Today we’d like to introduce you to Jurek Williamson.
Hi Jurek, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I started out as a local barber in my small station community. My 12th Christmas holiday celebrated with my mom bought me my first pair of clippers. She couldn’t afford to send me to a barbershop so my cousin’s would cut my hair so there would be days where my cousin’s couldn’t cut my hair so my mom thought it would be nice to get me a pair of clippers and suggest that I would practice cutting my own hair in the mirror. My grandfather taught me how to shave and my mom taught me how to use a mirror to reflect the back of my head while using the wall mirror. So with learning how to use the guards I learned how to fade my own hair. People started noticing and started asking me about who cut my hair and I would tell them that I did. Of, course many didn’t believe me until I started practicing on my cousin’s hair and they would began asking them who cut their hair and it was then that by my cousin’s telling them that it was me then they began inquiring about me cutting some of their hair as well. I started getting into designs and that’s where the demand really started to grow and I would take clippers to school and went from cutting in the vocational building, to staying after school cutting and going over to some of the locals houses cutting hair and it grew from there. I started pursuing vocational trainings of other sorts as I grew older and finances became more of an interest but then after not working in those fields and upon my ex wife getting pregnant with my twins I turned back to barbering and attended West Tennessee Business College where I graduated and obtained a Cosmetology license and started back to cutting in Jackson Tennessee. Upon my family leaving Jackson and moving to Memphis is where I started attending Pyramid Barber and Beauty School where I graduated and attained my Master Barber license while still actively working in a barbershop. Upon achieving my Master Barber license I manage to manage a few shops and work in other local shops until finally opening up my own barbershop called Kings Temple Barbershop where I remain till this day after ten years of ownership and going on to study at The Tennessee technology center at Ripley for my instructor license which I’ve also graduated and awaiting to take and pass my state board exam for my barbers instructors license.
Alright, 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?
It hadn’t been a completely smooth road there was many personal challenges such as family issues, legal issues, and professional issues inside various shops dealing with co-workers that I was faced with but I’ve managed to maintain the course, nevertheless.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Kings Temple Barbershop ?
I specialize in professional barbering services and business management.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Have compassion for the field, Don’t just look at it as a financial field to obtain stability but see the careers as an adventure having more to offer than just standing behind the chair. Admire what you do for yourself, family, and those that you serve. What I wish I knew was that not everyone would have the same manner of commitment to the craft as I so I want aware of how much dishonesty could arise from that given that not all professionals are actually professional.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Jurek36
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Cu6grvv4z/
- LinkedIn: Kings Temple Barbershop
