Today we’d like to introduce you to Meg Puryear
Hi Meg, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’m Megan Puryear, or Meg, whichever is good with me!
I began working in Law Enforcement in 2016. While I’ll always support all of the good officers, you can imagine, the job itself is just not fun. It caused a lot of turmoil in my life, mentally and emotionally. In 2020, in the midst of COVID with not one plan, I up and decided I could no longer stay in a field that was causing me so much trauma. It takes a special person, and unfortunately that just wasn’t me.
As I said, I had no plan whatsoever. What I did have were friends who needed haircuts. I’d grown up buzzing my dad’s head, so I figured “why not?!”
Well, as it turned out, I wasn’t half bad just starting out. Ultimately, I started cutting and haven’t looked back!
I started in December of 2020 with Olde World Barbershoppe in Warner Robins, GA. All of the barbers there were so nice and great. Superstars, really. I was so eager to take in any ounce of knowledge they were willing to give me. Our shop owner had never had an apprentice before but was gracious enough to let me be his first, and I wouldn’t trade it for schooling or anything else in the least. Not only was he helping me build as a barber and develop new skills, but he has always been incredibly generous with his clients as well. I was able to learn everything he knew and just about everything all of these other stars knew and make money to live at the same time!
Fast forward to October 2021, I was encouraged to compete in my first barber competition. While i still lacked the amount of confidence I should’ve had, somehow I pulled out a 1st place win on my first try!
Since then, I’ve competed in numerous competitions on the East and West coast and plenty of places in between, bringing home a number of wins.
While competing is lots of fun, it’s also incredibly stressful, so I don’t focus too much on it anymore. These days, I’m proud to say that I’m the lead trainer for our shop, and train all new barbers coming in to get their starts. I’m hoping to be able to take what I learn teaching in our own shop to other shops and help other barbers and stylist reach their full potential.
Our industry is so great and so fun. I love that we never ever ever stop learning because styles/cuts are always evolving, and I believe in order to be able to help mold new barbers, I have to always continue to be moldable myself.
I’m excited to see how my future in the industry blossoms as I venture more into teaching.
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?
I don’t think the road to success is ever smooth. If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you. As cliche as that is, it’s the truth.
As many competitions as I’ve won, I’ve lost just as many, if not more. The most important thing for me has been taking the feedback and criticism in stride and showing that I can build off of it.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I 100% believe that barbering is an art. It’s not just a job. I do all kinds of cuts. I LOVE doing my designs and I believe in pretty good at them. I’m known for those and for creating super clean looks. I think what sets me apart from others is just that I care. I take my time and I care about the finished product. I am a perfectionist and while that can also be a bad thing at times, I believe that’s helped me build the size of clientele I have today. People love when you care and they can tell that you care.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Other than being the type of person that pays attention to such fine details, and caring about my client as though they’re a genuine friend, I think that just being myself has also helped me grow in my craft and career. Being a creative person gets me excited about coming to work and it gets my clients excited as well!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://getsquire.com/booking/book/owbs-warner-robins-warner-robins
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mp_fadezz
- Facebook: Meg Thee Barber
