Step Up and Succeed In The Trades

The result is their barbershop Cut Culture, a place where clients are valued and the community is enriched. (https://cutculturebarbershop.ca/).   Cut Culture is creating a space where clients feel respected and are satisfied with every visit. Within the community, folks say they have found a safe space where “the vibe is welcoming and always full of conversation and laughter”. Staff are welcoming of clients of all backgrounds and are sensitive, professional and frequently go above and beyond. Cut Culture has become so important to some clients that they travel in from as far as a one and a half hours away.

Yet, Cut Culture was only part of Daishane's vision.   

He founded another company called ChairLinks (https://www.chairlinks.com/), which sources and connects barbers/hair stylists to vacant chairs, influencers, and events. ChairLinks provides barber shops and salons with trusted professionals who can deliver reliable, high-quality service, creating work opportunities for emerging and existing talent within the beauty industry.  ChairLinks  led Daishane to another opportunity which wasn’t on his radar, but that he is thrilled to be part of: the Bartley Skills Development Program.

Bartley Skills is a non-profit empowering youth through hair services to build community and develop skills to thrive. Daishane joined Bartley because of his connection to Chadwin Bartley, the program’s owner and director. Chadwin partnered with Daishane to help build ChairLinks.

During their time together, Chadwin and Daishane’s relationship grew. Chadwin asked him to join some of his own initiatives and through this work, Daishane discovered that he adores community involvement. As time passed, Chadwin’s trust grew and he asked Daishane to take on the position of co-director of Bartley Skills (https://www.bartleyskills.com/).  Daishane accepted the role immediately. 

At Bartley, Daishane said he has “…found a second purpose, a second passion from barbering”.   

He feels  that working with youth and supporting apprentice development is 

 “...something very fulfilling, that fills my heart each and every day, and that’s empowering youth through the skilled trades. I love working with kids, I love teaching them barbering and business mentorship. It's almost as if my family grows day to day”.   

Daishane also recognizes that for employers, it’s challenging to find consistency among youth today. It can be very tough to find someone who wants to show up every day, especially within an industry where you need to be trusted, where your value needs to be visible to employers and clients.

So, what’s his advice to those who want to enter the skilled trades?   

“… show up every day and show them that you want to be there.”   

Daishane, like many top trainers, is energized by investing himself in people, especially those who are passionate about barbering and hairstyling and hungry to learn what it takes to succeed.   

“I can see that spark and I can see the wheels turning in their head. They’re asking questions and they’re keeping me on my toes because sometimes I don’t know the answer to what they're asking.  But their insight is just always impactful and it’s always a nice reminder of kind of where I once was or where someone else once was.” 

Daishane is well-positioned to understand people who have dreams but must rely on themselves to make those dreams happen.  Not only did he see his own dream of playing CFL football disappear, but he has also experienced personal loss. When he was twenty, Daishane’s mom passed away. He lost his role model at a pivotal moment of his life. Forced to grow up fast, Daishane was faced with making big life decisions on his own. He attributes his success as an employer, working with youth and apprentices, to his ability to be open-minded and supportive.   

“You can be stringent and as specific as possible. I feel like that helps you to some extent, but you have to be open-minded and be willing to work with whoever's coming in. I feel like you're never going to find that person unless you make the time and you're open-minded with their schedule, or their mental health, or their work effort. I feel like those things are very important. In my opinion, when I'm doing training, I always try to involve apprentices in the charity work we do, to see how far they are really involved and willing to go within the industry.”   

The youth he works with have shared that they truly value him as a leader and mentor.   

“I haven’t asked them, but I hear things like ‘you do so much’ and ‘you’re thoughtful’”.    

Daishane makes a point of asking his staff about their mental health outside of work. He wants to know how things are at home and if time off is needed. Most importantly, Daishane says he asks because he simply wants to know that the people at Cut Culture are in a good and healthy place. But he also wants his people to know he cares about them, that he sees them. Daishane knows the power of connection, mentorship and support.   

“You're always pouring yourself into so many people throughout the day, into your clients. I feel like it's not fair for people within the industry to not give time to themselves. I’m always asking my clients or who's around me, just little questions like that. I can see that always come back full circle.”