What's his key to success? Interview with Luis Fontanez AKA Lou Da Barber

Luis Fontanez, also known as Lou Da Barber, is one of our brand ambassadors. Lou has been cutting hair for several years now, and has developed his craft into an art form. 'I chose hair as my canvas and clippers as my brushes', he says. It takes only a glance to see how true this is.

What made you want to become a barber? 

Lou Da Barber: The love and passion for art.

What do you like the most about being a barber? Is it the overall barber lifestyle, your interaction with people and the impact you have on their lives, the creative aspect of the trade, or something completely different? 

Lou Da Barber:  I like the quality time I spend with each client. I love that I am my own boss and set my own rules. Most of all I love that I get to travel the world doing what I enjoy. I especially like helping other upcoming Barbers find themselves in this industry!

You are very popular on Instagram, you've presented and instructed at many events and you're a Booksy ambassador. What is your key to success? 

Lou Da Barber: The key to my success is staying positive regardless of all the setbacks and always maintaining consistency. I also like to surround myself with successful people, people that I can grow and learn from!

How important do you think social media presence is in your industry? Is there any advice you'd like to offer other barbers on their social media accounts? 

Lou Da Barber: Social media is very important not only in this industry, but in all we do.  Social media is growing and so is the technology. It is a tool for free advertisement and promoting yourself!  Thanks to social media, I was able to reach thousands, even millions of people around the world. 

My advice to other barbers is to use social media to showcase their work and promote themselves. Don't waste your time defending yourself to those that criticize you and your work. Take that as constructive criticism. 

When posting, make sure to use high quality content such as pictures, videos, promos, etc. It is also beneficial to attend Barber shows or Beauty shows and begin to network. People getting to know you at a personal level is vital to success. Remember to always stay focused!

I would like to ask you about your "Boys2men" series. How did you come up with this idea and what has been the response to it? Do the kids enjoy it? Any critics?

Lou Da Barber: The Boys2Men all started with a 5 year old child that came to the shop and wanted a beard like mine. I laughed and said to him that he couldn't get a beard because he has no facial hair. The child kept repeating that he wanted a beard. He said make me a beard with the black stuff that you put on everybody's head.  

So I agreed to it and as a little joke to satisfy my youngest client I gave him a beard! You don't understand the joy I felt watching him smiling walking out the shop! That same night his mom calls me and tells me that he didn't want to shower because his beard was going to go away. So he came in the next day and I redid his beard. 

At the same time, I had another parent waiting with their child who saw it and asked me if I could give him a beard also. I started laughing so I told them of course, I got you! I took a picture and I decided to post it because I thought it looked pretty cool- not knowing that it will cause so much attention all over the world! Next thing I know I had children from all over coming to the shop asking for a beard, and that is where Boys2men was created. 

All of a sudden, many Barbers around the world started doing this and it became a trend! Children absolutely love it and as a parent I love seeing my little clients smiling. There's been a lot of critics and still today many are criticizing it. They will never understand the joy that it brings me looking at these children walking out of the shop smiling showing off their beards to everybody. I say 'It's not a real beard, it washes off let kids be kids and have fun'. When I tell you that kids love it, they LOVE IT!!!

Why did you start using Booksy? 

Lou Da Barber: I started using Booksy, because I was so disorganized and I wanted to try to organize my schedule in the shop and take care of my clients the right way.

How has Booksy improved your business? 

Lou Da Barber: Booksy has improved my business in many ways. I'm on time for all my clients and I finally have time for my family.  It truly makes my life easier by being so convenient and not having to answer my phone all the time. Having my clients book their own appointments saves me a lot of time.

What's your favorite Booksy feature? 

Lou Da Barber: One of my favorite Booksy features is the notifications my clients get before their appointment. It serves as a reminder of their booking so they won't have the excuse of they forgot. Another thing that I like about using Boosky is being able to upload pictures on your profile. I love how you can showcase your work before anybody books a service. It's like having a little mini Instagram on Booksy! To be more specific, I like the whole app because it's like having your own personal assistant in your pocket!!