It does not take up much space to cut hair, a few pair of scissors and shaving machines may be enough, besides creativity, of course. And, why not to do it in my garage? Well, this ingenious but naive idea brought some troubles to the immigrant, now American citizen, Guillermo Sánchez González.
The day he found out he needed more requirements to cut hair at his makeshift business in his garage at 4513 b ST, was a dark day for him. He was petrified in a corner of the place not knowing what to do, when an inspector from Lincoln arrived to his house. The officer’s firm footsteps echoed as he walked along Guillermo’s unfinished wooden floor.
Not even a few months passed by since he opened his barbershop, as soon as the COVID-19 measurements were relaxed. That day the supervisor – which we’ll call Josh for this note – was about to fine him and shut down the barber shop for not having a permit or license. However, he decided to give him a try thanks to Álvaro Acevedo, who asked Josh about the requirements that his friend needed in order to get the papers for his business.
Sánchez (31) is from Oaxaca, Mexico. At the age of 15 he migrated to the United States with his mother, after his father passed away. They both barely made it to Nebraska. In Omaha he completed high school, and during his school adaptation process he was a bullied.
“I struggled a lot as a child for being Hispanic. At school, a boy made fun of me and used to beat me. I couldn’t speak English well and was timid. Nevertheless, I graduated and decided to study education at Iowa Western Community College, ” he said.
After that, he thought he would be an educator, but he decided to put that idea aside because “it wasn’t his thing.” He had to go through a long process to become a school teacher. However, he decided to open his business with what he did best: cutting men’s hair.
In Mexico he did some courses that gave him the confidence to start cutting men’s hair, his first client was Álvaro. After three months, Guillermo thought it was time to take his empirical business further, as cleaning windows was not something he was really passionate about. So, he went to try his luck in South Omaha, showing pictures of his creations. He didn’t get accepted, the lack of experience was evident, but he didn’t stop.
Married at 25 he decided to hit the streets looking for a job, he founded a barber shop on 72nd Street, which despite the little experience Guillermo had, gave him the opportunity to train. Years later, the arrival of a child brought him happiness, but living together as a marriage was a bitter experience.
The divorce process was not easy for him. The lawyers, scams and the conflicting attitude of his ex-wife, made Guillermo’s life a hell. He had to fight for the custody of his son, the only thing that mattered to him.
“I was devastated. Honestly, I couldn’t understand how I was going through all that. The lawyers scammed me, I was left with nothing,” he said.
After getting divorced, he bought a house where he moved in with his mother. He transformed its garage into a small business. However, his ex-wife decided to call the Nebraska State’s Barber Department to let them know that Guillermo was starting a business irregularly. The alarms rang and Josh entered when Guillermo was cutting his best friend’s hair.
After Sánchez told the inspector that he was a resident, Josh gave him the opportunity to present the necessary papers to obtain the license that is only issued in Lincoln. Instead of sending everything by mail, Guillermo decided to visit the Nebraska Board of Barber Examiners Department to present his documents.
There was Josh, surprised by the visit. Guillermo told him his story and his dream of being a barber. “The inspector was very touched by my story and told me: ‘Well, I’m not the one who makes the decisions about the licenses, but write all your history and I’ll present it to the committee so they can decide whether to give you the license. On Halloween (2020) you will receive the answer”. I returned to Omaha in fear”.
During that time, he began the procedures to become a US citizen, and he finally made it. On October 31, 2020 Guillermo received the letter that accredited him with a license to be a barber. “After knowing my story, the committee decided that I did not need to do more courses because I had enough training and practice, and they gave the license to me,” Guillermo said with tears of joy in his eyes.
Sánchez says that being a barber is not just about cutting hair. “You use a sharp razor that can hurt someone, you have to be very precise at everything. Besides knowing the type of hair that will be cut, among other things”, he said.
With license
To operate as a barber in Nebraska, not only the license is required, but also the permit that details how premises should be distributed, from the density of light, signs, windows’ dimensions, bathroom and waiting room, among other details. However, Guillermo had a temporary permit to set up the place. He closed the garage completely to make a main entrance for it, and a different one that leads to his house. He painted everything on red color as it is his lucky color and bought all of his utensils and props completely new. Two red leatherette furniture now welcome the clients.
One morning, inspector Josh arrived to examine the place and congratulate Guillermo for obtaining the license and permits. Sánchez gave him the news that he is now a US citizen, with a barbershop that is currently a company called Sánchez Barber Shop that works at full speed.
Now, Guillermo’s clientele is growing and there is no way to attend all his clients since, due to the conditions of his barber shop, he must work alone. At the moment Sánchez Barber Shop only offers male grooming services and most of the clients are children, for whom Guillermo makes modern designs. Guillermo is active on social media through his Instagram @memosanchez7315.