Today we’d like to introduce you to Canden Porter.
Hi Canden, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My journey has honestly been anything but traditional. Before I ever picked up a pair of clippers, I spent almost ten years in the Air Force as a firefighter. I served in South Korea and Alabama. Those years taught me discipline, service, and how to stay calm in situations most people never see.
When I left the military, I knew I still wanted to travel and use my skills so I became a contract firefighter. I swore I was going to do that for years, but God had other plans. While contracting overseas in the middle east and east Africa , I started cutting hair for guys in the dorms just to help out and help keep morale up. What started as a favor slowly became something I looked forward to every single day. I realized I had a natural eye for detail and I genuinely loved the craft.
In 2023 I left the firefighting world because I knew I had a deeper calling. I got my degree and me and my then girlfriend moved to Dallas. I knew it was time to finally take barbering seriously. I enrolled in barber school, started dropping daily tips and stories on TikTok, built my brand Six Figure Fades, and launched our podcast Fade to Fortune.
Fade to Fortune feels like the culmination of everything I’ve been working toward. The goal is to bring back the essence of the old-school barbershop, real conversations, real connection, and a real sense of community but in a modern space. Community is huge for me. In the two years my wife and I have been in Dallas, we’ve been intentional about building relationships and finding our people.
Fade to Fortune has become a big part of that. It’s a virtual community where barbers can come together, lean on each other, learn from each other, and have fun while growing in the craft. I’m proud of what we’re building and the culture we’re helping to bring back.
Today, I’m a full-time barber with 80+ five-star reviews, two ambassador partnerships, a growing platform, and a mission to show barbers that you can build a six-figure lifestyle one cut at a time.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not smooth, but the bumps are what shaped me.
Leaving the military was one of the hardest transitions of my life. You go from a structured world where everything is predictable to having to rebuild from scratch. I had to redefine who I was outside the uniform.
Barber school while working and supporting my family was humbling. I was older than most people in the class. I had real bills, real responsibilities, and a standard I refused to fall below. There were also the quiet moments where I questioned whether starting over in a new career made sense. But every single time I sat someone in my chair, I was reminded why I’m doing this. I also realized the power of social media in my field right away. People laughed at me, or looked at my sideways when I put up a camera. I even turned down a chair at a good shop because they didn’t really prioritize content creation. Content creation is sometimes seen as a fad and not necessarily the missing piece to barbering. Being a content creator was honestly the hard part of becoming a barber for me. After a long day I had to learn how to juggle making content and also making content that was authentic to me and not just remaking something that already existed. I had to find my own lane in barbering and in content creation and that journey took a little while but Im finally in a good spot. So to answer your question, faith, discipline, and the support of my people kept me going. That’s what got me here.
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?
I’m a Dallas-based barber who specializes in precision fades, beard work, and helping clients feel like the best version of themselves. I’m known to have a high attention to detail and attract clients dealing with hair loss. Im also recognized for my content creation which Im really proud of.
I think what sets me apart is that barbering is more than a job for me. I’ve been a firefighter, a first responder, a leader, so I show up with a level of care that comes from years of serving people in their hardest moments. Im an unlicensed therapist at this point lol
My chair is a safe space. People talk, decompress, joke, vent, and just be themselves. I take a lot of pride in the fact that clients trust me not only with their look, but with their stories. Because of this my clients dont mind being in my videos, it all just feels like a big community.
I’m proud of the Six Figure Fades brand Im building because it represents something bigger than haircuts. It’s about changing the narrative around the barber industry and proving you can build a real career, create generational wealth, and uplift others along the way.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
There’s not necessarily one book but the genre of self help and self improvement are my favorite. A few have shaped both my business mindset and my personal growth:
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Fade to Fortune Podcast (my own idea created to pour back into the barber community)
The Bible which is honestly my biggest guide in learning patience, humility, and purpose
Pricing:
- $40 The Classic Cut
- $50 Haircut and Beard
- $60 The Executive
- $160 VIP Membership
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/porterthebarber?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAdGRleAOIuWtleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQIY2FsbHNpdGUCMTUAAadVylk1V9XLv3yhKa8IjX6txN7Rsq6wFdTWRynlIl88g6N994A0dp_zm8Jk0w_aem_dWS7IK8rizrY3MQheylSoA
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sixfigurefades?igsh=MW9teG95eGxjZ2doZQ==
- Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/@sixfigurefades?si=ojdY6-dNLZemUkxz
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@sixfigurefades?_r=1&_t=ZP-91UVw3eyeY2
