh yeah. It's all good. And I can make it work. Absolutely do thank you. Yeah, no doubt, man.
Daniel Contreras is spearheading the industry with his New Era model that helps overworked and undervalued barbers to work less and make more. His students are some of the fastest-growing barbers in the industry and he has helped them gain market dominance in their respected areas of business and online. If you're interested in getting out of the old traditional model of barbering and start your New Era journey, click the "FREE Demo Breakdown" button above to request a strategy session.