We recently connected with Michael Sponsel and have shared our conversation below.

Michael, appreciate you joining us today. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Freedom Barber Co. started as a grassroots company inside of an artists warehouse. We built a 400 sq ft barbershop inside the warehouse with no outside branding, no parking lot, 4 chairs, 3 barbers, and the community. Turns out, that’s all we needed. In that barbershop, we were able to win 3 “Best of Atlanta” awards from local publications, gain an outstanding, loyal clientele which eventually caused us to grow into a bigger space which has allowed us to serve more members of Atlanta.

We believe in a “customer centric” view of our business. Every decision starts with how it affects the customer, then the barbers, and finally the owner. It is never reversed. I believe that is a recipe for success. Take care of your clients, they will take care of your staff, the staff will take care of you. Everyone is successful.

I believe in the philosophy of “No man is an island”. It takes a village no matter the business. Be humble and realize success is not built alone and it isn’t enjoyed alone.

In summary, it takes a lot of perseverance, passion, support, and guidance to be successful.

Michael, 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?

Freedom Barber Co is located in Atlanta, Ga on the Eastside Beltline trail in the Krog District. We have been serving Atlanta since 2016.

We are a barbershop that serves “Old School” services such as Haircuts, Scissor Cuts, Beard Trims, and Traditional Shaves. We also provide all of the modern services needed from our customer base such as Skin Fades, Razor Line ups, etc. And of course we serve the kids as well. We accept everyone in the community, We an appointment based business to respect the clients time, but have walk-in availability for those that don’t plan that well. Paired with a loyal, respectful staff that lives in our neighborhoods, we have set ourselves a part just by being us. With 8 barbers on staff, most with over a decade of experience, some of which have two decades, we are versed in every style new and old. We have two licensed educators on staff to ensure not that every cut is perfect, but every experience is perfect.

Truly a modern twist on an old school artistry.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Our most effective strategy has been word of mouth.

With humble beginnings, Freedom Barber Co did not have a large marketing budget.

To achieve this, we created an experience that was comfortable, relatable, meaningful, and respectful. We found the gaps in the industry by simply listening to our clients. We listened and acted. We built trust within our clients. They are our friends, our neighbors, the reason we have a business.

This lead to the word spreading quickly and followed with 3 “Best of Atlanta” awards from local publications.

Any advice for managing a team?

Be flexible. A team is only as strong as its weakest link. Allow people to regroup. Everyone needs a break and I would rather have my team at 100% and happy than 40% and miserable.

A burnt out employee drags everyone down. The clients, the team, the owner. I encourage our staff to take days off when needed and they have the right to block their schedule. By doing this, Not one employee has taken more time than usual off. Everyone is happy and has been with the company for multiple years now. That is a great feat due to being in a high turnover business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.freedombarberco.com
• Instagram: @freedombarberco

Image Credits

Daniel Stabler