Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Bee Golding. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Bee, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

I opened Deep Cuts in August of 2020, which in and of itself was a pretty sizeable risk. Opening a new business in a new city during the heart of a pandemic was scary, but within a few months I had built some momentum as a safe haven for LGBTQ folks to get their hair done in a fun and friendly environment. However, I still had not come to terms with something very big within myself. In April of 2021, I publicly came out as a trans woman on Deep Cuts’ social media pages. I was terrified that I might undercut the success I had experienced in the early days of the shop, but the opposite happened. They was an outpouring of support and love from the community. I was able to further build the shop as a staple within the queer community in the Twin Ports. I was able to attract clientele that quickly turned into my closest friends and I owe it all to living as my true and fully authentic self. Deep Cuts has thrived and grown, but not nearly as much as I have been able to personally by taking that risk.

Bee, 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?

I am a classically trained barber from Salt Lake City, Utah. I started attending barber school because I enjoy talking to people and getting to hear their story so much. After barber school, I worked at Beesley’s Barber Shop in Midvale, Utah followed by Whiskey Barber in Jackson, Wyoming. When I moved to Duluth, Minnesota in 2020, I wanted to open a different kind of shop. Deep Cuts is a proudly Queer and Trans owned barbershop and hair studio where our pricing and services are done by length instead of gender. I also wanted to cultivate an environment where the LGBTQ community was not only included, but celebrated with a little bit of punk rock flair. I often refer to Deep Cuts as my Island of Misfit Toys. We’re the weirdos in the best possible way and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Myself and our other two stylists, Brandi & Tate, are very loudly ourselves in the shop and people can definitely feel the realness that we bring to the table. We take our services seriously, but we absolutely don’t take ourselves seriously. We’re the opposite of pretentious and we wouldn’t have it any other way. The person in the chair is what makes those of us standing behind the chair successful and we really try to keep that at the forefront of our minds.

We do straight razor shaves, haircuts of all lengths, and fashion color services as well as selling local band merch and merchandise from other queer and trans owned businesses along with premium hair products of all sorts.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I started the business in a new city during a pandemic, so social media was vital to getting the word out. I used geotagging very aggressively in the early days. When I would post a haircut, I would geotag attractions in the area to capture audiences that might follow those landmarks on social media. My number one piece of advice is to be yourself. I know that is cliche, but it’s cliche for a reason. People can tell when you’re being real and when you’re being a marketer. I’ve shared struggles and successes on our socials. I’ve shared things from my personal life and promoted other local organizations that I support the vision of. Being authentic creates authentic connections with your audience and that really helps people stay engaged.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

I truly believe that the key to maintaining good morale comes down to the golden rule. Treat people the way that you would want to be treated. You can give constructive criticism without being rude, but people that want to be successful will welcome the learning opportunities. Also, never underestimate how important team chemistry is. Having the correct people working together can make all the difference in the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: Deepcutsduluth.com
• Instagram: @deepcutsduluth