For those trying to stand out from the rest…Listen up.

BY Lance Liufau

In my career as a barber and an educator, I have been asked a question numerous times throughout the 19 years that I have been in the barbering industry. That question is ‘How did you get to where you are today?’

The answer to that can be quite a lengthy answer or there can be so many different contributing factors to that answer. So, I’d like to break it down as to why I get asked that question and kind of reverse engineer it to somehow come up with one or maybe two conclusions.

Nine times out of ten, when someone is asking me that question, it is because they are somewhat interested in going down the same path. Which I really do appreciate because it means that that person is looking to the future and has some kind of drive or ambition.

But one thing that gets me especially in today’s times, is the desperate need to be popular amongst other barbers and fellow industry people. I’ve seen it many times throughout my career, where a barber or hair stylist try their hand at doing education or stage work and quickly realise that it is not for them and their reasoning behind wanting to do it was purely for vanity reasons.

Now I am not saying that this is a bad thing because one, they did something that was out of their comfort zone and two, they would have learnt so much from those experiences. So, I don’t see it as a loss.

Due to being in the age of social media and technology, which grows at such a rapid rate. I strongly feel that it can make that desire to stand out, that much more appealing or desirable.

Which can really have a massive impact on someone’s decision to want to be in the public eye within the industry. Now I am in no way trying to talk anyone out of giving it a go because I am all for growth and development.

I just know from experience that if your reasons are not aligned with who you are and what you stand for, then it can become a struggle to stand the test of time in the education space.

So, if I was to give a young person advice on how to make it somewhere in this industry, one of the first things I would say is to know that it will take time. Nothing happens overnight so prepare to take your time and work hard.

The second thing I would tell them is to be true to themselves, people will either like you or hate you but be who you are unapologetically. That way people get to know the real you and not someone that you are pretending to be.

The third thing I would tell them is try your best to see the glass half full and not half empty. Having a positive mindset is a very powerful thing because it allows you to recognise an opportunity when it has presented itself even in hard times. It gives you clarity in times where negativity is trying to cloud your mind.

I believe that if you apply these three things you will definitely see dramatic change not only in your journey as a barber but also in life in general.

So, I challenge you to try your best to improve and develop yourself so that you have something to offer when you take to the stage.

Best of luck in your barber journey and as I always sign off.

Never stop learning, stay on your grind, and keep it Top Shelf.

@lance_topshelfbarber