Front & Center: Barber cuts through generational differences to find success

Growing up with eight siblings taught Rachel Arana two lessons:

One, she was good at cutting hair – well, maybe not her own.

And two, guys are easier to satisfy than gals.

“I have five sisters and three brothers. When I would cut hair, the girls would say, ‘I want a completely different look. I want something brand new. But I don’t want bangs. I don’t want layers. I don’t want to change the color of my hair. And you can only take off half an inch.’

“My brothers would just say, ‘Make it shorter.’

“Guys are definitely easier.”

These days, Arana gives haircuts to hundreds of men at Heritage Square Barber Shop, the business she bought five years ago when she was fresh out of cosmetology school.

During a recent interview, Arana discussed dyslexia, hair dyes and big glasses.

S-R: Where did you grow up?

Arana: I was born in Anaheim, California. We moved up here when I was 12.

S-R: Do you recall the first time you cut hair?

Arana: My introduction was cutting my best friend’s hair when I was 6 or 7. Her mom, who cut hair professionally, said, “You did OK, but maybe you should wait until you’re a little older before you try again.”

S-R: Who cut your siblings hair?

Arana: My mom, because it would be expensive paying for nine haircuts. As I got older, I took over.

S-R: Where did you go to school?

Arana: I was home-schooled until my junior year in high school, when I went to Deer Park.

S-R: Was switching to public school a culture shock?

Arana: No, because my mom involved us in a lot of home-school programs, so I socialized with other kids regularly. But home-schooling definitely helped me interact with adults. I talked with teachers more than I did with the kids.

S-R: What was your favorite class?

Arana: English. My mom had a hard time trying to teach me because I didn’t absorb the information the same way my siblings did. When I got to Deer Park, my English teacher – Jeffrey Dunn – helped me discover I was dyslexic, because he was, too. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

S-R: Did you have a career in mind back then?

Arana: Not really. On career day at school, they brought in a bunch of professionals, and I attended a presentation by Martin Dow, who owned Glen Dow Academy. I enrolled in the academy when I was 19.

S-R: Did academy students choose between cutting men’s or women’s hair?

Arana: It’s a cosmetology school, so they teach the basics of everything beauty-related. But men’s cuts were the thing almost no one wanted to do because men’s hair is typically pretty short, and students were intimidated by taking off too much hair. For me it was more like, “If that’s what they want, that’s what they want.”

S-R: When did you buy Heritage Square Barber Shop?

Arana: As soon as I graduated from Glen Dow.

S-R: Was that a typical next step?

Arana: No. When you graduate, they tell you to expect to work in a “chop shop” – a Great Clips or something like that. Once you’ve gained speed and experience, you move on to a place that’s a little more established, gain a reputation, build up clientele and eventually open your own business.

S-R: And you skipped all those intermediate steps?

Arana: Yeah. I came in with the attitude of just show up every day and do your best, and hopefully that will be good enough.

S-R: How much did the business cost?

Arana: The previous owner was really sweet. She wanted to retire, so she charged me about $18,000 and let me spread out the payments. That took me a year.

S-R: Did you have a mentor?

Arana: When I bought this place, a gentleman already working here named Steve Pehl was a big help.

S-R: How many regular customers did you inherit?

Arana: Maybe a couple of hundred.

S-R: They were used to an older woman cutting their hair. How did they react?

Arana: The previous owner left without giving anyone a heads-up, so people would walk in and say, “Where the heck did Pam go?” When I explained I’d bought the place, they’d ask “How old are you?” I’d say, “I’m 20,” and they’d say, “She’s been cutting my hair as long as you’ve been alive.” Some gave me a chance, but others were like, “No way.” Steve inherited a lot of those customers. When he retired at 72, most switched to me.

S-R: Besides an ability to cut hair well, what does it take to run a successful barber shop?

Arana: You have to care about the people whose hair you’re cutting, because getting into someone’s hair is a very personal experience. I don’t know why it is, but a lot of people feel they can tell you their secrets, and you have to be able to react in a nonjudgmental way. People say the three things you should never talk about in a barber shop are sex, politics and religion. Well, that’s what everyone wants to talk about when they come in here.

S-R: What if you strongly disagree with something they say?

Arana: They’re allowed to have their own opinions. I may ask why they feel that way, because I want to be educated about what they know. But if customers start arguing among themselves, I say, “I’m shutting you down.”

S-R: You have no TV in your shop. Is that unusual?

Arana: I think it is. People ask why we don’t, and I tell them I want an old-school environment where you come in, sit down and talk to people.

S-R: Do parents bring kids in for their first haircut?

Arana: Sometimes, but I won’t cut someone’s hair if they’re 5 or under. It’s too stressful for me. The other gal who works here does little kids’ haircuts.

S-R: Do barbers take classes to learn the latest techniques?

Arana: They do. I’m kind of bad at that because all my customers are older. They’re not looking to try the latest trendy style. They say, “Just cut it like you did last time.”

S-R: Back when you were cutting your siblings’ hair, did anything ever go really wrong?

Arana: Not for them. For me. (laugh) When I was younger I cut my bangs off, which didn’t turn out the way I expected.

S-R: Do you get walk-ins?

Arana: I’m pretty much strictly appointments. If I’m full for the day, which is typical, I hang a sign that says “no walk-ins” because I don’t like to be interrupted.

S-R: How long does it take to cut a man’s hair?

Arana: About 20 minutes.

S-R: Do you talk while cutting?

Arana: Oh, yeah. But it’s a back-and-forth conversation because I know most of my customers. They’ve been coming to me for six years, so we catch up with each other.

S-R: Are there any common misconceptions about barbers?

Arana: A lot of people think it’s a lower-end job, like dishwashing. It’s not. Besides cutting hair and cleaning up, I do all the licensing and a lot of the bookkeeping. I also have to be a therapist and a friend.

S-R: Customers go through divorces, illness and the death of loved ones. Do they sometimes cry in the chair?

Arana: A lot of people do, actually. Their wife passing away. Their son passing away. An animal.

S-R: How do you react?

Arana: I’m just here for them. I comfort them if I can.

S-R: With so many customers, do you keep notes?

Arana: I used to, but not anymore. I don’t need to.

S-R: Do you ever try talking customers out of changing their look?

Arana: Sometimes. For instance, I advise against dyes, because when you have white hair, you’re never sure how it will turn out.

S-R: What’s your busiest time of year?

Arana: Holidays.

S-R: Do you take vacations?

Arana: Some, but not weeklong vacations.

S-R: What do you like most about your job?

Arana: I think the people.

S-R: What do you like least?

Arana: Probably the people. Some are great. Others are emotionally draining.

S-R: What are you most proud of?

Arana: That people who come here feel I’m someone they can talk to and they trust me to make them look good.

S-R: What has this job taught you about yourself?

Arana: That I’m kind of an introvert-extrovert. I’m good around people, but I have a limit. When I go home, I don’t want to chitchat.

S-R: When someone discovers what you do for a living, what do they ask?

Arana: If it’s a woman, she’ll say, “What would you do with my hair?” And I’ll say, “I have no idea, because I cut men’s hair.” Men will say, “What’s the latest style?” And I’ll say, “I have no idea. I cut retired men’s hair.”

S-R: Any favorite customer reactions?

Arana: Someone once said to me, “I thought your big glasses were just a dorky style thing, but you’re smarter than you look.” (laugh) And I said, “Oh … OK.”

Writer Michael Guilfoil can be contacted at mguilfoil@comcast.net.