After battling severe illness as a child, Edwin Veguilla knew he wanted to improve the lives of others. After seeing the reaction of those clients in his chair, he decided to take it one step further and incorporate wellness into his barbershop.
Much like the salon, the barbershop is a place of connection and revitalization. Clients go there to both look better and FEEL better, and Edwin Veguilla used that desire to fuel his passion and business project. After battling severe illness as a child, Veguilla knew he wanted to improve the lives of others. After seeing the reaction of those clients in his chair, he decided to take it one step further and incorporate wellness into his barbershop. And just like that, Razor Roar was born as a place where Veguilla utilizes only vegan products and offers wellness services like scalp treatments and therapeutic shampoos. Veguilla sat down with Beauty Launchpad to tell us who inspired his along his journey, what advice he would have for new barbers and why wellness in barbering means so much to him.
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Much like the salon, the barbershop is a place of connection and revitalization. Clients go there to both look better and FEEL better, and Edwin Veguilla used that desire to fuel his passion and business project. After battling severe illness as a child, Veguilla knew he wanted to improve the lives of others. After seeing the reaction of those clients in his chair, he decided to take it one step further and incorporate wellness into his barbershop. And just like that, Razor Roar was born as a place where Veguilla utilizes only vegan products and offers wellness services like scalp treatments and therapeutic shampoos. Veguilla sat down with Beauty Launchpad to tell us who inspired his along his journey, what advice he would have for new barbers and why wellness in barbering means so much to him.
Beauty Launchpad (BLP):How did you get started in the barber industry?
Edwin Veguilla (EV): I started cutting hair at the age of 11. My father was a school teacher and a self-taught barber who would cut hair for free in our very humble neighborhood in Puerto Rico. My dad would do it as a way to give back to the community.
One day, one of my friends said, "I need a haircut but my parents can't afford one." I told him, "I bet I can do it! I have watched my dad do a bunch of them, and I know where he has his clippers." I grabbed my dad’s clippers and gave him the worst haircut in history. Even though it was terrible, at the end he said, "I feel so much better." Right then and there, I was hooked. I realized I did something that made someone feel better.
By high school, my garage was full of kids getting haircuts, and I was the school barber.
BLP: What is your inspiration process like?
EV: I draw inspiration from a lot of classic films like old James Bond movies, Steve McQueen and James Dean. I also believe in symmetry and doing things for our clients that balance their facial features.
BLP: Tell us about your journey in the industry?
EV: I always knew I wanted to do this since the age of 11. At that age, I got really ill and had to get a liver transplant followed by cancer right after. In an effort to provide better medical care, my family left Puerto Rico and moved to Indiana. In those hard times, even at that young age, cutting hair brought me joy. It even helped me make friends.
I got licensed at the age of 18 as a cosmetologist. I became an apprentice at a high end salon while in school and worked in a few high end salons before I decided I wanted to be a teacher.
I returned to school to become a beauty culture educator at the age of 19. Immediately after graduation, I started working for the largest beauty school chain in the country at the time. I quickly worked my way up the corporate ladder there.
In 2019, the company was facing some financial difficulties, and I was laid off after being in the company for 11 years.
I took the lay off as an opportunity to follow my dreams. I decided I was going to build something that helped people become better versions of themselves through the craft of barbering.
Being a transplant patient and cancer survivor, I knew that I had to build something that offered people things that were good for them.
That’s where Malibu C came in.
I had fallen in love with the Malibu C products and company many years before starting Razor Roar. I knew total oxidation management was something that men desperately needed. I was fortunate to had been taken under Tom Porter's wing as his protégé, and through his teachings, the wellness barber lounge was born.
BLP: What do you consider your specialty, and why?
EV: My specialty is classic men’s cuts and straight razor shaves. There is nothing more timeless than that.
BLP: Who has mentored you or served an important role in your journey?
EV: Malibu C founder Tom Porter has been like a father to me. Razor Roar would not exist without him.
Matt Baker is my current business coach and is working with me daily to ensure Razor Roar success. He is an incredible man, and I am beyond fortunate to have him on my team.
BLP: What advice would you give barbers/stylists just entering the industry?
EV: Find incredible mentors. Invest in your education. Give yourself time. It’s ok to make mistakes. Work harder than everyone.
BLP: If you could go back in your journey and do anything over again, would you?
EV: No. I would never had to learn the lessons I needed to learn without the mistakes I have made.
BLP: What challenges have you encountered in the salon industry over the years?
EV: Not having enough clients was a challenge as well as having too many clients. Not having enough knowledge to execute something a client wanted has also challenged me. I've messed up haircuts, colors, waxing, etc. I have made every mistake in the book. COVID was a huge challenge, too!
BLP: Where do you see the barber industry headed?
EV: I think the barber industry is going to become more traditional again but with a mixture of things from the hairdressing side of the industry. More men get perms, color, longer cuts, etc. I also think more barbers will adopt the Head Lab concept and start focusing on the health of the scalp of their clients. Healthy scalp means longevity with a client.
Edwin's 5 Barber Must-Haves
Malibu C Vitamin C Serum
Malibu C Undo Goo and Miracle Repair
Gage Paste
Andis Cordless Masters
Andis T Liners
BLP: What made you open up your own barbershop? What inspired the look of the shop?
EV: It was always my dream. Since I was a kid, some of the happiest memories I have were in barbershops, hearing people laugh and have a great time.
The elements were chosen to be able to be a visual representation of total oxidation management. Everything in Razor Roar has been oxidized and aged.
We also wanted to build a space that was masculine but neutral, warm and inviting. We needed it to look luxurious but not unaffordable or unapproachable.
BLP: How do you market the barbershop/get more clients?
EV: We have actually built by word of mouth and by creating outstanding work while providing top notch customer service.
BLP: What are your best tips for success in the barber industry?
EV: Remember that this is a relationship-based industry, so build strong ones with your guest. Keep the conversation focused on them.
Always focus on quality of work, and don’t let anything leave your chair that you would not be proud to display on a billboard.
Be punctual, and dress to impress.
BLP: What are some trending cuts, shapes or color trends that you see a lot?
EV: We see a ton of classic fades with hard parts, business crew cuts, long hair for men (man buns) and what we call TikTok haircuts tapers.
For the TikTok haircuts: Taper the sides down using clipper over comb followed by taking them down to a 1 or 0 guard. Trim the sides and top by point cutting to add texture, and round shape the bang area. Round brush the band area, and add texture paste of powder style as desired,