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Ryan Carney tells what it's like to be a barber in Hawaii

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Hawaii barber

Meet Ryan Carney – the barber and owner of two barbershops in Hawaii (O'Carney's Kahului and Lahaina) an artistic soul and a member of the Booksy family. Read as Ryan talks about his career.

How did you get into barbering?

RC: I started my career in 2001 initially as a full cosmetologist. My wife was pregnant and I needed to make more money than waiting tables and bar tending at the time. After success as a color correction specialist and all other areas of high fashion female chemical, cut, and styling, I was drawn back to the basics and precision of cutting men's hair. 

I furthered  my education, initially, in the American Crew lines of clipper cutting and eventually went through the education process of receiving my Barber Certification to hang next to my Cosmetology Certification.

What is it like to be a barber in Hawaii?

RC: Being a barber in Hawaii means I get to wear slippers to work.  Another HUGE benefit  is the fact that we get to conquer all hair types. You may find on the mainland that different ethnicities have their neighborhood barbershop to go to. 

That is not the case out here and I am proud to be able to cut and master all hair types from fine, tight and curly, to stick straight out and everything in between. Nowhere else would I get the opportunity to experience this benefit.

So what are the latest cool hairstyles for men in Hawaii?

RC: We do a lot of comb-overs (side-combs) with parts cut, plenty skin/bald fades with line-ups, slick-backs, burst fades, high-tops and still some faux hawks and full faux hawks etc... Also plenty of beard work these days.

And what's your favorite cut?

RC: My favorite cut is the one that puts a smile on my clients face when I turn him towards the mirror! That may sound cliche but it still sits right with me. After doing this for so long, I find pleasure in getting that "fine", "show every snip" hair to fade just right. Up-clipping and down-clipping to even out a "thinning" crown, recession area or divots in a scalp blending a fade to give five years back to them is also a favorite of mine.

Do you prefer clients that tell you exactly what they want or the "make me look good" type?

RC: I have typically preferred a little direction from my clients, however I am always willing to go for the gold when given the opportunity.

What about your favorite tool?

RC: I am an Andis guy all the way, also use oster but with 8 clippers on my rack I will tell you that I use every single one... all of the time. Definitely a "tool for the job" kind of guy.

There’s a saying that "being a barber is not a profession or a hobby, it's a lifestyle." Do you agree?

RC: I am creative by nature. I grew up painting, airbrushing, and eventually cutting hair and building custom motorcycles and classic VW's. If that constitutes a "lifestyle" then I'll take it. I also have a wife and two daughters to support so this is very much a profession for me and I have figured out a way to meet my monetary needs by building this company into a two shop (so far) organization to take care of my family without struggle.

Do you have a "good luck charm" in your barbershop, like an old barber chair, a comb or a picture?

RC: I have a 1950's Belmont metallic gold chair complete with ashtray that I spent 20 hours refurbishing  and a picture of my great grandfather (1899 Leavenworth "mug shot" for counterfeiting) rocking a heavy stache – it is always a great conversation starter. After all it was the Wild West back then.

It isn't unusual to find a line in the morning outside your barbershops. What's your key to success?

RC: Well... There just aren't that many barbershops on Maui and I own two of them. Why our customers keep coming back and dealing with 1-3 hour wait times is beyond me, but we sure love them for it. I just keep trying to listen, and make changes accordingly to suite their needs. 

One of these changes has been adding the Booksy appointment program to our business so they don't have to wait 1-3 hours. With a simple sign up and a few clicks later, their appointment has been set! This has been very well received by our clients and watching the 5 star reviews rolling in daily has been a real treat and reward enough!

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