Ever thought of being an Educator?

Some people are happy to stay on the floor, working for a manager and living a pretty cruisy lifestyle. Others want to branch out and start their own cool shop that reflects their own style.

Then there are those who are excited about what the future brings, the new generation of barbers, becoming involved in something bigger than themselves and where they work. We’re talking, an interest in barbering industry and worldwide!

These people are incredibly proud and passionate about their craft and determined to see their industry blossom. Since we opened our academy, the amount of interest from students and barbers wanting to work with us has been truly amazing and intense!

We were so blessed to have the ability to have grown our team and take on an extra Administrator and Educator within our first year. We must be doing something right! Opportunities to become a Barber Educator are few and far between, but with the current ‘barber-boom’, increasing.

So, what makes a Barber Educator? Why did they choose to become one and what do they think about barbering and its future?

We interviewed our Educators, Dan and Salar, to see what they had to say…

How long have you been in the industry?

Dan: Around 5 years now, I trained in London while visiting my family.

Salar: I started training as a barber in 2015, so coming up to 4 years.

What made you want to become an Educator at Bartolo Academy?

Dan: I have worked with Paul for 3 t years and I really believe in his vision and the professionalism that he wants to achieve for the industry. Barbering has become a bit stale, Paul has really changed up the game.

Salar: I’m always looking for a new challenge and when the opportunity came up I knew this was the start of the next level of my career. The icing on the cake was having the chance to work with Pual Bartolo. Being able to learn and draw from his experience is, in itself, an awesome opportunity.

What do you like about teaching?

Dan: I love seeing students faces when they realise they can achieve something. There’s always the first few days of fear but once they are over that it’s great to see them progress and grow in confidence. i also love that we are not taking advantage of people by making them do a 3-month course (mostly made up of fading and theory), when we can achieve a ‘job satisfactory’ level of barbering in 4 weeks.

Salar: I like seeing people progress and get better in something they had little or no idea how to do in such a short space of time, and to see them become successful later down the line. It’s a pleasure to know that you were involved in their journey.

What do hairdressers like to learn in our one-day Workshops?

Dan: Most hairdressers look to upskill, especially in speed and clipper and shave techniques.

Salar: In hairdressing, there isn’t very much emphasis on clipper work i.e. fading, clipper over comb etc. So our course is a great opportunity for them to be able to upskill and get a good handle on these techniques and even get hands-on experience with doing cutthroat shaves.

Where do you see barbering in 10 years?

Dan: I see barbering evolving in styles but also taking inspirations from the 50’s-80’s. I think men’s styles had more effort put into them, espicially in the ’80s, it was wild!! I see a more professional approach to barbering coming too.

Salar: Hard to say really, but I do believe that more old school styles are revolving and coming back to replace the contemporary styles we have today.

What is the strangest thing in barbering you’ve ever seen?

Dan: I’ve been asked to do a few Bollywood style cuts which involved cutting wings into the hair, I think that was strange and beautiful, however, I never want to do it again!

Salar: I’ve been asked to do a few strange gimmicks floating around social media but one quite dangerous one (which I definitly don’t condone) is barbers setting people’s hair on fire to get some sort of textured or straightening effect.

These guys have over 3 years of barbering experience. they know their stuff. But besides from being great barbers, they are also outstanding communicators. Their individual personalities are very important, they can get along with anybody for as little as a one day workshop, all the way up to our 4-week full-time course.

Dan and Salar are enthusiastic and able to sustain high energy and vibe every single day. When I’m looking for new members for our growing team, I am looking for diverse backgrounds and experience plus those who reflect our company values for high-quality service, outstanding professionalism and outrageous aspiration to develop our industry to become world-renowned and recognised.

Your career does not stop at the salon or barbershop. If you feel like you want out of your career, it is out there! With the right attitude, you too can achieve astronomical success. Only you can decide if you want to reach for the stars!