Today we’d like to introduce you to Carlos Torres.
Hi Carlos, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
(I guess) it goes back to 2008-09, during the recession. I found myself out of work (retail management), holding odd jobs here and there to pay bills. My girlfriend at the time (now wife) was a hairstylist. I noticed how much fun she was having creatively and thought to myself, “hair is always growing and people need cuts. Maybe I can become a barber or stylist until the economy bounces back”. With just the last bit of money I had, I enrolled in a (now defunct) barber college in South Central LA. Fast forward about ten months and I was taking the State exam and earned my license. After earning my license, I assisted at a salon in South Pasadena for nearly two years. I was itching to get behind the chair and decided to venture out and find a barbershop that’ll take a chance on me. Floyd’s barbershop in Hollywood was my break. I worked behind the chair for four years, saving and building a clientele. Then in 2014, I made the moves to open my own shop – Telegraph Barber.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been everything but smooth. But it’s been a terrific journey experience in both the good and bad. In the beginning, saving the money and staying within a start-up budget was a challenge. Every contractor had overpriced estimates. I eventually settled on myself – I would (with the help of my wife and uncle) would complete the entire build-out of the barbershop. This in of itself was a struggle because I only had basic “handyman” knowledge. Also, a challenge because I only had limited time to work on the new shop. I was still working full-time at Floyd’s. So for an entire summer; every evening after work, every day off was spent hammering away towards completing this dream. This being my first crack at entrepreneurialship, there were growing pains. Constantly adjusting and learning more about the business, the neighborhood and the new clientele coming into the shop. The other challenge has been finding barbers. I’ve had some turn-around over the years. I’ve been lucky to find a couple of guys who have stuck it out and we all just click. Then there’s 2020, enough said.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Telegraph Barber?
Simple. We’re a barbershop! We do barber stuff. Ironically, what sets us apart is that we don’t care about what sets us apart. There aren’t any gimmicks about our shop. We’re not some sort of throwback/time-capsule barbershop. No funny mustaches. At first, I rattled my brain, thinking about a brand. Then I settled on just letting the brand “be”. Let it evolve and grow alongside me. All I cared about was giving a place for a guy to escape the bullsh*t happening outside our door. For a few minutes, nobody cares about politics. Nobody is offended. Nobody cares about the culture war. We just want to talk amongst dudes – gay or straight. Maybe make some friends. And why? Because we all just want a damn good haircut.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Be honest. And strive to be the best at what you do. Don’t hide who you are or lie about yourself just to make a buck. It was late in the game but I discovered something I’m really good at. And God bless me for it; I enjoy doing it. The person in the chair is either gonna love the haircut so much that they don’t care about who you are. Or. They love you so much they don’t care about the haircut.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.telegraphbarber.co
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/telegraphbarber
