During this seemingly eternal quarantine, many have decided to start small businesses as a means of either making some money while staying home or simply keeping busy. However, COVID-19 has posed unique challenges for these small businesses that have begun to grow prior to the pandemic. One such business that got affected is Caleb Trinidad’s (CJ) barber business. At the start of quarantine just like many other businesses, CJ had to close down for about two months. He would then reopen the business in May after completing an online sanitization course called “Barbicide”. From the certification process, a few things he learned include: the known facts about COVID-19, benefits from having clients wear a face mask, and how to properly sanitize all equipment that would be used in his line of work. Since then, he has made more investments in cleaning products along with ensuring that both himself and his clients wear a facemask.
This past May 22nd marked the one year anniversary since the start of @cj_cutzz (his Instagram account where he shows his progress as a barber). Caleb would begin this journey during the summer between his Sophomore and Junior years of high school. What had influenced him to start was finding something productive to do with his time, which led him to watching videos of barbers cutting their client’s hair. This fostered a passion to help out those in the community that needed a haircut. Another factor that started CJ on his journey was that haircut prices have become ridiculously expensive. When asked what his driving force to continue as a barber would be, CJ would answer saying,
“The fact that I already have so many people supporting me, like I’d feel like I’d be letting someone down if I were to stop all of a sudden unless I had a really good reason”.
Being a barber would also lead him to catch up with people and meet others that are apart of the community as well. When it comes to having a mindset, CJ put it as understanding that with more practice on different hair types and styles, you will get better and know that not every cut will be perfect.
A few words shared by Seth Tapaoan who was CJ’s first client said that
“You can see the work and dedication he puts into it and like see how he’s grown to other people because everyone’s coming in getting cuts."
What CJ holds as his philosophy is: “If you want something and you pursue it you could really reach it, nothing’s impossible”. Among what he would tell his younger self about being a barber prior to his start is that being a barber isn’t like the Youtube videos but rather needing to have faith in yourself and the process of improvement.
When starting his path, CJ knew that just like any other career he was going to take steps to improve himself as he continued. This would include getting around to cutting as much hair as he can fit into his schedule in order to gain as much experience as he possibly can. He constantly challenged himself with any hairstyle, no matter how tough it may seem (my hair included). Along the way, CJ would visit shops to watch examples from professionals and even pick up some tips while shadowing under a few barbers. One of the next steps which he’ll be taking is going to a barber school for cosmetology.
The following are some words of advice that CJ has for anyone who may be interested in becoming a barber.
“Just keep coming back to the shop, even on the days that you don’t want to do it, you're gonna think about the hair getting on your clothes or you're gonna be standing for a long time, but you just got to do it. Take the time to perfect your craft even when you’re tired. That’s gonna be how you get growth and see improvement”.
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