I'm A Mom, I'm A Barber
Just imagine:
3 different schools — elementary, junior high, and high school. A safe home, lights, electricity, food, insurance, glasses, fresh kicks, and everything else that's necessary for four children.
That's real life, right?
But as a single mom, how do you provide all of the above along with emotional support and love to babies who didn't ask to be here?
Working a 9-5 job won’t work because who will drop off the kids at school, pick them up, and take them to their afterschool practices?
Maybe work nights?
This doesn't work either because then who will make dinner, help with homework, and put the kids to bed? Something's got to give. Something has to be sacrificed, right? This is when barbering enters the chat.
Barbering and the industry don’t always get the respect it deserves, but as a licensed cosmo/barber, I have fantastic benefits and get to work in a profession I love. I have control over my schedule — I decide when to work and not work. I take my early clients before school and charge them more for the early slots. And they pay. I’ve been in the industry for about twenty-two years. My time in the game allows me to set premium prices for my services. In “the real world” with a “real job,” getting raises isn’t easy and can lead to resentment if we don't get what we want or believe we deserve. My premium prices equal raises — raises that I set myself.
I can work during the school day during school hours and have the freedom to leave when my appointments are done, rather than be forced to stay on a clock. I even work some weekends, but at my discretion. I get to spend quality time with my family as I see fit versus an employer deciding when I can have time off, leaving me to do my best to make the most of that time.
Being in this industry has allowed me to be the best mom I can be by allowing me to be present as a mother and providing me the opportunity to give my kids a good life.
Barbering is the gift that keeps on giving. It's an optimal path for single parents seeking financial freedom while tending to the needs of their dependents. How can I successfully parent as a single mother to four children who run the gamut from elementary to high school? The answer is easy — I'm a barber.
