Today we’d like to introduce you to Vincent Garcia.
Vince the Barber has established himself as the connoisseur for some of Hollywood’s A-List celebrities. A Toronto native, Vince always had aspirations of moving to Los Angeles and opening up his own barbershop. Cutting for 19 years, he’s mastered the art and techniques of the barber trade. His hard work and years of cutting hair has brought him all around the world educating barbers and stylist in many different countries, where he’s been able to share his story, his knowledge, and skills. Vince has traveled to Japan, U.K, Europe, Southeast Asia and many more to help grow the barber culture worldwide. Vince has now been living in LA for 11 years now. He is the Co-Founder and CEO of Grey Matter and is proud and blessed to have such a solid team of barbers/stylists. Grey Matter is not your regular neighborhood barbershop, it is a brand, a LIFESTYLE! As a licensed barber, Vince has developed a proficient eye for styles that are both modern and unique. With any service, Vince works to ensure that his clients’ needs are catered to. Vince also created the very first Barber backpack and started his company called BYAPPTONLY. He has designed backpacks for barbers and hairstylists to be mobile with their craft. His backpacks have been purchased by barbers/stylists all over the world! Vince established himself as an exclusive barber and has cut some big names such as Lebron James, Devin Booker, Kyle Kuzma, Damian Lillard, Lewis Hamilton, Drake, Ludacris, Fabolous, just to name a few. He has worked onset for shows such as Wild’n’Out, America’s Got Talent, Conan O’Brian, Ellen, and movies such as Fast and Furious 6 through 9.
Vince is also one of the main barbers on Lebron James HBO show “The Shop”. His work can also be seen in magazines, movies, commercials and tradeshows. Vince also gives back to the youth, he is the director of barbering for a nonprofit organization called Trade-Works Foundation. What they focus on is teaching the youth out in Kingston, Jamaica the tools of the trade and providing them the knowledge on becoming a successful barber. Trade-Works also provides scholarships and internships to the kids with the help of sponsorships and donations. Vince has been with the foundation for three years now. Over the years, Vince has built a great relationship with many big brands and companies. He has been part of the Gillette Barber Council for the past three years now where he represents the company at many events and activations as well as help out at the Boys and Girls clubs of America. Vince also works with brands such as Remy Martin, Old Spice and many more. Throughout the years, Vince has gained an on going, positive and trustworthy rapport with his A-list clientele. Dedicated and determined, Vince always strives for perfection. Whether a celebrity or not, Vince is known for being precise, consistent and most of all humble. His motivation to keep working hard comes from his family, his two sons Julius and Dante and his fiancé Kim.
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?
Working towards your goals and dreams isn’t always the easiest thing. You definitely come across many obstacles along the way however, it’s all part of the process. You got to experience many things and make mistakes during the process because that’s how you learn from them and become better. During my early years being a barber, I had to learn a lot about how powerful networking, marketing and branding was. When I first moved to LA, I didn’t know anyone out here, I literally had to start from the bottom. I branded myself and networked with all the right people that led me to working with some people I’ve never thought I’d ever even meet! As a business owner, you run into many walls that try to stop you from the growth but I always looked at them as God testing me to see what I’ve learned during the process and how I would overcome these obstacles. Some of the struggles I had to go through as a shop owner was hiring the right barbers for the shop. I had to not only look at their skill level but their overall personality, customer service and work ethic. Over time it gets easier because you learn what your business needs and what will make it last. I always remind myself that nothing great comes easy, we got to fail in order to succeed!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As a barber, we all have our own special skills and techniques. For me, some styles that I feel that I specialize in are old school cuts such as the Gumby, Hightops and just your traditional skin-tight fade. I created a name for my fades and called them “The BLENDERSON” lol. It’s funny cause I’ve got many barbers using that term now and even clients asking for that BLENDERSON. What I’m most proud of is my ability to help and teach others my craft as well as inspire and motivate the youth to work hard and to believe in themselves because anything is possible. Being a part of Trade-Works Foundation where we help teach, encourage, and inspire kids ages 12-15 has brought me so much happiness and joy. Seeing the smiles on their faces and knowing that I helped bring happiness into their lives means the world to me! What sets me apart from the others is that I’ve always created my own lane. I never wanted to follow what others were doing, I wanted to be known for the special things that I do that stand out from the rest. I have always been the type to stay low-key, do my job, and make moves in silence but always stay humble along the way!
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Something surprising that most people who know me might not know about me would probably be that I like to sing, lol. I come off very quiet and shy but when I’m around my loved ones or sitting in traffic, I’ll be singing away hahaha.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vincethebarber/
Image Credits
Gabe Masinas
