PASSIONEERS
12
Passioneer:
Someone who loves the talents & gifts they have been bestowed & strives
to become the best when it comes to sharing those talents & gifts with others.
The first Passioneer featured in Eclectic Bouquet
is my husband, Mark Smith.
Mark is a local barber who creates wonderful
hair-cuts at Express Yourself Braids & Beauty Salon @ 6102 Jahnke Rd
in Richmond, Virginia.
Take a look at a few of his haircuts (see more cuts on Instagram @markluthersmith):
MOHAWK
MOHAWK
MOHAWK
LADY AFRO
TEEN AFRO
Take a look into the mind of this
very passionate barber:
-1-
Eclectic
Bouquet:
How did your childhood attribute to you becoming a barber?
Mark: I’ve always like the art of cutting
hair. It was something I’d always wanted
to do. I used to cut some of my friends’
hair and I used to let them cut mine. It was something I was always interested
in.
-2-
EB: What are some of
your other passions?
M: I like to chill with my family. Go to the
movies & travel with my family. I
like the Redskins and going to their games with my family.
-3-
EB: Usually, the skills
acquired to fulfill a person’s passions are either, natural, learned or a mix
of both. How would you describe how you
acquired your barbering skills?
M: It was a learned skill. I learned it.
I didn’t know how to do it when I first started barber school, but I
learned the skill and kept practicing it and became pretty good at it.
-4-
EB: When did you decide
that barbering was what you wanted to do for a living?
M: I guess, after I got into barber school and
realized how much I enjoyed it and how it made people feel. It made them feel
good if they had good haircuts.
-5-
EB: How long has barbering been a
“money-maker” for you?
M:
Thirteen years.
-6-
EB: Would you do this
for free if you were wealthy and did not have to work?
M:
Yes.
-7-
EB: I know you don’t have branding for yourself
at this time. Have you thought of it? What would it be & why?
M:
I haven’t thought of it. You thought of
one for me (to be revealed soon) and it was pretty good.
-8-
EB:
If
someone saw a sticker/sign/flier/t-shirt with just your (new) branding on it
and they had no idea what it was for and asked, “Hey, what is that?” What do you hope the answer would be?
M: I
would hope that they would say that this is an exciting, new refreshing shop
and barber who cares about his clients and who listens to his clients. And who
basically helps his clients to gain the style that they want.
-9-
EB: Give me some one-word
emotions that you would like for your customers to feel when you have provided
them with a hair-cut.
M: Exciting.
New. Refreshing.
-10-
EB:
Is
there one hair-cutting session that sticks in your mind and makes you swell
with pride when you think of it.
M: No, it’s not one. To me, I’m only good
as my last cut, so that last cut has to be the one that makes me
swell with pride.
-11-
EB:
What
advise do you have for young, aspiring barber?
M: Always
treat people the way you want to be treated. Be honest and up front with the
client. Be helpful to the client. Learn as much as you can while you are in
barber school. Get licensed. Be patient.
-12-
EB: What are some of your
future goals?
M:
Continue to grow my customer base &
increase my income from where it is now to where I want it to be.
