Meet Craig (0:32 – 2:10)
From a young age, Charles knew he wanted to be an entrepreneur. His journey into barbering began around age 12, not as a business, but as a passion (1:43). After getting a haircut he felt he could replicate, he started cutting his own hair, emulating his barber, and quickly fell in love with the craft. Soon, others took notice of his skill, and what started as a hobby began to generate income through high school and college, where he famously cut hair for students and community members in his dorm room (1:47 – 2:10). This early experience planted the seed for a future business.
Identifying the Opportunity: Supply and Demand (2:12 – 6:32)
While in college studying marketing, Charles recalled a fundamental lesson from his economics class: supply and demand (6:15). He realized that during his time at East Tennessee State University, there was a significant lack of modern, trendy barbershops in Johnson City—a clear market demand (3:30). This principle became the cornerstone of his business strategy. The first major hurdle was getting his barber license. After completing an apprenticeship program in his home state of Massachusetts, he faced the challenge of license reciprocity in Tennessee. In a bold and resourceful move, he wrote a compelling letter to the state board, outlining the need for his skills in the area and including his college degree, successfully convincing them to grant his license (4:21 – 5:28). This allowed him to open his first barbershop in downtown Johnson City in 2004 (4:31).
The Power of Building Relationships (6:35 – 9:12)
Charles emphasizes that building solid relationships is paramount to success. He credits volunteerism, community service, and simply being a good, respectful person as foundational to his growth (6:40). He shares a powerful and unconventional anecdote about joining a sewing class filled with older women to illustrate his point (7:58). While others in his barbershop questioned the decision, Charles went with a genuine desire to learn. The unexpected result was gaining a multitude of new clients, as these women referred their sons, husbands, and nephews to him (8:37). The lesson was profound: opportunities to build relationships are everywhere, and one must think outside the box and be willing to connect with people from all walks of life.
From Barbershop to Academy: Scaling the Vision (9:14 – 14:17)
The success of his barbershop led to a new challenge: a high demand for his services but a short supply of qualified barbers to staff new locations (10:38). Over the years, hundreds of people had asked him how to get into the industry, sparking the idea for a school. Applying his “supply and demand” logic once again, he decided to create the supply himself by opening Crown Cuts Academy. This required him to become a licensed instructor, but the nearest program was a four-hour drive away in Nashville (12:07). For six months, he undertook a grueling schedule: driving to Nashville on Monday, attending school all week, driving back Saturday, and working in his Johnson City shop on Sunday (12:53 – 13:11). He recounts a pivotal conversation where a friend reframed this grueling period not as a “sacrifice,” but as an “investment,” a mindset shift that has stuck with him ever since (13:54).
Impact, Community, and Giving Back (14:20 – 18:34)
Crown Cuts Academy now attracts a diverse range of students, from doctors and engineers changing careers to high school students in a dual enrollment program, allowing them to graduate with both a diploma and a barber license (14:23 – 15:18). Charles identifies as a “visionary,” not a dreamer, because his eyes are always open to possibilities (15:35). A significant part of his work is community-focused. He is a passionate advocate for The Confess Project, the first barbershop mental health movement in the country, which trains barbers to be mental health advocates for their clients, particularly Black men who are often hesitant to seek help (20:10). He also runs a program in partnership with Washington County to teach inmates cosmetology and nail tech skills, giving them a tangible career path upon release to help reduce recidivism (25:51). He firmly believes that everyone deserves a chance to make an honest living.
Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs (18:34 – 20:08)
Charles’s core advice is to build relationships and immerse yourself in the community for years before starting your business, establishing a foundation of trust and goodwill (18:50). He uses a powerful baseball analogy to advise patience: “Everybody wants to hit a home run, but sometimes you have to bunt to get the first base… A single, a single, a single, a single can get you home” (19:24 – 19:47). He stresses that slow, steady progress is a valid and often more realistic path to success than instant, massive wins.
