THE UNDERDOGS

I’m always rooting for the underdog, championing those who are considered less likely to succeed and their determination to prove doubters wrong. It was this admiration for the industry’s resilience which led to myself and the Modern Barber team standing in Parliament Square on a chilly Monday in March to protest for tax reform.

Whatever your political persuasion, it was incredible to see everyone coming together (from all parts of the industry) to ask the Government to level the playing field. I know that there are some of you who may find the current economic climate and the discourse around it overwhelming, which is why on page 11 we speak to five barbers who bring the discussion back to barbers and their barbershops, sharing what action they are taking to try and stay profitable over the next few months and the small changes you can make too – because if there’s one thing we need right now it’s community, right?

Sticking with the theme of community – and the underdog – I recently caught up with Tom Chapman who opened up about the loss and subsequent return of The Lions Barber Collective, stating: “I wasn’t going to let it end. It’s my mission.” You can read more about his quest for better mental health training and support in the industry on page 62.

Elsewhere, on page 35 I’m pleased to introduce our Hair Loss special, sponsored by ExoGrow, where we break down all the hair loss solutions available to your clients and why you should be considering implementing them. As the number of searches regarding male hair loss solutions continues to increase now is the time to get clued up – and boost your revenue at the same time!

And finally, with resilience being a running theme for this issue, I’m excited to introduce our cover star, Naomi Richardson on page 20. Naomi opens up about the difficulties of running a barbershop and team, something a lot of you will be able to relate to, and she also shares why she didn’t want to go down the route of further education just ‘so she had something to fall back on’. Naomi and her team will be joining me at Barber Connect 2025, sponsored by Wahl UK, on the Modern Barber stage alongside a host of big names including Cal Newsome, Josh Lamonaca and Dan Gregory – turn to page 22 for the full line-up of barbers and competitions and be sure to register for the biggest weekend in the barbering calendar - see you there!

EDITOR
Sian Jones 
sian.j@thepbgroup.com
020 7349 4798

Chloe Weldon

SENIOR CONTENT WRITER
chloe.weldon@thepbgroup.com
020 3841 7362

Josie Jackson

CONTENT WRITER
josie.j@thepbgroup.com
020 3841 7368