Name: Miguel Solano
Business Name: Lincoln St Barbers
City + State: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Miguel owns many Hanzo Shears including the HHP-6.5, HH-8 7.5, HH-6 5.5, HH-11 6.5,
HH-VT1 6.0, HH-40T 6.0, HH-9T 6.0 and The HH1- 6.5
Favorite Hanzo Shears
HH1 AND HHP
I love them all, but the Pai Meis, and Kamakazis, are my go too.
Miguel’s Story
For the past seven years, Miguel Solano has been providing his clients with stylish personalized barbering hairstyles. He mainly specializes in custom hairstyling cuts for men, women, and children. As a child, Miguel always played make-believe, cutting his sister’s hair. He remembers his sister having long beautiful hair. Miguel put pigtails in one time, and he ended cutting one of them off by mistake. His sister had to get her hair cut into a bob. His interest in becoming a barber was at a very young age. His best friend had been doing hair for quite some time; when he showed interest in the industry, his friend guided him to pursue cosmetology. He remembers asking for advice from her, and the following Monday, he was already enrolled and on his first day of class. He attended cosmetology school first, gained some experience working in the industry, and pursued more skills by attending barbering school.
Miguel went to cosmetology school at Intellitect/Matrix in Pueblo, Colorado, and Paul Mitchell for barbering in Colorado Springs. His experience during school was one of the best experiences he had because he learned about the different hair types and how to use the skills and techniques he was learning to provide a better customer experience. He was fortunate enough to meet plenty of new people who had the same goals, which allowed him to focus on school from beginning to end. The support of his family and friends helped enhance his ability to cope with any situations raised in his school environment. One of his best things in school was to be passionate about his craft, have dedication in what he does, and make people feel and look sharp.
Everyone makes mistakes; after all, we are human. One of Miguel’s biggest mistakes was cutting a client’s hair shorter than what they wanted; this was due to not following through with the consultation properly. His mistake cost him the loss of revenue; Miguel ended comping the client’s services and ask for the chance to make it right by allowing him to cut his hair again free of charge. Miguel is all about making his customers happy, and he must make it right to keep his clients happy and retain their loyalty.
A defining moment for Miguel was when he lost his leg following an accident where a car severed one of his legs. Miguel was out of work for a little over a year, where he was in and out of doctor’s appointments, physical therapy, and leg fittings. He was devastated by the beliefs of not being able to follow his dreams of doing hair anymore. The industry requires you to be on your feet most of the day. His dedication, passion, and willpower to persevere allowed him to overcome every obstacle that presented itself. He gives all aspiring barbers the advice to always be dedicated and passionate about what they do and continue learning and growing from one’s mistakes.
We Asked Miguel To Give Advice On The Following Topics
Timing: Find a routine and stick to that routine, this will help you better manage your time. Depending on the desired cut, a haircut should be somewhere between 30 to 60 minutes
Pricing: Know our worth and charge based on your skill level. You are your own worst critic, be fair to yourself when it comes to pricing your services.
Motivation: Stay motivated, take classes, learn from your peers and people you admire within the industry. Set your goals and have a plan of action to achieve those goals to help you become successful.
Education: Continue with education, take as many classes as possible. This will broaden both your personal and professional skills.
Techniques: Learn as many techniques as you can, become familiar with all the new trends of doing hair, and stay current with the techniques as they come out. This will ensure that your stay competitive and have a higher chance of being easier
marketable.
Tools: Invest in your career and your future. Having the proper tools needed to do your job, allows you to perfect your craft. Having a great set of tools like Hanzo will ensure that you provide your clients the best service with high-quality tools.
CAREER TIPS FROM MIGUEL
How do you feel about continuing education?
There is always room for growth and improvement. Anyone in the industry should take advantage of continued education whether you think you need it or not, there is always room to gain new skills within the industry.
Have you ever taken a Hanzo Cutting class? If yes, who have you learned from? What were the best takeaways from the class?
There have been several Hanzo classes that I have taken in the past several years. Some of the skills I have learned from taking the Hanzo classes are perfect layering, fades, and getting the best use of my Hanzo shears.
Are you an educator? What’s your favorite “tip” to share while teaching?
I am not an educator. However, I would not mind becoming an educator. I love to teach others in my spare time and believe that becoming an educator would open up more avenues for a successful career.
What is your favorite technique to do? Will you describe it for our readers?
There are several favorite techniques I utilize as I provide services to my clients. The first technique is clipper over comb and the second technique is shear over comb. I also love to create texture with thinning shears or slice cutting with my Kamakazis.
What is the most important part of the haircut?
To me, one of the most important aspects of a haircut service is consultation. The consultation ensures that you understand what your clients’ needs are. It also helps the barber eliminate any guesswork about the type of haircut or hairstyle the client prefers.
If you are creating a look for someone, what are the things that you look for in your consultations?
As a barber, I lookk at the following things in a consultation
▪ Do they have time to style their hair?
▪ What do they not like about their hair?
▪ What are problem areas with their hair?
▪ What kind of job they do?
▪ Show interest in what they are saying, listen and empathize with them on what they are discussing with you.
Who is a fellow haircutter that you admire?
There are two close friends that I admire. Victoria Lockhart and Kristin Gonzalez have both been huge inspirations in my career. Kristin Gonzalez and Victoria Lockhart have been very supportive in my career, we help each other out and give each other tips on where we may need to improve.
How much do you charge for your haircuts?
$40 for regular men’s cuts and $45 for razor fades
Get To Know Miguel
What song hypes you up?
Hello Good Morning by Nicky Minaj and Pdiddy
If you could own your dream car, what would it be?
A Bugatti pink and black in color
What’s your personality type?
Introvert/Extrovert a little of both
What would be your superpower if you could have one?
To be able to fly or teleport
A favorite embarrassing moment?
Falling over a matt on my first day of work, funny now not then.
Best place you’ve ever traveled to?
Mexico locations such as Cancun, Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta.
The love and passion Miguel has for what he does is measurable with the customers satisfaction. His dedication and passion to continue to connect with people and making them feel special through the services rendered will push Miguel to never give up in order to become successful.
