We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mike Harris. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mike below.

Mike, appreciate you joining us today. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

I have 0 regrets. Jesus is the head of my life and I fully trust his plan for me. There are times I think of the other side. Working a regular 9 to 5 like a lot of other people. Those thoughts are often silenced by prayer rooted from insecurities. Being unsure about your life can lead to a lot of negative thoughts. Questioning every mission God has led me on, every slow season, every word curse spoken over me, self doubt, and wondering why I’m doing what I’m doing has never done anything but slow me down. So it’s either trust Jesus to walk with me or let go of his hand. Letting go is not an option.

Mike, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Music started very early, but barbering didn’t.

I went to college like I was recommended to. I was cutting hair on campus, offering very cheap services to close friends and positing it online. I learned to cut hair around 14 years old and started giving myself haircuts, so by 18 to 19 years old I had already knew how to cut hair with no pressure. After posting online about my haircuts a close friend of mine that was already in barber school encouraged me to go to barber school and to take my efforts seriously. I never thought of barbering as a career until then. So I presented the idea to my parents and they told me to go for it. I then dropped out of college and the rest was history.

With drums, it started very early. I grew up in church where I was infatuated with older musicians that I would watch play. Next thing i knew it was my turn. However, I didn’t mature in music until 2020. My dad closed our carport in and built my brother and I a music room where we could practice and record at our leisure. This was in 2019. I practiced day in and day out when I wasn’t in barber school. Next thing I knew I had 2 separate endorsements coming in, calls from different artists around the area, and got settled into a new church by 2021. Since then I’ve had the privilege of working a lot more and getting my name out there. No I’m not Instagram famous or anything, but God has always allowed me to work.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

What you knew and learned as a kid may not always translate as a professional. I had to unlearn a lot musically and I still am. My approach to music, how I learn music, and what is appropriate for each church or artist. Unlearning is much harder than learning.

One of my first bigger gigs was in 2017 in Goldsboro at a church headquarters playing in front of 700+ people. Long story short, I bombed. Completely. Not because I wasn’t prepared, not because I was nervous. Only because I hadn’t yet unlearned bad traits I learned as a younger musician.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Social media. We live in an age where social media works for you. All you have to do is be consistent. For barbering and drums, social media has done a lot of work for me. You’ll never know who’s watching you.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @mikeharrisofficial
• Facebook: Mike Harris

Image Credits

Jayon China
Crossroads Ministries Broadway