Black Business Prosperity Magazine interviewed 22 year old James (Jay) Martino Jr. Or better known as JayDaBarber, who is a renowned barber and entrepreneur in South Carolina. His business, which carries the same name, is continuously gaining recognition from clients for his outstanding work with a big splash of professionalism. James attends Francis Marion University with a major in Business Marketing. “I have several hobbies, among them are studying different financial markets such as the Foreign Exchange Market, and Cryptocurrency. I also like to watch basketball, one of my favorite sports. And of course, I like to watch haircut tutorials on YouTube,” explains James.
Q: What brought such a deep interest in the barbershop? Many people consider barbering only as a job of cutting hair with clippers and razors, what skills are required to be a professional barber?
A: When I was a little kid, I hated going to the barber, like most kids. But when I started to grow up, my father took me back to the barber. I couldn't help but be fascinated by what I saw. I wasn't just there to get a haircut, I was there to appreciate the way barbers worked. I studied movements from how they interact with their clients, how they hold and move the clippers, all the way down to the steps they took for certain hairstyles. From there my interest only grew more and more. I have been practicing as a barber since I was 13 years old. Barbering is a profession where you can’t be selfish, our job is to make others look good, elegant, and modern. We deal with different head shapes, hair textures, and hair patterns. Each technique you have to fade may not work on everyone. We have to learn about sanitation, skin types, scalp conditions, and other medical terms so that we know what to do in certain situations.
Q: What makes your services unique and outstanding?
A: I always tell my clients: “I don't provide haircuts, I provide a grooming service.” Even though I call myself “JayDaBarber,” I also refer to myself as a “Grooming Specialist” that provides a grooming experience. I'm someone that focuses a lot on detail and wanting to give my clients an experience that they can't get from anywhere else.
Q: Is there anything you would like to see added or changed in the barber industry?
A: The change I would like to see in the barbering industry is the breaking of tradition. Certain things barbers have made the norm, and when some of us break these norms and traditions, we’re looked at as a threat and are hurting the industry.
Q: Where do you see yourself 5 to 10 years from now?
A: I plan to improve my skills with practice and experience. And in the next 5-10 years from now, I see myself more financially stable, married with children, a nice home, multiple businesses, multiple streams of income, and just living my best life.
Q: Is there someone who has been an influence for you to become a barber? What inspirational advice would you like to share for young individuals like yourself?
A: Some major influencers would be my Cousin Ben, who’s a barber. He helped elevate me to be the barber that I am today. Next would be my mentor Antwon, he helped shape and mold me to know what it’s like being a barber. And last but not least my barber instructor Mr. Derek. He gave a young black man a chance and I just thank him for that.
Some advice that I’d give others would be to keep pushing. Choose a passion or career that you love to do and go for it and never give up. Don’t let others tell you what career path you should have just to make them happy. You have to live life for you and only you.