Easton, PA
Brooklyn Barbershop
Harvey tell us about yourself?
I’m originally from Passaic NJ. I moved to Bethlehem PA when I was 14 years old. As I grew up in Bethlehem I was into sports like baseball. I play baseball currently for the community every Sunday with the league. I also currently live in Easton, PA with my wife and two kids.
What inspired you to become a barber?
I have a lot of family that are barbers and mechanics. Growing up my dad would take me to my uncle so he could cut my hair. This motivated me to learn more from my uncle about cutting hair, due to the excellent skill he had and a great job he would do each time he cut my hair. My dad also was an influence on me as well. Each time I passed a barbershop I always thought about drawing my art on someone’s head like a drawing on a canvas. This helped me to portray my hand drawing skills through the art of barbering.
What challenges did you face in becoming a barber and how did you overcome them?
Gaining trust from clients due to my age when I was 14 became a challenge. So to overcome this challenge I would cut my own hair to show potential clients the skill that I have and how I could transfer this skill to the client. I would also offer a free haircut to see if they liked it and then from there I would gain their trust.
"I would cut my own hair to show potential clients the skill that I have..."
What advice can you give to up and coming barbers who are looking to grow and start their own business?
In the art of barbering it is never a day when you can’t learn something new. Always accept criticism so you can become better. You can become a great barber by accepting that you could always learn more from this industry, your fellow barbers that you work with, and also going online to watch videos and learning how to better yourself as a barber. Don’t give up and become overwhelmed if a client tells you no because once they see you improve they will most likely sit down in your chair and will become satisfied with your work.
How can Brooklyn Barbershop make an impact in the community?
Talking to the youth and inspiring them to try new things that they never thought they could do. At Brooklyn barbershop we give free back to school haircuts so they can look presentable for their first day in class. This motivates them to be a great person. Haircuts is not just about looks but most importantly it’s about inspiration and the happiness on their faces when they look in the mirror every morning feeling good about themselves.
"Haircuts is not just about looks but most
importantly it’s about happiness.."
