Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeremy Guilford.
Jeremy, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was born and raised in Eufaula, a small city in Southeast Alabama and currently reside in Huntsville. I have a lot of family in the hair business, my dad and sister are beauticians. But honestly, it wasn’t the career I wanted at the time. I was into sports and other things. But my uncles owned a barbershop and my dad had two barbers in his salon, so it was always all around me. My dad taught me how to cut hair when i was around 13 and 14. I used to sit and watch for hours to see how I can get better. Once I got good enough, my dad let me cut in his shop around the age of 16.
Then at 17, I went to my uncles’ shop and that’s when I really learned different ways and techniques of cutting hair. I worked there for about two years before I went off to school at Alabama A&M University to major in Construction Management. I stopped cutting for a while and focused on school, but that was short lived. My friends and roommate found out I could cut hair, so I started cutting them and other students on campus. About my junior year, I started working in a barbershop again, along with working in retail to have enough money to finish college. When the passion for it returned, I began learning new things about cutting hair that I had missed out on. I had a lot to learn so it was like starting over, but I kept pushing to get better and better. It took a while to get as good as the main guy in the barbershop that stayed busy but I knew I was going to get there one day by being consistent. I fell in love with barbering again and things started to pick up. I’ve learned a lot from so many people and I continue to better my craft. So that brings me to now where I am now, a full-time barber.
Great, 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?
It wasn’t a smooth road at all but it was what I needed to make me better. It was hard to get consistent clientele initially. Finding a shop with a good work environment is always a struggle. It was a struggle to keep with it when you’re sitting in the shop all day and maybe cut two heads. I think every barber that I talked to went through that. But it helps you appreciate when you do have a full schedule or the days you barely sit down to eat lunch. I also struggled with having to choose what career path I wanted, work a 9-5 in construction management or be a barber.
Guilfades – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I work in Dep City Barbershop, but my business name is GuilFades. I specialize in Male grooming which includes doing great designs. I’m known for giving a consistent and natural haircut. I do offer enhancements upon request, but my clients know after they receive a haircut from me it’s going to look the same before and after a shower. I take pride in my work and my clients can see that. Every time I have a client in my chair, I want to make that cut the same or better than the last. My knowledge and my yearning to learn and add new things in the barbershop is what sets me apart from others. I don’t want to only give the experience of a haircut; I want you ensure and maintain a healthy scalp and have the answers to fix problems that they may have.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
My favorite childhood memory would have to be my very first solo haircut at 13. I was in my parents’ bathroom with my first cousin in the chair. My dad was supposed to supervise me, but instead he left saying “you know what to do, let me know when you’re done.” Sweat rolling down my back, I picked up the clippers. My cousin asked me for an “even all over”. The more I cut, the less nervous I became. When I finished and handed him the mirror, he was impressed! I received the approval from him and my dad! That was the boost of confidence I needed to start my career as a barber.
Pricing:
- Adult Haircut- $35
- Teenage Haircut- $25
- Kids- $20
- Hydrotherapy Bald Treatment- $55
- Alaskan Mask Facial- $65
- Thermal Scrub- $30
- Beard Luster Wash- $15
- Women Haircuts- $25+
Contact Info:
- Address: Dep City Barbershop 2909 Pike Ave Huntsville, AL 35810
- Website: Guilfades.booksy.net
- Phone: (334)695-3142
- Email: jeremy_guilford@yahoo.com
- Instagram: @__guilfades
Image Credit:
Jeremy Marc Anthony
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