Photo credit: Melanie L. Brown for Steed Media
Tell us a little about yourself and how you go started barbering.
I’m Brian Ewing owner of Brian Keith’s Grooming Lounge, located at 617 W. 103rd St., Chicago. I started my barber journey 21 years ago at the age of 14. What happened was my cousin used to cut my hair and I was in high school, it’s my first day of high school, I didn’t have my hair cut. I left choir rehearsal came home asked my cousin to cut my hair he told me “Naw,” slammed the door in my face. And, of course, being in high school you had to have a fresh cut or you wouldn’t be able to get no play from the girls, so what I did was I went upstairs, I grabbed a pair of scissors, cut my hair all even. I thought to myself this looks kinda good. My brother came to the bathroom door and said, “Hey man let me use the bathroom.” I said I’ll let you use the bathroom if you let me cut your hair. He said, “Naw I ain’t gonna let you cut my hair.” So I said you ain’t gonna be using the bathroom then. He said, “Aight man, I’ll let you cut my hair.” Got an opportunity to cut my little cousin’s hair. My aunt found out I cut hair, then my other aunt found out I cut hair, then I started cutting their hair and after a while it started becoming more of a passion for me. I started riding my bike. I used to live in Country Club Hills all the way to Flossmoor. Rain, hail, sleet, snow, I [would] ride my bike just to cut some hair. Cut like six heads and make like $15. I thought I did something.
What barber college did you go to?
I went to Cain’s Barber College at the age of 19. I had a son on the way. I asked him if I could I change my hours. I worked but then got back at school not wanted to go to Silk N’ Classy down the street but went to Larry’s Barber College because I kept hearing about Larry and finished with my license and instructor license.
What is the mission of a barber?
The mission of a barber I say it all depends because every barber’s mission is different. My mission is to supply my clientele with professionalism, integrity and give them the best possible look they can have. Every last one of my clients know that I am more so concerned at how they look [as] opposed to the money that is in their pocket. I think that should be every barber’s mission. Some people cut hair because they just want to make a lot of money and it all depend on what they think is a lot of money. I think like if you’re more concerned with a client and the way they look the money is gonna come, the comments gonna come, which is ultimately what they going to do is refer other people because they feel good about the cut. They trust you and that’s how you build. I feel like that should be the mission or the purpose of every barber if it’s not then you’re doing something wrong.
How important is it for a man to have a distinctive look?
I feel like it’s very important for a man to have a distinct look because we are all individuals and for instance I’m known for my beard. A lot of people are wearing beards nowadays because that’s the look, especially big boys. I wear my beard for my beliefs. Which I believe that the bigger the beard, the longer the beard, the more integrity, wisdom and understanding that you have. That’s the reason I wear the beard and this is my distinct look. And each and every man has their own distinct look because I believe that brings out the character in who they are.
Name three ways a barber stays informed of style and trends.
I feel you have to study what it is you do. We as I feel like a barber that is trying to stay current you’re always studying other barbers, you’re always studying other styles. I look at styles from overseas like London, stuff like that. I’m looking at New York or I’m looking at LA because truth of the matter is I feel like Chicago we’re kind of behind as far as a lot of the stuff comes from the East Coast and then it flows our way, it’s old to them. I feel like you should always be aware and be abreast of what’s going on out here.
Name two types of advice you give to your clients.
I give advice concerning their lifestyle as far as their haircut goes. I may have a client that comes in and he wants a mohawk however you work downtown, at a firm or something like that. Just because you see something out here that you see look dope you got to consider your lifestyle along with the hairstyle. You have to consider what you got going on outside of the extracurricular activities. If you’re working out everyday and stuff like that and you want color. You have to think about man is this color going to sweat out. I have clients that exercise, go the gym and they want to swim and want to go sit in a sauna, this may not be the product for you if that is the case.
What type of resource is your barber shop to your clients and community?
I try to make my barbershop a community type of shop. We offer more than just offer hair cuts and grooming services. If it’s a shorty out there on the block or something like that I offer him some money to come sweep up, try to give him his first job. He came in everyday, he just wanted to sweep up. I got him counting my inventory for me and I’d pay him at the end of the week. Just give him a little something like that til the point where his father came in the shop talking about ‘He say he work here.’ I said that I gave him a little job, I hope you didn’t mind. I explained to the father what I had him doing. He was like man I think that’s excellent. He was like what time can I come pick him up. I said he could come pick him up at close. He said, “That’s great.”
Name four of your most famous clients.
Four of my most famous clients, I cut Mekhi Phiefer’s hair for that movie Divergent, Grammy Award-winning Byron Cage, Canton Jones. I cut a lot of gospel stars.
Which barbers are you proud of in your shop?
I am proud of every last barber in my shop. They were once students here [at Larry’s Barber College] and now they’re out there showing professionalism, showing integrity and as they getting money they out there talking about who aint got no clients. You know I got a Beardaucracy shirt and a shirt that says “Who Ain’t Got No Clients” on it. When I walk in my shop and I see my shop packed full of people and they consistently getting new clients and they marketing and promoting the way I teach them to I’m very proud of everybody that works in my shop.
What is the method, time and commitment required to become a licensed barber?
Your method I would say is study the book and become the book. If you want to do anything just study that thing to the “T.” You should always be around that thing, you should be abreast of what’s going on with that thing. Time, it takes 1500 hours to graduate from barber college. It takes a lot of time beside from that to study to take your state board to become a licensed barber. Commitment, the commitment is everything else that I mentioned become that book to become everything that it encompasses. Being a good barber, it’s more something else and that’s what comes from the inside when I talk about professionalism and integrity because all day you can possess the skills to cut hair. I’m a Bible reader so I believe that you know your gift will put you in the presence of great men. However, you don’t want your gift what I mean by that, your hair cutting skills to take you into a place in front of celebrities, or movies, stuff like that that your mind can’t keep you. That’s why I’m always teaching about professionalism and integrity. God forbid your hair cutting skills get you into a place, you open your mouth and you something out of character that will immediately take that blessing away from you.
What are the three most important things to know about being a new barber in the business?
One thing I know when becoming a new barber coming straight out of school if you’re not marketing or promoting and developing your craft while you’re on the inside of school when you get out of school you can’t look at someone that’s already in the field and getting a lot of money and expect to do what they do. You can’t expect to go into a shop “Oh, they just got a lot of walk ins I’m about to come up.” You can’t think like that. If you think like that and then you get out there and you realize it’s a struggle to get a lot of clientele to build clientele because when you build clientele it’s different than a customer. A client is somebody I build relationship with. I know I’m going to see them next week or I’m going to see them the week after next or however that goes.That’s a client. I’ve been a bad barber before. I’ve been that guy that cuts hair here and there but at the same time I’m trying to fill out applications to make somebody else’s dream come true. Where is now I’ve taken barbering so serious to the point where I can not see myself punching somebody else’s clock there is not a job that you can give me right now at this particular junction that I will be like, “yeah, Imma go do that.” Everything I’m doing is surrounded around barbering structure. I’m a shop owner. Prayerfully I’ll be opening up another shop soon. I enjoy standing behind that chair. I enjoy standing in that classroom giving them experiences so that they can become a better barber than I ever was previously to where I am currently.
Three favorite brands of barber products?
Bigen, I love it. I love it because I do a lot of it and it makes me an adequate amount of money. Bigen is a color that we apply to beards or hair. It just brings it to life. I enjoy doing that. I was introduced to it through a guy name Prince years ago. He was just trying it on my beard and then I kept doing it to myself until I actually perfected it. It’s several barber products that I enjoy. As far as tools I love Andis products. When it comes to razors I do Thorocal razor. I also want to get my own razor brand but that’ll be later on. I enjoy Scotch Porter for the beards. I also enjoy it’s this stuff called Bully by this guy out of Philly.
Two books that you would recommend everyone read?
I would always say the Bible first. Second book The Art of War.
