How Tee The Barber Changed His Life By Following His Passion
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Growing up, we learn a lot from our parents and close loved ones. They influence how we think, how we go about our lives, and sometimes influence the kinds of things we want to do later in life. For Tee the Barber, his occupation of cutting and styling hair comes from being influenced by his parents who were both in the hair business.
“I came from a background in hair; my mother and father both were hair professionals almost my entire life. It only made sense for me to follow. I didn’t follow their footsteps until I found myself sick of a position that I was working for under a local electric firm in Polk County, Florida. I didn’t have much, I was on my own at the time, and I was put in a ‘fight or flight’ scenario and had to figure out how to make ends meet.” Says Tee.
Tee did not always want to be a barber. He was not very interested in following in his parents’ footsteps, but the position he was put in pushed him into that occupation. He ended up working in both of his parents’ shops to make ends meet. He wanted to do more and tried to branch out outside of his home.
“I was very hesitant to become a barber because I did not want to follow in my parent’s footsteps. I was working in my mother’s salon within Polk County, I’m making ends meet, however, it wasn’t enough for me. At the time, Instagram and youtube were taking off with rapid growth. I saw industry influencers via Instagram have massive success within the barbering industry which I didn’t think was possible for me. My hunger to expand my barbering career forced myself to network and connect with as many industry professionals as I possibly could. I began flying from state to state with pennies to the dollar to my name in order to expand my network and make a comfortable living via barbering.” Recounts Tee.
This is when Tee met Dave Diggs. When they met, Tee immediately started asking Dave how he was able to be so successful by influencing people on Instagram and Youtube with his skills. From this conversation, Tee decided to drop everything and leave for California to work alongside Dave Diggs. This was a hard decision for Tee, but it ended up being his most fruitful decision.
“It was a very scary decision to leave what I had in Florida to pursue a new opportunity in a brand-new place, but it turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made. I was able to quadruple my barbering income within two years, able to establish my own hair product line, be hired as the CFP National Championship official barber as well as earning the title of the official barber of local NFL organizations in the bay area. Being laid off from my electrical position changed my life. Moving from Florida to the Bay Area to expand my barbering career took it to a whole other level which I never thought would have been possible.” States Tee.
Now, Tee is an incredibly successful barber. He cuts hair for many famous athletes and celebrities and is currently trying to expand his business even further. Not only is he trying to cut hair, but he is also creating product lines. In addition, he is trying to make himself happier and healthier by focusing on what makes him happy in life.
“I’m currently working on expanding and creating new products for my organic hair product line called ‘Favored Essentials’. The goal is to create affordable and healthy hair products for all hair textures while honoring God at the same time with the word ‘favored’. It was released to the public last year. I’m building some steam with this business and have major plans to scale this operation throughout the country. I’m also working on maintaining a healthier lifestyle because without health none of this could be possible. I’m also working on merchandise for barbers and stylists as well, for example: shirts, capes, hats and more.” Explains Tee.
Tee wants to be known for his rags to riches story and as someone who can help inspire others. He also wants people to know that no matter what situation they are in, there is always a way to move forward. With the current pandemic, Tee has continued this philosophy and tried to better himself further.
“I want to be known for the person who inspires people to become the best versions of themselves. I want to be known for showing young people that anything is possible with hard work and dedication. I want the youth to know that there’s always a positive way out and I hope that they will see my story and it inspires them to make wise choices. I am the person who stood tall through thick and thin and never gave up on my dreams no matter the obstacle. I want to be known for taking what my parents gave me at an early age and turning that into things beyond belief.” Asserted Tee.
If you want to learn more about Tee, you can follow him on instagram @tee_dabarber