It's Not Just a Job
It's a Lifestyle
It’s the moment when you come home after a long day of work and realize it’s the first time you sat down since you left this morning.
It’s the moment you pick hair out of your food at a restaurant absentmindedly and dive right into your dish.
It’s the moment you stop a stranger on the street to give them advice on that haphazard fade.
The point is, there’s a moment for every single barber out there —when they’re brushing off other peoples’ hair clippings without a second thought (much to the disgust of any guests) or styling someone’s new look in their heads—when they realize, “ I'm a barber, and I love it.”
You know the whole, “you know you’re a _____ when _____” thing? Yeah, that totally applies to barbers.
Here are a few of the top ways you can tell you’re totally a barber—and probably the ways other people can tell, too!
You Never Stop Doing Mental Makeovers
We’re not just talking about when you’re on the clock—we mean all the freakin’ time.
Your life is hair, styling beards, clipping, trimming, and blending. So much so that you’re never really off the clock. That stranger you ran into at the mall yesterday? You could fix their do in seconds—in fact, you spent the following hour coming up with an entire portfolio in your head of all the styles they could (and should) pull off.
If you can’t separate your off the clock time from your barbering passion, you’re definitely in this industry in a big way.
You Bring Your Clippers Everywhere
And why wouldn’t you? They’re your instruments!
Who knows when someone might need a spontaneous clip here or a beard trim there. Leave your house without your clippers? The AUDACITY. You would never. No thank you, next.
Your Friends Aren’t Just Your Friends Anymore…
They’re Clients, Too
Even if they were your friends first, your acquaintances are no longer people who you just like to spend time with.
Oh no, they’re clients, too, and worst of all, they expect you to work off the clock!
They invite you over to watch the big game and eat some delicious snacks. Sounds innocent enough, right? Bet you anything they’re going to ask you to clean up their do while you’re there.
But it’s no big deal, just an occupational hazard, right?
You Repeat the Same Answers to the Same Questions Over and Over
No, you’re not a hair stylist.
Yes, you service more than just men.
Sure, you can absolutely work wonders on someone’s beard, but you can create the fiercest, most feminine cut, too. You know you’re a barber when you’re constantly answering the same questions (over and over and over) about what makes you different as a barber.
You Can Style a Beard in Your Sleep
Like this is a bad thing. You know everything there is to know about facial hair—how it should look, the hottest trends, the best beard oils and conditioners, and so much more.
Being a barber is about more than just knowing everything about facial hair but being able to style a manicured beard in your sleep is a pretty dang good skill.
You Never Stop Never Stopping
You never take breaks.
You can work the entire day through without stopping for lunch and never even notice it. You can’t remember the last time you drank an entire bottle of water—let alone even went to the bathroom. You’re barely getting any time for yourself; you’re working long hours, early mornings, and weekends (of course). When you’re not at work, you’re thinking about work.
Essentially, you never stop never stopping—and you likely wouldn’t have it any other way.
Hair is Hair is Hair
Like you’re going to let a little hair on you get in your way—it’s not like you’re not constantly covered in other peoples’ hairs anyway, right? You find little clippings in your shirts, pants, on your skin, in your shoes (how? Who knows!). You’re basically a hairy yeti—except none of it is even your hair.
And you know what?
That doesn’t really bother you one bit.
