We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jordan Halem. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jordan below.
Jordan, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?
As a business owner of 2 barber shops, I am constantly working. That means, even on my days off from cutting (Sundays and Mondays), I am still working. Whether it’s running payroll for the previous week, posting on Google or working on the SEO management of the websites, being a business owner is a 24-hour a day job. My partner works for LA County and when he leaves work, he’s done. Nothing outside of work needs to be done. There are times that I envy this. But I look at the barber shops I built from the ground up (creation, design and management) and I’m proud of what I built. It’s a reflection on who I am and my personality, something I wouldn’t feel just working a regular job.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I first learned to cut hair after spending 7 years in prison of drug offenses. Prior to that, I was an attorney who hated my job. I developed a severe drug addiction to meth, began to deal and eventually served 7 years in Federal prison. It was the best thing that ever happened to me. It got me sober and while I was there, learned how to cut hair as a hobby. When I was released, I went to barber school to obtain my license and worked really hard to save enough money to open my shop 6 years after being released from prison. 3 years later I opened up my second shop.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
When the pandemic hit in 2020 and all of the barber shops were closed (along with a lot of other businesses), I decided to take a gamble and rent a space in West Hollywood for a new barbershop. While things were closed for the pandemic, I was actually building out the space. As soon as barber shops were allowed to open, I opened the doors to The Barber Den LA. It turned out to be great timing and everyone was in need of haircuts a new shop to go to.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
I funded both barber shops strictly from savings. For my first shop, saving the money was the hardest. I took every last dime I had and saved and saved. I didn’t want to take any loans out to fund the shop. It meant going without a lot of the times, but it was well worth it.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thebarberdenla.com
- Instagram: thebarberdenla
- Facebook: thebarberdenla
- Twitter: thebarberdenla
- Yelp: The Barber Den LA