We were lucky to catch up with Jorge Rivera recently and have shared our conversation below.
: Hi Jorge , so excited to have you with us today and we are really interested in hearing your thoughts about how folks can develop their empathy? In our experience, most folks want to be empathic towards others, but in a world where we are often only surrounded by people who are very similar to us, it can sometimes be a challenge to develop empathy for others who might not be as similar to us. Any thoughts or advice?
The condition that allowed me to develop empathy was by seeing individuals suffer—family, friends, or strangers. Seeing people suffering for whatever reason, whether physical, verbal abuse, hunger, financial crisis, being judged or misunderstood, heartbreak, or unfair circumstances, can be devastating for all of us. Growing up, I saw a lot of this, and like many of us, I lived it. Deep inside, the pain would arise when I saw anyone suffering; it would be so deep that I would hurt. I compiled a list of things describing how I developed empathy. However, out of all the things I have listed here, I think being misunderstood, wrongly judged, blamed, or accused of something I did not do helped me tremendously develop empathy.
#1 Talking to people, I have a career that allows me to talk to known individuals and strangers daily.
#2 I avoid small talk; I go in deep when talking to them. I let them open up to me first; then, I open up to them.
#3 Get lost in a good book; a reader lives a thousand lives before he dies; the man who never reads lives only one-
George R.R. Martin.
#4 Surrounding myself with different racial groups.
#5 Learning two languages. The rewards of this are endless.
#6 Attention to detail. Not only has attention to detail helped me develop my empathy, but it has changed my life for the better and those around me.
#7 Making myself vulnerable.
#8 Make listening my priority—hard one, but possible.
#9 Experiencing stress. Stress can help you make decisions, and you must make decisions to make things happen.
#10 Stepping outside of my comfort zone. I enjoy the thrill of taking chances. The more errors I make, the more I can relate to those who make mistakes.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My name is Jorge Rivera, and I’m a tonsorial artist, co-founder, and co-owner of Classic Man Cuts and CMC Grooming Products. I’m here to tell you about my grand voyage. I do barbering, making people feel and look good for a living. I take pride in my work, and the results speak for themselves. It started 11 years ago. I came across a clipper and trimmer set I found under a bathroom sink cabinet, and I was captivated by the equipment. I became interested in understanding how those things work, and the journey began there today. I’m traveling the entire nation with a pair of clippers and trimmers. It was a long road, but we will focus on something other than the obstacles here. Instant gratification is one of the best rewards of my trade. In less than one hour, I transform someone’s images for the better. In doing so, using hair products is often recommended or necessary. I found myself not being happy with any hair product there was available. They didn’t compliment my artwork. I started doing my research to develop the best hair care product line. In the process, I was shocked that most of the products on the market were privately labeled. This means that most brands use a standard formula, which is usually not the best, and they put cool packaging on it. They change the fragrance and color to make it look different. I saw an opportunity here to think of quality care. The journey was easy, but I won’t focus on that either. After almost two years of trial and error, research, and development, we created the two best hair products. CMC Matte Cream and Matte Clay. Inspired by doing something different. Today the products are doing very well in its hometown college park Orlando Florida. The community loves it, and we have witnessed patrons traveling from the coasts of Florida to the heart of Orlando to get a couple of jars. Those actions from our clients have inspired me to go above and beyond for them. I said to myself the nation should know about this product. That’s when the CMC Cross Country Tour idea was born. The nation needs to know about this, and what better way to do so than personally walking into barber shops and delivering right to their front door? I started preparing for the VOYAGE of my life. The planning and development took about two years. A lot had to change to be able to set a departure date. Lots of staff training, getting rid of personal belongings, selling my car, and renting out my house, to name a few. I interviewed a couple of filmmakers, and Ralph Loquellano was my guy. I hired him to accompany the voyage, document everything, and create great content. After caring for the essential things that needed to happen, I bought an RV and moved into it five months before departure. I decided to get used to living in a small space and troubleshoot any hiccups that may happen while we were still in Orlando, Florida. It was a great idea; when the time came, I was confident in my RV knowledge to hit the road and live off the grid as we traveled the nation state by state.
March 7, 2023, departure date:
Mission; Drive the RV with two pallets of products to all 48 continental states, visit two cities per state, and go to ten barber shops/barber schools I chose and mapped out in each city. Meet and greet barbers and barbershop owners. Gift them free hair products and promo/marketing materials such as posters and stickers to build brand awareness.
The mission has succeeded; we have visited 17 states, and the outcome has been phenomenal. I have met countless great people, barbers, teachers, business owners, actors, great employees, and more. Not to mention every time I walk into a new barber shop, I get exposed to another business owner’s point of view. I get to see their business model, shop theme, and vision; this is a very different and inspiring experience. I have seen some fantastic sites and am making unforgettable memories with family and great people. Online orders are coming in from prior states we’ve been to and states we have yet to visit. The good old door-to-door strategy still works today. My focus is to make the most extraordinary men’s grooming products line. Being a barber has allowed me to do so successfully because I work directly with the consumer and get tremendous feedback from them regarding the other competitors’ brands. I am also a board member of the Florida barbers board. Thanks to my community support and our current governor Ron De’santis for appointing me, you should come to get a haircut here at classic man cuts one day. Here I get to vote on decision-making to better the barber industry and protect the public’s safety. I’m also considering franchising classic man cuts to only and exclusively the barbers that work with us for a certain amount of time and meet specific requirements to ensure quality. Another great news is that we will begin working on our third product by the end of this year, and we are excited to make you part of this new product development. I’m inviting you to be part of this product development so that we once again create another product that suits you best. To be part of it, come into one of our shops and ask about the third product development. I will see you guys this fall when I return to Orlando, Florida.
Meanwhile, to continue looking your best while I’m away, book with any of our highly talented barbers at classicmancuts.com and go to cmcgrooming.com to get the best hair products. Stay updated with our voyage on Instagram and YouTube at cmcgroomingproducts. I can’t forget to give a
HUGE shout out and THANK YOU to the best team Amber Alter, Kyle Bryant, Rafael Peña, Chris Ocasio, Mark Hubson, Kevin Moran, Mark Pasaud, Rich Cognatta, Brent Thompson. Richard Stephens, Iesha Crager, Raphael Loquellano, Andrew Mojica, and everyone involved that has contributed to our success. I also want to thank our loyal clients. You guys are AWESOME!
Something that needs to be talked about is Orlando Weekly’s best of Orlando competition. Category Best Local Barber Shop.
Classic Man Cuts and many other great barber shops compete in this competition and loose to a non local barber shop called Floyds 99 year after year. This is Not a local barber shop. These guys have several dozen barber shops throughout the nation and their first barber shop started in downtown Denver in 2001. Whats local about that? Why are they even in this category. Please spread the word about this unfair competition happening in our community. I have contacted Orlando Weekly about this in the past but nothing has been done. Remove Floyds barber shop from our local competition. Lets make your haircut great again.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The three essential qualities that have been the most impactful are Creativity, Integrity, and Courage. Creativity is the beginning of everything. You have to be creative to do something different. I exercise my creativity in many ways; reading and writing have been very beneficial. I am doing something I enjoy, for example, cutting hair. When I zone into someone’s haircut, my creativity levels spike, and I believe and feel that doing something I enjoy raises my creativity. While in that zone, my mind gets so creative that I sometimes pause to write down some thoughts. When I write down my creative thoughts, they become more than a thought. They have become somewhat physical. It is no longer thin air.
Moreover, I can later return to that note and further pursue that thought. Furthermore, the magic evolves from there as far as you can take it. I advise anyone reading this to try doing something you enjoy for a living; being in a happy state of mind allows creativity to flow.
The second most important quality is integrity; you have to be trustworthy. Having integrity has been very impactful. My patrons trust me. I have the best interest of my clients and my barbers. If they succeed, I succeed. When you are genuine to your people, doors open without knocking on them. When you are honest about your decisions, people feel more secure and allow you to do the necessary work. No one likes to be taken advantage of. Therefore, I never take advantage of anyone. My advice would be transparency and kindness. You will be able to achieve so much by making integrity a lifestyle. When people trust you, word of mouth works in your favor. Advertising can be costly and time-consuming, and when you deal with integrity, you no longer have to put time or money into advertising because your patrons will gladly do it for you. You can focus on other things that can help you expand and grow.
The third on my list is courage; please understand that you have to make decisions, some of which require courage. I have found on my journey that when something feels scary, it is a sign that I need to take action on exactly what is scaring me. I practice this behavior with many things. If trying something new scares you, analyze it. Think of the things that could go right if you try it, and think how you will never know if you do not try. Having the courage to try new and different things has helped me to move forward in my career. I now look forward to the following uncomfortable situation because, usually, these will help you grow.
Please understand that these are just three essential qualities, but so much more goes into it.
Here I will list all the other qualities you need to master for a successful voyage. Read on them and let me know how this helps.
Communication
Problem-solving
Confidence
Accountability
Teamwork
Self-awareness
Humility
Honesty
Patience
Critical thinking
Resilience
Motivation
Loyalty
Social Skills
Work ethic
Competence
Empathy
Dedication
Ambition
Positive attitude
Determination
Keep in mind that you may lack some of these qualities. That is why a good team is essential. Having a good team can balance out these qualities.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
My wife, Anjanette Rivera, has been the most helpful in helping me overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities, or knowledge I needed to succeed. She is solid in areas where I am weak. Her experience with business and personal growth has significantly contributed to my success. She guided me to the right books, classes, and education and has helped me immensely in every aspect of life, business and personal. This voyage would not be happening if it was not for her. I recommend anyone who has a business or is considering starting a business to consult with Anjanette Rivera and ensure you bring something to take notes.
Contact Info:
- Website: Cmcgrooming.com
- Instagram: cmcgroomingproducts
- Facebook: cmcgroomingproducts
- Youtube: cmcgroomingproducts
- Other: For services: Classicmancuts.com 💇♂️ For great hair products: Cmcgrooming.com 💈 For wholesale and product support: [email protected]
Image Credits
Raphael Loquellano
