With the help of YBP 1 guest Brock Hesser, Matt was finally able to track down Erick to do the podcast. Matt & Brock were in barber school with Erick as well. After graduation, Erick got work for barbershop that he grew up going to. Life isn't perfect. Sometimes life is like getting hit by a car. In Erick's case, this actually happened... Tune into this reflective episode of a couple of barber school buddies catching up!Chapters00:00 Intro2:20 Erick & Matt meeting in Barber school & Podcast beginnings 4:49 Tracking Erick down 6:18 Just An Observation 8:50 Barber school struggles & throwback clip 11:07 Erick’s background 15:40 Erick’s Barbershop and plans after high school 22:45 Finishing Barber school 29:19 Joe Davis Barbershop & Erick not having Instagram 32:26 Being happy, handling stress, & good vibes36:05 2023 was a bad year & Bike accident 40:46 Insurance coming through, vices, & Getting back to work. 44:43 Client says “do whatever you want” 46:44 Over and under spending 49:19 Bones to pick & dealing with the board 59:28 Future of barbering… Robots? 01:01:40 What’s next? & Yesterday 01:10:22 OutroSupport the show

Matt invites Lasana on the pod after discovering him and his IG page  through his appearance on the Elevated Barbers Podcast. Lasana was influenced by his sisters that are in hair and his mom bringing him to barbershops. At the tender age of 7, Lasana lost his father (a highly respected educator)  to a car accident in West Africa. Fast forward Lasana starting to break down walls and enter the education space in barbering! He is hosting his first live zoom training on barber/client relations this Monday, @ 2/5 @ 7:15 CST. Enjoy this extended episode of YBP with kutter concepts! CHAPTERS00:00 Intro3:09 How Matt discovered Lasana and his IG content 5:00 Just An Observation 13:08 Where Lasana is from and “I’ve been everywhere man” 19:05 Lasana’s background 24:09 typical workday35:18 Hair influence 39:20 What makes a Barber stay? 42:53 Having a weakness 50:42 Early exploration in cutting hair and first trimmers 55:17 Adolescent trouble and getting saved 01:03:49 Working for pastor and getting barber license. 01:03:30 Seamless booking 01:10:15 Matt working in PA, updating booking/POS system01:12:45 Barber School, passing practical, and first couple shops.01:24:39 Opening Kutter Concepts Barber studio & finding your barber identity01:31:20 Content creation spark and Lasanas IG dive. 01:37:00 Lasanas hosting first Zoom training class! 01:53:56 One month, One year 02:02:08 OutroSupport the show

With 15 years in the game, John Gould has a very endearing appreciation for barbering and has been around the industry with his mom being a cosmetologist his whole life. John discovered YBP through Spotify and reached out to Matt on IG and here we are! The thing about barbering is, it accepts everybody even if you have made major mistakes in your youth. Barbering saved John in a sense that it gave him a path to earning a good living and finding fulfillment for him and his family after getting into some trouble in his youth. John and Matt hit it off with sharing funny stories, to having similar clipper preferences, & let alone being huge fans of the hit tv show "The Sopranos". John also shares his recent experiences in attending the recent frigid Buffalo Bills wildcard playoff victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Support the show

Meet Marc Bennett, at the age of 25 when the New Jersey product decide to make the move to California, his life would never be the same. Marc was an avid Tony Robbins listener and an eventual employee for him. The experiences with Tony inspired the entrepreneurial spirit in Marc to act! Now at 50, Marc has went from owning multiple businesses including a seven figure sale of a tattoo removal business during covid era. Marc made it clear that barbering made everything possible as it was his bread and butter affording him to pursue other ventures. Today Marc owns 3 barbershops, 2 vegan restaurants, invests in real estate, flips houses, & owns a teeth whitening business all in the San Diego area. Enjoy Marcs journey as YBP returns after the holidays! Chapters00:00 Intro 3:45 3 Barbershops? Hasn’t cut hair in 2 yrs8:00 Just An Observation 13:29 Pappy’s Barbershop growth opportunities. 16:07 Being yourself, while leading & seeing your team win. 19:39 Holiday rush 25:25 Marc’s Background 34:32 Marc diving into barbering 38:00 Fatherhood and turning 50 40:30 Mentors? 42:59 Pappys barbershop team member progression 46:52 Pappys barbershop style and IG dive. 50:57 Owner of two vegan restaurants??? AND a teeth whitening/cleaning business? 56:20 What wife thinks & when is enough enough? Potential Podcaster? 58:57 Barber Expos?01:00:55 Simplicity vs Complexity, customer experience & content creation 01:06:11 Bones to Pick? 01:08:50 Sale of tattoo removal business during Covid times $$$. & Return on investment. 01:11:55 When is retirement? 01:14:30 OutroSupport the show

Matt invites on Kai to YBP after discovering his page on IG Reels. Kai shares his barber journey and what it was like growing up as a kid from a small community in Hilo, HI. In high school, Kai moved in with his uncle to pursue playing football at the number 1 school for producing D1 football athletes. Kai found a love for barbering early on and when his football playing days ended & multiple careers didn't fulfill, Kai committed himself to barbering. Check out the full story of the 27 yr old barber from Hawaii going after it! Chapters coming soonSupport the show

Matt invites Armani on the podcast at the perfect time before he embarks into fatherhood! Armani's business savvy and networking skills make him a versatile barber. He has battled his way onto the california barber expo circuit stages showcasing his education. Always supporting the barber community, Armani will also travel to various barber schools in the area and educate the students on all they need to know after graduating. Matt & Armani dive into various barber situations, among sharing Armani's Barber journey!Check out the chapters! 00:00 Intro 2:59 Entering Fatherhood 7:50 Just An Observation 14:28 Elevated barbers podcast connection & Armani meeting Bradford Kelly 17:18 Armani’s Background 21:35 How Armani got into cutting hair and starting barber school 28:32 Versatility32:45 Anxiety/Showcasing/Educating 39:00 Barber Expo life 47:45 How to leap 53:05 Being vulnerable 59:22 IG dive & “FadeTalk” 01:15:08 Daily routine  01:18:32 Bones to pick 01:23:40 what’s next? 01:25:36 OutroSupport the show

Matt invites Tico Invictus to the pod to share his barber/life story and shed light on his business ventures while dropping gems along the way! Born in a small village in Brazil with only 1000 people, the chances of Tico living the life he does now didn't seem very likely. Enjoy this inspiring episode where Tico climbs the mountain of becoming a better person, husband, barber, and since 2017, business owner.CHAPTERS00:00 Intro 2:35 Matt connecting 4:28 Tico’s Background & Job history 6:47 Tico’s Barber helped push him into industry11:30 Just An Observation 22:48 Separating barbering from what’s going on in your life.25:14 Not rushing the process and furthering education 30:15 Raising prices and retaining clients 39:20 When Tico moved to Florida & opening Invictus barbershop 47:28 Defining the “modern” barbershop & client perception. 54:32 One thing you wish you knew before opening a shop? 56:44 Tico’s IG dive & Education 01:15:02 The “Modern Barber Blueprint” course (App) 01:22:36 Invictus Podcast Studios (works like AirBnB) 01:31:55 OutroSupport the show

Matt invites Tito on the pod to share his life/barber journey & his process in the creation  of the @fadincomb. Born in Puerto Rico, Tito's journey brought him in the states to New Jersey for some years, then Tito found himself in Boca Raton, FL. Over the last 7 years, Tito spent time developing a product to help barbers out! Enjoy this weeks episode we will be off next week! *Chapters coming soon*Support the show

Matt invites David on the podcast after David discovered YBP on Spotify. Since the age of 14 David has been cutting hair and has been licensed for 20+ years. David personifies what the podcast is about: The everyday barber that deserves his flowers because his years of flawless execution and loving what he does. David is very content with his place in barbering and never sees a life without it. Enjoy this episode of David's journey and expression of his passion for the barber game. CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 1:44 Why the name “Dependable Barber”? 4:55 How long have you been cutting?6:14 David discovering the podcast 15:20 Just An Observation21:48 Beginning of David’s journey 35:56 “Sit down let me try this shit” 45:18 David being track athlete and Matt not knowing what to do after high school 50:02 Daily Routine 54:20 “I have about 20 clippers at my station” and late client grace period. 01:11:13 Star Struck? 01:13:50 How often you should replace your clipper blades (IG Reel) breakdown. And clipper talk. 01:22:11 What David would tell his students at LA trade tech. 01:24:16 When David left sports to fully pursue barbering and picking the shop that he stayed at. 01:29:57 Barber school/apprenticeship 01:36:12 David’s IG 01:39:36 David was one of the first barbers on YouTube. 01:43:04 David’s House call prices. 01:45:08 What’s next and not having to be a mogul to be a success in barbering. 01:49:56 OutroSupport the show

Matt invites Ryan White onto the show to share his barber story! Ryan is a unique barber because half of his barbering business is not in a concrete location. Mobile barbering is what fits into Ryan's busy work lifestyle best! Ryan is also a high School business teacher and uses his mobile barber business as an example for his students of what works and what doesn't in starting a small business. Enjoy this episode of Ryan's journey and how fast his progression came to be.CHAPTERS00:00 Intro4:22 Just An Observation 10:20 Mobile Barbering 15:18 Ryan’s Background 25:03 March 2020 & Going to barber school34:40 Early learnings of starting a business.38:45 Customer Acquisition, IG, & Photography44:53 Shark Fin Shears 51:25 Early or late bloomer 58:57 % of price raise Vs. % of clients lost 01:02:24 Overspending Vs. Undersending 01:05:37 Work/life balance, summers off as a high school teacher, & wedding gigs. 01:10:33 Travel reel and what do u tell people what your occupation is first? 01:20:40 Barber Cheat Codes 01:26:35 What is stopping you from being a full time barber? 01:33:29 OutroSupport the show