Cutting Through Differences: Barber Culture vs. Cosmetology Industry

In this video, we're exploring the fascinating divide between barbering and cosmetology cultures - two sides of the same industry coin that often operate in completely different worlds. Understanding these differences can unlock new opportunities for growth, networking, and professional development.

What We'll Cover:
Cultural Divide:
• The independent spirit of barbering vs. the collaborative nature of cosmetology
• How historical context shaped these different professional identities
• The impact of gender dynamics on industry culture and business practices

Networking Potential:
• Why hairstylists often build stronger professional networks
• The power of industry associations and events in cosmetology
• How barbers can leverage their unique position for networking opportunities

What Barbers Can Learn From Hairstylists:
• The value of continuing education and skill diversification
• Building referral networks with other professionals
• Collaborative marketing and cross-promotion strategies
• Balancing independence with community support

Why This Matters:
The most successful professionals in our industry are those who can bridge these cultural divides and adopt the best practices from both worlds. This video will help you expand your professional horizons and build a more sustainable career.

Connect With Me:
• Instagram: @philofthebarber
• Website: www.philosophyofthebarber.com
• Book an appointment: https://philosophy-of-the-barber.square.site/

About Philosophy of the Barber:
At Philosophy of the Barber, we're dedicated to elevating the craft through education, discussion, and bridging industry divides. This channel is your resource for insights that will transform how you think about your career.

Disclaimer: The views, opinions, and statements expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not reflect, represent, or express the official position, policy, or viewpoint of any individual, organization, institution, or governmental entity. The author is solely responsible for the content of their statements, and no inference should be drawn that any third party endorses, approves, or agrees with the expressed opinions. This disclaimer serves to clarify that the statements made are personal in nature and should not be attributed to any other party.
This content represents my observations and experiences in the industry. Perspectives may vary based on location, cultural background, and individual circumstances.

Transcript

Barbering Networking Versus Cosmetology

W-2 Salons And Early Career Safety

Why Barbering Skips The Employee Model

Skill Expectations Right Out Of School

Gender Culture And Shop Dynamics

Independence Needs Leadership And Education

Competition, Insecurity, And Toxic Shops

Missing Education On Ethnic Hair

Rural Demographics And Being Well Rounded

Specialists, Working Barbers, And Closing CTA

Bree 0:13

Welcome back to Philosophy of the Barber. Today I want to talk about the barbering network and why it's not like cosmetology. Now we know there are obvious differences between barbering and cosmetology. Otherwise, we wouldn't have two different licenses, right? But what I want to talk about is more of the networking end of things. But first we're going to point out some interesting differences from a business perspective. Cosmetology, it's not unheard of for someone straight out of school to go work for a company that offers a W-2 employee business model. That way, if you've never been an independent contractor before and you've only held employee W-2 jobs, then you're going into a situation where you know what to expect. You're gonna be paid an hourly wage, part of your taxes are gonna be withheld automatically, sent to the government, you get a paycheck, you know how that works. So it makes sense if you're uncomfortable going into the unknown of a 1099 or an independent contractor booth rent situation, especially if you don't have a clientele, which out of school you're not going to. It's understandable if you would gravitate towards a traditional employee business model. And there are many establishments that cosmetologists have to choose from to land in one of those situations. Obviously, there's the the chain situations like supercuts, great clips, hair excitement, all those types of establishments, which, if you work for them, not a knock on you. It's security as far as employment. It has a particular business model, it attracts a particular type of customer. There's a reason they exist and there's a reason why they're so successful. However, that employee situation is not common at all on the barbering end of the profession. Quite often, you're gonna go straight out of barber school into a barber shop. Sometimes, obviously, in more populated areas, you'll have shops with more high of a chair count. And in more rural areas here, you'll maybe have a couple of chairs. Or you may want to open your own establishment straight out of school. That is not unheard of as far as barbering goes either. There's also a distinct difference in the expectation of education straight out of school for barbers versus cosmetologists. It is understood in cosmetology that you go to school and they teach you to pass your exam and get your license, and then you will have loads more to learn at your first salon. Barbering, the expectation is that you will be competent and able to achieve a good, solid quality haircut right out of barber school. Yes, some schools teach just to the test, but there is still the expectation that you will be able to achieve a good haircut, maybe not a great haircut, with the skills that you come with out of barber school. There is still an expectation that barbers will have to grow newbies right out of school, which is reasonable for anyone, but there is a higher expectation of skill on the barbering end than there is of cosmetology. Now we're going to address statistics as far as the barbering versus cosmetology ends of the industry right now. The majority of barbers are typically male and the majority of cosmetologists are typically female. Obviously, there's crossover, especially now. There's a lot more crossover, which I think is fantastic. But we have to think historically what affects the culture of each side of the industry. Historically, the vast majority of barbers have been men. The vast majority of cosmetologists have been women. All right, so we're gonna work on those generalities because it's just a fact. The vast majority of men being in the barbering end of the industry has certainly had an effect on the culture. Men are typically more risk-taking, they are more prone to competition, there is a practice of peacocking that goes on, there is some ego-forward behaviors that often occur. All of these have their place and can be positive attributes if applied in the proper situation, which is like anything, taken to excess or given an improper situation, they can be drawbacks and hold barbers back. Whereas on the cosmetology end of things, women are naturally more prone to be able to work together, to communicate effectively, to really understand each other's tones as far as communication, and to work together, build each other up, and often be a more welcoming area. We're also natural nurturers, so being in a customer care industry is very fulfilling and beneficial to the client. This culture usually shows itself by salons taking on the responsibility of offering continuing education to their stylists, and that is an industry standard from the cosmetology end. However, with barbering, it's far more independent. The selling point is to be your own boss. You can set your own hours, you can do what you want, how you want, when you want. So that causes a bit of a fracture if you don't find yourself in a shop with good quality leadership, or if you are very much committed to having that level of independence. Don't get me wrong, as someone who has a private suite, I love being independent. I've also been a shop owner of a six-chair shop, however. The way a private suite is run is not the same way that a barber shop is run. But that does create a limitation if you don't have good quality leadership in your barbershop to bring your barbers together and seek out continuing education. And if you are truly an independent contractor, are you taking it upon yourself to seek out that further education? Are you pushing yourself? Because with all of that, freedom also has the responsibility of your progression is all on you. And sometimes two heads are better than one. But I've seen that there can often be a stumbling block of people being both insecure as well as competitive when your fellow barbers in your same shop, you get butthurt because a client that sat in your chair a couple weeks ago is now sitting in the next guy's chair, and you're thinking that how dare he, like, why is he stealing my customer? Heaven forbid that customer has a choice on who he sits with. So that combination of insecurity and then competition can become explosive and toxic in a barber shop very quickly if it's not squashed. Lastly, I want to talk about how a cultural partitioning has occurred in the barbering industry and has been perpetuated for a very long time and how that affects the market. If we open up a Malady textbook, which is the standard textbook that most barber schools are going to be teaching from. When it comes to ethnic hair types, it is extremely limited on the education that it is offering. Yes, it offers basic haircuts and recommendations as far as hair texture and doing clipper work. However, what it does not effectively teach you is proper care and maintenance techniques and product placements and the creation of dreadlocks and maintenance of said dreadlocks. None of those things are touched on in a Milady textbook. Back in the day, I had to go looking for that information on the internet to educate myself on it. So frustrating when I look up dreadlocks in my textbook and it basically says that it's one of the world's most popular hairstyles, but that's it. Nothing else, no cultural or historic background to that hairstyle, no practical instruction about how to achieve them, how to maintain them. I had to go seek out other published materials in order to find this information. And I want to be a very well-rounded barber so that anybody who comes in my chair, I can at least give them a cursory education on what the basics are to need to know for their hair type and texture. And I think it's a disservice that in 2026 that's still a problem. Now I understand that you only have so many hours in school, and depending on the community that you find yourself in, they are certainly going to teach to the demographics that you have available to you because we are limited by the practice that we get in the barber chair in school. In more populated areas, they have the luxury of having a more diverse population to choose from. In more rural areas, it's a lot more limited. However, that doesn't mean those people don't exist. It just means that the market isn't big enough for a dedicated establishment for them to necessarily exist, which is why it's even more important for most, if not all, barbers to be well-rounded in those areas. Don't get me wrong, if you are a specialist and you want to hyperfocus on one aspect in our industry, we need specialists in every field. And I appreciate the in-depth knowledge that a specialist can acquire and share with others. But the average hair professional is not planning on being a platform artist, is not planning on being an instructor for continuing education. They're planning on cutting hair behind the chair. And they need to have the tools in order to do that with whoever sits in that chair. But I would love to know your thoughts on these issues. Feel free to leave a comment below. And if you like this video, feel free to subscribe. And we'll see you next time.