Mitch Bright hated every barber shop he worked at.
After receiving formal training from St. Louis in Kitchener, the 24-year old worked at a couple of shops around the tri-cities and Guelph. But none of them seemed to fit.
โI knew what I wanted to do and I knew what shop I wanted, so when this space became available for me, I jumped on it and started doing my own thing.โ
And so opened Brightโs shop, admirably named The Bright Barbershop Co. It is located on top of his motherโs salon, Shear Heaven Salon in uptown Waterloo.
The barbershop is small with just enough room for Brightโs chair, an antique armoire which houses his shears, buzzers and products as well as an array of taxidermy animals such as a large hawk, showcased at the entrance of the shop. Brightโs taste is eclectic, which is evident in both his work as a barber and his own personal style.
As a formal vocalist of a heavy metal band, Bright, covered in tattoos, is not what initially comes to mind when you think of a male hairdresser.
Bright found his beginnings on the road with his heavy metal band, Die Atlantic.
โIt started about four or five years ago โฆ playing in a band and being on tour, it started just for fun. [I would] cut hair on the road,โ Bright said. โI really took a liking to it and after a couple years I decided Iโm just going to do this full time.โ
Despite his stereotypical persona, hair has been second nature to bright since a young age.
โHair is a very feminine thing, but I grew up around it. My momโs been doing hair for 30 years, so since the day I was born Iโve been around a hair salon โฆ so Iโm just very used to it and Iโm very comfortable around it.โ
Bright said he found salons to be intimidating for most men.
“Hair is a very feminine thing, but i grew up around it … since the day i was born iโve been around a hair salon.”
This may be because men are still stigmatized by society for taking an interest in their outward appearance. Spending money on hair care products, or even a good haircut, is still traditionally associated with women.ย ย
โI kind of decided I wanted to make a dude spot. Barbershops are cool; I was never really too familiar with barbershops, but a barbershop is kind of like a club. Itโs kind of like an unspoken club that guys go to, or at least it should be,โ Bright said.
Bright thinks his barbershop has created a space in Kitchener-Waterloo for people who otherwise did not have a comfortable environment to receive a proper haircut.
Bright and his business partner have also started their own line of products called Spearhead. So far, they only make a couple of products including beard oils, soaps and shampoo bars, but Brightโs vision is to one day create accessible products for anyone to purchase anywhere.
โWeโre [also] working on formulating pomades. Weโre making pretty much anything a girl could buy at Shoppers Drug Mart or a hair salon, but targeted towards men,โ Bright said.
But Spearhead wonโt just be limited to hair care products either.
โWeโre going to be making stuff like face masks eventually,โ Bright said. โIโve done a face mask before and I donโt really care if people judge me for it. Itโs fucking awesome. You feel really good after, so why not do that for men? Why do men need to feel like itโs taking a hit to their masculinity by using a face mask or pampering themselves?โ
Brightโs line of products, the aesthetics of his shop and his attitude as a whole are reviving traditional barbering, while also removing any stigmas that men should feel ashamed for pampering themselves.
Aside from hair, Bright also offers beard trims and shaves. He explained that straight razors offer a closer shave and less irritation than a store-bought razor. Bright explained having someone else shave your facial hair offers not only a more precise shave, but a closer shave, as well.
This week, The Bright Barbershop Co. will celebrate its one-year anniversary. Appointments are set up about three to four weeks in advance and business is booming.
Although Bright is clearly good at what he does, the big question still remains: how does a guy who has been cutting hair for only five years go from 150 clients to 2000 clients in just one year?
Half of it is talent, offering excellent customer service, affordable prices and just all around word of mouth. But the other half is Brightโs notable presence on social media.
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As a former band member, self-promotion through social media isnโt new to the 24-year old.
His two main social media outlets are Facebook and Instagram, but as a barber, Instagram seems to work best for sharing photos of his work.
With nearly 7,000 followers, a lot of Brightโs clients discover him through his Instagram page.
โThe way I look at it is I have to sell myself. I donโt want to try too hard to sell myself. Iโm not just focusing on taking photos of haircuts, Iโm basically just showcasing my life,โ he said.
While Bright does post photos of haircuts he does, he also posts photos of his dog and his family, making him seem more approachable and personable online.
โIโm just taking full advantage of it. I donโt pay for any other advertising. I just use social media and it works really well.โ
He uses a lot of hashtags and is constantly liking photos from other barbers around the world to give himself exposure. So far itโs working.
Altogether, Bright is making traditional barbering more accessible for a new generation.
As for the future, Bright hopes to expand his space, incorporate more barbers and see Spearhead turn into something much bigger, all of which seem like attainable goals for this motivated young barber.
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