Philosophy of the Barber
One on one conversations with barbers about their journey to and in the profession. Bree covers present day topics affecting the industry with cohost Cassy , as well as personal struggles and growth made possible by being a barber.
Philosophy of the Barber
Mastering Time Management in Barbering: Boost Productivity and Client Satisfaction
Unlock the secrets to becoming a master of time management in the barbering world, where every second translates to enhanced productivity and increased earnings. Join us as we share personal stories from our journey through barber school and the bustling shop environment, revealing how you can streamline your workflow without sacrificing quality. Discover practical tips for organizing your workstation for maximum efficiency, tackling the challenges of new regulations, and ensuring that each tool serves its purpose effortlessly. This episode is your guide to optimizing your time behind the chair, turning those minutes into money.
Ever found yourself overwhelmed by a packed appointment schedule? We’ve been there, and we're sharing our strategies for effective scheduling and client management to create a more relaxed and enjoyable experience for both you and your clients. Learn how incorporating buffer time between appointments can transform your day, leading to more meaningful interactions and a stress-free atmosphere. We also touch on the importance of starting your day early and balancing work with personal passions, including this podcast, which remains close to our hearts. Plus, we offer insights into managing daily routines and setting boundaries for restful evenings, ensuring you face each day refreshed and ready.
Welcome back to Philosophy of the Barber. Hello Cassy, hello hello. So today we are going to discuss time management. I know on the surface that sounds super boring, but it's also extremely important in business and life.
Cassy:Yeah, especially in this profession.
Bree:Mm-hmm. I mean we can just start right off the bat with the we'll say the obvious schedule time management Mm-hmm, like the ability to do haircuts in a time frame.
Cassy:Mm-hmm.
Bree:Especially if you're running an appointment system.
Cassy:Yeah, I remember that's one of the things you like work on in school is being able to get your haircut times down. What did you have like a certain time frame you had to be in, or they they kind of expected you to be in when you were in school?
Bree:uh to start off with. Uh, you had like an hour to work and then they would come over and finish up, and then they would come over and finish up, but depending on what phase you were in your education, because they cycle in a couple of students every month. That wasn't the case when I was there, but that's what they do now, so you have a steady stream of people in different levels. But they also had timers. Oh really, oh yeah. So once they were starting to crack down on, like all right you got to.
Bree:You know, work on your time, set the timer.
Cassy:Yeah, they, they recommended that to us. They're like if you, if you want to really work on it, do this. It wasn't a mandatory thing, so it wasn't a mandatory thing. So I used to to try and get my times down, especially with like foiling and stuff like that.
Bree:Well, I would say that, yeah, that definitely needs practice, god, because doing that Roller sets Doing that efficiently.
Cassy:Mm-hmm.
Bree:I only ever did the roller set that was required for the state board. Oh really, yeah, we never had to do a whole head.
Bree:I mean they would go over the different patterns, but I've done so many perms, yeah, like on actual human people I had somebody asked me if I would give them a perm, like recently I was like I am morally opposed to that. I don't want to ever put those harsh chemicals on a person. Yeah, like I could strip metal with those things yeah, it's rough. Rough on the hair, like bleaches is is one thing as risque as I get.
Cassy:Yeah, but I remember when transitioning to a shop since my shop had a like training basis I kind of got given super good leeway for a little bit to be able to work on my time management. But in theory, since it was in that environment to like make money and like you, really you're more incentivized there um, I made sure to get my times down quickly. I made sure to really stay working on that and being able to get down to like 45 minute haircuts at that time one.
Bree:Obviously, when I went through, walk-ins were the standard, so even more incentive to be on your time.
Bree:Oh yeah because it's just all right next one next one, next one so the faster you cut, the more money you would make, because the line is there, yep. But they would even break it down to the level of how to set up your station to be the most efficient possible. So they always refer to it as our sacred area. So, thinking on the haircut procedures that we would be applying to haircuts, and where, as a right or left, and what's that going to be? And that way you're not reaching across the station or walking all the way back around the chair and being efficient with your time in that manner.
Bree:As well as efficient with your tools. To exhaust the tool before you put it down. That way you don't have to pick it back up again.
Cassy:See, it's funny because we were never really shown that directly in any way. And now I'm just sitting here like thinking to myself like what my station looks like right now, and I'm like, is there like where I'm now trying to think of, like if there's possibility for improvement in where my things are positioned? And I think I need to do some organizing at my station.
Bree:I like those details. Yeah, it's like my favorite part.
Cassy:Well, no, and it makes sense, it makes sense favorite part well, no, and it makes sense.
Bree:It makes sense because I I do a lot of walking back and forth, well, and I mean, that's kind of how I set up every barber shop I've ever owned. It's like there's a reason why everything is where it is. Yeah, which is? Which is why, if I have to use somebody else's station, I'm like crap, where's the trash? Can?
Cassy:it definitely throws me off, because I'm so used to a tailored area yeah, well, and also it was a shift for me having to have our tools can completely contained yes, and I'm sure a lot of people feel the same way, since the enforcement of that yeah rule uh altered because, like before it was all in just the center, so like it was just it was always convenient.
Bree:Yeah, on your mat or on their charters, no matter what side you're on. It was convenient even then, though, even for that, we set it up to be like all right, this one is right here.
Cassy:Yes, yes, and, and that was more. I had things almost set up in like the timely fashion they were going to present themselves in.
Bree:Well, and even my box is set up like that. It's like detachable blade clipper is on the far left because I'm a lefty so that's my strong side.
Bree:That's where I'm always going to start, and then the next one, if most especially well, any clipper, haircut is going to be the trimmer and then after that the adjustable. So that's the sequence. My tools are in in my box and even when we had to establish the closed container situation, I immediately was like okay, I have this box now. Now I need to figure out how I'm going to make sure where to put the tools once they've started to be used, so they're dirty yeah, and where to put them.
Bree:So that keep the box clean, those types of things. So I had to totally reevaluate my station to get back to the most efficient with this new container whereas I don't have the container, I have my drawers, because mine's more of a dread. Well, yours is also dresser style but mine's a lot older so I don't want to open the drawers as much yeah, yours is smooth.
Cassy:Yeah, I have to be gentle in the clothes sometimes. You don't want to slam it? Yeah, well, especially because my all my drawers at home are self-close so they close themselves gently. Fancy the ones that don't, though, really throw me off, like Like the bathroom. I always slam the bathroom door. Well, because the top one sticks but the bottom one doesn't. So the bottom one I always accidentally slam, whoops.
Bree:Oh, that's what those little sticky stopper things are for. Yeah, yeah, now, as far as do they teach you techniques in school? For well, we've gone over before that. They teach you some like shortcuts, ways to get to the destination of whatever your haircut is. That way you can pick up your speed a little faster.
Cassy:Yeah, and they do mention little brief things about like more for, like the color side of things and like placing your tools and like, especially once we had these new stations that had zero shit like counter space, so we had to be really meticulous with what was coming out, um, but it was more so what we just gravitated to and like what worked for us, versus like showing being shown a more practical route.
Bree:I think my school definitely does more of a I mean it's a phase thing, it's like all right. Well, because their philosophy is slow is smooth, smooth is fast. So you start by being slow yeah and then we'll get.
Bree:We'll get to smooth and then then you'll be able to pick up speed once you're smooth. Uh, so once you get to a certain part in hours of your program, then they'll start like impressing upon you the importance of time because you've displayed enough of the skill level. It's like all right, you can do this now. Now you need to learn to do it faster, yeah, yeah, yeah, build that muscle memory, mm-hmm. Especially because their goal, like their goal for you, is to do good haircuts in a timely manner.
Bree:Yeah, like that means that out the door you'll be rocking haircuts, being able to perform in a shop, mm-hmm. Means that out the door you'll be rocking haircuts, being able to perform in a shop, and then you can push yourself or be grown by a shop environment to do great haircuts quickly. Yeah, because with the, the three things that everybody wants they want it fast, they want it cheap and they want quality all right, well, if you want to elevate, to get to the high quality and high speed, that means you'll be able to make more money. Yep, because it ain't going to be cheap if you're doing those two things.
Cassy:I will say I'm definitely grateful that I came into this career post walk-in days, because my time management was a little rocky at first and I feel like I I obviously would have, probably I would have made it through it regardless, but I feel like that would have been an even added stress to everything sometimes it's definitely a trial by fire sort of a thing, depending on the shop environment you find yourself in yeah, because there's also the sitting around and not, you know, having any clients.
Bree:End of the walk-in culture.
Cassy:It's very real culture.
Bree:I feel like it's better for the young barber and that's a great way to learn things and to battle, test yourself, yeah, with those stressors. So it's like all all right, you learn that you can handle those things because you're voluntarily faced with them. Whereas, having gone through that and also have done appointments, I know that I personally am best suited for an appointment, one-on-one situation. You know, having anxiety that I have as it relates to others, like I don't want to be a fish in a fishbowl. I don't want a bunch of people staring at me while I'm doing my job. Yeah, have I done that? Yes, is it my favorite? No, without having both of those experiences, I wouldn't know that for a fact yeah, that's very fair.
Cassy:I've been able to assume that for myself, since I don't appreciate. Well, I get anxious when my next client shows up early and I think I'm running behind.
Bree:Might have done that so much this week.
Cassy:I've got some of them to the point where they now warn me, like when they come in. They're like yeah, sorry, I'm early. Like they like give me a heads up Because they see me. Look at them. I'm just like am I late? Am I? Did I talk too much?
Bree:Well, see, my mouth just is faster than them, and I will point out, like you're early?
Cassy:Oh no, because I don't know. I don't have my schedule memorized like you do to know exactly the times that these people are supposed to be coming in. So, like, even if I looked at my watch, if it's anywhere near a 10-minute mark, I'm like am I late? Did I talk? Again? I wonder if I talked too long, because sometimes that's where my time management gets away from me sometimes, depending on the client. Do you have a clock?
Bree:on your station, no, in your shop. Okay, I have what three, four?
Cassy:I know we've discussed yep, yep, I know I need a clock. You want to borrow Cogsworth? Oh my god, that would be a great addition to the rugged side.
Bree:I mean. All the compliments go to the Nixie Tooth clock.
Cassy:Yes, yes, do you ever feel like you've struggled with time management?
Bree:I know you as a pretty prompt person, so I'm yeah, so the earliest of the birds raised, uh that you know that whole 15 minutes early if you're if you're earlier on time, if you're on time, you're late. If you're late, you're left, kind of a thing. Yeah, so that's been drilled into me since infancy. When I stress about my time management is usually when I'm doing a shave, because I'm so focused on providing the highest quality of that service. My priority is the quality of that service.
Cassy:Yeah.
Bree:Above all else. Whereas in any other service that I provide, I'm balancing quality and time, I don't do that with a shave. Yeah, the shave is going to be the most fantastic experience that you ever have in my chair, If I have anything to say about it. So that's the only time I'm like, which is why I don't like having both of my haircut and shave guys.
Bree:uh, back to back typically like today, uh, like this week, yeah, yeah, but I did that and I I did that consciously this week, going you know what? I can't? I can't have them.
Bree:It's, it's fine, I can do that because I shaved them so often yeah, I'm like I know your face, I know how long it takes like I'm not concerned about overlapping, and especially if they're abutting my lunch, it's like if we run into my lunch a little bit, it's not a big deal. But when they show up early, that's just that one of them has learned to not show up early and he will. He will sit in his car and I'm like I mean, you don't need to do that, but I appreciate it and he knows that because he's about as neurotic as I am. So I appreciate the uh empathy there. But the other one, who's always the first shave of the two, he'll come in like 20 minutes early. Oh yeah, I'm like well, too bad today I can't start you 20 minutes early. No, like you're used to.
Bree:So so sometimes my fantastic time management spoils people when I am running on time, because every other time that they've come in early, I'm ready for them. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, because I like giving a little bit of buffer. That's why my appointment schedule is the way it is. It's like all right, I give myself 40 minutes, even though I know I can get it done in 30 or however long it takes. I like having that buffer in case something needs to be changed, or in case I need to clean something, in case I need to pee, like those things yeah I like having the wiggle room.
Bree:Oh yeah, and some people could be like but you know, if you got rid of that extra wiggle room time and you add it up at the end of the day, you could fit two more haircuts into your schedule.
Cassy:Yeah, but I don't want to be stressed the whole day yeah, and I like I don't know where the conversation is going to go. I don't know what the person is going to want to talk about that day and sometimes I like being able to shut my clipper off for a couple seconds and have a conversation with them. You know what I mean and that having that wiggle room allows me to be able to do that If and plus I can't do everyone in a guaranteed 30 minutes. You know what I mean. So if I were to do that and shift like that, if I end up with back to back to back to back to back bookings of 30 minute haircuts, somebody's going to show up five minutes late and mush the whole day and the next.
Cassy:You know I'm anxious because I put myself in that situation for some extra money. Yep, my mental health is worth the extra 30 to $60. I might make honestly Same, like even just having, because I can be chatty sometimes and get a little carried away. I'm doing better, I'm getting better, but, like I know, I've learned which clients I end up doing that with and I plan accordingly. I won't remove the block time and bump it down to 30 minutes like I do with some of my guys, because I know it doesn't take the whole time, like there are ones that I make adjustments to because I've learned how it is with them.
Cassy:But like this Saturday, I'm 85% sure at some point in my day I'll run behind, don't you have all skin fades, correct All skin fades, and four or five of the six Ah, that's a lie, I was surprised you took All but one. I've seen numerous occasions and I'm all very chatty with Like we both of us have something to always talk about the whole day. Every one of those clients is like that.
Bree:I was surprised you took the walk-in skin fade today when you only had 30 minutes, and 26 at that when he finally got caped technically, I only did it because today was so slow and I knew that paul wouldn't mind.
Cassy:I knew that paul would be okay with if I ran over and he said low, which I shouldn't even have. My brain was like, oh, you can do it faster. And then, as soon as I put my hand, I was like, no, oh, you can do it faster. And then as soon as I put my hand, I was like no, you can't.
Bree:You hate these ones. As soon as I heard low, I was like you hate these?
Cassy:and well, on the plus side, we didn't cut much of the top, so that was cool. I just had to texturize it, but it was the best. It was the best haircut he's had in a long time and he'll definitely be back. He now has a barber in laconia, so worth it. Nice and definitely a nice tip, and paul wasn't mad.
Bree:I don't think I've ever seen paul man.
Cassy:I don't think you know that's not the function of his. I don't believe it's not a setting. I bet you, when he does, though, he turns bright red. Oh for sure you know what I mean. Just like that real cherry bomb explosion, kind yeah all right, let's see the.
Bree:Let's talk about time management as it relates to the day, like the full day, not just the business day, but the full day, because you and I are psychos is how early we get up in the morning to be super productive before we come to work you.
Bree:that way, we don't have to be productive at all after work you with the exception of this lovely pastime, which obviously my time management when it comes to editing these episodes kind of sucks, but you know what? This is really low on the priority list. This is something we do for fun. We're not looking to make money on this. I mean, if you want to give us money, you can.
Cassy:Feel free. I waver in time management in my personal life. I'm not consistent with myself. I think something's going to take a certain amount of time. I overestimate how good I am and then I do something and it takes way longer than that. So, honestly, I feel like that's why, when I started going to the gym in the mornings, I I think that's why it crept earlier and earlier is because I was running out of time to try and do the things that I wanted to do in the morning. And so now I do get up at 3.30 in the morning to be able to be as lackadaisical with my time as I want and either do things or not do things, or spend 45 minutes on a project that I thought was going to take 15, you know you also spend so much time at the gym.
Bree:I do.
Cassy:And then I also get distracted by Willis. Well, sure, he's adorable, Like if the music's on. I take dance breaks with him. I don't realize that some of these dance breaks take like 10 minutes. So next thing you know so much time has gone by. I'm like, oh, my god, what have I done with myself?
Bree:I'm like, oh, played with the dog I am very mindful and when it comes to those types of morning you know, pockets of time, and that's why I'm so meticulous about memorizing my day's schedule is so that I can adjust my morning routine in its rigidity, based on because, like this morning, my 8 am had to cancel. He couldn't make it. He thought it was 8 am the day before he showed up. I was like sorry, dude, you're 24 hours early, uh.
Bree:But so I didn't have my first one this morning and knowing that I could be a little more chill and lackadaisical and give Harvey some more attention, and you know, talk to Mike before he goes off to the office and like have that chill time, or like scroll on my phone for five or ten minutes before I get a headache, and it works out, and I'm still doing what I need to do. I still got the laundry this morning, I still came here, brought the dog, all that good stuff. But when I'm like, oh, I have an 8 am, which means I want to be here by 7 30 at the latest, yeah, that way the towels get in, have some time to at least lukewarm up. Uh, I have time to read. Yeah, priorities.
Bree:Yeah, this is what I want to do in the morning. So I need to make sure that I get into the shower at a certain point. I'm up at 4 and I make sure to get into the workout room by 4.30, 4.45 at the latest, do my 45 minute workout and then do my 45 minute walk outside and then come back, hop in the shower. Like my whole morning routine is like bing, bang, boom with you know, harvey, and all of that stuff. So it's like all right, cool, and that also works into the sharing a bathroom with somebody else yeah and having to mesh with their schedule.
Bree:So I have to be detail oriented in order for all those working parts to work together. All the ebbs and flows, yeah I will say my morning.
Cassy:My like time deadlines shift each day depending on when exactly I make it to the gym, and then I start setting a time like like a time goal in my head, almost like that I want to be showered and making breakfast by x, x time you know what I mean and then I'll I shift it that way. Sometimes I stick to it. Sometimes the distraction that's how I know that way more time has left is because I do set these little mini goals and then I'm like wait, where did the other 20 minutes go? What happened? What was I doing? God forbid if Willis has to take like multiple poops in the morning. It's been 20 minutes outside Just wandering around the backyard. Okay, 20 minutes is an exaggeration, but still.
Bree:That's why Harvey is on such a strict schedule. There are no surprises. I can't.
Cassy:He gets his bowels from his mother. What can I say? My time management pretty much goes out the window after hours. Well, there's nothing left to manage after work after that, because I've I've attempted to do all the things that I was going to do that day in the morning time, and so that's it.
Bree:Yeah, aside from podcast nights when we have to, you know, make sure we get our pizza, yeah, and start the recording within a reasonable time frame. You know, after that we're good. Life's filled with distractions, as long as I get home in time to go to bed at 9 o'clock.
Cassy:Oh dude See. What happens to me, though, is podcast nights is my brain still thinks it can get that same wind down time as other nights. And so usually I can't sleep good podcast nights. Usually I'm up late. Oh it, just I, no matter how much, I know I'm gonna get in bed. I'm not even gonna turn on the tv when I get home.
Cassy:That's my problem you gotta do your spanish though is I, I still think I can get that tv lounge time, and I cannot. I cannot because the show I'm watching right now is an hour long, so it's not I'm almost done with the last season.
Bree:You still haven't watched the third season of Richardson, have you nope?
Cassy:I'm holding on to it cause I like it.
Bree:I don't wanna know yet okay, I guess that'll be the same comparison as the slice of pizza that felt betrayed because you saved it for last.
Cassy:Well, because I'm usually not like a re-watcher of things, like, once I watch it, that's probably it. Okay, I occasionally will circle back to things, but usually never TV shows.
Bree:We do need to give the listeners because I'm probably going to keep this into the episode for context the listeners because I'm probably going to keep this into the episode. Good for context is that the the pizza reference that I just made. Oh, has to do with the conversation that was had pre-recording this podcast and we were discussing that we should really start recording about 20 minutes before we start the episode so that we can make bloopers, because some of the conversations we have right before this, as a just a warm-up, wild, ridiculous.
Cassy:Worth it.
Bree:SpongeBob references, all the things, all the things Probably more entertaining than this entire subject matter.
Cassy:Than time management.
Bree:But not useful At all, uh-uh.
Cassy:No, maybe for a dopamine hit. Well, yeah, no, maybe for a dopamine hit.
Bree:Well, yeah, we're always good for a dopamine hit. Aside from going to bed on time, that's my only like evening time management.
Cassy:Yeah.
Bree:And always making sure to pee before I go to bed.
Cassy:Like it's important Always even if I pee before I take Willis out to get to bed, I'll like go and like lay in bed for a minute and then, like before I actually like try to go to sleep, I get back up and go pee again and then like go to sleep.
Bree:We're not going to get into your bladder history. I just thought of it and I was like, nope, nope, we're not going to get in depth on that, it's complicated. But yeah, basically I turn off the TV, go to the restroom, then I go to bed. That's the routine. Yeah, I'm not even turning the TV on tonight, and usually that's while Mike is taking Harvey out for the last time of the night.
Cassy:It's funny. I'm telling myself that I'm not gonna to turn the TV on, but then I just remembered that, technically, the episode that I'm watching of Orange is the New Black. Right now there's only like 26 minutes left in it.
Bree:You stopped it in the middle.
Cassy:Well, yeah, I was on my lunch break. Oh Yep, I got sucked into it. When I was eating lunch, the TV turned on. I don't know what happened, willis, yeah.
Bree:Willis happened.
Cassy:He wanted to watch it. Uh-huh, he was excited to see what was going to happen next. I feel like sometimes for me, because of some self-inflicted traumas from past relationships and friendships, I, on my days off, have to remind myself, unless I have something scheduled like a, a birthday or baby shower or something to actually do, I have to almost like remind myself that I don't have to manage my time on my days off, that like if I'm having a lackadaisical day and just kind of going with the flow and not really making plans for myself, I almost have to like actively not stress out about what time it is and like what I'm doing.
Bree:Or not doing.
Cassy:Yeah or not. Doing that's usually where the stress comes is like you're not doing something, Not doing something.
Bree:But I mean that's also inherent in being female.
Cassy:And, realistically, even my not doing something is doing something Like I'm usually crafting. At least Right, there's a crochet hook in my hand.
Bree:At the very least, my hands are busy well, and even not growing up a reader, but being a reader now I've I view reading as an activity versus I used to be like you're not doing anything.
Cassy:You're just sitting there, yeah.
Bree:I'm working out my brain, I'm exercising my eyeballs.
Cassy:Yeah, you especially.
Bree:That's another thing. When it comes to time management is like all right. Being a self-employed business owner, yeah, you have control over your schedule. But if you want to make time for extracurriculars like being active in your community, whether it's nonprofits or city boards or state boards um, like making time for that while still having a life, yeah, and time for your family, all that kind of stuff it's amazing how much more time you find you have when you're not going down rabbit holes on your device it's wild like look at your screen time, people.
Bree:That's how many hours in the day you could be doing other things. I think it was one of the best things I did in a long time was turn my phone black and white honestly I would.
Cassy:I was gonna try to see, see how to do that on mine. That's the thing I like it accessibility.
Bree:I figured any more time management nuggets. I don't mind a shorter episode now and then, so that's fine. Alright, you guys. Have a wonderful night. We'll see you all next week maybe. Have a good night.
