We recently had the chance to connect with Jorge Arellano and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jorge, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What is a normal day like for you right now?
Today in my life is much more than being just a barber. My wife and I run 3 successful businesses with another one in the works. Typically my day starts off at 7am and to be ready for our students and start class at 9am-8pm. After, we go to our other businesses to be able to maintain them and be able to plot on our next business adventure. Typically our day doesn’t end till about 11pm to be able to start again tomorrow.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m a professional barber who has been in the industry for 20 years. I’ve developed making my own income for the past 13 years as a barber. I wanted to make myself stand out being a barber right away by changing the way I marketed myself as a barber by simply branding myself as “ Fadetoven “. It helped me be able to spread my name instantly off of curiosity. Soon enough word of mouth became my biggest asset along with the work of my community. I’ve always felt as a barber we should be able to guide our youth into prosperity and not fall into the vice of what could be our future. No matter how good the haircut can be, the conversations with your clients should be uplifting to be able to keep the next generation intrigued to be another role model in the community. I’m still working on my brand to start a barber line along with a barbershop to be able to have job opportunities in the city.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
There was a time in my life where I thought I had to be programmed to work a certain job, be a certain career field, or just do what others suggest I do. I always felt trapped in a 9-5, I knew I did like school enough to invest a lot of time without making something of myself first. I felt like I was free from the grasps of a job that kept me from my full potential. I quit my job in the beginning of 2013 to be a full time barber. Them is when I felt in charge and felt good about making others feel good about themselves. The. I met my wife Michelle Arellano in 2015 who I been with for 10 years. Then was the time where I felt tru power in what I do. She was in college to be a nurse but she wasn’t happy doing it. I simply asked “What do you enjoy doing?” She said “ I want to be like you, I want to be able to do hair, nails, and make people feel good about themselves.” Then is where I felt powerful because of the influence that I bring upon others near or around me. With that power, I can either be a negative or a positive influence to those in our community.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
At one point in my life I realized everyone who sits in our chair goes through something. Either it’s a first date, new job, first day of school, divorce. I realize that we’re all human, no one’s perfect and we all have insecurities and issues we got to deal with. But the best way to be able to connect with a person is to be good listener. I’d say about 90% of people who sit in our chair have no one who listens to what’s going on in their lives. But if we can share enough with a person to show a relation to what they got going on, it builds trust and your clients will come back time after time. Sometimes what you had go on in your life and how you recovered from that experience will be someone’s key advice to either save them or help them.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
A cultural value I try to protect at all cost is the integrity of being a barber and what it represents. Nowadays, I feel like it’s not what it truly represents. It often portrays that people will make fast money and gain instant fame off a couple haircuts with paint. There is still a grind you have to go through that will make you humble and appreciative. I still want my students and everyone who wants to know about the industry what it truly offers and where it came from. While I am a teacher, I will do my best to always keep the integrity of the industry that has fed myself and others who believed in themselves.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
At this point in my life, I actually do feel I’m doing what I was born to do. As a barber I feel like there’s no limits to what I can do, what I can learn, and what I could teach. In this industry, I feel like I’m at peace when I cut hair, I actually feel happy to go to work every single day, and I get to provide for my family. I think these are the key factors that can pinpoint what can give you a general idea for what you were born to do. I thank god everyday for the talents he’s blessed me with and the power to be an influence in my community.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Fadetovenshob.com
- Instagram: Fadetoven_1
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/fvde-omg?ref=clipboard&p=i&c=1&si=717D51000E86492CB12AD1F6CF4AC165&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
Image Credits
@olay_ak instagram
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