Why Barbers Love Great Clips® Salons 

When you walk through a Great Clips® salon, you’ll see stylists behind every chair. Right?  

Actually, an increasing number of barbers are choosing to work at their local Great Clips salons. 

We sat down with Ray, a barber-stylist working at an independently owned Great Clips salon in Miami, to talk about the misconception that Great Clips is only for stylists and cosmetology school graduates. Ray offers a few razor-sharp reasons (see what we did there?) for barbers to consider building their careers at a Great Clips salon. 

[Interviewer:] Stylists…barbers…how do you describe the difference to your friends? 

[RAY:] I attended cosmetology school first, then years later I attended barbering school. So, the licensing is different. In terms of professional tasks, only barbers can do razor shaves on men, and stylists are trained to do women’s haircuts, blow drying and styling.  

Are you seeing more barber-stylists who are blending the two careers? 

There are so many barber-stylists out there who are dope! They are awesome and talented in both barbering and cosmetology. It’s a smart move, too. It opens up the number of customers we can serve, which impacts potential income. 

How did you feel about getting back to your cosmetology roots after working as a barber for a long time?  

At first, I was afraid of the women’s haircuts and the blow drying. I hadn’t done it in years! I felt like I needed some support to get back into it. 

Where did you find that support? 

I found it at Great Clips. I talked with the manager and told him that I know how to cut hair, I know the angles, I know the barbering techniques. I also know cosmetologists use different techniques, and I needed to tap back into those methods. He was super happy to see I could keep up with the cutting, and then I was able to take advantage of all the training Great Clips offers to polish up my women’s haircutting skills.  

What types of training did you access?  

Great Clips University is awesome. It supports stylists and barbers at every level of experience, with online and live, virtual training sessions. They even have one-on-one coaching sessions where you can learn the different cuts and styles and really grow your confidence. Managers and leaders in the salon are supportive, too, and give you feedback on your growth and development. 

What’s it like working at a Great Clips salon compared to barber shop? 

Because men, women, and children of all ages come to Great Clips for haircuts, I have expanded and refined my skills. It’s a consistent flow of customers, which means I get a lot of experience to grow. 

Any words of wisdom for barbers looking to expand their skillset?  

Be patient with yourself. With an open mind and the right training, barbers can cut women’s hair — and stylists can learn how to do a great fade!  

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LICENSING REQUIREMENTS VARY BY STATE/PROVINCE. ALL GREAT CLIPS© SALONS ARE INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED BY THIRD PARTY FRANCHISEES. FRANCHISEES, NOT GREAT CLIPS, INC., ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL HIRING AND PERSONNEL MATTERS AT THEIR INDIVIDUAL SALONS. 

ALL GREAT CLIPS© SALONS ARE INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED BY THIRD PARTY FRANCHISEES. FRANCHISEES, NOT GREAT CLIPS, INC., ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL HIRING AND PERSONNEL MATTERS AT THEIR INDIVIDUAL SALONS.