Today we’d like to introduce you to Rosy Lopez.
So, before we jump into specific questions about what you do, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
When I was younger, I always struggled to find myself and what I enjoyed doing. As I started getting older, I would try to do different things and always quit, I even dropped out of college. I started getting into a lot of trouble when I was 18 through about 20 years old, I felt as if I didn’t belong here. I needed my life to change so I figured I would try doing hair, I decided to go to barber school, I showed up and out of about 100 students, I was one of three to be a female. Trying to become a part of a male-dominated industry was harder than I thought, I constantly got picked on and was told to drop out because “women shouldn’t be barbers”. The first time I did a haircut, I knew this is what I needed to do. no matter how much people told me I didn’t belong I finally knew this is where I needed to be. The feeling of transforming someone’s confidence just by cutting their hair helped me realize that making people feel good was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I finished barber school, took my test and got my license in May of 2018 at 21 years old. Haircutting was so much more than a buzz cut, it’s about creating friendships with clients. I loved it so much it became my art. It became about the details, the precision, the experience. I invested my time, I invested my money and by August 1, 2019, I started my own business and it has become my biggest accomplishment yet. When I was young, I was told that going straight to a four-year university was the life path to follow and that wasn’t me. I want to inspire the youth to know that there is so much more to life than following the footsteps of their families or advice from guidance counselors. I want them to know there’s a bigger world out there for them, different ways of expression. If I had found my calling first, it would’ve saved me a lot of trouble, but it made me who I am today and I am finally proud to be myself, proud to be a part of my community, proud to spread positivity. It is my passion to make people feel good beyond just a haircut.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It was not a smooth road. Right before I started barber school, I lived after an overdose. I started when I was at my weakest and the process made me stronger. I could’ve let it affect me that men were so threatened by a girl being better than them at something. It wasn’t that I was better but it was my drive to get better. When I graduated, I was working at a salon charging $15 a haircut barely surviving, I went to a different shop and raised up to $20. The owner of that shop told me I had to be as good as everyone else, it felt like Bootcamp. He started becoming abusive he would hit me if my haircuts weren’t good enough and tried locking me in the break room to assault me. I had had enough but I knew I had to keep progressing, I went back to my home town and started working at a barbershop in Thousand Oaks. I still had to earn my worth and the guys that came into the shop would refuse to sit in my chair because I was a woman. I challenged myself to prove them wrong and pushed and pushed and here I am today.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Cutthroat Rosy – what should we know?
I decided to brand myself for me to give me the flexibility of my business. I didn’t just become “Rosy the barber”, I became “Cutthroat Rosy”. I specialize in men’s haircuts, straight razor shaves, and braids. I am known for making people feel good when they come in and walk out the door. I am the proudest of being recognized as not only a business owner and a barber but a friend to everyone in my community. What sets me apart from others is my passion and hunger to be better and my dedication to inspiring others to find a way to never give up on what they want to do.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Most importantly my family. They did everything they could to help me through my life, particularly this journey I started in barber school. They pushed me to keep going when I was down and sometimes felt like I needed to quit.
My clients are the people that keep me motivated every single day. They play every role in my success and if I didn’t have them, I would have nothing.
Contact Info:
- Address: 43 W. Thousand Oaks Boulevard
Suite #17
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 - Website: cutthroatrosy.com
- Phone: 8056308020
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: cutthroatrosy
- Yelp: https://yelp.to/qTKq/ZyuPEoArU1
Image Credit:
Kameryon Grey
Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
