Today we’d like to introduce you to Christian Gonzalez.
Hi Christian, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
2017 was the year I became a barber. During that time, I was going through some major financial difficulties and the only real skill I had was cutting hair, only because of the simple fact that I used to cut my own hair. Prior to that, I was doing work as a salesperson for a local gym. I quickly realized that working for something I didn’t have a passion for wasn’t for me. Since a kid, I’ve always been into arts like drawing and painting, etc. I always saw barber as a form of art; that’s one of the main reasons why I decided to pursue that career.
Fast forward to my first year into barbering. My perception of this industry as I became part of it was to simply go to the barber shop and cut clients 6-7 days a week until I’m no longer able to. Not knowing that there is so much more than just that.
In 2018, I attended my first barber convention in New York. At that moment is when I realized that I wanted to be more involved in the creative and educational side of barbering. The sense of understanding and the feeling I got from taking some of the classes was the exact same feeling I wanted to shared forward.
In 2019 (two years in), I was offered an opportunity to do my very first live demonstration in front of roughly 80-90 people. The reactions and feedback I got back from the attendees was extremely fulfilling.
Fast forward to 2024, I am extremely proud to be the lead educator for OP45, one of the biggest hair education companies known in the industry. With over 10 thousand active members through our online academy and our senior and junior educators being able to travel across the US and the world teaching our hair-cutting system, which is called the D.F.S formula. We are currently working on opening our very first barber academy in Tampa, Florida, which is a huge accomplishment for our education company and for our current and future students. Our goal is to help our students elevate themselves not only through haircutting but also in their personal life as well.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
One of the biggest obstacles with myself is something I feel like we as humans struggle with often is having what we call “impostor syndrome.” Thinking you’re not good or doing things against your morals or belief to simply satisfy and seek approval from others.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Being part of the hair industry and growing up drawing and painting, I was able to find a fine balance between doing a “haircut” and creating art through hair. I believe what helped me a lot on being able to find that area of inspiration was learning design work and the chemistry and science behind hair coloring. What I’m known for is creating unconventional hair designs and styles using hair color and proper shape control, allowing me to put together a piece of art. One thing I’m the most proud of is having the ability to inspire others to get out of their comfort zone and create art with something as simple as hair.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
There are no rules in art. One thing I always bring up when I get asked for advice is to not to be afraid to be different. To not seek approval from others. And to not be afraid of bending the rules of hair and combing it with the chaos of art. Expectations lead to disappointment. Going into a creative space with a clear and open mind is essential to create the piece of art that defines one as an artist.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://the-o.learnworlds.com/courses
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cjdabarber_/?hl=en
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@cjdabarber_?si=v-1Xd2gZHcOmYLq4
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@cjdabarber_?lang=en
