In Conversation is a program that seeks to contextualize both special exhibitions and the permanent collection through the lens of Miami and the broader South Floridian artists, curators, educators, and community leaders.

Corbin
Welcome back to In Conversation. Today, we have an incredibly inspiring guest with us, a barber, teacher, and community leader who’s used his craft to create a lasting impact. He’s not just about shaping styles, but shaping lives. He’s here to share story insights and experience with us. Welcome Sirj.

Sirj
Hey, how you doing?

Corbin
Okay. So, today’s conversation is gonna be a little different. We’re gonna do a haircut, and we’re gonna talk a little bit about your experience with the community and how you’ve worked to make the community better with barbering. How’s that sound?

Sirj
It’s interesting. That’s awesome. I’m ready to do it.

Corbin
Awesome. Let’s get started. Yeah. So I know you’ve done more than just cut hair. Can you tell us a little bit about some of your community efforts and some of the things you’ve been involved with?

Sirj
Absolutely. Absolutely. So I’ve helped out my community by, being there for my commissioner in the city of North Miami, the city of North Miami Beach.

Corbin
Wow.

Sirj
One of my commissioners, Daniela Jean, who’s running for commissioner again in North Miami Beach. She called me one day, and she wanted me to help out for an event, that was happening with giving back, giving food to those that are in need, and they wanted to do haircuts. And she called me up specifically so that I can provide that service. And from that, that was another connection so that I can do back to school haircuts for the city of North Miami, for commissioner Bastien. Help them out with back to school haircuts for 2023 this year in 2024.

Corbin
Wow. That’s awesome. There’s so many community connections we’ve had.

Sirj
Mhmm.

Corbin
Now I know you’ve done a lot of things with mentoring.

Sirj
Mhmm.

Corbin
Can you talk a little bit about how teaching barbering skills have helped you to mentor different people in the community?

Sirj
Oh, awesome. So being a mentor being a teacher, I should say, has put that bug in my ear and made me want to be that person that teaches the guys that are under me to, you know, do great at this, at this, I call it a sport, but do great at this career because it’s such a great, great, great thing to have in front of your belt, to have something you can, something you work with your hands. And to have that under your belt as something you can do, it’s its great for mentoring and let my young guys know that the sky is the limit and even past that. So the mentoring aspect has really opened up many doors. It’s made me feel like I have another life in this business. You know? So, yeah, feels good.

Corbin
That’s beautiful. Mhmm. So do you have any stories of people that you’ve mentored, something that had a particular impact on you? Oh, man.

Sirj
Oh, man. So it’s funny. 1 of my one of my students, Zach, he is a birthday twin of mine. And he has been coming to me, and he has conversations with me about all the things that’s going on in his life. And I just tell him all the time, like, let’s look, man. It’s gonna be alright. It’s tough right now, but it’s fine. And it’s and he comes back and he says, you know, sirs, what you told me yesterday was absolutely correct. And he feels good about everything that he’s learning and the things that I’m telling him, you know, with the tough times that that may be happening in his life. And I let him know, like, hey. It’s only but for a short time. And he’s like, you know what? You’re right, man. Because if this is getting fixed and this is getting fixed and all of this stuff, I say, yeah, man. It’s a it’s a short time, but you’re gonna be great afterwards. So this mentoring aspect and having, you know, someone like my birthday twin, to give these nuggets to is like talking to a younger me. You know? So it’s its beautiful. It’s beautiful.

Corbin
That’s beautiful. I know it’s had an impact on you barbering, and it’s really cool to hear you talk about how it had an impact on other people. But I kinda wanna talk a little bit about how that impact impacted you. The skills that you learned as a barber, how did it change your life? Was there a personal impact that it had over you for you over the years?

Sirj
It has been a personal impact. You know, it I’ve I’ve had and I do have people in my family that, used to barber, family members, friends, and stuff like that. And picking up this craft let me know that, okay, I always have something I know how to do. It inspires people to make people look good and feel good at the same time. It’s another thing that makes me feel good in doing this. So, yeah, this is a very inspirational and, beautiful thing that I’m doing and, you know, picking it up from a young age, from family members, and going forward with it. I can’t I can’t do nothing but be grateful.

Corbin
How old were you when you started?

Sirj
You know, so I messed around with this since I was a teenager, actually. I used to cut my friend’s hair and nephews and stuff like that. And then, when I went to barber school, I was 29 when I was in barber school, back in 2014. And I never stopped from then. Never stopped. Just continued to go because I just knew. I just felt in my soul that this is gonna be something great, sir. So let’s just keep going.

Corbin
That’s beautiful.

Sirj
Yeah.

Corbin
So what would you think are some life skills that you gained through barbering?

Sirj
The life skills that I’ve gained, like networking and, you know, just being around the right people and being able to ask the questions and, you know, oh, man, just just that that openness, business skills. Business skills. One of the major things that I picked up as a barber, and being in this career. Lots of business skills, and networking, man. Business skills and networking.

Corbin
That’s so interesting. So networking and business skills are some of the skills that you gained. And I know networking and working in as a business yourself, it probably changes your identity, changes your self esteem. Do you feel like it’s helped to shape those aspects of who you are?

Sirj
Oh, big time. Big time. Not to say that I I wasn’t, mindful and thought about being in business because I have. But being in, the barbering field made me, you know, step it up a bit. You know, made me really look into being a business. When I got my barber’s license in 2019 2018, I then started my LLC in 2018. And from that point, I was like, okay. Let me let’s find more. Let’s find more. And then I became a member of the, a member of the Miami Dade Chamber of Commerce and, other other organizations like branches that do great work with businesses. So I just started to learn more about what it is to be in business, what things I should have up under my belt. I then, became a member of the Better Business Bureau. And I put my business on a Better Business Bureau, a plus, accredited business on a Better Business Bureau. And, so I just continue to grow and thrive and find those, I guess, unturned over rocks, you know, and turn them over so that I could find out what’s under them. What do I need to learn to better myself? You know, so that’s that’s what it was for me.

Corbin
That’s beautiful.

Sirj
Mhmm.

Corbin
Yeah. I know starting a new job or starting any job, you learn things about yourself and you grow up you grow in so many different profound ways.

Sirj
Mhmm.

Corbin
I kinda wanna turn the conversation over to another profound topic.

Sirj
Mhmm.

Corbin
Something about some challenges in your life.

Sirj
Yes, sir.

Corbin
I know we’ve talked a little bit about how you’ve experienced houselessness.

Sirj
Mhmm.

Corbin
I wanna talk a little bit about how you if you’d wanna be if you were open to talking a little bit about that period and how it was like.

Sirj
So not having a home at that time, it was tough, because when I was, you know, homeless, I had a friend that I was staying with, and he was the one that made me homeless. And, yeah, that’s a whole deep story. But since that time, I was just like, you know, I can do better. I don’t have to sit and soak in the fact that I’m homeless. Let’s do better. Let’s just build and let’s grow. And from that point, I just continue to grow. You know? Yeah. I didn’t have much. Yeah. I didn’t have a car and clothes and stuff like that. But, you know, I knew that there was gonna be a better situation, you know, despite what I was going through currently. So, I find those homeless moments. 1 some of the happiest moments. Some of the most grateful moments I’ve had, because, you know, I didn’t have much and I just would reflect on what I did have. You know, and a lot of my prayers, I would pray, you know, thank god for what I have and for what I don’t have. You know, and being that I didn’t have a home then, I still have my life. So I was grateful.

Corbin
Wow.

Sirj
Mhmm.

Corbin
What a powerful moment. Wow. So what do you think about the experience and, your outlook on life and what’s important? Did it change the way you look at barbering? Did it change the way you look at things moving forward now?