We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Oz & Mari Payan a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Oz & Mari, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Achieving success in anything in life starts with setting clear, purposeful goals. You need a vision of what you want and a well-thought-out plan on how you’re going to get there. Staying focused on these goals is crucial because discipline is the foundation of accomplishment. No matter how talented or driven you are, without discipline, success remains out of reach.

Another key to success is continuous self-education. In any career, you have to keep learning, growing, and refining your craft. And, perhaps most importantly, you can never give up. Life will throw challenges your way—there will be highs and lows—but you have to push through, stay resilient, and remain committed to your path.

I didn’t grow up in the best environment, and for a long time, I didn’t have any concrete goals. It wasn’t until 2013, when I started barbering, that I realized I wanted more for my life. I committed myself to mastering my craft, and after years of hard work, an opportunity came up in 2023 for my wife Mari and me to buy a barbershop. We took the leap, and that’s how we built something meaningful.

So, no matter where you start, stay focused, disciplined, and willing to endure the ups and downs. Success is not a straight line, but with perseverance, you can overcome any obstacles and achieve your goals.

Oz & Mari, 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?

My name is Oz, and I’m a barber by trade. Along with my wife Mari, we own and operate Oz Prime Cutz, a barbershop located in West Melbourne, FL. While I focus on serving our clients and managing the day-to-day operations, Mari takes charge of the finances, marketing, and all business aspects. We’re a team in every sense of the word, and together, we’ve built something special.

I’ve been cutting hair since 2013, but barbering runs deep in my family. My grandfather and uncles were barbers, so when I was at a crossroads in my life, without much direction, I saw an opportunity to learn a new trade. I decided to give barbering a try—and it changed my life. I quickly fell in love with the craft and committed myself to mastering all types of haircuts, including traditional scissor cuts.

At Oz Prime Cutz, we take pride in offering services for men, women, and children. What sets us apart is our focus on quality over quantity. We create a family-friendly atmosphere where clients not only get a great haircut but also feel welcomed and valued. Our motto, “A transformation in just one cut!” reflects how we believe a haircut can change more than just someone’s appearance—it can uplift their spirits, too. We love having conversations and building connections with our clients, making sure they leave feeling better than when they walked in.

Even though we’re a newer business in the West Melbourne area, we’ve already made an impact. Recently, we were nominated as one of the best barbershops in Community Votes Melbourne FL 2024. We’re excited to keep growing and continue delivering top-quality service to our community.

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

I met my wife and business partner, Mari, back in 1998 when we were just kids growing up in the same neighborhood. We had mutual friends, and one day I confidently walked up to her and said, “You know you’re going to be my girlfriend, right?” She laughed, probably thinking I was just being crazy. But a few years later, we were dating.

Life had its own plans, though, and after a while, Mari moved to another city. This was before cell phones were common, so we lost contact for a few years. But life has a funny way of bringing people back together. Eventually, we reconnected, and now, not only do we run a business together, but we’ve also built a beautiful family.

Let’s move on to buying businesses – can you talk to us about your experience with business acquisitions?

My wife, Mari, and I share a lot in common when it comes to growth and achieving our goals. One day, I came home and casually mentioned a barbershop that was for sale. I didn’t expect much from it, just sharing it as an interesting piece of news. But to my surprise, Mari looked at me and said, “Let’s buy it.” I thought she was crazy at first! But she kept saying, “We can do this.”

Mari’s confidence pushed us forward. We reached out to the owner for more details, and within a week, we were under contract. We made a deposit and jumped into the paperwork—setting up the LLC, registering on Sunbiz, and applying for an EIN with the IRS. In about a month, we were officially barbershop owners.

Owning a business had always been a shared dream for us, and this opportunity was our chance to turn that dream into reality.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oz_prime_cutz?igsh=MWRxbGt3NzkzeWE5Zg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OZPrimeCutz?mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Other: OZ Prime Cutz
  (321) 802-4888https://g.co/kgs/Yr7FGSz

Image Credits

Mari Payan