Jesse | Groningen
My day was very nice. I hung out with you a bit and took some photos. In a little while I’ll have my first client. The rest of the day I have more clients and will cut their hair. In the evening I’m meeting a friend. In the meantime, I write some emails and think about my business. My business is a mobile barbershop in an old fire truck. I liked the look of the vintage car. When I had the idea to start a hair salon, I wanted to do something that would stand out. During my studies, I saved money for this idea. When the time was right, I looked at a website for used cars. Since I had already spent all my money on the old truck, I had a problem.
I had no idea about construction and craftsmanship. At first I thought I would have to find someone to help me, but that would have cost almost as much as I spent on the truck. I didn’t have the money, so I had to get practical experience myself. So I looked for a job as a carpenter. I found a job and worked a bit. Of course, I had colleagues who had a lot of experience, so I started asking them how to do this or that in the van. Then I tried it out, took photos and showed them to get feedback. Since the walls of the van are not straight, it took me a while to figure out how to do it.
Have you ever worked in a barber shop as well?
I took a gap year from studies and worked full time as a hairdresser in a hair salon to learn the craft. Before that, I just cut hair based on Youtube videos. Since I always wanted to have my own business, it all came down to starting my own barbershop. I was still here at university when I was working out my business plan. When I was doing research, I asked people where they thought the van would be, and it turned out that the campus would be a good place.
What did you study?
I studied commerce economics, which is mostly marketing. In my second year I had to do an internship and I hated that „nine to five“ office job. That really motivated me to do something of my own. And then, as I said, I took a year off and worked as a hairdresser. Then before I started my business, I travelled around Australia and Indonesia. Then Covid came and I had to go back home. But then that was the perfect time to work on my van.
Tell me more about your travels
I stayed in hostels in Australia. One day I was cutting a friend’s hair in the hostel garden. Then the people hanging around saw it and wanted a haircut too. Then I started cutting hair in other hostels too. There was a French guy who always wanted to look good, so I cut his hair every week. Until he met a pretty Argentinian girl and after a while he came less and less to get his hair cut.
How did you get into hair cutting?
I didn’t know anyone who was a hairdresser personally. I just felt that if I took care of someone’s hair, I was also taking care of the person. I liked the feeling of giving something to someone and seeing how good they felt afterwards. With a good new haircut, their confidence is increased.
How do you see the world as a barber?
I always look at other people’s hair. I’m not judging but if I see somebody with a bad haircut I feel the urge to do something about it.
Does a haircut reveal something about a person?
I would definitely say that the haircut or hairstyle says something about how a person sees themselves and whether they take care of themselves.
What about authenticity?
Some people try to embody a person through their styling. But a certain haircut does not automatically make you a different person. It is still about the whole person and authenticity in all actions.
Do you take care of yourself?
Sometimes I am so busy taking care of others that I forget to take care of myself. But overall, I do take care of myself.
What does your own haircut reveal about yourself?
My haircut is very neutral. I don’t want to stand out too much. It should just be a nice balance. I don’t want to express my ego too much. I can imagine that someone else has less room for themselves and I think it’s very important that there is enough room for the other person.
Have your clothing and hairstyle changed over time?
Yes, definitely. I used to be more concerned with myself and how I looked and what I wanted to portray. I needed more room, and now I try to give more room to other people. In the future I have to find a balance between my own space and the space for others.
How are the students here on campus?
Most people are in their 20s and busy with themselves. Being a student gives people space for self-expression. Especially male Dutch students let their hair grow out, because they usually cut it off again when they get to the job market. International male students might colour their nails because they sometimes can’t do it in their home contries.
What observations have you made about your clients?
Dutch people want a longer haircut and international clients want a shorter one. When I was a student, I also had long hair. But over the years it got shorter. After the first year of studying, I realised that I’m not such a ‚Dutch guy‘. From ’surf‘ to neutral. I would say that it’s really good to try different things. At the end of the day, you have to reflect on it and be honest with yourself. Is this who I am? Yes or no. It’s a long journey to the person you ‚really‘ are. Trial and error. Everything is right, but you have to listen to yourself.
What makes you optimistic about the future?
The trust in me, that I listen to myself.
