The Blue-Collar "Gold Mine" No One Is Talking About

Added: 2026-05-19

[00:00:00]You started barbering in prison.

[00:00:02]>> Yeah, dude. Yeah.

[00:00:03]>> What' you go to prison for?

[00:00:04]>> My biggest claim to fame nowadays is the real estate aspect of it. It's like, wow, you're getting $78 a square foot, right?

[00:00:10]>> Yeah, dude. You got 20,000 people coming in to an event. Why is yours so popular?

[00:00:15]That's not normal. The barber shop is the mouthpiece to the community. Point blank. Any community. You got people admitting cheating and all kinds of Have you ever heard infidelity stories?

[00:00:27]>> Oh, dude, I've heard it all.

[00:00:31]What it is, Brad Lee back again with another episode of Drop Bombs. Today in the studio, folks, I got a real treat for you. My man Jason Reposo, better known as J Majors. Why do they call you Majors? Uh, I opened Major League Barber Shop about 20 years ago, and there was already a barber team called Major League Barbers. So, uh, you know, out of respect for them, they would call me J Major League. I dropped the the league and everything I do, they say is major.

[00:01:00]So, I have to live up to that expectation. It's a tough name to to lead up to, man. Folks, if you guys want to follow him on Instagram, he's got some some cool content dropping on a regular basis. J A Y Majors. Or you can follow his his uh the largest barber event in the country >> in the world at in the world.

[00:01:22]>> In the world. Oh yeah.

[00:01:23]>> At Connecticut Cut Barber Expo. Connecticut Barber Expo.

[00:01:30]>> I was trying to be funny with the cut, but people might get confused.

[00:01:34]>> So So that's cuz you live in Connecticut, I assume.

[00:01:37]>> Yeah. Yes.

[00:01:38]>> Why don't you ever move it around?

[00:01:39]>> I I do one here in Vegas. I did one in Miami. It >> didn't work out that well.

[00:01:44]>> Why?

[00:01:45]>> I feel like Miami's um the barbers get paid very well. They work like seven days a week and no one none of the barbers in Miami. Very few of them are from Miami. They're all like transits or people that move down there. But uh you know I do it in my hometown because a lot of people sleep on Connecticut. But where I do it, it's in between Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont. These are people that really don't leave their state much. So I kind of capitalize off that.

[00:02:10]Then we get New York, New Jersey, and actually now people flying from all over the world. Moscow, Japan, but that's where I'm from. And um I believe if you want to build it where you're from first, then you could like kind of move it on this time. Yeah. Well, it's the biggest barber event in the country. So, if there's any barbers listening, you probably already know about it. But if you don't, man, I'm talking about 20,000 people.

[00:02:34]>> Yeah.

[00:02:34]>> All in the barber business. If you guys own a business and you want to be in front of 20,000 barbers for any reason, dude's got freaking the event of the century going on every year, packed every year. And uh how did you grow it?

[00:02:50]How did you start it?

[00:02:51]>> Organically, it became like a subculture, you know. Um due to my story, like barbering was the last house on the block for me. It saved my life.

[00:02:59]And I I I made a commitment that no matter what, I'm going to give this barbering thing my all. And you know, like going back when you said like if you're a barber, you want to come to this. Like I have a beef jerky company that sells like $20,000 worth of beef jerky a day there, you know. Uh so like you don't have to just be a barber to come to this event because barber service all walks of life, you know. But I started growing it this year. I started off in a nightclub, believe it or not, 2011. And I did it two years in a nightclub because I was doing nightclub promotions. The fire marshall shut us down. I moved to a bigger venue and then we got shut down. Then I moved to a bigger venue and we outgrew that and now we're at the world famous Moheaggan Sun uh cour and casino.

[00:03:43]>> You sell out the whole damn thing, don't you?

[00:03:45]>> The whole convention center. Yeah. Then I rent other two other educational rooms. We do breakoff classrooms and and huge seminars.

[00:03:52]>> And it's it's it's the attendees are mainly barbers now.

[00:03:56]>> Barbers, cosmetologists, stylists, believe it or not, like I have cuz we do social media marketing classes there. So sometimes I'll have like realators come, you know, a lot of their clients, a lot of barbers clients come because they're really intrigued. I I really feel like barbering is like a hand-on profession.

[00:04:12]Like you can agree, right? Like you know, like you build this bond with your barber, the person that does your hair, you become their you become like a therapist as a barber, you know, and so some of their clients attend and you'll be surprised. Yeah. Not just barbers.

[00:04:25]You got you got um people admitting like cheating and all kinds of [ __ ] because you think if you tell your barber they ain't gonna tell nobody.

[00:04:36]>> I mean some that that's like a carninal rule like it's like that lawyer confidentiality like barber chair that should be a sacred place you know.

[00:04:43]>> Have you ever heard infidelity stories?

[00:04:45]>> Oh dude I've heard it all. I've cut here for weddings and and three years later I cut here for divorce court and unfortunately it took me a long time to finally get married because dude I heard so many war stories and the guy sitting in my chair never said it was like oh it's a great divorce I took the house I took the car I mean like they lost the dog they lost so I was really scared about getting married uh because of my clients cuz like I haven't heard too many good stories from the fellas you know well there's nothing good about divorce for either side but you would think that like as a barber, >> yeah, >> you're setting their cut and so what's been going on? Next thing you know, they just like reveal all kinds of [ __ ] good and bad, dude. And sometimes it's sad because like energy is contagious, I say.

[00:05:28]>> So like when you have like a shitty client that's always miserable as your first client of the day kind of sets the tone for all the I'm not behind the chair anymore, but I really recall having some dude like negative nies in my chair and I'm like, dude, I don't want to cut them anymore.

[00:05:40]>> So what I want to know is like how did you start it? Like it says that you founded uh or you started barbering in prison.

[00:05:48]>> Yeah, dude. Yeah.

[00:05:49]>> What did you go to prison for?

[00:05:51]>> Selling drugs. Ren I know I ran with some street gangs in the early 90s that was really big in Connecticut. People hear Connecticut and they think uh Yukon Huskys or or you know like hedge funds and grinnage, but there's some there's some tough areas and you know like I wasn't a gangster. I wasn't a killer. I just did it to make money. I felt like I've always been a hustler and you couldn't sell drugs in certain neighborhoods unless you, you know, ran with certain street gangs or certain territories. And I got in and it was like the movie in Too Deep, you know, like things got deeper, started having runins in in the law. And I come from an old school Portuguese family. My mom and dad are like, "You do the crime, you do the time. Like we're not sending you a penny." So I came up with this idea that I was a barber cuz I kind of did my own beard and mustache and cut a couple friends in the neighborhood. I should have went back to jail for the haircuts I was given in the beginning because I wasn't that good. And um I just was making all this money cutting hair in there. I'm like, damn, dude. Like, why don't I try doing this when I come home, you know?

[00:06:48]>> Oh, you mean in in the in the home?

[00:06:50]>> Dude, I had like thousands of dollars worth of commissary, which for those of you that never been to prison, commissary is your money. Honey buns, soap, toothpaste. I'd have to hide it in other people's lockers because I was cutting hair literally from the second I woke up to the second I went to bed. And I had a job in a prison uh barber shop, I would get paid $18.25 every two weeks. So I make $8 a week cutting hair. And uh you know, and I was like, if I go home and give this a shot, dude, when I went home, the haircuts were only $10 each.

[00:07:21]>> Did Did they have a a barber program there?

[00:07:25]>> Now they do. I've I've helped work with Department of Corrections uh doing that, but no, there wasn't a barbering. There was a cosmetology program in a prison where dudes had like crazy times. So like why are you giving someone a cosmetology license? He's got 30 years.

[00:07:40]So what I've did done is, believe it or not, I've worked with the wardens and I and I've got a complete pardon from my felonies and now I work with the prison system uh to actually teach people to get their license before they come home.

[00:07:54]Well, it's a good program, you know, to to me it's like you can it's an entrepreneur. I mean, dude, you you guys you guys open up shops, you could open up franchises, you can make million. Well, you're proof you can make millions, >> but like a lot of people think, "Oh, I'm not just going to cut hair. You can't make can't get rich doing that."

[00:08:13][ __ ] >> Yeah, you could do both. You know, I I believe in diversifying your funds, right? Like money doesn't do anything for you in a bank. And that's what I try to teach at these expos and and people that I do actually mentor that would take the advice. Like some barbers live one week at a time. But when you think about it, being self-employed in the US, you know, you don't have 401ks. Maybe you get a Roth IRA, maybe a SEP IRA if you're making decent money, but like what is a retirement plan for a barber?

[00:08:42]Their back's going to be jacked up. They might have carpal tunnel.

[00:08:45]>> Why?

[00:08:45]>> You know, standing all day.

[00:08:46]>> Yeah. Standing all day, not good posture. How come you haven't invented anything for the industry? I always thought to myself, man, when you're at the barber salon and and like the chairs, like I could go design a killer chair or >> you know how >> like the >> the blow dryers hang. Yeah, the [ __ ] hangs. I saw that once. I'm like, I did invent something with >> What was it? It was uh I helped work on a sanitation uh tool during CO. The problem is it released like a year after COVID, but I help consult uh so the tools won't get cross-contaminated.

[00:09:20]>> Dude, what you need to do is figure out how I can keep my fade right for, you know, so long that until I need the top.

[00:09:30]>> No, dude. We want it to grow back. We want it to grow back, man. We need you to come back.

[00:09:34]>> Cuz like sometimes I'll go to get my haircut just because I want this tight.

[00:09:38]Like this is fine. Just do this. And they go and I'm like, damn. If I could just get like a pair of clippers with a guard that would just let me do this.

[00:09:47]>> They tried. Remember the floowby back in the days? Yeah. I I really don't I haven't came up with I've been consulting brands for the past 15 years >> uh due to this show. So I' I've been working with a couple different companies and um >> so I really never came up with my own brand because of me consulting them.

[00:10:04]>> Yeah.

[00:10:05]>> So So you you were in prison. No one taught you to do it. You just taught yourself. I used to look up to this old school Italian barber uh where I grew up because like you know listen don't I didn't come from like a povert like me and my family were like lower middle class maybe lower class so I couldn't afford a haircut all the time so I would sweep up a local barber shop and a guy would give me a discount on a haircut and I really looked up to the guy and you know he had like the best stories and he always had a nice haircut and um and he gave me a pair of clippers a taped up pair of clippers and I started practicing on my friends in the neighborhood and And I was decent. I had good hand eye coordination. And um that's kind of where I thought of it. So when I got to jail, I would do a couple of my buddies hairs and dude guys were in jail not getting visits. So they're like, "Hey, can you cut me?" And back I think I was getting like a $150 a haircut then, which was probably equivalent to $10 on the streets back then, you know, in the commissary world.

[00:11:02]And like I just I had plenty of time. I had four years, you know, three years and nine month sentence to uh perfect my craft and I did the best I did, but the the clippers sucked in jail. You couldn't use scissors. You couldn't use a razor. Have you ever been trained though?

[00:11:17]>> Oh, yeah. I'm I'm fully licensed now.

[00:11:18]I'm a cosmetologist and a barber. And I own a school as well. So, based on what you thought you were doing, based on what they taught you to do, what what are they teaching that's bunch of [ __ ] >> at the schools? And yeah, I mean >> cuz cuz I go to, you know, stylists that have their license and they don't know how to do a fade worth of [ __ ] >> Yeah, I mean it all depends. I most importantly to sanitation like you know hepatitis is is bloodborne, you know, bloodborne HIV. They teach you how to, you know, sanitize properly and clean and if you follow the protocol, which not everyone does, they teach you they teach you the basics, man. It's just your basic licensing mumbo jumbo. I know dudes that never went a day of school in your give you the best haircut you've ever had. just selftaught.

[00:12:00]>> Selftaught, man. I mean, some people have like, dude, right now, the kids I have that enroll in my school, they're way because the tools are way more advanced. They're way more advanced than barbers. Even myself and and Brad, I'm not like the best bar. I'm I'm a decent haircut, but I'm not the best barber in the world. I got people that, you know, but I believe that I mastered the business and the art of customer service, cuz that's that's really what it's all about. What's the difference between barbering and styling?

[00:12:28]Oh, you know, like the the hair stylist.

[00:12:30]Well, so by law, a majority of states, you're not allowed to use a straight razor if you're a hair stylist or cosmetologist.

[00:12:37]And barbers can't do certain chemical services. So that's what But a cosmetologist could pretty much do everything a barber could do except for straight razor shaving.

[00:12:47]>> So >> So the main purpose of a barber isn't the fade. You mean a stylist can do those?

[00:12:52]>> They could they could try and some stylists, >> but they're not good.

[00:12:55]>> Yeah. Some are, some aren't. You know, >> barbers are a good deal.

[00:12:59]>> I always like prefer a barber because of the fade.

[00:13:03]>> Dude, no one's going to cut you and shave you like a like a barber, like a master.

[00:13:08]>> I don't get shaved. Really?

[00:13:09]>> Why not, dude?

[00:13:10]>> What for?

[00:13:11]>> Dude, have to your beard and [ __ ] You got to >> Why? Well, once you get a shave from a barber, you're not going to you're not going to want to do it at home.

[00:13:20]>> Well, you just go in and say, "Give me a shave." I don't shave.

[00:13:22]>> No, you get a full haircut. They'll line your beard. They'll line the edge underneath, you know. Dude, it's like night and day.

[00:13:30]>> You know any good ones? You know any good ones here?

[00:13:32]>> I got a couple people. I got some people in mind for you. I'm not going to plug them, but I got you on the side.

[00:13:37]>> All right.

[00:13:37]>> I was already showing you one in the other room. I think I got the perfect.

[00:13:40]>> And that's >> cuz you're a high-profile guy, dude. You don't want to be in the middle of a barber shop with 13 dudes around. You want to enjoy yourself. When When does Brad have time for himself?

[00:13:50]>> Hardly ever.

[00:13:51]>> Exactly. So you want that to be your little quiet time.

[00:13:54]>> Yeah. So what's the big customer service rules barbers are missing?

[00:13:59]>> I believe in a society like and a lot of the younger guys um get mad at me for I like younger kids don't open doors for you right now. Like customer service is horrible. You got to order everything through an app because they don't even know how to talk to you. You ever try getting change from a Starbucks? They don't even know how to give you coins.

[00:14:18]Like, so I I feel like the biggest thing people are missing is that human interaction, getting to know your client, what do they do for a living, what sparks their interest, how much time do they have to do their hair in the morning. You know, if you if you have to rush out the house, do you go to work right after the gym? So, you have to get an easier hairstyle. A barber is supposed to be a personal image consultant for their client. That's those are barbers that are successful.

[00:14:40]You know, how come barbers don't uh go farther into that? Cuz every time I've been to a barber, you know, they're there to get you dialed in and that's it. And they don't talk about how you dress. They're not selling you clothes.

[00:14:50]They're not your personal image.

[00:14:53]>> Yeah. Like why don't they go farther into >> more along the lines like if someone has a huge forehead, you chances are you don't want to wear your hair going back.

[00:15:00]You might want to style your bangs in the for to cover your huge forehead.

[00:15:03]>> How how would you change my do?

[00:15:05]>> No, you got that that that that cut's good for you. But I definitely would go to to go get your to get a nice shave.

[00:15:10]Dude, you're never going to want to do it yourself.

[00:15:12]>> Is that this line a little bit your mustache? You want it to look more natural.

[00:15:19]>> No, I want it to I want it to it. When I think of shave, they shave it off.

[00:15:24]>> No, they'll line it. So, you still you're going to put hot They're going to give you a hot towel, but they're going to line They're going to They're going to They're going to tune you in.

[00:15:31]>> Get this. Make it look a little bit more >> perfect.

[00:15:34]>> Perfect.

[00:15:34]>> Yeah.

[00:15:35]>> And And uh when you go into a barber shop, what do you say? Line me up because I don't want shaved.

[00:15:41]>> No, there's a presidential It's all about communication. That's another thing that barbers lack. They go in and just freestyle and do what they think.

[00:15:48]Like you got to listen to your client.

[00:15:50]So you could say, "Hey, I want my beard wide. Keep it high in the cheekbone. I want my jawline to be squared and emphasize." Uh, you know, so I mean, yeah. How do you know a good one from a bad one other than the result?

[00:16:01]>> A barber.

[00:16:02]>> Yeah. Cuz I've went into barber shops before and [ __ ] walked out just pissed >> just with the way they did it.

[00:16:08]>> Yeah. And I don't complain. I just say thanks and never go back.

[00:16:10]>> Yeah.

[00:16:11]>> I mean, and and that's another thing.

[00:16:13]>> Referrals are everything, man. Well, barbers need to pay attention because again, like if you don't see the guy back, >> you better go figure out why they're not coming back. Now, >> pay attention. Yeah.

[00:16:24]>> Yeah. I mean, you know, if I'm if I'm in Connecticut and I come see you and you dial me in and I'm go back to Vegas, I'm not coming back. But >> if they're a local and they don't come back, cuz how many people do you think >> refuse to talk [ __ ] about it? Like I I would never sit there and be upset about it. I would just leave and never go back.

[00:16:42]>> It It depends, man. We've I've had people want to fight barbers like literally.

[00:16:47]>> Your content Do you ever make content with your clients?

[00:16:51]>> Oh yeah.

[00:16:52]>> Cuz dude, this the [ __ ] that I think is funnier than hell is when the barbers are [ __ ] with their clients in the share. That is hilarious.

[00:17:00]>> Like one time I saw a barber cutting hair, a male barber, and >> the wife or someone was hiding and then they came out and kissed him and the guy thought the [ __ ] barber did it.

[00:17:11]>> Yeah, there's a lot of that. You notice a lot of content like LeBron did a show in a called the barber the shop. A lot of content takes place in barber shops.

[00:17:19]So they you they use us for the back setting but I feel like some of the unprofessionalism that takes place in certain barber shops is why that our industry really hasn't progressed. Cuz like even you said I didn't know thousands of people go to these barber events.

[00:17:36]>> Yeah. Dude, you got [ __ ] 20,000 rough roughly 20,000 people coming in to an event. Yeah, like why is yours so popular? That's not normal, is it? Uh, you know, there's they have them around.

[00:17:49]So, there's massive cosmetology shows with 60 or 70,000 stylists and everyone's like, well, why don't you inter intertwine that, but then I won't have the bragging rights saying I'm doing the largest barber event in the world. You know, it's a different selling point.

[00:18:02]>> This is just barber only.

[00:18:04]>> This is Yeah. Barber focus. It's a men's grooming event. But there's some fashion, there's clothing lines, there's, you know, all different types of of vendors at these events. Um, why mine is the biggest, um, very few people don't come back to my show. So, I build like this core following, and then I do a tour of all the barbering and cosmetology schools. I start in Maine, make my way through, you know, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, I end up in Connecticut, then I start in Pennsylvania, and I make my way in. And then I have a crew of people that go to all these other schools. Is that how you built it? That's how I built it. I start off with students. Once I get them fresh out of school, I got I usually have a person for life.

[00:18:40]>> What are they learning when they go there?

[00:18:43]>> We teach everything from, you know, how to cut hair properly, how to build and retain clientele, how to get with online booking companies to to retain clientele. Plus, we teach tax strategies. we teach, you know, how to open up an LLC properly and and pay your taxes because a lot of people in cash industries, especially the barbering industry, they don't they don't set up their future right, man. Like, they don't they really don't. They don't and they don't know how to. They've been cutting here since they're 15 and they just put their cash in a shoe box. But cash cash isn't king anymore.

[00:19:15]>> No, to a certain extent. Credit is power. Cash is cash is king, but credit is power. How much does it cost do you think to open a decent barber shop nowadays?

[00:19:26]>> Nowadays with you know the the amount of like lumber, electrical, the prices like people are going a little more ups. You could do one for maybe 30 grand like a buildout fit up for 30 grand if you're a handy person but you know a good chair is going to run you about a minimum of $800 for a pretty good chair. chairs go all the way up to 10,000 20,000 like a Belmont good nice Belmont electrical chair you know but a good chair is going to run you about 800 to to 1500 >> how does a barber get his investment back out of a $20,000 chair that' take him 10 freaking years >> yeah but there's different types of I know barbers that would charge you $40 for a haircut I know barbers that would charge you $240 for a haircut and I know >> 240 oh dude I know people that get 500 a thousand from celebrities you know hotel calls Well, the hotel call makes sense because you got to include that travel.

[00:20:15]But like a normal >> like barbering to me is like I've never heard of a $240 haircut.

[00:20:21]>> Yeah, it's find one though.

[00:20:23]>> Depends on your It depends on your value. You know what how well do do you value your time? Are you paying to get in and out? Are you paying to get the same exact hair? Like, you know, to be on a Bradley podcast or to be on a some type of podcast, I'm going to want to go get dialed in from a good person. And so I would have to want to pay top dollar for that.

[00:20:42]>> Did you do your own?

[00:20:43]>> I usually do my own. Yeah.

[00:20:45]>> So like if you're a barber, how do you do the back of your head?

[00:20:48]>> Uh mirror, three-way mirror, you know.

[00:20:51]>> Do most barbers do themselves?

[00:20:53]>> Not really. I don't I don't always do myself. Like today I was in a hotel.

[00:20:56]I've been on the road for 3 days. So I flew directly from New York to here. So I had to touch up my hair. Actually had uh one of the guys barbers here from the studio came and cleaned me up when I was recording at another podcast studio yesterday.

[00:21:08]>> But that's what I'm asking. How do you know when a barber's good just by talking to them?

[00:21:12]>> Instagram, man. You can look at their haircuts and see, check out their haircuts. There's some good guys that are good hair cutters and they're not good barbers.

[00:21:20]>> Does that make sense to you or no?

[00:21:22]>> Yeah. I mean, shears and one's clippers.

[00:21:25]>> Not even that. Like I know people that could cut some good hair, but they're irresponsible. They're always late to work. They're on the phone being rude.

[00:21:33]You know, they're they're not giving you customer. They're not making you be their priority. And I know barbers that suck at cutting here. And I I have 67 barbers that that are currently renting at my facilities right now. And I have cosmetologists and I have estheticians.

[00:21:49]But I know guys that I wouldn't dare let cut my hair that are making like three grand, 3500 a week. And then I know guys that cut hair way better than them that are making about 1,200 a week.

[00:22:00]>> What's the difference? Just customer service, marketing, >> consistency, customer service, closing every haircut with a sale. Hey man, your hair's thinning out a little bit. You've been using gel. It's clumping your hair together. Try this fiber. It's a little lighter. It's going to give you a dry look, but your hair won't look as thin.

[00:22:16]It's $25. So now you got $50 for the haircut. You made $25 on a sale, which you doubled your money cuz you bought it wholesale, you know, and they're just there all the time. They charge extra for after hour. They charge extra for early prices. When I was a younger dude, I was thinking about opening up a chain of hair salons or a barber. I couldn't figure it out, but I was going to call it felonies. Treat treatment so good it should be illegal.

[00:22:41]>> That's good. Yeah, that would match our our industry.

[00:22:43]>> But would that be a good name? I always thought that was a killer name for >> I don't know. I don't know about nowadays. I don't know how people would take it. You know, everyone's so judgmental. But >> felonies, bro. Yeah, >> felonies. Treatment so good it should be illegal. Yeah. And then I was going to put like a little uh tanning section.

[00:23:01]>> Yeah.

[00:23:02]>> Sell bikinis cuz again you can you can sell bikinis for freaking $80, $120, make them for five bucks.

[00:23:10]>> Yeah.

[00:23:11]>> You ever think of that?

[00:23:13]>> Um I had a clothing store in my first barber shop and that would attract clients. I would sell let's remember remember when Ed Hardy was real big.

[00:23:22]>> Yeah. So, I would go to New York and get Ed Hardy shirts and and affliction shirts and uh certain True Religion jeans and I had a wholesaler to sell them to me and people would come buy these these outfits and uh you got you got someone and they would get a haircut and it would go hand in hand especially college kids.

[00:23:40]>> What do you think about mobile barbering?

[00:23:43]>> That that's a big thing now too. Yeah.

[00:23:45]Mercedes sprinters.

[00:23:46]>> Yeah. Cuz like if if a sprinter pulled up at an office building, for example, >> once every two weeks on a certain day, you would think everybody would go down and get their haircut.

[00:23:56]>> They do that in Boston. They'll pull up a sprinter or like the huge highrises that they're building all over in Boston and attendants could come out and get their haircut, set up their appointments.

[00:24:06]>> So, what's the latest and greatest right now for salons?

[00:24:11]I mean, I I feel like after co barbers are there's a big controversy online.

[00:24:17]It's called the $100 haircut controversy. A lot of barbers saying you shouldn't be charging less than $100 for a haircut. So, you can um the latest and the greatest is people are charging for time, not a haircut. So, when you go online, you just say, "Brad, you want to book a haircut with me?" You could book an hour for $100 or you could book 40 minutes for 70 45 minutes for $75. Or do you want to book 30 minutes? Well, guess what? If a guy like you might know what you want all the time, 30 minutes is good enough, but someone might need some consultation. Someone might need his beard done. Someone might need some beard enhancement and color. So, now you're paying for the time rather. So, that's kind of the newest thing people are selling.

[00:24:54]>> What's beard enhancement?

[00:24:55]>> Uh, color. I got a little color in my beard. It's gray. So, you put a little bit of color. I actually am endors the rapper. He has that rewind beard color.

[00:25:05]>> So, yeah.

[00:25:05]>> Rewind.

[00:25:06]>> Rewind. It's called Rewind the Time. So covered a grays.

[00:25:10]>> Would it work on me?

[00:25:11]>> Yeah.

[00:25:12]>> One time I tried it just to see it and it looked like I got in a fight with a can of shoe polish.

[00:25:17]>> Yeah. No. Then the barbers do that as well. There's ways to minimize it, tone it.

[00:25:21]>> So yeah, >> professionally to where it doesn't look like I'm stained.

[00:25:25]>> Yeah. No, there's ways to do it. You would want to go with something that is more salt and pepper, not like a Sharpie. You know what I mean? Like there's ones that are just going to color a certain portion.

[00:25:35]>> But that's not your look, man. you've been kind of all of a sudden they're like, "Dude, how did Brad go from salt and pepper to freaking, you know, starky black hair?" Who is Who's the guy that you said? Wayne Newton or something, you know?

[00:25:48]>> Yeah. No, I I don't know if I'd want to go full, but I'd want I'd definitely want to enhance the beard.

[00:25:53]>> Yeah. Oh, dude, I'm telling you, we're going to get you hooked up. I wish I brought my stuff. I'd hook you up.

[00:25:58]So, so again, like for people listening, you know, I always try to give the bomb squad opportunity with guests. Whether you're looking to hire barbers or whether you're looking for, you know, investors, like you got a badass barber school, anybody interested in being a barber, what kind of money can they make?

[00:26:17]The sky's is the limit, you know, because every every market where you live, uh, you know, you could, like I said, it's all about what your value is, but you have to build that value, right?

[00:26:26]I know, but like if you just lost everything, moved out to Vegas, boom, you're in business tomorrow.

[00:26:32]>> Easy. Easy. I know taking you out.

[00:26:35]>> Yeah, I knew guys that were cutting the maloose, moved here from New York, and just started cutting like high rollers.

[00:26:39]You know how Vegas is. If you know one person, you get in with the right circle. You know, you're you're totally plugged in. Um I mean, my my biggest claim to fame nowadays is the real estate aspect of it. I'm purchasing buildings and I'm putting private barbering suites in there. And I was arguing with my boy and he's like, "Dude, I'm getting 11 to$14 a square foot for commercial real estate in New Haven, Connecticut. No one's getting that." So I was like, "Well, do the calculation on a 10x8 room." He's like, "Wow, you're getting $78 a square foot for real estate."

[00:27:10]So >> yeah, you need to scale that.

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[00:28:17]your program for barbers is like, is that in Connecticut?

[00:28:23]>> Yeah, it's in Connecticut.

[00:28:24]>> But like, dude, that should be nationwide. So, every So, once I get federal finan financial aid, which I should have within the next 8 months, I can move it anywhere in the United States. There's some legal red tape, but I can do it anywhere. Yeah, you would think with AI coming out that that's a [ __ ] trade that that ain't getting taken out by AI. AI is actually enhancing it because now we have AI operators that are scheduling appointments. Uh >> yeah, but they're never I don't I'm not going to go in and have AI cutting my hair, I bet.

[00:28:54]>> No. No. I hope not. I've seen like reals in China where some dude put his I wouldn't dare let a razor or scissors go anywhere near my head from a robot or any type of machine.

[00:29:04]>> Hell no.

[00:29:04]>> No. I'm >> Yeah, that's that is a AI proof profession.

[00:29:09]>> Yeah. And I think AI is going to be taking out a lot of different people, but but mostly knowledgebased people.

[00:29:16]>> So, a lot of these, you know, professionals that make their money with knowledge, you know, pay me and I'll tell you how.

[00:29:22]>> Yeah.

[00:29:23]>> They're going to be out of work here pretty soon and there needs to be something that they can like use their hands.

[00:29:30]>> Yeah. Graphic designers are going to take a big hit.

[00:29:34]>> Big hit. Writers, graphic designers, lawyers, >> even lawyers. I mean like dude listen lawyers are that aren't leveraging AI are going to be not used as much because what I do now is if I get a contract me and you made a deal right now.

[00:29:49]>> Yeah.

[00:29:49]>> I'd take your contract I'd throw it into my AI.

[00:29:52]>> Yeah.

[00:29:53]>> And I'd say tell me which side has the advantage and what I need to be worried about and it does exactly what a lawyer would do. It say well right now the way it's written is this that and the other thing. I would suggest that you do this that and the other thing and boom print it out for me. Make those changes. blap and then I I hand it back within 10 minutes. Before I would have took that contract, sent it to my lawyer, got charged 1,500 bucks to review it and make the same suggestions.

[00:30:18]>> So now I'm not sending it to the lawyer, but >> on the same token, AI is not coming to court with me. So I'm still going to need a lawyer. So they're safe in a in a few areas. But >> dude, there if you're listening to this and you're like, man, I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm doing something that's about to get replaced by AI.

[00:30:36]either leverage it because if you leverage it, I think you're safe. Yeah.

[00:30:40]>> Or start thinking about a new trade. Why not barbering?

[00:30:43]>> Yeah.

[00:30:44]>> A lot of I have retired police officers that come, they did their 20 years and, you know, they retired and they they cut here. I've had all walks of life come to, you know, to get into this. It's not for you. You really have to get out there and network though cuz this younger generation is kind of scared to talk to strangers.

[00:31:03]>> Why you think that is? I believe that uh you know between the ages of like maybe 14 and 22 uh they're just so used to being stuck on their phone instant gratification.

[00:31:14]You can Google anything. We had encyclopedia brickanas back in the day.

[00:31:18]We'd have to ask someone for advice or a question or get a consultant, you know, they and um they feel like they don't need people. Like I have online applications that come to my barber school that I fill out an application online and I call them and they say, "Can you please text me?" They don't know how to just talk anymore. Um I in co locked people down for like three years in their house and they just got closer with their phones and closers with Call of Duty and all these video games. So if you're not a customer service person and you're not scared to attract strangers to sit in your chair, it's going to be hard to make it in this industry. You have to be able to talk to people.

[00:31:54]>> How important is location when opening a a barber shop?

[00:31:59]>> Location's everything. Uh, two of my locations are really close to colleges, which you get a lot of seasonal. Uh, you know, so like, you know, you definitely do a lot better during when when you know, the schools are in session, but uh they say you want to be on and off a major highway. You need to have at least 20 parking spots to be a really successful wheelhouse of a barber shop.

[00:32:19]I mean, I've seen barber shops with some of the best barbers with two parking spots and you got six chairs. Three of the barbers are taking some of the barber, you know, the parking spots. How are you going to have a real legitimate business with no parking? You know, >> what's the smartest way for someone to get started?

[00:32:35]>> I mean, I I believe that, you know, if you've always were good at like kind of shaving yourself and you had some not a real a steady hand, um I believe, you know, start on YouTube, start doing some statistics. Like I said, I know barbers that that do very well for themselves.

[00:32:50]very I mean the average person's not making $3 $3,500 a week in an air conditioning envir environment playing sports hanging out like with my barber suites they're beautiful man they're little sweet they have 24-hour access they come in and out of my building whenever they want >> you're just renting it to them >> yeah I'm renting it's micro real estate >> how come you don't like take a piece of the action rather than the rent because no one will do it or >> I've done that model I used to do a percentage 7030 split I keep 30 they keep The more I was traveling, the more the numbers were diminishing. So like a guy that used to do 20 $30 haircuts on a Saturday when I did Fort Lauderdale teaching at a show, he did uh 252 haircuts and would keep the rest for tips. And like I'm the type of person that kind of got a little temper. I'd rather just rent uh I'd rather do the real estate portion. And um for those of you out there that that do want to get into the sweet business like the barbering suites which is is big now um I try getting mixed buildings where there's apartments upstairs. So now you're getting you know there's a housing shortage everywhere and now you're getting rental income for your building upstairs and then downstairs you have the business and a majority of the time three or four barbers who live upstairs in the apartments come downstairs to work.

[00:34:07]>> How easy is it to find good barbers?

[00:34:10]>> It's hard. It's hard.

[00:34:12]>> Like, dude, I'd get into barbering. I'd go open a shop right now because I think the experience of the shop >> Yeah.

[00:34:18]>> How how it looks, how it's designed.

[00:34:21]>> Yeah.

[00:34:22]>> Would matter. And then now I need barbers.

[00:34:24]>> Like this like your studio, bro. I mean, the rhinos, there would be a sick barber shop.

[00:34:30]>> Yeah, but I need barbers. Why would they come work here and just instead of just doing it themselves? I mean, I believe uh going right into a suite fresh out of school is is is not smart >> because you don't have clientele.

[00:34:42]>> You don't have clientele. You're not you don't know what not to do. Like, you know, I remember working in an 18 chair barber shop. I knew like don't cut like him. Don't come to work like when this guy comes and makes those that schedule.

[00:34:55]Don't speak to clients this way. So, you don't know what you don't know, right?

[00:34:58]I've learned techniques from a guy. I've learned, you know, certain products to use. Why don't you start teaching this like on a course?

[00:35:06]>> Uh, I want to get into that, man. Like you were we were speaking earlier, like I do definitely feel like I leave crumbs on the table. I do do that at my school, you know? I'm I'm a giving dude. I like giving back to the industry like in a broad spectrum. And I never really got into the courses cuz I feel like with all my endeavors, like I own a lot of real estate. Like there's never a dull moment. Like my camera guy would tell you like this phone. When I get off this podcast, there's going to be 39 missed calls >> all from businesses or barbers trying to get answers to [ __ ] >> Businesses, tenants. I have, you know, multiple pieces of real estate. I have contractors flipping out three Airbnbs right now.

[00:35:43]>> So, really, you're you're [ __ ] full-blown investor entrepreneur now.

[00:35:48]You just started in barber shops.

[00:35:50]>> So, my barbering shop was like uh it's a full vertical operation. So, I own a school to hire barbers cuz I couldn't find good help. So, I train my barbers.

[00:36:01]Then, I put them in my barber shop, which only has four chairs.

[00:36:04]>> Why? Why only four?

[00:36:06]>> Cuz they're in the beginning of my suit.

[00:36:08]So, once that guy builds up enough clientele, I move him into a suite. The guy But that's your clientele.

[00:36:15]>> Yes and no. Yeah. I mean, but he still pays his rent.

[00:36:19]>> Yeah. Well, dude, that's mighty nice of you, though.

[00:36:21]>> Yeah, >> cuz basically you're building it up for them. That's the goal. And as a real estate play, it's freaking unbelievably profitable because you're owning the buildings, too. And you're getting square footage like that. Dude, you got a whole program. You should scale the [ __ ] out of that.

[00:36:38]>> I I you know, Brad, like I'm at like more money, more problems.

[00:36:42]>> You believe that?

[00:36:44]>> Dude, I know I'm getting sued for stupid [ __ ] >> Okay, so let me ask you a question. If you believe that.

[00:36:49]>> Yeah.

[00:36:49]>> Okay.

[00:36:51]You have problems now. Yeah, but money is the only thing that could fix the problems.

[00:36:56]>> Yeah. So, if you had less money, would you have more problems or less problems?

[00:36:59]>> Well, the problem it's a catch 22. The problem I would have is I have less money. That'd be a problem. Right.

[00:37:05]>> Right.

[00:37:06]>> Yeah.

[00:37:06]>> So, how is more money more problems?

[00:37:08]>> Yeah. It's like I kind of um I have a 14-year-old son. I have an 18-year-old son. And, you know, I have a a stepdaughter who's she's actually going into the military. Like I feel like the more I keep taking I only buy real estate because I I want to write off the depreciation because money in the bank does nothing, right? Um but I feel like every single project is just putting more and more like I don't know, dude. I get stressed, man. I get anxiety. I get, you know, >> why though?

[00:37:35]>> I don't know.

[00:37:36]>> Let's reverse engineer that because there's probably a lot of people that get the same thing.

[00:37:39]>> Yeah.

[00:37:40]>> Why do why do you think more money is more problems? Cuz again >> Mhm.

[00:37:45]>> let's say right now you got money. Yeah.

[00:37:47]>> And you got problems.

[00:37:48]>> Yeah.

[00:37:49]>> Okay. So, let's just You got money and you got problems. There's It doesn't eliminate problems. But if I were to take away all your money right now, >> would you have more problems or less problems?

[00:37:58]>> Oh, I definitely would have more problems.

[00:38:00]>> Then money is not the problem.

[00:38:01]>> Yeah.

[00:38:02]>> It's time time management. And I'll be the first to admit I have to learn to delegate more. And and I've done that in the past and sometimes it's good and sometimes it's not.

[00:38:12]>> Yeah. But I just don't agree with more money, more problems. I've heard that in rap songs and I've heard people say it and repeat it and act like it's true and I say that is [ __ ] >> Yeah.

[00:38:22]>> I never will agree with that because I think also dude when you believe that you stop money from flowing to you.

[00:38:30]>> Yeah.

[00:38:31]>> No, I'm big on manifestation. I definitely >> and limiting belief scarcity versus abundance. I'm telling you there's something to it. When you are an abundant thinker and and you have abundance in your life and you believe in abundance, >> then you know money is just a tool. More will come.

[00:38:49]>> Yeah.

[00:38:50]>> You know, you're not worried about competition. You're more worried about collaboration instead of trying to compete for the same thing. You're trying to add to the to the world and its and its resources. So like with that abundance mind, it's worked for me anyway. With that abundance mindset, I don't I don't worry because of scarcity.

[00:39:11]>> Yeah.

[00:39:11]>> And so every time I hear someone say more money, more problems, I just sit there and listen and I think that's not true.

[00:39:19]>> Yeah.

[00:39:19]>> Cuz everybody that I know would do better with more money.

[00:39:25]>> Yeah.

[00:39:26]>> So to me, it's more money, less problems.

[00:39:30]Now, I'm not saying more money, no problems, cuz you're going to have problems no matter what. But more more money, more responsibilities, more like Yeah. Like time is money and I feel like I'm running out of time.

[00:39:41]>> So now you use money to get it back.

[00:39:44]>> You know what I mean?

[00:39:45]>> Mhm.

[00:39:47]>> Well, watch that.

[00:39:48]>> I got to master I don't know. I wish I wish I had all the answers.

[00:39:51]>> I mean, I'm sitting here coaching you like you're broke, but you know you're not.

[00:39:54]>> Dude, we all know we can make more money, right? I mean, I think we all can, right? There's 24 hours in the day.

[00:39:59]>> When's enough enough?

[00:40:00]>> Yeah. I don't, you know, and that's the kind of that's another concept, you know, like I'm doing very well for myself and I'm and I'm already stressed the hell out. I could imagine if I had some more projects to work on.

[00:40:13]>> I'm a perfectionist. That's my problem.

[00:40:14]I see I tell people I have ADD and OCD.

[00:40:17]So, I want everything perfect, but not for long till I'm on to the next project, you know, and and it's kind of one of them things. So, what do you think stresses you about more problems just because if it fails or you're worried about losing? What are you worried about?

[00:40:31]>> You know, with everything I've been through in life, um it's not necessarily their failure. I put unrealistic expectation on humans and I feel like humans would always let you down. So, it's just like I've been working on this these three properties I bought like oceanfront Airbnbs and I hired some sheet rockers and they completely threw off my entire job. They set me back three weeks. So, now I have cabinets that are waiting to be delivered. So, I have them stored in a warehouse. Now I got to get the So like I my problem is is like I put too much I give people too much credit and they always let me know and then that's what stresses me out cuz I pay on time. I chase people. I don't like owing anyone money. I chase them to pay them. So I'm like dude if I if I'm paying you why aren't you showing up and doing the job now it's messing up the contractors that are coming in behind that. It's just a little [ __ ] like that.

[00:41:20]Listen dude, they're way better problems than I had when I was sitting in a jail cell.

[00:41:24]>> Now we're talking.

[00:41:25]>> Yeah. We're or waiting for the judge uh to to lay down the hammer. How much money did you did you have in the jail cell?

[00:41:32]>> Like in in the I had [ __ ] dude. I came home.

[00:41:35]>> Okay. So, you had more problems when you were broke.

[00:41:37]>> Yeah.

[00:41:39]>> So, would you agree?

[00:41:40]>> Yeah. More money, less problems. [ __ ] You had you you really had nothing to lose, you know? So, it was just like, hey, Sarra Sarah, right? part of the freaking felon club and you know listen you uh you don't realize how great life could actually get until you have some [ __ ] to lose right when when I was living that lifestyle I had nothing to lose but my freedom but I wasn't a productive member of society so I wasn't much for myself or anyone around me you know >> well there's a lot of people that believe like in that you know I just think if if people would realize that's Not true. More money, more problems. It's actually more money, less problems.

[00:42:20]>> It would fire people up to go get more money.

[00:42:22]>> Yeah.

[00:42:23]>> And again, money doesn't solve all the problems, obviously. But how how what are your what are your personal goals?

[00:42:30]>> My personal goals, right? Check this out. People said, "What do you want to do when you retire?" I said, "Cut hair."

[00:42:35]Cuz my life was so easy when I cut hair.

[00:42:37]I haven't cut hair in years. I want to um sell off some of my real estate maybe at 58 or so. And uh >> you want to sell it?

[00:42:47]>> I want to sell off or or keep some sell off some of it to buy something nice, preferably maybe in Florida. And I want to get a nice boat that I can use to go fishing and uh you like fishing.

[00:42:58]>> Yeah, I like fishing. That's the only thing I like. I like the ocean and fishing. Maybe it's cuz the Portuguese blood and my family's from the Azor is a big fishing community.

[00:43:05]>> How much money do you need to say screw it, I'm done.

[00:43:10]I don't know because you know like dude you know the standard when the money stops flowing in it's a different story.

[00:43:17]You get what I'm saying? Like I don't >> Yeah. But with your real estate that's money flowing in, right?

[00:43:21]>> Yeah.

[00:43:22]>> Why would you get rid of it?

[00:43:23]>> I would I would probably get rid of like one or two of my personal properties.

[00:43:27]Keep the keep the multis going. That would be my retirement. But in order to get something nice in Florida and to get the boat and all those things, I'd probably sell cuz I bought at such a good time. Uh my properties I bought it pre-COVID. So they pretty much one of them tripled in in uh value.

[00:43:43]>> How old are you?

[00:43:44]>> I'm 46.

[00:43:45]>> So you do you think 10 years you're done?

[00:43:48]>> I would hope to I would like to say so.

[00:43:50]>> Or are you going to sell?

[00:43:50]>> I don't think I'm never People tell me I'm never going to be done. That's the problem.

[00:43:54]>> What businesses? Why would you sell your your cash flowing assets though?

[00:43:58]>> It's just the phone calls in the middle of the night, the alarms going off. The >> you can't you can't hire someone for that.

[00:44:06]>> Yeah, possibly. But I've I've always whenever I've hired people and like tried to step away, they didn't they never kept the my flow, my uh my culture, >> standards, >> my standards.

[00:44:20]>> Yeah, dude. I feel you, dude. Trust me.

[00:44:22]I'm asking you questions. Really trying to find my own answers cuz I'm in the same >> dude. Like >> it feels like it feels like if I go away, >> it doesn't go the same.

[00:44:31]>> Never. And then that stresses me >> like you know my most one of my most like my my bathrooms in my barber shop.

[00:44:38]I like take so much pride in I like I want us like if a single mother brings her son to get a haircut. I want her to be able to use a restroom that's predominantly used from men pissing all over the seat. So like I I it's the little things that I that make my business. See like I believe in fans rather than clients. You want people to brag about, dude, I go to that place.

[00:45:01]It's immaculate. The bathroom's clean.

[00:45:03]They're playing music without swears in it. And I believe when you do that as a barber, you know, I'm right now, I've been open 20 years. I'm at three and four generations. Grandfather, father, son, grandson, four generations been getting haircuts at my barber shop for the past 21 years. To me, that is success. You know, >> where are these barber shops? People are going to be like, "Dude, where are these?"

[00:45:25]>> Yes. West Haven, uh, Connecticut, East Haven, Connecticut, and North Haven, Connecticut. So, uh, all in Connecticut.

[00:45:31]>> All in the Connecticut area for now.

[00:45:33]>> I'm I'm looking in, um, South Carolina at the moment.

[00:45:37]>> That's probably why you have franchise cuz you're worried about someone upholding those standards.

[00:45:43]>> So, like to me, me being the actual personal brand. And dude, listen, man.

[00:45:48]Some of this is small town mentality.

[00:45:50]You know, I was just sitting there talking to you, right? Some of this is is fair. Uh, it's not a control thing, but it's just like my word and coming from the streets, like my word means everything. So, if I'm going to dude, I I still take a complaint like I will reply to a Google review on my barberh shop because like my word and my name means so much to me.

[00:46:11]>> That's all I have.

[00:46:12]>> And it should. That's all I have.

[00:46:14]>> That's what people don't realize, dude.

[00:46:16]Reputation can get ruined in minutes when it takes 20 years to build.

[00:46:20]>> And they're trying, you know, with social media. People try picking you apart, man. You know >> what do you say to them?

[00:46:26]>> To to the bad reviews.

[00:46:28]>> Yeah.

[00:46:28]>> Well, so when I get a bad review on my suits, which sucks the way Google has it, they say, "Oh, don't go to this place. I went to this lady. She messed it up." So now you're giving major luxury suites a bad review, but you don't know that she has her own LLC, which is in my building. So they didn't like they just like one time I got a review like, "Oh, the barber messed up my son's hair. He asked for this and he gave him that." So now I get the bad review and a barber opens up up the street and leaves my sweet. So it it's kind of like sometimes I'll be like, "Hey, you know, I appreciate that. I will reach out to them as a friend, but he's strictly one of my tenants. He rents a suite underneath my establishment. Um, maybe you should be a little more conscious on who you're actually giving a bad review to." You know, it's not like a waiter. Like if you go to Red Lobster and they hire a waiter and whatever restaurant, >> you should put up a sign in the in the entrance that says, "If you had a wonderful experience, let everybody know Major League Barber. If you had a bad experience, let everyone know your barber's name."

[00:47:28]>> Yeah. Yeah.

[00:47:30]>> Right.

[00:47:30]>> Yeah. I'm the one, Dude, the the the the shop owners are always the one that has to, you know, eat that review.

[00:47:38]>> Well, it's paying off for you one way or the other.

[00:47:41]>> I'm truly blessed, man. I can't I can't complain. How are your reviews if I were to look them up? They're good. I mean, listen, you're always going to get some people. I mean, now competitors would give you bad reviews. A competitor would give you a bad review just to to [ __ ] on you. You know, it's a funny email address saying something. But yeah.

[00:47:59]>> Yeah. But you you're like that OCD. It bothers you. I could tell >> to a certain extent. Listen, the older I get, the more like the stuff, you know, that people make up and and you know, when you're when you start getting a big following and stuff, you you're going to hear things. It doesn't bother me as much. It doesn't bother me at all. And the reason why is because, dude, >> first of all, you got to realize you're never making everyone happy.

[00:48:23]>> Yeah.

[00:48:24]>> So, if you got to figure out who to make happy, just make sure your name's on that list and that'll be the one that stands out. You You'll be like, >> "Drop the drop the bomb on that one.

[00:48:32]dropped the bomb on that one.

[00:48:34]>> Yeah, because like at the end of the day, man, >> I've had people say I'm a scammer. Like, dude, I've never I mean, well, I have scammed people, but like when I was 17.

[00:48:43]>> Yeah.

[00:48:43]>> But like I'm a legitimate business dude.

[00:48:47]I wouldn't freaking take your money unless I could give you equal or better value.

[00:48:52]>> I give people refunds when I got a contract that says no refunds. I freaking go out of my way to make sure everybody is treated well. Period. And then you'll see some [ __ ] which you find out when you start worrying because I used to worry about it.

[00:49:07]>> Yeah.

[00:49:07]>> You find out that this is a 13-year-old pimplefaced kid that didn't even do anything with you. They're just talking [ __ ] >> And then you start to realize like, dude, these guys are everywhere. Trolls, man.

[00:49:17]>> Yeah. You can't do anything about it. So now I just like on my on my you know, you ever heard of glass door?

[00:49:23]>> Yeah.

[00:49:24]>> Yeah. Apparently that's where employees go to talk [ __ ] about who just fired them.

[00:49:29]>> Yeah. Yeah, I saw that. And it's like, why would anyone go to the glass door to find out if someone is a good place to work when it's filled with the people that got fired from there?

[00:49:38]>> Yeah.

[00:49:40]>> So, I go in if I ever get a bad review, which I've had employees uh come in and apply because of my responses, >> and I'll respond to every single one of them.

[00:49:51]>> Yeah.

[00:49:52]>> But at the end of the day, man, I'm getting to a point where now I don't even care anymore. I if you're going to allow that to dissuade you from coming in here, >> well then I guess you don't get the benefit of doing business with me.

[00:50:04]>> But fortunately, that's cuz I have enough business. I I I can't imagine if I were brand new and I was trying to establish it. That's why it's so important to to worry about customer service. And it sounds like that's what you focused on for 20ome years.

[00:50:17]>> 100%. But >> do you think that's the reason for your success?

[00:50:21]>> Yeah. Customer service, relationships. I hate when I see self-made in an Instagram bio. I'm a product of every person that's my plumber that's been getting a haircut in my barber shop for the past 20 years is the one that plums all my buildings. My electrician that's been getting a haircut, that's who does my electrical work. Uh, you know, fiber optic cable guys, home improvement guys, those are I support those that support me. So, I try to keep a ecosystem. But um you know I like going back to what you were saying. Nothing hurts me more is someone that I've helped done right by and the one time I told them no or had to let them go to to their behaviors then they're bad mouthing me. That's the [ __ ] that that digs me deep.

[00:51:07]>> Yeah. Well that happens.

[00:51:09]>> Yeah.

[00:51:09]>> It's usually the people that you help the most.

[00:51:11]>> That's exactly. So, so if someone's listening to let's go to your back to your event because like you got 20,000 barbers, businesses, independent businesses, influencers, freaking into the style, into the like the trends.

[00:51:31]>> You would think that you would just get bombarded with sponsors.

[00:51:35]>> Yeah.

[00:51:36]>> I I think a lot of people that have had bad experience with barbers are like, why would anyone want to go to a barber show? like business people really don't like the beef jerky and a guy that sells pickles like these are humans so we want to sell to you I mean clothing lines uh energy drinks protein shakes physical you know trainers like you know bodybuilding train like I fitness >> fitness trainer people >> like so you're looking at someone right let's just say you're going to meet a barber and you get them to sign up for your fitness program or you get them to buy something from you now that barber goes back and cuts 20 heads that Monday after the show then 20 heads. So he's doing 200 300 people a week that he could be a advocate for your business. So it's kind of like that. You remember back in the days pyramid skins or people would come sell you Tupperware utilizing barbers. I tell barbers you have 25 minutes to 45 minutes to to sell something so other than a haircut. I know barbers that sell insurance. I know realators that are barbers. Dude, I trust my barber. I'd buy a house from my barber before I would buy it from some realtor I seen on a on a sign on the highway. You know what I mean? So, I think a lot of companies hopefully if they could open their mind and realize the importance of of marketing through the barber shop, through the barber, cuz a barber, I'm telling you right now, when someone needs their window tinted, they call their barber. When someone needs a divorce lawyer, hey, so when someone needs tires, back in the days, the barber shop, people used to bring in stolen car stereoss, mix CDs. I mean, like the before the internet, there was the barber shop and the salon. That's where you heard everything. So, I think if companies could open up their mind and realize like, well, the barbers are trends setters. The way they close, they if you have a clothing line, come to the barber expo. If you have anything or at least sponsor it, have something, you know, >> because you have sponsors. I saw them.

[00:53:30]big name sponsors, but it's usually barber related wall and Gillette and Barberhit.

[00:53:36]>> But like I'm thinking, how come you don't have other businesses >> to sponsor, you know? And and you're making a killer point that I think a lot of people fail to understand that when you go to a barber convention, you're not you're not there to sell the barber, even though they may also be your target.

[00:53:55]>> You're there to sell your barber. So the barber goes and sells all his customers or her customers. Is there is there female barbers? I know there is.

[00:54:03]>> Tons. They're killing it.

[00:54:04]>> Yeah, because I use one. Yeah.

[00:54:05]>> Yeah. I mean, personally, dude, I'm not a a weirdo, but like >> I'd rather be touched for by a woman.

[00:54:10]>> I prefer women uh stylists, barbers, massuses.

[00:54:14]>> Like I won't get a massage from a dude.

[00:54:16]Is that weird?

[00:54:17]>> I don't That's not my thing.

[00:54:18]>> People say, "Oh, you're homophobic."

[00:54:20]It's like, nah, I'm not homophobic. I ain't worried about nothing. I I just uh if if I'm going to get massaged, I'd like it to be by a female. And I'd like to be by a hot female, quite frankly.

[00:54:32]>> Um but at the end of the day, >> I as long as they're female, I'm good.

[00:54:36]Like I don't care if it's big Bertha. As long as it's a female >> and it's not homophobic. It's that's just my preference.

[00:54:42]>> That's your preference. Yeah. If that if that's what you want to pay, >> as long as I want to get a good haircut and you're going to be on time, >> I'm early every I was here early. That dude, that's my mo. I set my watch early.

[00:54:53]>> I was 10 minutes late. You must have been going, "Where the [ __ ] is this guy?"

[00:54:56]>> That's fine, man. That's cool.

[00:54:58]>> But I do I >> on your time today.

[00:55:00]>> Hey, I do appreciate uh uh the sticking to the time thing, but I noticed that when I go into a lot of barber shops, it's generally men. Is it a men dominated industry?

[00:55:12]>> It's obviously a man- dominated industry. And I remember when I hired my first lady barber like 17, 18 years, and she could cut her ass off. She was from Puerto Rico and she was nasty and she was a very pretty woman. And guys would come in and no one she'd be just finishing up a haircut and she'd be the only one available and they said, "No, I'm going to wait for him." And it was usually the less talented guy and then someone would sit down and she would cut the hair and a guy would be getting a haircut next door just cuz he didn't want to go to a woman and she dude hooked that fade up and the guy got a worse haircut and worse customer service because he didn't want to go to a woman.

[00:55:53]So no, I personally believe and then women I believe as a woman they have they could upcharge more like hey would you like a scalp massage? Would you like a shampoo? Would you like a deep conditioning shampoo? Like, >> yes.

[00:56:05]>> And and I would take advice from a woman. Like, if a woman told you, "Hey, Brad, >> maybe you should do this to your hair."

[00:56:11]Like, "Okay." But if a guy told you like, "Dude, you're a hater." Like, like, "Fuck." You know what I mean?

[00:56:15]>> You're trying to ruin my game.

[00:56:16]>> Yeah. Like, yeah. So, I I I listen, I I think that, you know, today's uh the stigma's gone. I think no matter if if you to me the consistent barber that shows up on time, goes over above and beyond for their clientele, listens to them, I think those are the ones that are going to make it. Any sponsors listening, who you looking for to come be a sponsor. Not that you need them. By the way, when you got 17, 20,000 people showing up, dude, you got a line of sponsors.

[00:56:45]>> Well, let let me just tell you this and and let's go back to what we were saying earlier. You're like, "Jay, why are your tickets so cheap to get into this event?" And the reason why I sell the tickets at a lower price point is because I want them people to go in and spend money with my sponsors and with the vendors that are there because the vendors they they they with the shipping costs nowadays, they ship them to the facility, then the union has to bring it to their booth. It's not cheap to set up a booth, you know? I mean, my booth started at $800, but as by the time you pay your staff, you pay for your hotel room, all that stuff, you have to make profit off your stuff. So, my my thing is the more people I bring to the door, the more they're going to shop with my vendors. So, who am I looking for? If you are a fashion line, fashion Nova men, these these these I get spammed with all these different hoodie companies, and I believe a lot of the urban sports were Nike, Adidas, New Balance. New Balance would be phenomenal at my show because they're comfortable sneakers and barbers are on their feet all day. Why wouldn't you want to get a, you know, a barber? Let's do a collaboration on a barber. You know, Nike's done a barber shoe before. Let's, they've done a a Dunk. They've done an uptown. Well, let's do a barber inspired sneaker. Let's pump that out. Peptide people. Um, you know, there's peptides are, you know, BPC157.

[00:58:04]There's barbers with back issues.

[00:58:06]>> GHKCU regrows hair.

[00:58:08]>> Yeah, there you go. That should be something to to spoke in.

[00:58:12]>> Well, I didn't notice any uh balding companies either.

[00:58:16]>> Yeah. Uh we do have a a lady that flies in from Turkey and she offers a special deal if you want to fly there to get a a hair transplant.

[00:58:24]>> So, I mean, but yeah, I mean there's Roane was there >> last year. Yeah, they came last year.

[00:58:30]>> Yeah. I looked at your list. You ain't You ain't short of sponsors, but I'm trying to figure out who's listening that could benefit from knowing you.

[00:58:37]>> Yeah. And and like that event is like crazy, dude. A your tickets are way too cheap.

[00:58:42]>> Yeah.

[00:58:43]>> I mean, you're talking $40.

[00:58:45]>> Yeah.

[00:58:45]>> $40.

[00:58:46]>> Yeah. They start like 45 bucks or something.

[00:58:48]>> Yeah. But like that's crazy, dude.

[00:58:50]>> I mean, accountants. Barbers need accountants.

[00:58:53]>> Accountants. Freaking I know a guy that that sets you up free LLC's. So maybe you do your taxes with the guy.

[00:58:59]>> Like all those 20,000 barbers, they got to do taxes.

[00:59:03]>> Yeah.

[00:59:03]>> Should have freaking H&R Block up in that [ __ ] and barbers and then and then your p your sponsor prices are too cheap, dude.

[00:59:09]>> Well, barbers barbers will a majority of barbers will not want to do business with a human they haven't shook their hands. Like now that I met Brad Lee, I want to do some things with you. Not just cuz the advice you gave me, but seeing how you operate, meeting your employees, I shook your hand. As a barber, we've been trying to get hustled our entire life. People, oh, you should do that. Can you sponsor my little league team? I had a Yankees themed barber shop. I sponsored his little league team. and they give me the Red Sox as on a jerseys like you know like they didn't take it like dude I have a Yankees barber shop and I'm sponsoring the Red Sox they're rivals uh when I opened my first barber shop cuz it's called Major League Barber Shop there was a baseball dugout and it was all Yankees related and that's the team they gave me. So, we've been getting hustled for years. But if if you come to our show and you meet these, you know, let's just say you meet six 6,000 of the 20,000 guys that stop at the booth and we shake your hand, we're we're more likely to do business with someone we've met on a personal level than than any other person than going online and finding an accountant. And I think people nowadays are really they're really neglecting the power of relationships, man. Like my >> That's what I preach right there. Cuz every dollar you've ever gotten came from a relationship of some kind. People are always hunting for money, but they're going right past the relationships that produce it.

[01:00:31]>> They don't even realize.

[01:00:32]>> Like I know we're like we're running out of time. I had a barber that would blow up my phone and like pain in my ass. Yo, J dude, let me let me help you judge.

[01:00:41]Let me do this. He's like he's just trying to find his way. And dude, he would call me at the worst times. Like I'd be on a ladder hanging a barber pole. I'd be bringing groceries upstairs. I'd be doing like he'd call at the worst times. And dude, one day I was tell like go [ __ ] your like stop calling me, bro. Like, no. Okay, okay, go judge the competition. He was just like a nuisance. And he called me. He goes, "Hey, bro. I just took uh I want to talk to you about your expo." I said, "What do you want to judge?" He said, "No, dude. I I got a a pretty big sponsorship and I'm going to fly these two big barbers from Switzerland to your show. I just took a creative director position for this pomade company and I big upped your show and they're going to take the diamond sponsorship. And this is when I first started. I didn't have that much sponsorship. So the dude I was going to tell to go f himself gave me a $30 check within 72 hours of $30,000 check within 72 hours of talking to him and flew two massive influencers who sold a bunch of tickets to my education seminars. So the power of the relationship because I didn't tell him to go kick rocks. I got 30 grand in my pocket, you know, >> because if you just said, "Dude, [ __ ] off." He probably wouldn't have >> and I was ready. I was this close. He caught me at a bad day. I mean, the guy wouldn't leave me alone. And that's why I always take calls. People say, "Dude, you I never thought you were so accessible."

[01:01:58]>> Yeah.

[01:01:58]>> I'm like, "Why?" They're like, "Well, because, you know, they see me online, they think I'm like Brad Pitt or something."

[01:02:03]>> Yeah.

[01:02:03]>> They walk in here and I'll walk out, talk to people, they're like, >> "Holy [ __ ] dude. you're like a regular guy. Well, no. It's because, dude, I do value relationships, but it's also >> like last night I was invited to go to this dinner, you know, and I'm thinking, "Wow, there's going to be some people there."

[01:02:19]>> And sometimes you go and it's like, you know, not worth going. But I've never felt that way because I understand the value of relationships. You can meet one person at one place that you thought was a total [ __ ] waste of time and that one relationship turns into something massive.

[01:02:35]>> You never know.

[01:02:36]>> Yeah, dude. That's that that's why you've succeeded. You know the you know the freaking the truth.

[01:02:41]>> Yeah.

[01:02:42]>> So what can the bomb squad do for you?

[01:02:46]>> The bomb squad.

[01:02:47]>> That's the listeners.

[01:02:47]>> Yeah. The listeners.

[01:02:48]>> I already told him if you guys got businesses you want to freaking And I didn't even factor in what you said.

[01:02:53]That's a great point. Like the bar it's not the barbers you want. Cuz I was thinking, dude, there's 20,000 customers right in front of you. Well, dude, there's 20,000 customers with hundreds of thousands of customers.

[01:03:04]>> Like I get you the I get the barber. I give them the shoe. I mean, they can have the shoe as long as you start talking about the shoe. So, it's really a freaking double impact.

[01:03:13]>> Well, like, dude, I have LED TVs at my barber shop that rotate with QR codes for local businesses, car washes. We offer, you know, wings. Um, a big claim to my success is I would uh I would put a $5 off haircut with Wings Express up the street. They sold the most wings to all the colleges. So, and I said, "Well, how much were your menus?" cuz they print menus and staple it. I said, "Dude, you got to be paying a lot." So, I found a printer in New York and I, Dude, I I ordered 150,000 menus for them, but I just put my business card on the bottom with a coupon. Dude, we were getting, you know, so like we the barber shop is the mouthpiece to the community. Point blank. Any community. So, and we have influencers there with millions of followers that that that are trends setters. So, to all the listeners, right, to the bomb squad, first and foremost, um, cuz I'm big on relationships, DM me. How can I help your guys, this guy, the roofing guy, dude, can you put me on with some roofers in Connecticut, you know what I mean? Cuz I need roofs and and all the other different, you know, like just DM me, Jay majors, and let's build like, you know, can can we market? Do you have a protein shake? Do you have an energy drink? Can we market to my audience? And um you know that's basically that's basically it. Each one teach one.

[01:04:32]>> There you go dude. I I think you're going to have some some action. When's this barber expo this year?

[01:04:38]>> This year it's June 6th through 8th at Moheaggan Sun Casino. The the the welcoming part is like a Grammy themed event. It's like a gala. We give out awards of people that like cut the homeless positive influencer of the year. YouTube sensations rookie of the year which is one of my favorites. And um it's a it's and then there Sunday and Monday we have education seminars.

[01:05:00]Sunday is basically haircut pertaining.

[01:05:01]Monday is all business education. So we teach you a lot of stuff about business.

[01:05:06]>> Where do people get tickets?

[01:05:07]>> ctbarberexpo.com ctbarberexpo.com.

[01:05:12]It's held at the beautiful Moheaggan Sun Resort in Connecticut. So >> do they do they pay you >> the Moheaggan guy?

[01:05:19]>> I wish twice. You know it's held at the beautiful Moheaggan Resort. For those of you that don't know, Connecticut doesn't have [ __ ] going on but Dunkin' Donuts and Potholes. So like we don't got much going on in the state of Connecticut.

[01:05:31]Moheaggan's like the main attraction.

[01:05:32]It's a beautiful casino. Has a spa. I mean we're in Vegas, right? There's a thousand casinos. But uh Moheaggan's like the elite place. There's a Michael Jordan steakhouse. Tons of restaurants there. It's a mall. It's a It's a nice spot. Folks, go hit him in the DM. Let him know you heard him on Dropping Bombs. If I were you, I'd get in where you fit in. If you guys are like freaking worried about AI or worried about, you know, building a career, you're young, dude. I'm telling you, barbering, it's cool. It's freaking in, it's trending, and it ain't going to get affected. Go out there, learn from this, dude. Get into it. If you're a barber, go to this event. If you're a sponsor and you want to get in front of a bunch of people who are in front of a bunch of people, wonderful opportunity. And guys, I was basically talking to him before this, wondering why everything is so cheap, man. M >> and again I think he's he's justifying it with well I want everybody to come and I want my vendors to sell but even the the sponsorships >> Oh yeah >> you're way underpriced >> is a killer value folks take action that's how you make money till next time keep it