We were lucky to catch up with Rose Jasso recently and have shared our conversation below.
Rose , appreciate you joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
I took a “Risk” by leaving an hourly wage job for a barber/stylist position at a barbershop with commission as a new type of pay. I was excited & EXTREMELY NERVOUS with a burst of hope that this would soon be an opening door for future opportunities with several avenues in the beauty industry.
I know this to have been a bold move & valuable life changing decision for me. My future would now consist of work-flexibility & lucrative income. What I made during intensive labor in two weeks of cutting hair earning only minimum wage I earned in 1 day!! Quality vs. quantity was now setting in. I remember it was Thanksgiving eve of 2014, I was cutting all day while pregnant with my first born son Ezra while working at a cool little shop called Dinks on Adams Avenue along side some pretty cool, charismatic, old-skool barbers & at the end of day my pockets were over flowing with $300 in cash!!!
Take a risk and use wisdom.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Hello, my name is Rose Jasso Rodriguez & I’m a professional Duo Licence Barber/Cosmo in National City, Cali. I’m also a full time around -the- clock devout mother of three & married to my best friend Angel B.
I started in the industry back in 2001 when I signed up for the Cosmetology program in downtown at San Diego City College. But after a few months I decided to quit. I just felt it heavy in my spirit that I wasn’t ready- I was only sixteen (I was an early high school grad). I decided to earn income instead & buy myself a car so I dedicated myself to full time work. I attended college part time studying a different major. Of course, I kept on thinking about finishing beauty school so I re-enrolled but at a different school. In 2008, I became a student at Bay Vista beauty academy where I completed my 1600 hours & passed the the state-board exam. I was now a licensed COSMO in the state California.
After a year of working in the salon world I shifted into to the barbershop. I wanted to now become a barber. In 2013, I embarked on my barber journey with devotion of long hours of hands on self-training. Moving forward, in July of 2021 I captured the Cosmo crossover barbering program at RUBC to obtain my barber license. I was there from 9am to 9pm Tuesday thru Friday as to expedite my hours-I finished in about 6 weeks. In January 2022, I became a licensed barber. Wohooo! To God be glory!
I’m currently established at “Five Star Barbershop” in my hometown of National City. I specialize in barber grooming. I dedicate my shop hours to shear cuts, fades, beard trims & steam razor shaves.
I’m most proud to see client satisfaction when I see clients double-take with a huge smile of approval as they see their new haircut.
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
Being “Loyal to your Chair” is a paramount key to becoming a grounded, skilled & successful barber. Patience with continuous education are guaranteed to produce aesthetic results. These are just some qualities that will help anyone succeed in this competitive field.
Have you ever had to pivot?
I had no choice but to experience a pivot point in my career as did many during 2020 per Covid-19 business shutdowns. This created a temporary change in my barbershop scenery but I kept on cutting. Miraculously, I was still working through the strange-bewildering season as my craft stair-cased & confirmed to be an essential need to many in the midst of a universal pandemic.
I’m grateful to God for the craftsmanship of my hands.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @beesyroses
- Other: book.thecut.co/beesyrose