Finding a hobby that suits your interests can be a struggle when entering high school. Some people are afraid of being judged or not being good enough when starting a new hobby. With nothing to lose, senior Jerron Singletary started cutting heads his freshman year of high school. He spent years of practicing and trying new things to improve his cuts. Being able to learn new things, he started growing as a barber. He now works weekly, has up to ten heads, and chargers only $10 dollar for his cuts. In freshman year, Singletary realized he wanted to become a barber when he grew up.

CUTTING HEADS

Getting into a new hobby can be hard. Singletary had the bright idea of starting early. This way he had time to grow, improve, and learn new techniques from other cutters on social sites like Instagram. As he grew, he realized how much he enjoyed cutting heads and starting making a business out of it.

“I started cutting my freshman year of high school,” Singletary said. “I was cutting one head every week for free just to learn. I realized after cutting my first head that I wanted to be a barber.”

Although he used to not charge money for cuts, he progressed and eventually charged $10.00 for each cut with additional add ons if wanted. The money Singletary gets doesn’t go to waste. Taking responsibility in life can play a big role. Thinking of the future, he decided he is going to save most of the money he gets instead of spending it all on shoes, video games, and clothes.

“The money I make I save for the future,” Singletary said. “I always think of how life is going to hit me when I am a grown up and I can always use this money for bills in the future when I move out.”

Having three years of experience in cutting heads, Singletary believes anyone can improve on their hobby with a positive mindset. He has tried new things, learned new things, and simply practiced with an open mindset. Doing so, he has found new ways to cut heads and improved overtime he cut.

“I believe improving on cutting is a mindset than actually doing it,” Singletary said. “Yeah you need practice but I always had the motivation to keep learning new things and different ways to do things. That’s why I think I improved because there is always something new to learn.”

TOP 3 ESSENTIALS

Every person has their go-to materials when starting their hobby like make-up or even painting. Singletary has three main tools he uses when he cuts heads. Each of these tools play a role in the process of a cut. Having these makes his job easy and makes the edges straight. They get the job done and make his clients happy with the sharp results.

“Number one is my Andis Magic Clips wireless fading clippers,” Singletary said. “It is a lot of clippers you can use but I really like the wireless and the clipper just fits the way I fade.”

“Number two is my Andis SlimeLine Pro Li,” Singletary said. “It is a edging trimmer that is wireless. This one is small and I can cut kids and grownups with it. It fits me and my style.”

“The last one is the mini comb,” Singletary said. “It makes a big difference in fading. Some barbers like mini brushes, I use those too, but I like my fading mini comb better.”

TYPE OF CUT

Every hobby has steps you have to take before reaching the final product. Singletary has around seven steps before he is finished. From the beginning to the end, he does whatever he can to meet the standards his clients have for the cut. This being said, he does all his steps with patience, accuracy, and perfection so he can do it right from the start.

“There is a lot to do to a haircut within the process,” Singletary said.”To summarize the cut, I first clear the bulk and give a clean canvas to fade. Second, is to make guidelines neat and even. Third, is to blend very good, look for light and dark spots. Fourth, is to do a shave at the bottom. Fifth, is to prep the hairline and line it up. Sixth, is to razor the lineup and the beard line. Lastly, I sanitize the head [alcohol].

FUTURE BARBERS OUT THERE

One thing Singletary has had is a positive mindset. Growing as a barber he has tried new things and got advice from other barbers when cutting. He never gives up and continues with his dream until he meets it. He always works hard and shares his stories for others to keep going with their own dream. Until the end, he will continue to grow and learn new things when cutting.

“One thing I want to say to future barbers is to always try to learn something new and get advice from other people and cutting ways,” Singletary said. “There is always something you can learn to improve you and your craft. If you ever think of giving up, just keep practicing and keep learning. You don’t have to improve fast enough, just work hard [always].”

GRADUATING EARLY

Not many students think of graduating early when they want to graduate with their friends and their class. However, its not the same thing for Singletary. He has a goal to reach and by graduating early he will achieve it. Although many would think cutting or any hobby would get in the way of academics, he states that it doesn’t. Even with rocks in the road, he continues to thrive until he reaches what he is aiming for.

“Cutting hair while trying to graduate early is honestly not that hard,” Singletary said. “I can say it becomes difficult here and there but if you are responsible and push to what you want, it will happen. I am almost there, I haven’t accomplished it yet, but I believe that I can do it one-hundred percent.”

MY FUTURE

Everyone dreams of their future when growing up as a kid. Some of them are easy to achieve and some of them can be harder. Singletary wants to open a shop when he gets older after he graduates from school. Having this as a dream, he has started getting income for his future.

“I don’t really like talking about my future to everyone but basically I want to open a shop and everyone knows that,” Singletary said. “I don’t like working for other people, I like being my own boss, so opening a shop is only one little thing that is on my list. I can’t talk about other businesses but I already have 3 extra ways for income for my future and I want one more.”

Aside from his dream of opening a shop, Singletary also wants to travel the world. He doesn’t want to just be in one spot for the rest of his life. He wants to be adventurous and see new things. He wants to live his life to the fullest and if he doesn’t travel the world, he feels like he has let himself fail.

“But, I see myself very stable in the future,” Singletary said. “I want to travel and go to a lot of different places, its a big dream. I would feel like I failed if I am not traveling the world because staying in one place my whole life and only knowing how it is in one place, I don’t really like it that way.

In the end, when being dedicated to a hobby, it can turn out and be a big dream. It can carry out to your future and anyone can start their own business from it. If you pursue your hobby and give it your all, you can achieve anything you put your mind to. All you need to do is have a positive mindset, practice daily, and learn new things as you progress. Just like Singletary, you can make your dream happen within your high school time.  All you need is commitment and to never give up.