Meet Gerardo.
Gerardo giving Adam a fresh cut at Lynn Valley Barbershop
Before Gerardo became the seasoned barber he is today, his journey into the craft started in his youth.
Gerardo started cutting hair in grade nine and by senior year, he had built up a small client base and was bringing in a little bit of cash. What started off as a favour to friends unexpectedly turned into a full on side hustle. But as he got busier, his new found venture began to be viewed as a distraction. With an architect father and traditional immigrant upbringing, it was expected he’d eventually obtain a white collar job. So, he was persuaded to reduce operations to one day a week. He even remembers the exact hours: Wednesdays, from 3:30 to 7pm.
In pursuit of finding a viable career path, Gerardo eventually found himself working a labor role at a furniture warehouse. Although well compensated, a back injury spurred on his decision to return to what he knew he was already good at. A humble basement suite operation revealed his genuine passion for the craft and led to his commitment to save up to attend VCC to get the relevant education. By doing so, he took ownership of his fate and began mastering the craft with intention.
Lynn Valley Barbershop, Lynn Valley Hair Studio at the time, took in a junior barber as a new recruit in 2006. Not knowing much about Lynn Valley, or even North Van, he pounced on the opportunity to do this full time. Over 14 years later, he spends every day perfecting the art form while making genuine connections. Gerardo is not a North Shore resident, but he speaks very highly of the patrons of the area - so much so that you can never pull him out of this community.
He’s a big believer in things happening for a reason and that things always work out as long as you stay true to yourself and work toward what you believe. He has built a career out of something he loves and shares that his experiences up until this point taught him how to do things like being independent. In retrospect, he has gratitude toward the obstacles he’s been faced with.
I’ve personally been seeing Gerardo for over twelve years and I think there’s something to say about the barber-client relationship. Gerardo is a good listener, which means I’ve only ever learnt about his own story in bits and pieces so it was pretty inspiring to spend some dedicated time on the chair learning about his journey. Big props to this Lynn Valley barber who continues to make people feel at home from the moment they sit on that chair.
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