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KAI • CO SPRINGS barber

@kai_the_barber

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kai hong | your friendly neighborhood barber
always hair (and a little bit of Disneyland) on my mind
@sundaybarberco 💈
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This year we were Coraline and Wybie and got to hang with the Liz and Obi as they carried their pillow cases and went from house to house. It was nostalgic and fun. Sunset was killer. We love Halloween time at Disneyland, but had to miss it this year because Alex is in nursing school. Even as we continue to work hard toward our goals, I am learning to be more present in the every day life stuff where I’m at. Life is now! Thanks Universe for all the good things in my life right now ✨❤️ by @kai_the_barber

Just fall things ✨ lucky to be alive by @kai_the_barber

I am giving myself permission to be proud of myself before things are perfect… in all areas of my life.

I am also allowing myself back into creativity, curiosity, and expression.

I think I’ve always tried to tame and quiet the artist in me a little bit. Make it submit to standards and certain outcomes so that it’s justified and legit. And I’m realizing that it was tied to some shame.

Maybe it’s time that I just fully own it all.

I am an artist, a creator, a visionary, a seer.
I played music my whole life.
I set out on a quest at 26 and moved across the country away from my family.
I met my gf.
I got a “real” job and felt depressed.
I quit my 9-5 to sling coffee and reset my soul.
I came out to my parents at 30.
I chose an artistic career.
I became a barber at 31.
I built shops.
I’m an entrepreneur.
I want to build and inspire.

That’s my story in a nutshell✌🏻

#barber #life #artist #coloradobarber by @kai_the_barber

This was just a reminder for myself… that my life is now.

Ordinary moments are a part of the extraordinary moments… and when trying to pursue dreams or live a bigger life, sometimes it’s easy to forget to celebrate being alive and appreciate being in the smaller moments, too. Because all of it is *life*…

I’m grateful for all of it 🙏✨

#barber #businessowner #entrepreneur by @kai_the_barber

As you get older, you also feel like you’d be more “finished” or “established” or “accomplished”… like you’d know exactly who you are, what you’re doing, where you’re going.

There are so many things I’m still so curious about in life at 40… I was having a conversation with a friend about that the other day. Society and internal voices often make us think that it’s selfish or ungrateful if you leave something “good” or want to step out to see “what’s around the river bend” haha (iykyk)

I think some people are just always inspired by life itself and are curious… no matter how old they get or what they accomplish in life. I’m one of them.

I don’t think my main goal is to feel “settled”. I just go from dream to dream. I’m always evolving… becoming.

If you think you’ve gotten pretty good, challenge yourself. If you know you’ve got more to learn, keep going. If you wonder about something, check it out.

Why?

Not because you’re not enough, but because you’re open to seeing what’s possible. For your craft. For your life.

That’s what it means to be an artist after all.

And believe it or not, I believe we are all artists.

✨✌🏻

#barber #businessowner #mindset #artist by @kai_the_barber

Bruce Lee is epic.

Your words become the stories you repeat.
Those stories shape what you believe.
And what you believe changes how you move through the world.

#barber #mindset #coloradobarber #barbershop by @kai_the_barber

We’ve been through a lot together. Years of growth, changes… good things, hard things, heartbreaking things.

One thing I love about us is our playfulness. (We also get pretty weird together lol)

This is just from our brief adventure in the mountains… of course we’d be sporting matching anime tees. (Anyone love demon slayer?!)

Forever 90s kids in love ✌🏻✨

#barber #colorado #coloradobarber #couple by @kai_the_barber

These were paired with “this is awesome”, “it looks so good”, “thank you Kai”, “hell yeah”…

The haircut matters, but how you feel when you leave matters more.

These little moments are always my favorite part. 🥹

Giving thorough consultation and setting expectations result in happy clients!

Kbyyeee ✌🏻

#barber #barbershop #coloradospringsbarber #business by @kai_the_barber

Work hard. Dream big. Build cool shit.

So you can make executive decisions like bring Pokemon donuts to work 😂 (and decorate the place with Mickey Mouse, Spiderman, and funko pops)

The excitement from the team brought me joy.

Do what makes you happy! ✨🫶

#barber #barbershop #pokemon #nerdybarbershop #businessowner by @kai_the_barber

Three years of Sunday South.

I don’t think I understood what I was signing up for when I decided to open a second shop 😂

Somehow it feels like I’ve been doing this forever, and still getting started at the same time.

It’s been a journey. Filtering through the years of photos and videos actually made me a bit emotional. I feel the sacrifices, the burdens, the weight, the uncertainty… all things that are still so real in the present moment. I see the progress that still needs to be made and problems that need to be solved, and in the micro I wonder if what I’m doing actually matters. Zooming out and seeing all the beautiful moments, the smiles, the creativity, the generosity, love, support, community, opportunity… made me feel so grateful and like, yeah, this IS worth celebrating. I’ve worked incredibly hard to get here.

We are here and the doors are still open. People still come here to get their hair cut, hang out, laugh, talk about life and hopefully feel like they belong somewhere. And our team is awesome.

That’s pretty cool.

Thank you to every barber who’s been a part of this place and every client who’s sat in one of our chairs.

Happy 3 years, Sunday South. ❤️

#barber #smallbusiness #barbershop #owner #coloradobarber by @kai_the_barber

It looks like doing the boring, repeatable things that make people remember you, trust you, and book you…

* Showing up when you’re scheduled, even when the book is slow.
* Giving the 4:00 client the same energy you gave the 10:00 client.
* Taking photos/videos even when you don’t think the haircut is “content worthy.”
* Posting your work when it gets 400 views instead of 40,000.
* Asking the consultation questions every time instead of assuming.
* Rebooking and reminding clients you’re there.
* Continuing to improve your craft when you’re already competent.
* Being visible in your community instead of waiting for people to discover you.
* Making every new client feel like someone you’d like to see again.
* Doing all of that for months and years, not deciding after three weeks that “it’s not working.”

Building takes time. Do the basics well and consistently and you will grow!

Kbyyeee ✌🏻

#barber #coloradobarber #businessmindset by @kai_the_barber

Sometimes it just needs better shape, movement, and weight taken out of the right places.

I’ve learned to think of haircuts differently.

From “I have to make it shorter everywhere” to “how does this affect the hair by cutting to this certain length?”

We are not just trying to “cut it all short and perfectly even.”

Choice of length is determined by what the goal is for the client and what you want to see the hair do.

Do the consultation and then cut with a vision, so that everything has a purpose and reason.

Small adjustments make a huge impact.

Clients don’t always need to feel like they got a huge cut every time… they just need to look and feel better.

Styled with @stmntgrooming

#barber #coloradobarber #haircut #flow by @kai_the_barber