Barber

At nine years old, Neijae is one of the youngest barbers you’ll meet. She doesn’t let her age get in the way of her goals—instead, she channels her energy into learning as much as she can from her mentors.

Question + Answer

[Interview questions mainly answered by Neijae’s mother.]

1) How did you first get interested in barbering?
Mom: “I took my son to the barber orientation, because at the time he was 16 and I thought he might be interested in it. He decided that it wouldn’t be of interest to him, but I had the photos of the orientation on the computer and Neijae saw them. We had a conversation about barbering, so she said, “If he doesn’t want to do it, then I will.” So I just enrolled her in the class. It was 6 weeks long, 2 hours every Sunday.”

2) What’s it like to be a girl in a profession where you’re surrounded by men? And what’s it like to be so much younger than everyone else?
Mom: “She was the only girl and she was the youngest. To be quite honest, it didn’t phase her. She wasn’t intimidated—she just got busy, wasn’t afraid to ask questions. Actually, she was in the front of the class most of the time. At the time, she was seven years old, so quite a bit younger than everyone else. 

I didn’t even ask the instructor if her age mattered—we just showed up! What I did like is that she was secure in who she was. She encouraged the instructor to help her understand—if he was teaching above her level, she would ask him to explain in a different way.”

3) What’s the best part about being a female in this field?
Neijae: “I like being the only girl. A lot of girls are into girly stuff, and I liked that I didn't have to do that.”

Mom: “I don’t think she understands the magnitude of the fact that this is a male-dominated industry. We haven’t even gotten there yet. 

I think it has a lot to do with the fact that she is comfortable advocating for herself. Since she was little, she has always exerted this independence. If she wanted something, she would go after it. She’s not going to sit around and wait—she’s going to dive into things. I like the fact that she doesn’t allow others to intimidate her.

Thankfully she has been exposed to female barbers, which is great. She showcased in an all-female event in September—that was lovely. Women from around the world were there.

4) When you tell people that you’re a barber, what’s their reaction? How do you wish they would react?
Mom: “Initially, people were dismissive, and would say, ‘Oh that’s cute.’ Once they saw her work and the media coverage she was getting that highlighted her work. Then they would say, ‘Oh wow, she’s really serious about it.’ Sometimes when we go to events where people don’t know her and will be dismissive, but we’re always there with a licensed barber who can verify. That actually makes them more intrigued.”

5) How have the male role models in your life supported you?
Neijae: “P Michael Boone. He's been cutting hair for 28 years. He helps me be creative, he helps me with designs, with doing fades. ‘I do it, then we do it, then you do it,’ that's his motto.”

Mom: “They have been extremely supportive. What I like is that they are hard on her—they don’t really give her any wiggle room. Sometimes it can be kind of tough as a parent to sit back and watch, but I understand the process—they want her to be excellent. That has made her develop an even greater toughness. 

For example, if she’s cutting someone’s hair and she’s made an error and this is something they might have gone over a couple times. They would ask her, ‘Why did you do that when you knew to do this?’ They will really make her think through the process.”

6) What are the 3 things you think every girl in your industry needs to succeed?
Mom:
1) A support system
2) Self confidence. You’re going to mess up—you’re going to have good days and bad days. Just because you do a bad cut doesn’t mean you’re a bad barber.
3) Coachable. If you’re not, then it’s not going to work.

7) How do you refine your skills as a barber? What would you say to someone who doesn’t think they can do this job?
Mom: With practice. She wants to do it, and that makes all the difference. Neijae has a strong will to win, and that drives her. She wants to be the best. And that’s in all areas of her life, so that’s like the motor that drives her. When she had class, she was ready two hours before.

8) Who do you look up to most in your life and why?
Mom: “It’s me, because I allow her to be who she is. I don’t force her to be someone she’s not. I take the blueprint that was designed for her and I work with that. The fact that you learn and grow every day because you want your kids to be decent people—they all come with different gifts and it’s our job to nurture those.”

9) You give free haircuts to people in need, including people who are homeless. Why and how did you decide to do that? How does that make you feel?
Mom: “We would go to the back-to-school haircut events and she would cut there. Every other Monday they offer free haircuts to the homeless community, so barbers can come in and volunteer their services.

I think initially, she was so happy with the kids because she got an opportunity to really help somebody. She felt really good about that. We’ve done these events twice, but this year she experienced quite a few people telling her, ‘No,’ which I thought was great. That taught her to keep going. Then the people who told her, ‘No,’ loved her cuts on the other people. I was able to coach her through that—to keep going through the ‘No.’

10) A nine-year-old female barber isn’t someone you see every day. You’re quickly becoming an inspiration for women and girls around the world. How does that feel?
Mom: “I think she thinks it’s really cool, because she enjoys being a girl. I think she’s excited that she has opened up a lane of possibility for other girls around the world to go with what is in their heart and don’t worry about what others think of it. Because initially they might laugh and make fun of whatever it is you’re trying to pursue, but eventually they’ll come on board.”