Culture has been called “the way of life for an entire population.” If this is true all the ways of life include traditions, habits, values, codes of conduct, art, dress, attitudes, language, and much more that has been passed down from generation to generation. 

One of the most (if not the most) shared human experiences, particularly among men all over the planet Earth is the Barbershop experience. For women, it would be the hair salon. For the family, it would be a church or a sports event.

The barbershop from its genesis to today has always been about, service with respectability, refinement, civility, and courtesy. These cultural characteristics in any business will have exceptional longevity. This may be the reason we see so many old barbershops across the country. The amount of real estate that we have inhabited as an industry has to amount in the billions of dollars in rent (Different topic).

In the barbershop, it is all about communication. Verbal communication, sometimes non-verbal, group communication, interpersonal communication, visual communication, and listening. “Culture is communication, communication is culture.”

We, meaning the Barber industry represent the most unique and undervalued experience; the cross-cultural experience with the human touch. This long-living culture has strong social ties. In real-time the barber shop will have in it, humans of different ethnicities, genders, hair textures, religions, political parties, tax brackets, and other beliefs all being serviced in the same space in time. Why? Because we are the culture!

By Jermaine Johnson, No Grease!

-

About No Grease!

Buffalo NY natives, Damian and Jermaine Johnson created and launched No Grease, Inc. in June 1997. No Grease, Inc. is a company dedicated to the hair and other personal care business. The company’s mission is to provide consumers with the opportunity to have multiple grooming needs met in one location with unequaled quality and fast service.

Later, the twin brothers would be joined with Charlie Petty and other like minds in the industry. Together they would grow No Grease, Inc. into one of the leading brands in men, women, and children’s personal hair grooming services in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area. The company has evolved into a popular, profitable, and talented stable chain of full service barber parlor operations and it also operates a barber school.