BarberSociety Magazine international Winter issue 2025/2026 (in English)

HAYDEN CASSIDY DON’T BE AFRAID TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT DANIEL GALLEGO THE WORLD CHANGES, AND SO MUST WE MANCHESTER HOTSPOTS / CURLY HAIR TIPS / TOUSLED MULLET STEP-BY-STEP

BARBERSOCIETY MAGAZINE

JOSH O.P. REINVENTION REQUIRES ‘RUTHLESSNESS’

WINTER 2025 | #26 | € 15

REINVENT YOURSELF ABOUT COURAGE, GROWTH, AND REINVENTING YOURSELF

G E T R E A DY FO R TH E BA R B ER E V ENT O F A L I F E T I M E / T WO B I G B A R B E R B AT T L E S S U N DAY 1 2 A P R I L 2026 / H EM K A D E 48 N E A R A M S T E R DA M / T IC K E T S O U T N OW !

Founding editor Marc van de Hare Editor in Chief Miranda Vlas, press@barbersociety.com Editor Leny Vlas Journalists Ben Copeland, David Palacios Rubio, Miranda Vlas Columnists Chris Foster, Dennis van Lierop, Cor Bouw Contributors Robert-Jan Rietveld, Jim Shaw Art direction & graphic design Merktuig, Jarno Aafjes, Dagmar van den Brink, Olga Duijn Online sales www.barbersociety.com/magazine Advertisements & Publisher BarberSociety B.V. Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Miranda Vlas +31 (0)6 54 212 432 info@barbersociety.com www.barbersociety.com @barbersocietymag ©BarberSociety is a publication of BarberSociety B .V. Nothing from this publication may be copied without the prior consent of the publisher. BarberSociety may not be included in a portfolio of magazines without prior written consent. BarberSociety is not responsible for any inaccuracies in this publication. BarberSociety is not responsible for any actions by third parties that could ensue from reading this publication.

BarberSociety reserves the right to publish submitted materials entirely or partially without notification.

The publisher excludes any liability for damage due to printing errors or other inaccuracies. More information is available at www.barbersociety.com.

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EDITORIAL REINVENTION REQUIRES RUTHLESSNESS Interview with Josh O’Meara-Patel aka Josh O.P. CHASING PERFECTION: BALANCING TRADITION AND CREATIVIT Y Interview with Daniel Gallego

16 Daniel Gallego, The Fellowship for TRENDS

British Hairdressing, Charles Fencott, Javier Ventoso, Gianni Cardinale, Paul Devlin, Robert-Jan Rietveld

42 Column The Bloody Butcher

“I HAVE TO CHANGE, TO STAY THE SAME”

44 Hayden Cassidy’s career evolution SEVEN YEARS LATER

50 Grooming, In Shop, Lifestyle PRODUCT NEWS

54 Q&A with Luke Blom

ON COURAGE, LESSONS AND LETTING GO

58 Column Chris Foster

SCALE BEYOND THE CHAIR

60 Barbershops & Hotspots in Manchester BARBERS & THE CIT Y

68 FROM THE CHAIR TO THE HELM REINVENT YOURSELF,

Column Dennis van Lierop

70 Step-by-Step Wahl TOUSLED MULLET

74 By Jim Shaw

TOP TIPS FOR ST YLING CURLY HAIR

76 Column Cor Bouw

THE POWER OF DOWN-TO-EARTH INNOVATION

78 Q&A with J’roen Gelderblom ALL-IN THE FAMILY

Hair: Daniel Gallego (ES) Photography: Esteban Roca Collection: EPIC, Best International Men’s Commercial Collection IHA 2025

84 DEPOT Connect (NL), Reuzel show (DE) THIS BARBERPOLE IS TRAVELLING TO…

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E DI TO R I A L

Reinvent Yourself I’m typing this while still half jetlagged and with my head full of images from China. Because yes, we had the honour of putting on another BarberSociety show at the invitation of the World Hairdressing Congress in Xiamen. This time with an international crew of European and Asian barbers three times the size, who felt like one big family. And really, trips like this remind you why you got into this profession in the first place. The energy, the creativity, the chaos backstage, that bizarre Chinese hospitality... it does something to you. In the spring edition, you’ll find an extensive report of this unforgettable experience!

That’s exactly why ‘Reinvent Yourself’ is such a fitting theme for this winter edition. In this profession, you simply can’t stay where you once started. You have to keep going, deepen your knowledge, upgrade, sometimes turn everything upside down because life gives you a push — whether you’re just starting out or have been in the business for years.

Josh O.P. – Be ruthlessly honest with yourself Josh O’Meara-Patel is a living example of this. Josh doesn’t like to beat around the bush: everything is clear, direct, honest.

His view on reinvention is simple: you must dare to look at yourself “ruthlessly.” What still works?

What doesn’t? Where are you missing opportunities?

Where have you become too comfortable?

That’s what makes him so inspiring: Josh doesn’t reinvent because he has to, but because he won’t allow himself to do anything else. The result?

World-class work that doesn’t happen by chance, but through discipline, self-criticism and courage.

Daniel Gallego – Award winner of 2025 Then there’s Daniel Gallego — what a year he’s had.

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We met him earlier this year at Haircon in Manchester, where he won the Best International Men’s Commercial Collection at the International Hairdressing Awards 2025. Later he also won Best Men’s Collection at the Spanish Figaro Awards.

Two major wins, two incredibly strong collections — both featured in this edition. One of them even graces the cover.

More than enough reason to sit down with him. Daniel speaks openly about tradition, discipline, creativity and why barbers must evolve with a world that keeps changing.

Hayden Cassidy – from Croí to Dior If anyone knows how to reinvent yourself, it’s Hayden Cassidy.

She moves between the barbering profession, culture and the fashion world as if they were one domain.

Her project Croí — which brings together community, creativity and personal growth — clearly shows that the role of the barber is bigger than the chair. But it goes further: Hayden now works as an ambassador for Dior’s Sauvage line, together with Tchaga in Paris and Vince the Barber in LA. The fact that a luxury brand like Dior sees and appreciates our world is a real milestone for the entire industry. It puts the barber where he belongs: at the heart of culture, style and identity.

Luke Blom – courage, lessons and letting go Luke Blom, founder of Doq Barbers, blends barbering with entrepreneurship and vision.

He speaks candidly about trial and error, about trust, about grabbing opportunities — and letting some go. His partnerships with The July Hotel and YourDaily

are opening international doors. He shows beautifully that entrepreneurship is not a straight line, but a winding road full of surprises.

J’roen Gelderblom – three generations, one soul for the profession The All in the Family story of J’roen Gelderblom is one that truly touches you. Three generations of craftsmanship.

He was “born and made in the barbershop”, as he himself says.

His interview reads like an ode to the craft: honest, nostalgic and full of love for the barber’s trade. J’roen shows that reinventing yourself doesn’t always mean finding something new; sometimes it means returning to the roots — but with the experience and wisdom of today.

The Bloody Butcher – writing like only he can And be sure to check out the column by The Bloody Butcher.

No one writes like him. Raw, honest, humorous and at the same time super wise. It’s like a rollercoaster ride through his mind every time. He says everything as he thinks it, without a filter and always with a wink. Don’t miss it!

And further in this edition…

We have another jam-packed mix: The hottest trends from Gianni Cardinal, Robert-Jan Rietveld, Charles Fencott, Javier Ventoso and more New grooming, shopping and lifestyle products Barbers & the City in Manchester Top tips for curls by Jim Shaw A Tousled Mullet step-by-step Inspiring columns by Chris Foster, Dennis van Lierop and Cor Bouw The vibe of various events, including DEPOT Connect, the Netherlands. This amazing show took place in September, with top barbers and no fewer

The BarberSociety organisation team in China.

Stan van de Hare (l), Marc van de Hare (m), Miranda Vlas (r).

than 40 models on stage.

Pure energy, pure passion.

If you weren’t there… you truly missed something.

BSL 2026 – our 10th anniversary And then there’s the news I’m so proud of: in this edition we reveal the first names of the BarberSociety Live 2026 line-up!

Our anniversary edition.

Ten years of BarberSociety, that has to be celebrated. And we’re doing that with a line-up that includes a barber who has put our profession on the map worldwide.

I can’t wait until 12 April 2026!

Get your tickets now for our BSL anniversary edition! www.barbersocietylive.com or scan the QR-code:

What started as an idea in 2016 has grown into an event that connects barbers from all over Europe and beyond. The 2026 edition will be more than ever a celebration of our profession.

Finally Reinvent Yourself. Sometimes it’s a choice, sometimes a necessity, sometimes just the next step waiting for you.

I hope this edition gives you just the push you need.

Enjoy reading and see you in 2026!

Marc van de Hare Founder of BarberSociety Owner of Van de Hare Amsterdam Barbers

Read BarberSociety Magazine Anywhere, Anytime BarberSociety Magazine’s international English editions are now available digitally—subscribe or shop single issues for instant access anytime, anywhere, and give yourself (or someone else) the perfect dose of barbering inspiration this holiday season.

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INTERV IEW

Reinvention requires ruthlessness: Josh O’meara-Patel’s story How a New Year’s Eve disaster turned a geography student into one of barbering’s most influential educators.

Text: Ben Copeland

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@barber.josh.o.p @dfsformula

Visit the show and look & learn from Josh O.P. at BarberSociety Live 2026, Sunday, 12 April 2026!

The worst haircut of my life changed everything

The worst haircut of Josh’s life changed everything. It was New Year’s Eve, he needed a trim, and “like an idiot”, he hadn’t booked an appointment.

Standing in his parents’ house, staring at his dad’s clippers in the cupboard, he thought: “It can’t be that hard.”

It was that hard. He wore a hat to the party that night.

But something about the sound hooked him. “There was something in the way that the sound of the clipper crunching in the hair that it just had me hooked.” One week later, he dropped out of university where he was studying geography and started cutting hair from his mom and dad’s kitchen.

That was ten years ago. Today, Josh O’meara-Patel is an internationally recognized barber educator with over 22,000 students across every continent, creator of the patentpending D.F.S. Formula cutting system, and winner of Educator of the Decade at this year’s CT Barber Expo, USA.

The three-month sprint Josh’s career obliterated the traditional path. Three months after that New Year’s disaster, he landed a job at a local barbershop. Three months later, a more upscale shop. Three months after that, the most expensive shop in the city.

By one year in, he’d been asked to start teaching. “I’d only been cutting hair a year. I didn’t aim to be an educator. I just posted what I did online and people wanted to see how I did it.”

His philosophy became simple: say yes to everything. “I’ve always believed in doing things before you’re ready. My whole idea is if I say yes to a 1,000 things and I only get 500 done, some people look at it as failing 500 times.

Whereas I look at it as winning 499 times more than you did, because you only tried one thing.”

His first class was in Rotterdam (NL) at just eighteen months in.

Teaching clicked immediately.

He’d coached sports his whole life and grew up around psychology, his mother’s mental

health struggles making him “emotionally literate quite early on.” When barbering combined with teaching, something aligned.

“I remember being like, that’s what I want to do. And I sort of like head down sprint.”

He only worked in a barbershop for about three of his ten years cutting hair. “I very early on knew I didn’t want to be a barbershop barber, which sounds really weird.

But I always wanted to focus on the teaching side of things.” He still experienced every stage though. “I still did the local shop, the slightly more upscale shop, the inner city shop, rented a chair, owned my own barbershop.

I just did it quick because I was like, I haven’t got time to waste.”

The method is the product Here’s where it gets interesting: Josh never went to barber school.

“I didn’t learn how to cut hair traditionally. What that meant is I ended up just doing what worked for me in my own head.”

When he started teaching, people kept asking about his method. That’s when it hit him.

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“I started to realize that the method I was using was the product, not my haircuts.”

it’s not about 10% being able to be good. It’s about 100% of us being able to be good.”

He pieced together his approach into the D.F.S. Formula. “What it focuses on is mixing together the ideas of visual haircutting, technical haircutting, and merging it together to make precision haircutting easy, logical, efficient.”

He’s clear about what he’s not saying. “It’s not that everyone has to do what we do. What we do provides a good foundational understanding of hair that you can use to progress through our system or any other system. That’s what’s missing in our industry, that foundational understanding of hair and being able to actually know what you’re doing.”

The problem he identified was clear. “A lot of the time with education in our industry, the only real way to progress is to learn hairdressing. However, hairdressing doesn’t really correlate to the barbershop because the environment is different, the timeframe is different.”

His vision? Make it the standardized way people learn.

“I firmly believe if you learned this first and then wanted to go take a Sassoon course afterwards, you would understand more. Because barbers who take those courses get bamboozled, most of them.

If we want to scale as an industry, 8

A global classroom and recognition Josh has taught the craft on every continent. His online academy’s 22,000 members are spread globally, highest in the US, then the UK and Europe, including “quite a few from the Netherlands.” Up until this year, marketing was purely organic.

“We’ve never really focused on marketing outside of social media and email campaigns.” Now they’re building a proper team.

That Educator of the Decade award? He sees it as recognition for the movement. “I don’t take

it as recognition for me. I take it as recognition for the movement we’re creating as a whole, as a company, but also our students. You can only give out your best and your world tells you how to improve it.” He doesn’t enter competitions. “The awards I’ve won haven’t been entered, just people nominating.

I don’t want or need a personal accolade, but I love that the recognition for everyone’s hard work is coming through.”

Inspiration and trends in the U.S. When asked about inspiration, Josh’s answer is pure. “The only way to describe it is the canvas I’m working on. The hair talks to you. It tells you where it wants to go.” His approach to creation is almost zen. “When it comes to creation, I want to be as surprised as you are when it gets to the end.

If it’s in my head before I start, then technically it’s recreation.”

As for other barbers? “My tonguein-cheek response is, I don’t care how anyone else cuts hair. No one else’s haircuts should affect my desire to cut hair.” But he clarifies quickly. “That doesn’t mean when

Reinventing yourself is more moving closer to your true self I see good work and people trying their best and growing, that doesn’t inspire me every day.

Every single person has the ability to inspire me. But I love it so much I’d be doing it anyway.”

internet is making everywhere the same. “Because of TikTok and Instagram, those worlds are merging together. The internet is making the world all one community.”

On trends, it’s about suitability.

“I don’t like when someone wants something that doesn’t suit them. The same way I love doing haircuts that suit people, even if it’s boring or simple. If it really suits that person, that’s going to excite me more than doing something crazy.”

Is this good or bad? Both.

“Being different is the best thing we have. I’d rather see you being you in the best form than trying to be a copy of someone else.” Walk down any street and you’ll see the same haircuts everywhere, all the same mediocre standard.

“The social media barber world is maybe 10% of the actual industry. Our real job is to get the other 90% who aren’t part of social media to care the same about quality.”

He’s noticed slightly longer styles returning to the US. “The last two to three years people have started to wear more tapers rather than fades.” But the

BarberSociety and Dutch fans Josh’s relationship with BarberSociety has been “from afar” since meeting at BarberCon in 2018. “Every year they hit me up and every year I’ve been booked.” This year they asked early enough.

“I’m glad it works out for the 10-year anniversary because it’s going to be a special one.”

He’ll fly from New York with Tony and Montel from the UK. Having multiple educators matters. “Not one person is trying to be like somebody else and everyone brings different value and targets a different kind of barber. If we only create one type of person, we’re not really representing the industry. I want everyone to feel represented.”

His name was recently mentioned on the Dutch Barbersessions radio show as one of the barbers Dutch fans most want to see.

“It still blows my mind because we’re all just barbers. I go through the same anxieties, the same procrastination, the imposter syndrome. We’re all the same.”

To know what they’re building 9

is gathering momentum means everything. “It’s more than just a haircut. It’s about elevating people as humans not just technically.”

What can the audience expect at BarberSociety Live next year?

“It’s going to be intense. I’m going to break everything down to as much detail as possible. Mostly putting it through a system that allows us to scale and helping people enhance not only their ability but their understanding.

Success in haircutting is mostly based around decision making rather than just technique.”

Reinvention and growing pains This magazine’s theme is “Reinventing Yourself,” and Josh has perspective. “Reinventing yourself is more moving closer to your true self. Every time someone reinvents themselves, they’re making a shift closer to who they really are. It’s an elevation of confidence that allows you to bring that out.”

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But leveling up is tough.

“It’s always just met with backlash.

Every time you level up, you’re moving yourself further away from some people’s comfort.”

He reframes the comfort zone conversation. “Your comfort zone doesn’t hold you back.

It’s other people’s comfort zones.

What holds most people back is their perception of everyone else’s comfort zone.”

He tells his team constantly: “For your world to look different this time next year, the people in it have to be prepared to be different. If I level up and it’s not comfortable enough for you, I’m not going to come back down.

That sounds ruthless but to build the success people want, you have to be ruthless.”

Barbers especially struggle.

“Barbers are empaths, people pleasers. That’s partly why we do our job, we get to please people every day. But when it comes to leveling up, that holds you back

because you keep yourself down as to not make others uncomfortable.”

The solution? “You have to let go of that barrier. If you want to be the best person you can be, the best barber, educator, dad, whatever, you have to look after yourself first. Fill your cup first. Don’t be afraid of losing people. Your world changing is normal. It’s necessary.”

Lessons learned and what’s next The first time he really messed up a haircut, probably his third one, was defining. “It was a family member who I had to look at every day.” That mistake gave him the focus he needed.

“That’s what gave me the OCD of making sure I wanted to be as good as I could be.”

At thirty-one, Josh wants to actually see the world instead of just teaching in it. “I’ve been to Brazil nine times, but I’ve never seen anything other than

an airport, hotel and venue.”

Professionally, he wants the team to become the stars while he pursues mentoring across creative industries. “I teach a lot about dopamine and productivity, how to deal with a creative brain. It’s not something I’m speaking about because I’ve never had it.

I struggle with it every day.”

They’re also partnering with barber schools to teach the D.F.S. Formula at grassroots level. “So people come through with better understanding from day one.”

For the dreamers His advice for aspiring educators is emphatic. “Just say yes.

Just do things. If you don’t feel ready, that’s the best time.

If you feel ready, that means you feel confident. Confidence is just confirmed experience. You’re not really pushing yourself.”

You don’t need massive social media presence, Josh attests.

“One of our biggest selling educators has about a thousand followers because he understands marketing.”

Start at the bottom.

“You start doing it for free.

Teaching at salons and schools for free, building experience.”

And stop waiting for perfection.

“People say they want to be educators but their scissor work isn’t good enough yet.

I say, ‘Can you fade?’ ‘Yes.’ Well, teach fading first because you need to practice teaching.

By the time your scissor work is good enough, you’ll already be good at teaching.”

Ten years later Ten years after that New Year’s Eve disaster, Josh is still hooked on the sound of clippers crunching through hair. Still saying yes

to opportunities. Still believing we’re all just barbers going through the same struggles.

What started with a terrible haircut and a hat has become something bigger. A cutting system taught across continents.

An online academy with over 22,000 students. A decade of education that’s helped shape how barbers think about their craft.

Josh will be at BarberSociety’s 10-year anniversary with Tony and Montel, ready to give three hours of detailed instruction.

For someone who dropped out of geography to cut hair in his parents’ kitchen, it’s been quite a journey.

And it all started because one New Year’s Eve, he thought cutting his own hair couldn’t be that hard.

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INTERV IEW

From an early age, the afternoons of Daniel Gallego (38) revolved around the scissors and clippers. He would often be found in his father’s barber shop in Valencia, Spain, after school —doing his homework or helping to clean after a service. Those beginnings sparked Daniel’s curiosity about the profession. His father taught him the basics, laying the groundwork for the passion that would grow into a vocation in the years to come.

Text: David Palacios Rubio

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Despite traveling and training worldwide, he has always kept his business in his hometown of Valencia. He started working at a unisex salon, but 10 years ago he decided to open his own shop following in his father’s footsteps as a barber. That dedication and commitment to his craft have not gone unnoticed. Over the years, Daniel has earned accolades—including the Fígaro Award and the International Hairdressing Awards—confirming his reputation as a leading professional in the Spanish hairdressing scene. We spoke with him days after his latest award, while he was preparing for his next client in the salon. Because as he believes, life goes on normally despite the recognition of an award.

Chasing perfection: balancing tradition and creativity Interview with Daniel Gallego

Everyday excellence The consistency that Daniel has been achieving along his career has been rewarded. In October, the Figaro Awards— the national awards for hairdressing and barbering in Spain—recognized him for his collection ‘Balance’.

Earlier in June, he also won the award for Best International Men’s Commercial Collection at the International Hairdressing Awards (IHA) held in Manchester and where barbers from around the world showcase their technical skills and artistic vision.

Daniel, who had already won this same award in 2020, describes his winning collection as one that “seeks to create equilibrium between different aspects.”

Technically, it bridges two worlds: the everyday barbershop style and the editorial, creative side of men’s hairdressing. “I’ve noticed many editorial stylists come from unisex backgrounds, so with this collection I wanted to build a link—something that connects the daily barbershop reality with the high-concept editorial side,” he says. Even though it’s an editorial collection designed for competitions and magazines, Daniel believes it retains the “barbershop essence.”

Yet, despite the accolades, Daniel believes that the real work happens in the salon, where the day-to-day craft and the happiness of his clients truly define his success. “Doing what you love and getting recognition for it, becoming a reference for others—it’s an honour but also a big responsibility.”

Reinvention is key Since he opened his salon in Valencia back in 2015, his principles have always been the same. “My mindset hasn’t changed,” he admits. Elegance and refinement have always been the DNA of Daniel’s creativity. But the profession itself has changed

a lot, meaning that he has also evolved as a professional. He defends reinvention in a profession like hairdressing, which is constantly evolving.

“Hairdressing is about trend, change, movement. For me, reinventing oneself is practically an obligation. We can’t stay stuck with old techniques or styles—we have to keep moving forward, ideally anticipating what’s coming next,” he states. Gallego shares an example of when a customer shows him a haircut from social media. “I need to be ahead of the curve. A client should never show me a haircut I’ve never seen before,” he says.

He also admits that hairdressers “can’t stay in the past” by writing appointments in a notebook. “We must innovate, digitize, and look for added value in everything we do. 40 years ago, when my father was my age, barbers didn’t think about such things—they just cut 13

The world changes, and so must we hair. Now salons are real businesses that require management, branding, and innovation. The world changes, and so must we,” he admits.

All starts with the first haircut Daniel’s father tried to give him some notions of the profession in case he chose to become a hairdresser in the future.

“I am the youngest of three children, and I think my father saw that with me it was the last chance he had to try to become a hairdresser,” he recalls.

At the age of 15, he started competing, which helped him grow as a professional even before he began his formal studies. “Competitions were what truly made me a better professional, because chasing perfection forces you to refine your technique,” he says.

Competitions also gave him excitement and passion for the job. Seeing improvement, even small wins in contests, motivated him to continue the family legacy.

The true mentors In addition to his father, Daniel considers all his teachers as true mentors. “Usually when people ask this, they expect global references—famous hairstylists

or competition legends —but honestly, many of my key influences were those who taught me step by step. Watching my father compete inspired me, and so did my trainers.

My goal was to be able to cut hair like them,” he adds.

As he evolved professionally, he discovered other references.

One barber he admires most today is Josh Lamonaca.

“He’s an amazing barber who embodies all the qualities I consider essential to be at the top of this profession.”

Spain vs. the world For Daniel, Spanish hairdressing is in a great moment. “It’s an exciting time,” he admits.

However, there are still issues to address in the profession.

One of them is that currently there is no requirement for

Photo: image courtesy Top Hair Düsseldorf

His father pushed him and sparked his curiosity to become competitive. Because of this determination, he started practicing haircuts on training heads at the age of 13 as if it were a real competition. “My father told me later that sometimes the haircut was fine, but at that

moment he would still tell me it wasn’t good enough and that it needed to improve. That’s what pushed me to get better.”

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Competitions were what truly made me a better professional a professional qualification to open a hair salon—just a license for the premises.“That’s something that should change.

It’s a political issue, of course, but we as hairdressers should push for it,” he admits.

Daniel points out that Spain is now one of the reference countries in creative hairdressing.

“It used to be the opposite—we would always go abroad to learn.

But now we’re inspiring others.”

In addition to the fashion hubs of Madrid and Barcelona, smaller cities such as Valencia are now considered a “land of artists” because of the number of professionals doing business there. “It’s something we’re proud of,” he admits. Outside of Spain, he remains conservative and looks to London and Paris as the key stages in the hairdressing business.

It is all about trends In an industry that’s constantly evolving, staying on top of trends is essential for meeting clients’ changing expectations.

Daniel Gallego points out one recent development: men are taking more care of themselves and valuing their image.

“In fact, male clients are now coming in greater numbers than female clients, which is new.

That’s a very positive change.”

He also believes that the trend of extremely short faded haircuts is beginning to evolve, with longer styles making a comeback.

“The fade isn’t going anywhere, but the balance is shifting toward longer looks,” he adds.

Inspiring younger generations Now a trainer for aspiring hairdressers, Daniel shares his insights with the next generation

of stylists. He offers a key piece of advice: “Don’t rush. Today we live in a world of hurry —instant gratification. Social media teaches us we can have anything immediately. But our profession doesn’t work that way.

It needs time to study, time to grow, to build a solid foundation.”

Many young stylists want to start straight ahead with the hardest cuts, but he encourages them to first learn the basics to truly understand the tools and techniques. “Only then can you grow. So yes, patience and solid training,” he says.

Looking back, Daniel is convinced that his early beginnings were key in helping him love the profession more and more, little by little.

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DANIEL GALEGGO

16 BEST MEN’S HAIR COLLECTION

WINNER FIGARO AWARDS 2025

Collection: BALANCE Hair: Daniel Gallego (ES) @danigallegopelu Photography: Esteban Roca Stylists: Ban&Ro Make-up: Peluqueria Daniel Gallego Hairassistents: @josepmunozz, @delacasabarber, @argaba_, @briangonzalez95, @lapeludemariangeles

SPAIN

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Collection: BALANCE Hair: Daniel Gallego (ES) @danigallegopelu Photography: Esteban Roca Stylists: Ban&Ro Make-up: Peluqueria Daniel Gallego Hairassistents: @josepmunozz, @delacasabarber, @argaba_, @briangonzalez95, @lapeludemariangeles

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Collection: BALANCE Hair: Daniel Gallego (ES) @danigallegopelu Photography: Esteban Roca Stylists: Ban&Ro Make-up: Peluqueria Daniel Gallego Hairassistents: @josepmunozz, @delacasabarber, @argaba_, @briangonzalez95, @lapeludemariangeles

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Collection: BALANCE Hair: Daniel Gallego (ES) @danigallegopelu Photography: Esteban Roca Stylists: Ban&Ro Make-up: Peluqueria Daniel Gallego Hairassistents: @josepmunozz, @delacasabarber, @argaba_, @briangonzalez95, @lapeludemariangeles

DANIEL GALEGGO

20 BEST INTERNATIONAL MEN’S COMMERCIAL COLLECTION

WINNER INTERNATIONAL HAIRDRESSING AWARDS 2025

Collection: EPIC Hair: Daniel Gallego (ES) @danigallegopelu Photography: Esteban Roca Stylists: Ban&Ro Make-up: Peluqueria Daniel Gallego Hairassistents: @palaobarber, @delacasabarber, @argaba_

SPAIN

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Collection: EPIC Hair: Daniel Gallego (ES) @danigallegopelu Photography: Esteban Roca Stylists: Ban&Ro Make-up: Peluqueria Daniel Gallego Hairassistents: @palaobarber, @delacasabarber, @argaba_

THE FELLOWSHIP FOR BRITISH HAIRDRESSING

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PROJECT MEN AND MEDIA

Collection: Anthem. Creative Direction & project leader: Dean Gleeson (UK) Photography: Paul Simmons. Stylist: Stephanie Day. Make-up artist: Lily Winfield Hair: Tony Hristov, Samual Justice, Marcus Hampton, Darcey Clarke, Billy Ryan Products: Captain Fawcett, Wahlpro UK, Leaf scissors @dean_gleeson_, @hairby.to, @samjusticehair, @Marcushampton_hair, @darceymariahair, @billyryanhair, @tribesalons

UNITED KINGDOM

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Collection: Anthem. Creative Direction & project leader: Dean Gleeson (UK) Photography: Paul Simmons. Stylist: Stephanie Day. Make-up artist: Lily Winfield Hair: Tony Hristov, Samual Justice, Marcus Hampton, Darcey Clarke, Billy Ryan Products: Captain Fawcett, Wahlpro UK, Leaf scissors @dean_gleeson_, @hairby.to, @samjusticehair, @Marcushampton_hair, @darceymariahair, @billyryanhair, @tribesalons

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Collection: Anthem. Creative Direction & project leader: Dean Gleeson (UK) Photography: Paul Simmons. Stylist: Stephanie Day. Make-up artist: Lily Winfield Hair: Tony Hristov, Samual Justice, Marcus Hampton, Darcey Clarke, Billy Ryan Products: Captain Fawcett, Wahlpro UK, Leaf scissors @dean_gleeson_, @hairby.to, @samjusticehair, @Marcushampton_hair, @daarceymariahair, @billyryanhair, @tribesalons

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Collection: Anthem. Creative Direction & project leader: Dean Gleeson (UK) Photography: Paul Simmons. Stylist: Stephanie Day. Make-up artist: Lily Winfield Hair: Tony Hristov, Samual Justice, Marcus Hampton, Darcey Clarke, Billy Ryan Products: Captain Fawcett, Wahlpro UK, Leaf scissors @dean_gleeson_, @hairby.to, @samjusticehair, @Marcushampton_hair, @darceymariahair, @billyryanhair, @tribesalons

CHARLES FENGOTT

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Collection: Guilded Anarchy Hair: Charles Fencott (UK) Photography: Taylor Griffiths Photography Model: Iolo Rowe @charlesfencott, @redefined.studio.uk

UNITEDKINDOM

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Collection: Guilded Anarchy Hair: Charles Fencott (UK) Photography: Taylor Griffiths Photography Model: Iolo Rowe @charlesfencott, @redefined.studio.uk

JAVIER VENTOSO

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A.I. Collection: ESSENS.IA.LS Artistic Director: Javier Ventoso (ES) Image Production: David Arnal @javier_ventoso

SPAIN

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A.I. Collection: ESSENS.IA.LS Artistic Director: Javier Ventoso (ES) Image Production: David Arnal @javier_ventoso

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A.I. Collection: ESSENS.IA.LS Artistic Director: Javier Ventoso (ES) Image Production: David Arnal @javier_ventoso

Collection: Collective Hair: Gianni Cardinale (UK) Photography: Liam Oakes @giancardinale

GIANNI CARDINALE

UNITED KINGDOM

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Collection: Collective Hair: Gianni Cardinale (UK) Photography: Liam Oakes @giancardinale

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Collection: Collective Hair: Gianni Cardinale (UK) Photography: Liam Oakes @giancardinale

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Collection: Collective Hair: Gianni Cardinale (UK) Photography: Liam Oakes @giancardinale

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Collection: Collective Hair: Gianni Cardinale (UK) Photography: Liam Oakes @giancardinale

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Collection: Collective Hair: Gianni Cardinale (UK) Photography: Liam Oakes @giancardinale

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Collection: Collective Hair: Gianni Cardinale (UK) Photography: Liam Oakes @giancardinale

PAUL DEVLIN

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Collection: Upside Down Hair & Styling: Paul Devlin (UK) Photography: Andy Kruczek Assistant: Kaylah Hall @devros-barbers

UNITED KINGDOM

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Collection: Upside Down Hair & Styling: Paul Devlin (UK) Photography: Andy Kruczek Assistant: Kaylah Hall @devros-barbers

ROBERT-JAN RIETVELD

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FOR REUZEL

Hair: Robert-Jan Rietveld (NL) Photography: Jelle Mollema Products: REUZEL @the_bloody_butcher

THENETHERLANDS

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Hair: Robert-Jan Rietveld (NL) Photography: Jelle Mollema Products: REUZEL @the_bloody_butcher

C O L U M N T H E B LO O DY B U TC H E R

Hello Barber Society Magazine readers,

and welcome to another episode of “The Best and Worst of Bertus the Barber”.

Visit his show at BarberSociety Live 2026, Sunday, 12 April 2026!

My first reaction when I received a message from Miranda asking if I wanted to write another piece for their magazine, this time on the theme of ‘Reinventing Yourself,’ was: ‘I can work with that, I do it all the time...’ But as usual, I received the familiar message: ‘Hi Robert, are you going to make it? The deadline is tomorrow...’ and I thought: ‘Damn, I’m not reinventing anything, I’m still the same disorganised, chaotic horse’s arse I was yesterday...’

And now here I am, sitting in the backyard of my Airbnb in Austin, Texas, 30 degrees in the shade, hammering this story into my laptop. Some things never change, I guess...

I have to change to stay the same…

Is it really that important to reinvent yourself all the time…?

One of my favourite quotes is from Willem de Kooning, the Rotterdam-born painter who spent most of his life in the States: “I have to change to stay the same…” I’m obviously the same bloke who almost 15 years ago — 11 February 2011 — opened the now world-famous Schorem barbershop. But also… I’m not.

In those 15 years I’ve learned SO MUCH. I quit drinking, started running marathons, I see the world completely differently than I did back then, and I genuinely feel I’m a happier, calmer human being.

But the question was, of course: ‘Have I reinvented myself...?’

I don’t think so. When Leen and I opened the shop, our motto was: ‘Work hard, play harder!!’

Long days on the floor, longer

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nights at the bar, and it is and remains a fact that this lifestyle and work ethic has served us well.

We always said that the success of a barbershop is 30% quality and 70% experience and storytelling. And people loved our stories... It was CHAOS, but beautiful chaos... I don’t regret a single thing we did. Most of my memories bring tears to my eyes, usually from laughter and sometimes from crying. Of course, you can’t call your shop SCHOREM (Dutch slang for ‘rascals/rogues’) and then sit at home sipping chamomile tea on the sofa…

No regrets, but I can’t bear the thought of having to do it all over again. Just the thought of it gives me a headache... Today, Schorem Haarsnijder en Barbier is a well-oiled machine, with the whole team on the fitness

machines instead of on the beer and Colombian jump-powder, the quality of the work higher than ever, the shop busier than ever and still LOTS of stories, old and new...

I am 51 years old, and I can still remember very well that we had a rotary dial telephone at home.

I can ALSO remember the moment when I had my first customer in my chair with a portable phone, one of those where you had a kind of battery on your back...

I can ALSO remember my very first Nokia, on which I could not only send text messages but also play SNAKE for hours...

A friend of mine, gadget nutcase, had the very first iPhone and I remember my eyes almost popping out of my head when the screen tilted... But now MY question is: Did Steve Jobs reinvent the telephone or

@the_bloody_butcher

Every day is the first day of the rest of your life

is it still a telephone, a very smart telephone of course, but essentially still a device for communicating?

I don’t think you need to reinvent yourself. You, dear reader, are UNIQUE; there is no one else in the whole world like you. Some people are happy about that and others less so, and that’s what makes life interesting. I DO think it’s worth trying to get out of bed every day as a better version of yourself, not necessarily for others, let them do their best, but I firmly believe that every day is the first day of the rest of your life.

Robert aka Rob aka Bertus aka The Bloody Butcher (Damn… maybe I am reinventing myself all the time after all ;-)

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Seven years later: Leah Hayden Cassidy’s career evolution Seven years after her first BarberSociety Magazine interview, the Irish barber reflects on reinvention, community, and building a creative empire in East London.

Text: Ben Copeland

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@hayden_cassidy, @croilondon

INTERV IEW

Hayden will be present at BarberSociety Live 2026, Sunday, 12 April!

Seven years is a lifetime in the barbering world. When BarberSociety last sat down with Leah Hayden Cassidy in 2018, the Dublin native was finding her feet in Berlin, dreaming about Vidal Sassoon scholarships and imagining what life might look like in London or LA. Today, she’s calling from Croí, her third and largest studio in London Fields, where the walls are adorned with 24-karat gold hand-painted signage, and the space doubles as an art gallery, photography studio, and creative headquarters for a community of makers.

Croí means “heart” in Gaelic, and it’s become more than just a name. It’s a philosophy that underpins everything Hayden has built.

“I came from a working-class area in Dublin that didn’t have much, but what we did have was a real sense of community,” she recalls. “Neighbours would knock asking for sugar, we’d play football on the street together.

People might have looked at us and thought we didn’t have much, but we had everything that was important.

We had connection.”

From £1,000 to luxury: The COVID pivot When we last spoke to Hayden in 2018, she had just moved to Berlin and was beginning to understand barbering’s borderless nature.

After relocating to London with her partner, she threw herself into education, travelling every weekend to teach across Europe.

She shadowed her heroes,

including Kevin Luchmun, and applied for that Vidal Sassoon scholarship she’d dreamed about.

She didn’t get it. But years later, while educating for Andis at Salon International, the Sassoon educators approached her to praise her stage presence. “It was a full-circle moment,” she laughs.

“They had no idea I’d tried to get into their academy before.”

Then came March 2020.

“I looked at my schedule and realized 99% of my income that year was relying on education and travelling around the world,” she says. “That couldn’t be possible any more.”

Within weeks, Hayden found

photography: @barberday & @eoingreally

Everything has come together to create this space that I’m really proud of 45

@hayden_cassidy together with: @craigyscissorhands, @michaelbellhair, @pantelis_vrousai

Dior really cares about our ideas and what we want to create

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herself on Universal Credits earning just £100 a week.

But instead of panic, she found purpose. She started hosting Instagram Lives, taught herself web design and branding, and began envisioning what would come next.

When restrictions lifted, she had saved exactly £1,000 from her benefits. She put every penny into her first one-chair studio.

“It was one chair, a mirror, and a plant in the corner. That was it,” she says. “But slowly but surely, I started to build clientele.”

That studio lasted four years.

Now she’s in her third iteration, a sprawling creative space where her photographer friend edits images, where Lucky (a graffiti artist) has a key and paints whenever inspiration strikes, and where pop-ups and exhibitions happen organically.

“Everything has come together to create this space that I’m really proud of,” she says. “I have complete freedom to do what I want and the structure to be able to do that. Looking back, that time during COVID where I had no money but had ideas and was willing to graft, that time was actually essential to build the next stage.”

Reinvention as practice The theme of this winter edition is “reinvent yourself,” and Hayden knows the territory well. Before barbering, she played football in America until a broken leg ended that dream. She taught dancing. She worked in bars.

None of it gave her that fire.

“For me, reinventing yourself means when you get complacent and stagnant, when you’re going through the motions,” she explains. “You could be successful, you could have a busy barbershop, but you don’t have that itch or eagerness.

That’s when you need to shake things up. I don’t think anything good comes from staying in

a comfort zone.”

She’s practiced this throughout her career, working everywhere from a barbershop in the basement of a vinyl store to a shop inside a tattoo studio, from a classic Berlin barbershop to predominantly Afro barbershops. Each move added another layer to her technique.

“Don’t ever replicate someone word for word,” she advises.

“Take little things and then create your own, because nobody can then replicate that from you. I’m still in awe at some of the fades our friends in the US do, but then equally, I love seeing Gary Gill do crazy things with wet look gel, or Toni & Guy with scissor work. Bring it all together. The most important thing is always details.”

When education gigs weren’t sparking joy anymore this year, she pivoted to doing it her own way, in her own studio, on her own terms. “I think you should always just listen to your gut,” she says.

“We’re in control of our change.

There’s nothing wrong with it.”

Building an authentic brand Walk into Croí and you won’t see the typical barbershop aesthetic.

No checkerboard floor, no red-and-white pole. Instead, there’s warmth, art, and a high, loft-like ceiling.

“When I was opening my new studio, I muted probably 99% of the industry on my socials,” Hayden reveals. “Not because I didn’t want to see what people were doing, but I felt like the influence of other people would distract me from what I actually loved.”

She worked with her friend Tam, a creative director, who interviewed her intensely about every decision. The result is a brand that merges Japanese car culture aesthetics with Gaelic heritage. “Croí, it’s a Gaelic word, but it can look quite feminine or generic, like

putting sláinte on an Irish pub,” she explains. “So we created this font and brand that was different. I wanted to make sure that if I ever wore it on a necklace or a hat, I’d be proud. It’s your identity on paper.”

That philosophy extends to her social media. While she knows simple iPhone videos of clean fades would get more engagement, she refuses to compromise. “Any videos I create, I want to be the person that enjoys watching them,” she says. “Cool music, cool visuals. Even if it doesn’t make sense to everybody else, I just want it to be me.”

Dior and the validation of an industry Two and a half years ago, Dior reached out about a project.

As a grooming ambassador for their Sauvage line, Hayden is now part of a trio alongside Tchaga in Paris and Vince the Barber in LA. She’s groomed celebrities, contributed to GQ, attended Paris Fashion Week, and sat front row at shows. Recently, she was interviewed by Vogue.

When a friend marveled at these achievements, her response was characteristically grounded: “That’s sick. I’m super grateful.

Let’s go on to the next thing.”

But she recognizes the significance. “It’s about time that barbers have been recognized for their value,” she says. “For a luxury brand like Dior to see us from the fashion side, that’s important for our whole industry.”

What surprises her most is the creative freedom. “You’d think a brand like that just wants you to do whatever they say, but Dior really cares about our ideas and what we want to create.”

Community over competition Hayden’s studio isn’t just where she cuts hair. It’s where Liz shoots 47

photography projects, where Lucky paints between commissions, where friends collaborate on ideas that don’t fit into categories.

artists, brands, the guy working with me in his dreams. I want to create a safe space for people to not be afraid to ask questions or seek guidance.”

“I always say when I teach, if you’re feeling stagnant, brainstorm with people from different fields,” she explains.

“Go into a room with five people who all do five different things but are all creative, and just bounce ideas off each other.”

Balance and boundaries The biggest lesson Hayden has learned? Balance.

A recent editorial shoot was put together entirely with friends.

It cost “nothing but a few coffees”. It ended up in a magazine. “When people see shoots or editorials, they think it must cost a lot of money,” she says. “But if you look around your inner circle, you’ll find people who can create these things, usually for nothing.”

Looking ahead to 2026, her focus is on nurturing this community.

“Over the last decade, I’ve done a lot of things, and I always had incredible mentors,” she says.

“People get competitive and afraid to give advice or help each other out. But that can only benefit us all. I want to support 48

“You can only go so long until you get to a stage where you feel physically and mentally drained,” she admits. “As much as we think we’re invincible, we really do need to give ourselves that time.”

These days, she starts every morning with a run in nature: time for herself before giving her time to everyone else. She’s learned to say no. “Years ago, I used to say yes to everything. You do need to do it to a certain extent, but you don’t need to do that to the detriment of your mental health.”

Her definition of success hasn’t changed much. “Success has always been the journey for me,” she explains. “It’s the excitement of building the thing and creating the concept. The enjoyment comes from making it. Success means exploring life, cultures, people, connection. If you’re

able to explore and enjoy doing it and live financially through a passion, I think you’ve already been successful.”

Learning then and now In 2018, Hayden talked about watching endless YouTube videos and being self-taught. Ask her about learning today, and the answer might surprise you.

“You know what’s really funny?

I actually learn more in person now,” she says. “I’ve been so used to seeing things on a screen that I can’t actually take in the information. But if I’m in person, talking to a barber working beside me, watching them do it, asking questions: I absorb it like a sponge.”

It’s brought her back to her apprenticeship days. “I learned as an apprentice because I was surrounded by great barbers pushing me. If I’d had videos as an apprentice, would I have grown as quickly? Probably not.”

Advice for other barbers For barbers looking to reinvent themselves, Hayden’s advice is clear: “Step outside your comfort zone. Don’t be afraid to do

something different. Take the time to really ask yourself hard questions: Why am I doing this?

What makes me happy?

Am I doing this for myself or because I feel obligated?”

The key is authenticity. “Once you’ve found what you love and honed in on that, everything else will fall into place. It’s like a domino effect,” she says. “When you’re doing things authentically to you, everything else will just arrive and create itself.”

Full circle at BarberSociety Hayden’s relationship with BarberSociety dates back to those early educational stages.

She performed on stage at BSL in 2018, 2019, and 2022.

“The warmth that Miranda and Marc gave, the community spirit, I learned so much from those days,” she reflects. “As they’re coming up to their 10 years, what they’ve done for the industry, the platform they’ve given us, I think is incredible. Marc has had his barbershop for many years. They do it for the community, and that

really speaks volumes.”

Her most memorable moment?

The last show, where she brought her mum. “She made more friends than anybody in that room.

She knew every barber.

At the end, Alan Findlay grabbed her up on stage and we were all dancing together. It showed the true value of what an event like that does, a room full of people just celebrating. That’s what it’s about.”

hub) what would she say?

Hayden laughs. “I think I’d probably just say ‘Keep going’. I don’t think it would faze me. I’ve always known I had a drive since I was a kid. As much as we have to take ourselves seriously, there has to be an element of just going with the flow and having a laugh. If you’re not enjoying it and having a laugh, then what’s it for?”

If she were to take the stage again, her message would be about breaking down barriers.

“There’s this vision that our industry is about egos and the look, but it’s about being authentic and real, speaking to an audience like they’re your friends,” she says. “We’re all in this room for the same reason.

Showcase how many avenues we can reach. Fashion, art, music. We’re all creators.

We’re all artists.”

As our conversation winds down and she spots a client arriving, there’s no sense of someone who’s made it and can now rest.

There’s only the energy of someone who’s found their rhythm, their community, and who’s excited to see what’s next.

Looking forward If 2018 Hayden could see where she is now (working with Dior, featured in Vogue, running Croí as a creative

Seven years ago, we asked where she saw herself going.

Today, we can see where she’s been. But more importantly, we can sense where she’s heading: forward, always forward, with scissors in hand and a whole community at her back.

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18.21 MAN MADE WASH ANTI-FLAKE SHAMPOO & CONDITIONER Suffering from a dry, itchy scalp or flakes?

18.21 Man Made Wash Anti-flake is a rich-lathering, sulfate-free 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner that soothes, hydrates, and strengthens. For a healthy scalp, fresh hair, and the irresistible scent of Sweet Tobacco. Suitable for hair, scalp, and body.

More information www.1821manmade.com

CAPTAIN FAWCETT’S ORIGINAL EAU DE PARFUM a Classic Reimagined

Captain Fawcett’s beloved Original Eau de Parfum returns in a refined glass flacon.

Inspired by the timeless fougère, it blends crisp Bergamot, radiant Mandarin, green Coriander and spiced Cardamom, unfolding into Sandalwood, Moss and warm Vanilla.

GROOMING

A confident, sophisticated scent — a modern salute to craftsmanship and heritage.

The first 1,000 buyers receive a numbered enamel badge.

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More information www.captainfawcett.com

DEPOT 900 SCENTS Renowned for its high-quality premium hair care products, DEPOT® also offers an exclusive collection of home fragrances – carefully crafted to stimulate the senses and add a touch of luxury to any space.

The collection includes seven refined fragrances: CLASSIC COLOGNE – fresh and lightly floral WHITE CEDAR – with notes of citrus, wood, and amber FRESH BLACK PEPPER – with a fresh, woody, and spicy aroma DARK TEA – with a spicy, aromatic, and woody fragrance ORIGINAL OUD – a woody, fruity, and oriental scent SARTORIAL SAGE – an aromatic sage fragrance with soft woody undertones HAVANA WHISPER – a refreshing blend of elemi and citrus notes with the rich warmth of tobacco leaves More information www.depotmaletools.com

NEW SWEET GEORGIA BROWN HAIR TONIC LAUNCH

Teaser: the legendary Pomade will return at the end of 2026!

More information www.pomadeshop.com

GROOMING

The iconic barbershop brand Sweet Georgia Brown, established in 1927, returns with a new Hair Tonic presented in a classic glass bottle. The tonic refreshes the scalp, improves manageability and provides light hold with a natural finish.

Its signature fragrance — with authentic 1930s–40s barbershop character — contains 3% of the original oil-based blend, still produced in the USA.

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UPGRADE: WAHL SUPER TAPER X™ The iconic Super Taper just evolved. Engineered for tight tapering, seamless blending and effortless bulk removal, the new Super Taper X™ combines Wahl’s Crunch Blade technology with a high-performance 6,500 RPM rotary motor.

Its lightweight metallic-blue body offers corded or cordless freedom, a smart LED charge indicator and clear-cut performance thanks to the Stagger-Tooth T-Blade for precise detailing.

Designed to help barbers and stylists find their flow with every cut.

More information www.wahlpro.com

WAHL VANQUISH® COMPACT

IN SHOP

Wahl launches the iconic Vanquish® dryer in a lighter, more compact version. The Vanquish® Compact offers the same powerful, quiet and efficient drying experience – but weighs 15% less than the original.

Equipped with a high-speed digital motor, automatic cleaning function and magnetic attachments for safe styling.

Perfect for barbers who are often on the go or for use in the barbershop.

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More information www.wahlpro.com

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The English Hatter Classic Cap 90 Years Edition

4

Wellington Harris Tweed Trousers

2

The English Hatter Suspenders 90 Years Edition

5

Wellington Harris Tweed Vest

3

Wellington Harris Tweed Blazer

LIFESTYLE

5

More information www.english-hatter.nl 53

INTERV IEW

Luke Blom on courage, lessons and letting go

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Entrepreneurship means falling, getting up, and moving forward. And that’s what I’ll keep doing.

He is only 29, but already runs four successful barbershops under the name DOQ Barbers, including one in Barcelona. He is also an ambassador and creative director for NAK Hair in the Netherlands and a regular at BarberSociety Live. Luke Blom is the type of entrepreneur who never stands still. Always creating, improving and innovating – in his work, his team and himself. In this candid conversation, he talks about his roots in the South of the Netherlands, the period when he got stuck and why he is still working every day to reinvent himself.

When did you know you wanted to be a hairdresser?

“Actually, I was obsessed with hair even as a child. I would sometimes come home crying if my mother hadn’t done my hair properly. I was super vain — my mum reminded me of that recently. And yes, I think it runs in the family. My mother had her own salon at home, so I literally grew up among customers and coffee cups. People walked through the living room into the salon, sat down at the table and got their hair done. That was just normal in our house.”

So your mother was also a hairdresser. Did she inspire you to take up the profession?

“Definitely. My mother had her own salon in town with my father, but later she also had a salon

at home. I saw up close what the profession entailed – hard work, but also fun. My mother had good taste and an eye for detail, so we would sit together on the terrace judging people’s hairstyles. “Look at that hairstyle!” And then we’d crack up. Still do, by the way.”

When did you start cutting hair yourself?

“When I was sixteen. I wanted to look sharp in the pub every weekend, but my mother wasn’t going to cut my hair every week.

So I picked up the clippers myself.

It wasn’t always a success, but that’s how it started.

My mother always said, “You should become a hairdresser.” But at the time, I thought, “No way, that’s not for me.” Back then it was all girls at hairdressing school.”

So what did you do?

“I went to hospitality school, studying Entrepreneurship and Management. But it didn’t feel like my world at all. I simply didn’t know what I did want.

Until I walked into a barbershop in Amsterdam for the first time: Cutthroat. I’ll never forget that moment. The relaxed vibe, the tattoos, the music — it was raw, cool yet stylish. I thought: ‘This is it.’”

And then you decided to become a barber?

“Yes. I finished my hospitality training, but then I called my parents together and said, “I have two options: real estate or barber school.” My mother burst out laughing. She said, “If you go into real estate, we won’t help you financially.

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We’re not just a barbershop – we sell a feeling, a lifestyle

But if you choose hair, then we’ll talk further because that suits you. You’re creative.”

That made it clear to me.”

You also talk openly about a tough period during that time.

“That’s right. I became depressed while working in a hotel. I felt out of place, had lots of ideas but nothing worked out. In the end, I stayed at home for eight months and then started Barber School.

I completed that training while I was still in the middle of that process. My first day at Van de Hare Amsterdam Barbers — the barbershop of BarberSociety founder Marc van de Hare — was literally the day after I finished my therapy.”

What did that period at Van de Hare mean to you?

“A lot. It was a real new start for me. Marc and the team unknowingly helped me enormously. I don’t think they realise how much that meant to me. It felt like family. I learned discipline there. To this day, what I learned at Van de Hare is still my foundation.”

When did that entrepreneurial spark return?

“After two years, an opportunity came along: a space in a hotel that they wanted to rent out.

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A former colleague tipped me off that I could do something with it. It was in the middle of lockdown, but I felt: this is my chance. It was actually too early, I hadn’t finished learning at Van de Hare. But I couldn’t let it pass. Creating a concept is what I love most. That’s how DOQ Barbers was born — in a hotel, on the waterfront, with the Q from ‘quarantine’. Don’t put that in the article though, haha.”

What makes DOQ different from other barbershops?

“We are more than a barbershop.

I call it a boutique barbershop with the service level of a five-star hotel. That’s also where our collaboration with The July Hotels and Your Daily comes from. We are literally located in their buildings, so the hotel feeling is part of our experience.

Customers can have coffee in the hotel lobby, get their haircut, work remotely for a bit, have lunch and a beer afterward.

That lifestyle – that feeling of calm, attention and quality – is part of our concept. That full experience makes the difference. The July also offers opportunities for international growth. They are opening new locations in Dublin and elsewhere, and we are invited to contribute our ideas.

That partnership is worth its weight in gold.”

And that’s where your collaboration with Alex comes in?

“Exactly. Alex is my international business partner. He runs DOQ Barcelon, Spain, with me.

We share the same ambition and are now working together on expansion outside the Netherlands. Step by step,

we are building a brand that is not tied to one city.”

You started young as an entrepreneur. What did you find most difficult in those early days?

“The balance between work and private life. I worked six days a week, ten hours a day. And on top of that, I did the socials, the laundry, the cleaning – everything myself. I was 23 and wanted everything to be perfect.

It was too much.”

When did you feel: this is going to work?

“I remember opening my schedule four days before the opening. There were already four bookings in it, three from people I didn’t know. That was the moment I thought, ‘Okay, this is going to work.’”

You quickly expanded to multiple locations. Was that always the plan?

“Yes, I had that ambition even before I opened my first shop.

I knew that the hotel would be my base, but I wanted to build on that. Now we have four locations: 3 in Amsterdam and one in Barcelona – and a fifth is coming in Dublin.”

How did the Barcelona branch come about?

“My first employee, Victor, was from Barcelona. We became good friends, he believed in my concept, but wanted to return to Spain. So I said, “Let’s do it there together.” And that’s what happened. Later, Alex took over.”

You seem to always be on the move. Where does that come from?

“It’s just in me. My grandparents and my parents were all

entrepreneurs. Besides the salon, my parents also had a cleaning company and later a kids’ clothing line. Entrepreneurship was instilled in me from an early age. And I also have that drive to prove myself – I was never the best at school, so I wanted to show later on that I could do it.”

What does the theme ‘Reinvent Yourself’ mean to you?

“A lot. It’s basically my life motto. I work every day on reinventing myself. Not because I have to, but because I believe you need to move to grow.

Whether it’s in cutting hair, entrepreneurship or photography.

I want to keep learning.”

You mention photography.

Where did that start?

“It started when I began working with friends on content for DOQ. We took photos, made videos and did shoots together – just out of passion. Now, content creation is a big part of my work. I come up with concepts, art direction and campaigns for NAK... that creative side gives me energy.”

So you’re also creative director for NAK Hair in the Netherlands.

What does that involve?

“I create a new shoot and trend concept for the brand every quarter — from the themes to the photography. They use those images in their education programme. That creative process is really my thing.”

Does social media also play a big role for you?

“Yes, absolutely. We’re not located in the city centre, so online visibility is essential.

In the beginning, it was a lot of trial and error, but now I know exactly how to advertise and what works. For me, social media is both a marketing tool and an outlet. And yes, I sometimes use AI for texts, to make them better or more creative.”

What else inspires you?

“In the barbering world, James Beaumont is my biggest

inspiration. The first time I saw him on stage as a Keune ambassador at BarberSociety Live I thought: ‘Who is this guy?’

His style, his technique, his presence — it hit me. Outside the barber world, I’m inspired by photography, interior design and fashion. I love lines, contrast and composition.”

You have a family, three shops and international plans.

Do you ever get stuck?

“Yes, every year for a few weeks.

Then I’m lost again for a moment.

But I’ve learned that that’s part of it. Then I go to Barcelona, take a course, or do something completely different. That helps me move forward again.”

What do you think is the biggest change in the barber world?

“The old-school shops are disappearing a bit. Nowadays, as a barber, you have to be an all-rounder; you have to be able to handle both scissors and clippers. And customers have become much more vocal because of social media, so they throw around technical terms when they sit in the chair.”

What do you think of the new generation of barbers?

“They are creative and daring, but sometimes lack knowledge of the roots. If you don’t know who Vidal Sassoon or Dove Palmer are, you’re missing a bit of respect for where the profession comes from. And no: being a barber doesn’t make you a footballer.”

You’re regularly seen on BarberSociety Live. What does that event mean to you?

“A great deal. I have experienced it from both sides, in front of and behind the scenes during the time I worked at Van de Hare, so I know how much work goes into it. I really look forward to it every year.

It’s the perfect moment to see colleagues, laugh, inspire each other. For me, BarberSociety Live is a kind of benchmark: it shows me where I stand with

DOQ and what’s happening in the scene. And I met Alex there, who is now my business partner for our international branches.”

What advice would you give to young barbers?

“Create an Instagram account with your own name and only follow people and brands that inspire you. Not all those gossip channels and dancing girls, that won’t make you better at your job. Be curious, don’t look down on other people and try to master the smallest details.

Invest in yourself. And don’t wait for someone else to give you opportunities.”

What’s your biggest lesson so far?

“That it’s okay to make mistakes.

I’ve made plenty – in investments, interiors, collaborations.

But you learn from them.

Entrepreneurship is about falling, getting up and moving forward.

And that’s what I’ll keep doing.”

And what are you most proud of?

“That I just went for it, without certainty. And that I can employ eleven people and keep attracting the right people who take it to a higher level.

That I make customers happy.

And that I still feel like this is only the beginning.”

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C O L U M N C H R I S FO S T E R

Scale beyond the chair how barbers can reinvent themselves What if the very chair you stand behind today is the platform that launches you into a whole new world tomorrow? If you’ve ever wondered what comes after the last haircut of the day, there’s a path of reinvention that can open doors you didn’t know existed. When I first started cutting hair, it was pure magic.

The craft, the creativity, the connection with clients. But after a few years, I hit that moment: What’s next? What if I couldn’t cut one day? I’m sure you’ve asked yourself the same.

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The reinvention I’ve reinvented myself more than once. From the chair to the world stage, international educator, former Director at the British Barbers Association, session stylist on global campaigns, while still running a column. I built an app, launched education products, and now I coach barbers to build powerful profiles as The Profile Guy. I also run a digital marketing agency that helps creatives win with smart AI strategies. My philosophy is simple, innovate or die!

I learned this the hard way.

One small tweak in my step turned into leg pain that wouldn’t quit. Suddenly, standing all day, my superpower felt like a countdown. Then came the lockdown, and the salon went silent. No buzz of clippers.

No banter. Just the hum of uncertainty and that knot-inyour-stomach feeling when you realise your income is tied to behind the chair. I had to face it, talent isn’t enough if your livelihood has no safety net.

So I asked myself, honestly

and a little scared, “How do I keep earning if I’m not cutting?” That question stung, but it also woke me up. It forced me to think bigger than the next appointment, to build lanes that don’t collapse when life throws a curveball. That moment wasn’t the end of my career, it was the turning point.

Reinvention doesn’t mean quitting the chair. It means adding lanes so you’re not relying on a single source of income.

The three lanes that run beside the chair In-Chair Value Raise the quality, raise the price, tighten the client list. Don’t add time, add impact. Consult like a pro.

Always include, face shape, lifestyle and maintenance.

Finish with a mini styling lesson and a 30-second care routine.

Bundle high-value add-on into a premium tier and migrate regulars there.

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Education Teach what you know.

Workshops, mentoring and demos. Start with one focused workshop. Record it, turn it into a mini-course, and sell the replay. Education scales your time and positions you as the authority.

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Create once, sell forever

Digital Assets Digital assets products and systems that earn even when I’m not on the floor. Think ‘create once, sell forever.’ Monetise the products.

Automate delivery so sales happen while you sleep, travel, or rest. This is resilience income that isn’t handcuffed to your hands.

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In short, keep the craft, expand the lanes, and build a profile that pays you on and off the floor.

Reinvention doesn’t mean quitting the chair, it means adding new lanes so you’re never relying on a single source of income. My philosophy is simple, innovate or die. Protect your passion by building smarter systems, teaching what you know, and creating assets that earn whether you’re cutting or not. Start with one move today, build momentum tomorrow, and let your chair become the launchpad, not the ceiling of your career.

Chris Foster @theprofile.guy

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BARBERS & THE CITY

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For this edition of Barbers & the City, we take you to Manchester, UK – a city of music, football, and creative energy.

Among its industrial facades and modern hotspots thrives a vibrant barber culture, where tradition meets innovation.

In recent years, the city has come alive during HairCon, where barbers and hair professionals gather for an event that perfectly reflects Manchester’s creative spirit.

Discover the barbershops that set the tone, and the local hangouts they love most.

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BARBERS &THE CITY

FLANAGANS BARBERS

4 branches: Manchester City Centre, Media City, Didsbury en Wilmslow Flanagans Manchester City Centre 41 King Street West Manchester UK +44 161 832 1109 www.flanagansbarbers.com @flanagansbarbers Established in 1993, Flanagans is one of the North West’s longest-standing barber brands. A family-run business that combines heritage craftsmanship with a refined, contemporary feel.

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“We’re family-run, and that makes a difference. You feel it the moment you walk in,” says George Tierney Abbott, part of the Flanagans family together with his wife Hanna. Flanagans is known as “high-end traditional barbers”, a place where men of all ages come for innovative barbering techniques, expert haircuts, beard trims, and classic hot-towel shaves. “We’re traditional, but we’re high-end,” George explains. “We can do any cut — long or short — in both modern and classic looks, always with precision.”

OUR HOTSPOTS Hawksmoor Manchester 184–186 Deansgate Manchester +44 161 836 6980 https://thehawksmoor.com @hawksmoorrestaurants “They have the nicest steak in town, can’t beat it,” laughs George. Hawksmoor is his go-to restaurant for a proper night out, a premium steakhouse where quality and atmosphere meet in perfect balance.

Albert’s Schloss 27 Peter St. Manchester +44 (0)161 833 4040 www.albertsschloss.com @albertsschloss “They’ve got live music all the time, any day of the week, it’s packed,” says George. Albert’s Schloss is one of Manchester’s busiest and most beloved bars — lively, loud, and full of character. Albert’s Schloss is also known as the ultimate German beer hall in Manchester.

Represent Unit 2, New Cathedral St. Manchester https://uk.representclo.com @representclo When it comes to menswear, George keeps it local. “Represent is amazing, two lads from Manchester who’ve gone global,” he says. “Really cool, fashionable clothes — very up to date.”

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BARBERS &THE CITY

MR BEARDMORE BARBERSHOP 3 branches: Dale Street & Tib Street, Manchester & Stanley Square, Sale Mr Beardmore Northern Quarter 2 Dale Street Manchester UK +44 161 971 8825 www.mrbeardmore.com @mrbeardmorebarber 64

Founder, Chad Beardmore, says: “Mr Beardmore Barbershop is an independent space built on craft, culture, and community.

My family’s name is Beardmore, and I pride myself on being blessed to carry a name that originates from the word barber — it feels like continuing a legacy every day. We focus on quality haircuts in a relaxed environment with a genuine Manchester spirit.

Music, conversation, and character at the heart of it all. Our barbers blend traditional skill with modern creativity, creating a place that is really special.”

OUR HOTSPOTS Firehouse, Ancoats 40 Swan St Manchester +44 161 441 9029 www.firehousemcr.com @thefirehousemcr “I’ve got some great memories there with friends, family, and work trips — the atmosphere always hits right. The chicken is unbeatable, the staff are amazing, and they even serve a proper roast on Sundays.”

Tib Street Tavern 74 Tib Street Manchester +44 161 834 1600 @tibstreettavern

“In the day, I love Tib Street Tavern for watching football — easy-going and always lively.”

“If I’m out late, it’s got to be Behind Closed Doors — nothing else quite like it.”

Terrace 43 Thomas St Manchester +44 161 819 2345 @nqterrace

Outsiders Store 7-9 Swan Street (corner of Tib Street & Swan Street) Manchester www.outsidersstore.com @outsiders.store

“For evening drinks, Terrace is a Northern Quarter staple and still one of the best spots around.”

Behind Closed Doors 93 Oldham Street Manchester +44 161 834 8148 www.bcdnq.com/manchester @bcdmcr

“A new favourite is Outsiders on Tib Street — right where our second site is in the Northern Quarter — it’s refreshing to see local retail done well.”

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BARBERS &THE CITY

NOTJUST

2 branches: Ancoats, Stockport Ancoats: Unit 3, The Astley, 61 Houldsworth Street Manchester +44 161 451 4597 Stockport 35 Great Underbank Manchester www.notjustnotjust.com @notjustnotjust Founder Tom Burbidge says: “Our shop NOTJUST is based around hair being presented as an art form, aligning hair with designer furniture and bespoke abstract art. We focus on versatile cutting, specialising in mid-length hair, and traditional beard shaving. I myself actually worked in Amsterdam

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at CutThroat years ago and brought some of the old-school techniques to Manchester.

The shop showcases modern, brutal, minimal furnishings – allowing people who appreciate this aesthetic to be cut in a space that suits them.

It’s more than a barbershop – it’s a community where design, craftsmanship, and individuality meet.”

OUR HOTSPOTS Higher Ground Faulkner House, New York Street Manchester +44 161 236 2931 www.highergroundmcr.co.uk @highergroundmcr “Higher Ground has to be a favourite,” Tom says. It’s a modern British bistro-bar with a focus on seasonal products and a relaxed, refined atmosphere.

Stray Bar 1 Eagle Street Manchester @stray.bar A hidden gem for creative cocktails in the Northern Quarter – intimate, design-driven and effortlessly stylish.

This Thing Of Ours 9a Chapel Walks Manchester www.thisthingofours.co.uk @this.thing.of.ours “This Thing of Ours is the spot for menswear,” Tom says. A carefully curated menswear boutique with a street-meets-gallery feel – merging fashion, community, and culture.

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photography: @maccasyagency

C O L U M N D EN N IS VA N L I ER O P

Reinvent yourself from the chair to the helm The pressure is rising.

So are the opportunities.

The barber industry is under strain. Staff shortages, pricing pressure, shifting customer expectations – many are struggling, few are growing. And while some wait for better times, others use this exact moment to reposition themselves. Not by reinventing their business. But by reinventing themselves.

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Why you don’t need to reinvent your business – but yourself

Think differently – step out of the routine Many work in their business.

But very few work on their business. Reinventing yourself means shifting perspective: from doer to designer. From craftsman to entrepreneur.

It doesn’t mean spending less time with clients – but leading more consciously, steering more clearly, and making more strategic decisions.

Lead differently – with direction and mindset Leadership doesn’t start with your team – it starts with you.

How clear are you on your values, your role, your vision?

Questioning your own identity

can be uncomfortable – but it’s the first step toward growth. True leadership isn’t louder. It’s clearer.

Show up differently – presence through positioning Clients can tell whether you’re just cutting hair – or standing for something. Becoming visible isn’t about loud marketing, but about a clear stance.

It begins within – and shows up in every detail, from your look to your offer.

Bottom line: Success is a choice, not a coincidence.

If you want to succeed today, you don’t need a new website – you need a new sense of self.

The good news: everything you need is already within you.

Now is the time to realign.

Dennis van Lierop, Coach & Mentor HALO Academy @halo_edutainment More information www.halo-academy.com

“Your shop is not a place – it’s a space where your values and your attitude become tangible. An experience space for your clients.”

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Step-by-Step

Tousled

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WAHL Professional Future Makers™ Volume III Daniel Gallego presents Tousled Mullet As part of the global ‘Future Makers™’ campaign, WAHL Professional brought together some of the world’s most talented barbers in Los Angeles to define the trend cuts for 2025, including a ‘Tousled Mullet’, which was created by Daniel Gallego from the WAHL Professional Education Team Spain.

Mullet

A Tousled Mullet haircut is a bold and playful style that merges retro charm with modern flair.

The tousled effect adds an effortless, carefree vibe, as if the hair has been gently blown by the wind.

This variation of the mullet stands out for its versatility: the contrast of the shorter sides remains, but the textured styling and the soft length in the nape create a cool overall appearance - perfect for anyone who wants to look trendy while still keeping it effortless and understated.

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Section from the temple through the back profile

to temple in a horseshoe shape parting. Comb the hair on the sides and in the neck downwards.

Moving into back profile, angling the comb parallel

to part line, continue creating and cutting up to the weight line by using clipper-over-comb technique.

Repeat movements through left side profile.

Next, in the left profile remove hair at sideburn

just above the ear. Attach the #2 premium cutting guard with lever closed and continue blending up to weight line over the ear. Attach the #1 premium cutting guard and adjust lever to open. Continue blending by adjusting the lever as you work.

Using the Wahl Black Magic Clip® clipper, no guard

and lever closed, place comb horizontally above right ear at 45° and cut to create weight line. Trim the hair on the sides evenly. Repeat this step on the other side.

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Dropping down to #1/2 premium cutting guard, continue

to blend transition line adjusting lever as needed.

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Detail hair at front hairline and around the ear

using the Wahl A•LIGN trimmer.

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Continue with the top section of the head:

create a generous section along the middle parting, from the forehead to the crown. Pull the hair upward and slightly backward to maintain more length in the front. Evenly trim the ends using the WAHL KUNO and the DIAMOND BLADE. Repeat this process across the entire top of the head, always using the previously cut section as your guideline.

Next, section horizontally at parietal ridge in right side

profile. Working within vertical subsections straight out from the head shape, cut from short to long with a 45° finger angle using length at parietal as guide.

Continue in through back profile using a traveling guide slightly over-directing each section towards center back. Repeat movements on opposite side.

Professionals can learn these techniques and explore the latest looks via education.wahlglobal.com 72

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Working around the head shape from the hairline

to the weight line using the Black Magic Clip® clipper, continue shaping from short to long using clipper-over-comb technique and a 45° comb angle.

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Create texture throughout shape by point-cutting

with the Wahl Kuno clipper. For stronger texture and to debulk, switch to the Wahl Texturizing Blade.

Blow-dry using the Wahl Vanquish™ blow dryer and detail as desired.

Campaign: Wahl Future Makers Vol.3 / Tousled Mullet Hair: Daniel Gallego, @danigallegopelu, Wahl educator Spain Photography: WAHL Professional Tools: WAHL BLACK MAGIC CLIPP ®, WAHL A•LIGN Trimmer, WAHL KUNO, DIAMOND BLADE, TEXTURIZING, WAHL VANQUISH™ @wahlproeurope, @wahlpro

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B AC KG R O U N D

Curly hair is bold, versatile, and full of personality, but it can also be one of the trickiest types to manage. The key is learning how to work with your natural texture rather than against it.

Whether you’ve got tight coils, loose waves, or something in between, the right techniques can take your look from unruly to refined while keeping your curls healthy.

@jimshawhair

Award winning men’s hairdresser, Jim Shaw, shares some of the best tips to help you get the most out of your curls.

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Top tips for styling curly hair

Hair: Jim Shaw Photography: Tony Le-Britton Make-Up: Roseanna Velin Styling: Bernard Connolly Products: American Crew

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Scrunch for Definition Scrunching is a simple, heat-free way to encourage curl formation, volume, and bounce. Using an upward cupping motion, gently squeeze your hair to enhance its natural shape and reduce frizz. This technique not only adds lift at the roots but also helps your curls stay defined throughout the day.

Use a Diffuser 2

A diffuser attachment on your hairdryer can be a game-changer for curls.

By spreading the airflow, it enhances definition without blasting your hair into frizz. Use it to lift from the roots for added volume, or to speed up drying while keeping your scalp healthy- helpful for preventing issues that can come from leaving damp hair to air-dry for too long.

Add a Curl Cream 3

Moisture is everything when it comes to curly hair. A good curl cream helps lock in hydration, tame frizz, and define your curl pattern without weighing your hair down. Look for creams with nourishing ingredients like natural oils or butters to keep your curls soft, healthy, and manageable.

Keep Heat to a Minimum 4

Excess heat can dry out curls, weaken the hair shaft, and even disrupt your natural curl pattern. Whenever possible, stick to air-drying or use a diffuser on a low-heat setting. If you do need heat styling, always apply a heat protectant to create a barrier and prevent long-term damage.

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COLUMN COR BOUW

In reality, real growth often starts with stopping

Back to who you are – the power of down-to-earth innovation

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Sometimes it feels like everything is going well: customers are satisfied, the team is running smoothly, the figures are right, and yet something is missing.

That is when many entrepreneurs say: ‘I need to reinvent myself.’ But what does that actually mean?

From a down-to-earth leadership perspective, change doesn’t start with a new plan, but with taking an honest look in the mirror. Not to judge, but to recognise what no longer fits with who you have become. Because often you don’t need to reinvent yourself, you just need to let go of what no longer suits you.

Cor Bouw is business coach and consultant for Keune Haircosmetics, owner of Dutch Hair & Barbers and founder of the franchise and chair rental formula ‘Barbershop De Praatkamer’ (NL).

For Cor, attention, experience, and education are the core values for success - both in the chair and in the business.

Back to basics Every entrepreneur starts with a dream. To create something beautiful. To be free. To make people happy with their craft.

As the years go by, roles are added: employer, planner, salesperson, inspirer and problem solver. Attention shifts from the craft itself to keeping the business running, and somewhere along the way, the spark that once burned effortlessly begins to fade.

Reinventing yourself does not mean becoming someone else, but returning to yourself. To that first version of you, the creator, the craftsman and the entrepreneur with fire in your eyes. Down-to-earth leadership says: simplicity is not a step backwards, it is clarity.

Stopping creates space We often think that innovation requires doing more: more posting, more planning, more investing. In reality, real growth often starts with stopping.

Stopping what no longer feels right. Stopping acting out of habit. Stopping trying to meet expectations that are no longer yours.

Daring to stop takes courage.

It is an underestimated form of leadership, because only when you let go of something does space for something new arise. Sometimes this means

discontinuing a service that no longer fits your course, reducing your online visibility or no longer wanting to be on top of everything. The silence that follows can be unsettling, but it is precisely in that space that you can hear the heart of your business beating again.

That is where focus, direction and renewed enjoyment of your work grow.

Pushing boundaries starts from within Many entrepreneurs seek innovation in a new concept or an additional service, but the biggest leap lies in what you understand by success. Perhaps you thought that success meant being the first to arrive and the last to leave. Perhaps you believed that customers would only come back if you did everything yourself. What if that’s not true? What if success comes from peace of mind in your planning, trust in your team and genuine attention to the customer in the chair?

Down-to-earth leadership helps you to honestly test those beliefs. What does this really deliver? What does it cost me and my people? What do I want to keep and what do I want to let go of? Pushing boundaries doesn’t start outside, but inside.

It’s about doing what’s right, not what’s expected.

A new beginning is a choice Reinventing yourself is not a break with your past, but a conscious choice to return to your original source.

Sometimes that choice is small and practical: adjusting your weekly rhythm, planning regular coaching sessions with your team or simplifying your services so that customers can make faster choices. Sometimes it is bigger: a new concept, a different target audience or a pace that better suits the life you want to lead.

Whatever you choose, choose with care. Not harder, but clearer. Renewal emerges when you first dare to pause.

Why this works Customers are not looking for tricks, but craftsmanship and trust. If you are clear about who you are and what you do, they will feel that in every step of the experience. Your team will gain peace of mind and direction, your service will become more consistent and your brand will become stronger, making innovation visible at the chair. That is Down-to-Earth Leadership in practice: you lead without fuss and stay close to the essence.

Cor Bouw @barbershopdepraatkamer

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@set.on.mancave, @jeroen.s.o.m.c

A L L-I N T H E FA M I LY

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Photography: Peter Reuvers, DEPOT, private

A family in which the barbering trade truly runs through the veins.

Even before the war, grandfather Gelderblom was ready with his razor for the gentlemen of IJsselmonde (NL), and his son Teun started his own barbershop in Rotterdam. And son J’roen?

He was ‘practically born in the barbershop’. He now runs SET.ON barbers in ‘s-Gravenzande with his wife Marjolein, and is an ambassador for DEPOT. On the left side of the shop you’ll find SET.ON Man.Cave, where J’roen runs the show; on the right side is the ladies’ salon where Marjolein works.

BarberSociety Magazine spoke with J’roen about his family history, remarkable stories from the old days, his own career path, shifting generations, and the courage it takes to reinvent yourself.

J’roen Gelderblom Three generations of craftsmanship, one love for the trade 79

I was born in the barbershop.

In fact, I was made in the barbershop!

You come from a true barber family. How did it all begin?

“My grandfather had a barbershop in IJsselmonde, just before the war. He had one employee, Gerrit — a dark-skinned man who could light a match by striking it under his shoe to light his cigarette. That story stuck with everyone in the family.

Grandfather even had a perfumery and cigar shop on the side run by my grandmother, which was quite normal at the time. He was one of the barbers who, together with the Dutch Hairdressing Association, fought for Monday to become the official day of closure. Before that, barbers were open seven days a week because men wanted a shave before Sunday church.

On Monday mornings he would sharpen his razors. Eventually they succeeded: barbers were allowed to close on Mondays.”

was working in hydraulics at the time, left his job, applied for a job with one of grandfather’s customers, but that didn’t work out, so he said, ‘Then I’ll become a barber.’ Why my grandfather got angry about that, I don’t know, haha! Maybe he thought my father should earn his stripes somewhere else because he never ended up working in my grandfather’s shop.”

And your father?

“My father started in 1964 in Rotterdam, on Pleinweg. His shop was called Teun’s Barbershop, which was already written on the window, very progressive for that time. Grandfather didn’t like the idea of my father becoming a barber at first. They even argued about it for a weekend. My father

You once said that you were ‘born in the barbershop’.

“That’s right. My father had his barbershop on Pleinweg and we lived behind it. I was born and made there, haha!

I played between the chairs, listened to the conversations, smelled the aftershave.

That’s my childhood.”

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And you? Did you always know you wanted to join the trade?

“No, not at all. I wanted to be a forest ranger. But I was a rascal, I skipped school a lot. My mother took me to school, but before she got home, I was already fishing somewhere. Eventually, after talking to a psychologist, barbering came up again.

And once I started, I enjoyed it more and more. I turned my work into my hobby.”

Grandfather and father (Teun) Gelderblom

Father Teun in Teun’s barbershop on Pleinweg

Father Teun cuts J’roen’s hair

J’roen cuts father Teun’s hair

From father to son

You worked with your father for a while. What was that like?

“I worked with him for four years.

It was fun, but also hard. As the boss’s son, I had to work extra hard. He didn’t want anyone to think I was getting special treatment. But I learned a lot, especially about the social side of things: that as a barber, you’re the centre of the neighbourhood. The neighbour would come in for a chat, people would just drop by. He was the man of the street: barber, listening ear and friend all at once.”

What did you do differently than he did?

“My father always asked his customers, ‘How would you like it?’

I prefer to discuss what suits someone. I give advice, look at hair growth, the shape of the head, the style. That way, I also sell more products; not because I want to sell, but because I help customers maintain their hairstyle at home.”

Was your mother also in the business?

“Yes, in the 1980s she also started working in the shop. She even learned how to cut hair. A ladies’ section was added at the back,

and my mother took care of that.

It really became a family business – everyone in the shop, haha!”

What event in the barbershop will you never forget?

“At my father’s shop, definitely the ‘gabber’ era. I shaved logos and tribal patterns into the boys’ hair. Across the street was tattoo artist Tattoo Bob, and I’d get the tattoo magazines there for inspiration. The boys came back every two weeks to have their hairstyles touched up!”

“And in my own salon? One Movember evening — the month when men grow moustaches for health awareness — with the rugby club we sponsor. They arrived after a match, some with black eyes, and we shaved them all clean and gave them moustaches. The whole place was full of laughter and noise. I’ll never forget that.”

Competitions and mentors You’ve done a lot of competition work. How did that start?

“I started with the school competition in Scheveningen.

I came third there and started training more through the technical club. I was in the youth selection and later the national selection. I never became Dutch

Champion, but I did win trophies all over the country. My father didn’t compete himself, but he was involved in the organisation. He was technical commissioner, took care of the electricity and was on the board of T.A.K.O.N.: the Technical Artistic Hairdressers Organisation Netherlands.”

Where else did you work before starting your own business?

“I worked for one day at John Lammers, the man who took over my grandfather’s business, where I cut my very first customer’s hair!

Then I worked at Maat in Rotterdam, at Bart Plu in Leiden and at Gerard Collé in Schiedam – he was Dutch Champion.

That’s where I learned discipline: twenty minutes per customer, only scissors and a comb.

No clippers. That’s where I really learned to cut hair.”

SET.ON Hairdressers and SET.ON Man.Cave

When did you decide to start your own business?

“I worked at Kinki hairdressers in Rotterdam and Tilburg for a while. I was a franchisee there, but it didn’t go well. I’m creative, not an accountant, haha! After that, I also worked at Toni & Guy for a short time. When I was back in Rotterdam, I met Marjolein at the technical club – also a hairdresser, very good at administration. We got the opportunity to take over ‘ SET.ON Hairdressers’. That was on 1 August, twenty years ago now.

In the beginning, thanks to my experience at Toni & Guy, I cut 70% women’s hair and 30% men’s. Slowly that shifted and my focus moved more and more towards men’s grooming.”

When did it become SET.ON Man.Cave?

“Just before COVID. We renovated the shop and wanted to give the barbershop its own identity. The term ‘barbershop’ didn’t feel exclusive anymore.

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SET.ON Man.Cave sounded more contemporary. Thursday evening was our men’s night: walk-in, no appointments, beer included.

Always a great vibe.”

And yet you’re going to change something again?

“Yes, there are only two of us now. We used to have sixteen employees, but that took too much energy. Finding and keeping staff is difficult. The new generation of employees thinks differently: much faster, less loyal.

Last year, we said: we’re going to do things differently. I always say: we were a gym – with lots of staff and crowds – and now we’re becoming personal trainers: small-scale, personal, more luxurious. More attention for the customer, less hassle.”

Is the shop really moving?

“Yes, the building is for sale.

We live above it, right in the town centre, surrounded by restaurants and cafés. We want peace and quiet. A house with a shop attached or a nice workspace container in the garden would be great. We want to work near our home, instead of living near our work.”

Generations and change

You mentioned the younger generation approaches the trade differently. What do you mean?

“When I started, you got a slap on the wrist if you did something wrong. Now you have to wrap everything up in compliments.

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They want quick results, but often lack perseverance. I don’t want to disparage anyone, there are some really good young barbers, but it’s a different mentality.

And that sometimes makes training difficult. They often see the profession as a job, want to earn money quickly, whereas I’ve always seen it as a hobby. ” How did it feel when you two decided to continue with just the two of you?

“Wonderfully calm. We let our people go, but we helped them all find new places. Some even started their own salons.

And we can finally do what makes us happy again.”

What does the barbering profession mean to you?

“It’s my life. The smell of soap, the sound of the scissors.

What I love most are the conversations with men – real, honest conversations. That’s gold.

A good haircut can change someone’s self-confidence. That’s why I always say: “A hairstyle is an extension of yourself.”’

DEPOT, education and RogueLab

You have been an ambassador for DEPOT for years.

How did that start?

“Ten years ago, a wholesaler came by with DEPOT. At the time, I was working with all kinds of brands:

one for beards, one for hair, one for shaving. DEPOT had everything in one line. I was immediately sold. Later, they asked me if I wanted to become an educator.

I now do that with great pleasure.

I give training courses, shows and test new products.”

You were also on stage at DEPOT Connect. How was that?

“Fantastic! I presented the ‘Classic Line’ in a modern way.

I love expressing my creativity on stage. You can see the passion.

The only downside is that I hardly see the rest of the show because I’m usually backstage with the models, haha! But doing that day together with fellow ambassadors is great.”

You also give training courses with RogueLab. What exactly is that?

“RogueLab is an independent initiative, purely focused on technique and craftsmanship, without product sales. We give look & learn and see & do sessions – from beginners to advanced.

I educate men’s hair, Hans Beers and Michael Haase educate the women’s side. Michael flies over from the U.S. twice a year for this.

What makes me a good educator?

I listen. I want to know what someone really wants to learn.

That’s how you get the best out of people.”

Behind the scenes at DEPOT Connect

Reinvent Yourself

You are in the middle of a new phase. What led you to that decision?

“After the pandemic, I thought: I’m 58, what else do I want? Always staff, hassle, administration...

No. Now we want more time, more service, more luxury.

We are no longer that big salon, but a small, personal studio. And that suits these times and suits us.”

How do you keep reinventing yourself?

“I keep watching others.

If I see Dario do something in his BarberSessions radio show, I’ll try it the next day. If it works, I keep it; if not, I ditch it.

Everything I see goes into my ‘deep box’, haha! I pull out ideas later. I now value wearable hair more than cutting the latest fashion trend.”

How do you see the future of the barbering profession?

“The good barbershops will remain, but we’re getting an overkill of cheap “10-euro barbers”. You see that everywhere, including in the UK. Ultimately, quality will prevail. Exclusive and luxury shops have a future, because people continue to value craftsmanship, atmosphere and personal attention.”

Will your children continue the trade?

“No, unfortunately not.

Two sons and a daughter – all following their own paths.

The youngest liked it for a while, but chose something else.

And that’s fine. You have to do what makes you happy.”

Finally, what still gives you joy in your profession every single day?

“The conversations with men.

The honesty, the humour, the bond you build. When someone stands up, looks in the mirror and says, ‘Yes, I feel good’. That’s why I do it.”

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@dariojbraun

DEPOT Connect Rotterdam, NL, September 2025

@nerodeboer

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Photography: Sean Hitchens for DEPOT

86 @marc_michielse

DEPOT Connect Rotterdam, NL, September 2025 @luca.malnati

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DEPOT Connect Rotterdam, NL, September 2025

Photography: Sean Hitchens for DEPOT

@jeroen.s.o.m.c

88 @the_bloody_butcher

Reuzel show, 1o1BARBERS Stuttgart, DE, October 2025

@schorembarbier

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INTERVIEW

From Lawyer in Uruguay to the Global Stage as Barber Interview with Emanuel Medina

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@ema_medinaok @ema_medinastudio

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Fidel ‘Gucci’ Hernandez

The Barbershop Cuts & Cocktails The Cosmopolitan, grote zaal van het casino, ingang aan de Las Vegas Boulevard 3708 S. Las Vegas Blvd.

Las Vegas, NV 89109 +1 (702) 698-7434 https://thebarbershoplv.com @thebarbershoplv

Smerling ‘Rockstar’ Montero

Nick Karel

BARBERS & THE CITY

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Emanuel Medina (29) was once on his way to becoming a lawyer in Uruguay. But eight years ago, his life took a different turn. Swapping heavy law books for scissors and a razor, he has since dedicated himself to mastering and elevating the art of barbering.

His talent and commitment quickly set him apart, and today he’s recognized as a prominent figure in the industry.

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