Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Ken the Rock and Roll Barber

You wouldn't know it from the decor or the square footage, but Ken's barber shop in San Jose is a place of learning.

Here's the short review I posted on Yelp after my first haircut with Ken:

A truism plaguing the contemporary metropolitan man is that men don't know how to be men, especially when it comes to hair. "Back in the day," as Ken explains, "getting a hair cut was about necessity, not about status." I learned this lesson the hard way after forking over 70 bucks at a local salon for a "stylish" hair cut. Take a lesson from me, if you want a good haircut go to Ken. He's been at it for 25 years. You'll feel more like a man all the way home.

My only regret is that I wish my hair would grow quicker so I could spend more time in Ken's shop. As I was getting my cut today, Ken and I talked about business basics, advertising, among other things. I told Ken that even though I've just finished a master's in mass comm. with a concentration in advertising, I've found that the only truly meaningful way to advertise is the simplest, namely, word of mouth (a clunky expression in the ad jargon that means simply treating people right so they tell others). He agreed and added that there's nothing more frustrating for him than receiving phone calls from ad people that get defensive when he tells them directly that they don't know what he needs.

During our conversation, I resolved to not do design work for anyone that I don't know. Of course, I don't mean that I won't be open to serendipitous encounters and new business leads from friends and such. I just want to emulate Ken, a man who has been plying his craft for over 25 years, and has learned some things about how to keep clients for the long haul.

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