We recently connected with Jorge Arellano and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jorge thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

I’ve been cutting hair since the age of 12 since I moved to Texas. Around that time it was rare to find a good barber and it was a time where you would have to sit in a barbershop for at least a couple hours to get a haircut. During that time I found interest in hair because there were a few time where I got the best haircut I could see. I’ve have a couple barber show me the way when I was growing up in a short time. During my beginning years of cutting hair, I thought I wouldn’t be good enough too make a living off. I’ve quit multiple time and sold my clippers to contiue with a 9-5 because I was wanting a forsure check. Naturally when I wasn’t making money, I would often doubt my skill level, and my overall career choice because I always heard growing up to “Get a good job with weekends off.” Or “Make sure you get good benefits from your job.”
Eventually I took the leap of faith of one day quitting my job as an insurance agent, to being a full time barber after following my passion. I started in 2013 in my first barbershop and work for a year and couple months. I went through people saying I messed them up, or owners saying I wasn’t good enough to be in the shop. But I never gave up and took their words of criticism, and turned it into motivation to make them see my true potential.
Then I started working in another barbershop in 2015, the same year I met my amazing wife. I still doubted my career choice at this time because it was such a new shop and we didn’t have much clientele. So we did what we could to make more customers come in. I definitely got to see the process of a shop staring from beginning till end.
During the slow start of working there I had to figure out, How am I gonna get busier? How can I connect with more clients? How can I brand myself? How can I make the barbershop better? I really got to see the real side of entrepreneurship. Through all of this, it showed me your %100 accountable for what you make of it. I was blessed to have a great 8 years at CFC barbershop and worked next to a great owner. Which bless me to help my wife open the first full service salon (DidThat hair and nail studio) in San Antonio, and we just opened our new beauty academy called, “Texas Barber and Beauty Academy.
This career is definitely a blessing and can get you anything you want as long as you work hard and be consistent.

Jorge, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

The way I got into this industry was simply based off of inspiration from other barbers that I have gotten haircuts from in the past. I got inspired at the early age of 12 years old. In that time there was no YouTube no tutorials, or anything to help you really get better. I had to start from the basis of learning what a good haircut should look like, and how to create it myself. During those first 10 years of cutting hair, I felt like that was a time to master how to do a simple haircut and a fade. Then, after that it felt like it took another 8-10 years just to build a high clientele to be able to survive off this job. I got to start in a barbershop in 2013 when I worked for a year and a couple months. Before 2013 it was super hard to get into a barbershop without a license. No one was willing to give a chance until I proved my worth to a barbershop and they kept me.
Eventually I went to another barbershop that was just opening that by one my good friends. He offered me a job in 2015 and had been there for 8 years.
During my time there I got the best experience I could get out of it, and that was learning how a shop can run from start to Finish. There were plenty of slow days where I didn’t make a single dollar. But those are the times that make you into a stronger person. I learned not to panic when times were slow but learned to improvise and make the shop better.
The first 3 years of working a new shop was tough not making money, but I asked my self what can I do to bring it up? How can I make an impact on the barbershop? How can I advertise to let people know who and where I am? So in 2017 I branded myself with my Instagram name “Fadetoven”. I wanted people to know what I do just reading my name. I started to make merch to let my name be seen around the city and country. I took every walk-in that came through the door. I made sure I was discipline on my time management because I know people had stuff to do. In other words time is money for this industry.
I feel this is what set me apart from other great barbers in the city. I made sure my clients felt like they were heard. I made sure they were always in and out with a clean cut and good timing.
All these little things I did to make sure to keep a client coming back and for them to keep referring clients. Thank god me and my wife opened up San Antonio’s first full service salon (DidThat hair and nail studio) we were recently able to open a beauty school (Texas Barber and Beauty Academy). This was another goal I achieved to be able to show people who want to join this industry that it is possible to survive and build a brand behind it with hard work, discipline, and dedication.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I joined the military after high school, I thought I wouldn’t ever have a career of being a barber. I quit quite a few times, sold all my equipment and started all over again multiple times. But when I was in the military I learned that people I didn’t even grow up with or barely even knew gave me the chance and opportunity to cut their hair. It finally clicked to me about being consistent and discipline to be able to make money for myself. I was in the national guard which made me still have a career in having a CDL, but I knew it wasn’t something I wanted for a life time, but for a back up. I kept pursuing my path as barber because it was the only thing I wanted to keep focus on. So juggling these two career fields I ended up having chooses which one I felt for myself would be a better decision. Along the way I met great clients and ended up becoming life long friends that support me more than anyone I know.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

When I was working in the barbershop I was in for 8 years, I experienced everything a business could possibly encounter. The days with no clients made me feel as if I didn’t choose the right path. I felt as if I wasn’t good enough or we weren’t doing enough. These were the times I had to be creative and do things to make people wanna come back and see us. I think in the mist of this I almost quit 2 or 3 times within the first 3 years. I felt like I was panicking for not making money and having my bills paid, but luckily this job can bring you so much in one day. This is what ultimately kept my faith for being a barber.
I took it upon myself to guide newer barbers who don’t know anything about the industry to show them what they could do to make a difference. Ultimately, I came to the conclusion of the fact of being an entrepreneur. You’re going to deal with these type of days and if you’re strong enough to stick it out, and if you’re willing to deal with the struggles of what comes your way, you will definitely appreciate the beautiful struggle that you endured along the way.

Contact Info:

• Website: Texasbarberandbeautyacademy.com
• Instagram: Fadetoven_1
• Facebook: Jorge Arellano
• Other: Appointments booked on book.thecut.co/Fadetoven