The Soul Man Barber Studio

THE SOUL MAN – THROUGH THE EYES OF THE OTHER BARBER

You’ve met the barbers, but what about the man behind The Soul Man Barber Studio?

Rather than introducing myself, I thought it would be much more interesting (and potentially dangerous 😂) to ask the lads who work alongside me what I’m REALLY like!

So, we asked Ryan, Sam, Luke and Kieran 10 questions. They were told to be completely honest, and judging by some of these answers, they certainly were! 😂

1️⃣ Describe Steven in three words.

🖤 Ryan: Honest, genuine, happy.

🖤 Sam: Funny, caring, cheeky.

🖤 Luke: A kind soul.

🖤 Kieran: Caring, passionate, somewhat funny.

2️⃣ What was your first impression of Steven, and has it changed?

🖤 Ryan: We clicked straight away. He was welcoming, like a friend I’d known for years. My opinion has never changed. Still an amazing human. I just wish he’d slow down a bit now he’s getting older! 😉

🖤 Sam: I thought he was a very nice guy, and that’s not changed.

🖤 Luke: He came across as a really genuine person, and that’s remained the case.

🖤 Kieran: I could tell straight away that he genuinely cared about our progress and teaching us.

3️⃣ What’s Steven’s most annoying habit?

😂 Ryan: NEVER LETTING YOU HELP HIM!

😂 Sam: He’s way too nice sometimes.

😂 Luke: Watch this space. When I find one, I’ll update you!

😂 Kieran: Very clumsy!

4️⃣ What’s the funniest thing Steven has ever said or done?

😂 Ryan: Falling asleep in the barber chair during a Ritual, or singing the entire Mr Tumble theme song. I’ve got video proof!

😂 Sam: Too many to choose from!

😂 Luke: Most Fridays when him and Ryan start fake arguing!

😂 Kieran: Some of his comebacks to Ryan are pretty funny!

5️⃣ What’s Steven really like to work with?

🖤 Ryan: Like working with Yoda or Mr Miyagi. Always positive, always putting a positive spin on everything, even when you just want him to agree with you! 😂

🖤 Sam: Great to work with. He makes sure everyone gets treated equally.

🖤 Luke: Really patient and understanding, which is great when you’re learning.

🖤 Kieran: Supportive, caring and passionate about what we do.

6️⃣ What’s something people would be surprised to learn about Steven?

🖤 Ryan: For someone so positive and passionate, he’s probably his own biggest critic and overthinker.

😂 Sam: He used to be a manager at Greggs!

🖤 Luke: He’s an author!

😂 Kieran: He’s fluent in French and can apparently make some good pastries. Supposedly!

7️⃣ What’s Steven most particular about in the studio?

🖤 Ryan: Setting a new standard for barbering and making sure every client is genuinely happy.

🖤 Sam: Making sure every client receives the best possible service.

🖤 Luke: Maintaining a calm atmosphere that helps people enjoy their treatments.

😂 Kieran: CLEANLINESS!

8️⃣ What’s the best advice Steven has ever given you?

🖤 Ryan: Everything you’re wanting to happen will happen as long as you keep showing up.

😂 Sam: You’ve got to p**s with the c**k you’ve got!

🖤 Luke: What makes a good barber is 20% barbering and 80% the person.

🖤 Kieran: Never give up when things aren’t going your way, and never be scared to try something new.

9️⃣ What’s one thing you genuinely admire about Steven?

🖤 Ryan: His work ethic. He unintentionally makes you feel lazy when you see how much he does every day! 😂

🖤 Sam: His patience with people and his conversation skills.

🖤 Luke: He saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself, and he believed in me.

🖤 Kieran: His work ethic and the fact he’s still learning while passing his knowledge on to us.

🔟 What does The Soul Man really stand for?

🖤 Ryan: Community, friendliness and somewhere to switch off from the outside world.

🖤 Sam: Making sure every client leaves with a smile, regardless of how they felt when they walked through the door.

🖤 Luke: Our souls get chipped away every day by life’s stresses. The Soul Man is somewhere you can come for 45 minutes or an hour and take some time to repair your soul.

🖤 Kieran: Somewhere people can really switch off and enjoy the full barbershop experience, and somewhere we can learn, grow and work together as a team.

❤️ A little word from me…

Reading these answers genuinely made me smile, laugh out loud and, in a couple of places, feel quite emotional.

I have always believed that barbering is about so much more than cutting hair. It’s about people, connection, kindness and creating a space where everyone feels welcome.

And perhaps the thing I’m proudest of isn’t the studio we’ve created, but the people who are helping to create it.

Every single one of these lads brings something different to The Soul Man, and I couldn’t be prouder of them.

Although, after reading some of these answers, a few of them might be getting handed a mop tomorrow! 😂

The Soul Man Barber Studio 🖤

More than a haircut. More than a barbershop. A place where people matter.

We’re looking for a Junior Barber Assistant to join us on Saturdays at The Soul Man Barber Studio.

This role has opened up because Sam is no longer our junior barber and is now moving on to the next stage of his barbering career, which is exactly what we hoped this position would help someone achieve.

We’re now looking for the next person to come in, learn, grow and become part of the team.

This would be ideal for someone just starting out in the world of work who has a real interest in barbering. No experience is needed, just a good attitude, reliability and a willingness to learn.

The role will include helping the barbers during services, assisting with shaving services, taking payments, keeping the shop clean and hair free, folding towels, helping with stock and making sure everything is kept to our usual high standards.

You’ll also work closely with the coffee shop team, making sure our clients are looked after with fresh coffees and great service.

Saturdays 10am–3pm
Pay TBA

If you’re interested, send us a message and tell us a little bit about yourself.

MEET KIERAN

Kieran joined the barbering world in January after finally deciding to do the thing he’d always wanted to do since leaving school before, in his words, it was “too late” 😂

He’s quickly found a real love for beard work and tapers, and one of the things I really like about Kieran is that he genuinely wants to learn. Every cut is an opportunity for him to pick something up, improve, and take little bits of knowledge from every barber around him.

For Kieran, being a great barber isn’t just about the haircut. It’s about remembering the client, creating a proper experience, and being able to have an easy conversation while they’re in the chair.

His favourite thing about working at The Soul Man Barber Studio?

The team.

Closely followed by the fact we’re right next to the coffee shop. 😂☕️

And to be fair, Kieran has pretty much single-handedly drank an entire bottle of caramel syrup trying to satisfy his caramel latte addiction. At this point, we may need to start charging him staff rent in the coffee shop too. 😂

Outside of barbering, Arsenal is his big passion, so we’ll forgive him for that.

He wants every client leaving his chair feeling confident and happy, and if he had to describe himself as a barber, he’d say:

Passionate. Willing to learn. Improving.

I’d also add:

Cheeky. Very cheeky.

Kieran spends half his time giving me absolute cheek, usually pushing it right to the limit… then immediately switches tactics and starts love-bombing me like nothing ever happened. 😂

Basically, he’s learned very quickly how to manage the boss.

But underneath all the cheek is someone who really cares about getting better, takes pride in what he does, and wants to become the best barber he can be.

And that’s exactly what we want at The Soul Man.

Meet Sam

Sam has been with The Soul Man Barber Studio pretty much from the very beginning.

And might I add… he was only 15 when he started with us.

A few months after we opened, Sam and I had a conversation about getting him into barbering. But it didn’t start with standing behind a chair cutting clients.

It started with a sweeping brush. 😂

Sweeping floors, cleaning, tidying up and doing all the junior barber jobs. Now, cleaning has never exactly been Sam’s greatest passion 😂 but he picked up the brush, picked up the mop and got stuck in.

Then came the mannequin heads.

We started with the basics, sectioning, understanding hair, handling his tools and slowly building the foundations he needed to become a barber.

At the same time, Sam was studying hairdressing and barbering at college. Fast-forward to today and he’s still only 16, turning 17 next month, and is now completing his qualification in Barbering, while working with real clients in the studio.

He’s reached the point where he’s not only developing his own skills, he’s working alongside other members of our team, sharing and even helping them develop their skills too.

For me personally, that’s probably the nicest part.

I’ve watched this 15-year-old boy come through our doors, sweep the floors, practise on mannequin heads, make mistakes, learn, grow in confidence and eventually stand behind his own chair.

He’s not even 17 yet and, if I’m allowed to say it, he feels a wee bit like an adopted son to me.

I’m incredibly proud of the young man, and the barber he’s becoming.

Outside of barbering, Sam has just managed to get Oasis tickets, so he’s currently absolutely buzzing.

And then there’s Greggs…

That boy can EAT. 😂

Calories apparently don’t apply to Sam. The amount he can put away while remaining exactly the same size is quite frankly offensive to the rest of us.

Sam is currently available Friday evenings and Saturdays at a discounted student-barber rate while he completes his training.

So get booked in with him now while you can…

Because I genuinely don’t think it’ll be long before you’ll struggle to get in his diary.

Meet Ryan

One of the things we really respect about Ryan is how he balances barbering alongside his full-time career.

His full-time job always comes first. Ryan only opens his barbering diary around his shifts, days off and free time, making sure his commitments to his employer are always respected.

And then, in the time he could quite easily be putting his feet up… he comes and cuts hair 😂

Ryan started barbering in January 2026 after feeling like he needed a change of pace and wanted to try something new. I offered to train him, he took the opportunity, and he’s never looked back.

Around 10 months later, he’s continuing to learn, develop his skills and build his own client base.

Beard work is definitely his favourite, but what Ryan enjoys most about barbering is the connection with the person in his chair. For him, it’s about listening, understanding people and being an ear when someone needs it — not just cutting their hair.

His favourite part of The Soul Man?

The people, the camaraderie and the atmosphere.

“It’s like working with your best friends.”

And when you sit in Ryan’s chair, he’ll do everything he can to make sure you have the best experience possible.

Patient. Friendly. Understanding.

That’s Ryan.