Lorenzo, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far?

My love of the barbering started at a young age. Being a kid going to the barbershop every two weeks for fresh haircut was a highlight for me. Everything about it was so dope to me, the barbers, the atmosphere, the interactions of all the people coming in and out, I used to be in awe. Also being a kid raised by his grandmother there weren’t too many male influences in my life so seeing what I thought and know now to be successful black men and business owners was definitely a major impact on my life and I saw these guys as the COOLEST. They had so much influence not only in their business but in the industry and more importantly within their respected communities. Having seeing them definitely sparked a curiosity and interest within me.

I picked up my first pair of clippers when I was about 11 or 12 years old. Me and my older brother found a box of clippers in a recently vacated apartment in our neighborhood. We took them home and locked ourselves in the bathroom and used every ounce of alcohol my grandmother had to try and clean them. Then proceeded to give each other the absolute WORST haircuts of our lives. With the aroma of 91 proof alcohol in the air my grandmother knew something wasn’t right. After tracing the smell to its source, she found me and my brother head full of patches, not a drop of alcohol in sight and tears in our eyes! Needless to say, we cried that night for more reasons than one.

​

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

The road has been anything but smooth, but then again anything that is worth it never comes easy. Having the intrigue and interest was the easy part deciding that I wanted to be a barber was easy, actually transitioning into the industry was a whole separate beast within itself. I finally decided to get my master barber license in 2009 after working in the sales industry for about 4+ years after high school. I loved to interact with people and enjoyed the somewhat challenge of getting people to buy into what I was selling and eventually make a purchase. With the success I had in doing that I still wasn’t completely satisfied in what I was doing. I found myself not wanting to go to work somedays and eventually found myself not liking what I was doing. And with having those jobs I always cut hair on the side and had people (friends and family) asking me for cuts. The ability to cut hair came naturally, I initially imitated everything I seen my barber do and asked questions here and there for the things I didn’t understand and that works when you are doing it for free. But I knew in order to be able to charge for it I had to get serious.

So, enter 2009, I quit my job and enroll at Atlanta Technical College in the barbering program (highest rated in the state of Georgia) where the physical or practical part of the course comes fairly easy but the written. Let’s just say we weren’t friends. Me being a visual learner I always excelled in anything hands on but struggled with more text-oriented assignments, but having my license and being a barber was what mattered more. So, with the help of my sister who was in the cosmetology program and teachers I pushed through to earn my license and graduate which closed the door to one challenge and opened the door to another becoming an “established barber.” I had to take everything I knew about selling and apply it to barbering and myself. From engaging new and potential clients to educating them on my knowledge of the industry and the craft. I was starting from ground zero. Then from there it was retaining and continuing to build not only my clientele but my skill set as well. Which you would think that would be all advantages you know learning more being able to offer new and improved services to your clients but even growth comes at a price, literally. I paid to take courses to further my education, spent ridiculous amounts of money on tools and products some that work others that weren’t worth it. And sometimes all just to lose clients. Of course, the more you know the more you want to offer and subsequently charge and make but not everybody sees the world through your eyes and that was a tuff and harsh reality for me at first. Going up on prices because I learned new techniques and services and started to offer more seemed like the logical thing to do until I started to see clients book less to some not booking at all which left me in a very fragile place in terms of my career because here I am thinking that this is what you do, you come in a certain level or ability and you improve and as you improve you are “rewarded” for lack of a better word for said improvement. But that was not the case, I was left thinking so I drop my prices back to where they were or should I only make the new clients pay the new price but then the old clients would be getting new and improved services for less. So many thoughts and not too many positive ones even to the dreaded “Should I even be doing this (barbering)?”

Then I remembered two things one my grandmother always said “NO MATTER WHAT YOU ARE, STRIVE TO BE THE BEST AT IT!” and the other my barbering instructor said “KNOW YOUR WORTH AND DON’T BE AFRAID TO CHARGE IT!” so with that I held true to what I believed in as my ability as a barber and have been able to continue grow my skill set as well as my prices. It also helps me to understand that everyone is not your client or for you and that could be for a number of reasons but never doubt yourself because someone says no or you lose out on a client.

 

Please tell us about Lowe The Barber LLC?

My business is Lowe The Barber; I’m currently developing my brand which is Game TOO Strong/ Barber Game TOO Strong LLC.

I am a barber but understanding the history of barbering I am so much more than someone who juts “cuts hair.” I have a true love and passion for barbering and everything that it is from cutting, to the shop interactions, the always fun and sometimes heated debates over sports and politics. I try my best to specialize in people first and hair second. I want to build a rapport with my clients and get to know them personally which gives me more insight and I can better service them. I feel the hair aspect of it comes a lot easier when you know more than just what type of cut a person wants. I offer full-service grooming (24k Gold Mask Facial, Dermal Scalp Scrub Treatments, Ingrown Hair Removal, Hi Def Haircuts, etc.) to men and women. It is the influence that I have as a barber that I am most proud of, to see that you can and are a role model to those younger than you is a blessing and a responsibility not to be taken lightly. Attention to detail not only of the cut but of the person I believe is what sets me apart.

My brand Game TOO Strong/ Barber Game TOO Strong LLC. is something that I have been thinking about for quite some time now, and at times not knowing exactly how to go about it, or wondering if people would even get behind the movement then one day I realized it’s exactly what YOU say the name is BEING TOO STRONG, BOLD, FEARLESS and RELENTLESS in perusing GREATNESS in whatever field you’re in in life. For me it’s barbering hence Barber Game TOO Strong. Growing up my grandmother who in the eyes of the world would hold the job title of janitor or custodian always told me “No matter what you do in this world, strive to be the best and nothing less! Game TOO Strong/ Barber Game TOO Strong LLC. is my representation of those words and her spirit. So, the question isn’t “What’s Your Game?!.” You can be a lawyer ⚖, a teacher 📚, a doctor👨🏾‍⚕‍, a stylist 💇🏾‍♀‍ , or a pastry chef 🧁👨🏾‍🍳 the question is are “ARE YOU TOO STRONG?!.”

​

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?

My grandmother is my best memory! Her name was Catherine Neeley and she was my world. Born in 1933 in Palmetto, Ga she set and was the example for everything in my life love, dedication, sacrifice, resilience I could go on and on. She raised three generations of my family totaling 14 kids. I unfortunately lost her last year April 20, 2019 due to complications of cancer but her spirit and memory are with me each and every day.

I LOVE YOU GRANNY & MOMMA!..