Today we’d like to introduce you to Camille Moore.
Hi Camille, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
California has always been home. Raised in the central valley and just before turning twenty-five, I relocated to Pasadena. The move to Pasadena was at first temporary. I began cutting hair as a cosmetologist in 2015 and by 2017 decided I wanted to be a barber. Not just to cut short hair but to only cut hair. I love cutting hair. It’s a fun job! After a few months of traveling, I looked into what I needed to do to become a barber (having my cosmo license) and that included 200 hours of school work, plus a retake of the state board exam. The nearest school to home, at the time, was still a 45 min drive and the program was going to cost about $10,000. After just shy of 8 months traveling abroad, I did not have enough time or money for this option. Some time after, a family event was upcoming in Pasadena and having not yet decided what step to take next, I took a little getaway trip to see my family. While in Pasadena, I thought, why not check out barber schools out here? I’d say I was really lucky when I stumbled upon LA Barber college. Through their program and with the help of my Tia and Tio (letting me stay for initially 7 weeks, which became about 3 months) I was able to complete my hours. All for the cost of $2,500. In this time I built connections through the program itself and networking at barbering events. I was then referred to a barbershop in Montrose, which allowed me to build a business for myself that I later opened in 2019. Moore Barbershop, established March 2019, was an exciting and fun time for me. I was able to save enough to fund and furnish a studio in Salon Republic at the Paseo Pasadena. Living in Pasadena and working locally was a dream come true. Just when I began to feel comfortable in my routine, the pandemic shifted that routine upside down. The job that I love so much was considered “non-essential”. Life gave us all a spin and mine led me to close my business, fall in love and move to Oregon for about a year and a half. My partner and I decided to move back to his home town, Burbank, Ca. As a client of Capella Salon, since 2018, moving in and out of the state never changed my status as a client there. When we’d come back home for visits, booking a haircut at Capella was part of the trip. Once we were settled in Burbank, I felt the need to build back a community that Covid took from so many of us. I decided I’d focus on becoming part of a team and working in a salon vs a barbershop. I took a few interviews but the few that I had checked out just didn’t feel right. After some some searching, I decided it was my turn for some self care and returned back to Capella. In conversation, my amazing stylist suggested I work there! I don’t know why I hadn’t considered it myself but I was quick to accept the opportunity and scheduled an interview with the Amiel’s. It’s now October 2025 and I still love telling people my story because I am so grateful to be a part of such a dynamic team. Each stylist has their own special talent and is more than willing to teach and share their knowledge. It’s a beautiful environment to be a part of. The space, the people, the craft, I truly love what I do and to be living out a new dream is appreciated.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Dealing with everyday stressors and personal defeats happens all the time. My challenges aren’t easy but in these times of grief or strife, I remind myself that I am still breathing and while I am, I am still capable of overcoming obstacles. A debilitating mind can feel like the end of the world and as a creative, when our minds feel as if they are malfunctioning, everything else seems to follow. Taking each day to improve my perspective and being kinder to myself if how I deal with that.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As a kid my goal was to grow up and become an artist. That passion began with paints and slowly evolved into makeup. While working in makeup seemed too playful for my accountant parents, my mother suggested cosmetology school. I went for it and through the program, I continued to pursue my career in makeup. After I received my license though, cutting hair became my main source of income. Not only was I able to build my skill quickly, I found a true joy for it. What started as a side gig became a career. Although I do have my cosmetology license and have applied color in my life, it’s not what I’m known for. Can I do it? Yes. Do I want to? No. It’s just not fun for me. However, I’m always up for a hair cutting assignment! Also, I love working with my clients. Yes, I‘m an artist but I do consider myself a business first and my priority is always the client. Truly, I just want them to be happy with the service provided. Education is also a big part of my work. I enjoy engaging with my clients about their haircare routine, what they are using, how they are using it, why…it all matters to me. It’s all very healing for both the client and myself. I love cutting all hair types, colors and textures but I’d say my specialty is a combination of a fade with curly hair. Since working at Capella, I’ve been able to expend my toolkit of curly haircare and in combination with my barbering skills, I’ve had the opportunity to work with some wonderful people. While I always aim to grow my skill set, I am having a great time in the world of curls. This does not mean I neglect my straight hair clients. Straight hair can often seem difficult but I find it a more interesting day scheduled when I have both straight and curly hair to work with.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Podcasts and books are my favorite for real life stories and sometimes fantasy. I love listening to or reading about people’s lives and how they’ve gotten to where they are. This ties in very well with my job.
I believe the best way to learn is through story. Some of my favorite podcasts are Last podcast on the left, Rotten Mango, Flipping Tables and A Good Hang. With books, I sometimes buy both the physical and audible copies. They can range from “A New Earth” by Eckhart Tolle, “Yes Please” by Amy Poehler, “Sapiens” by Yuval Noah Harari, “House of Hidden Meanings” by Rupaul and “The Godfather” by Mario Puzo. Seems a little everywhere but I don’t believe any of us are just one thing. I like to explore different perspectives and these are just some outlets where I can enjoy those stories. For a fun listen, I like KQED and Snap Studios, Spooked podcast.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Camillemoore.s
Image Credits
Camille Moore
Koury Angelo
