An interview with Fredis and Juan Carlos Perdomo, Lester Rivera, and Diana Hernandez
One of the most demanding trades when it comes to keeping with trends and cutting-edge innovations is the trade of the barber. Long held as the masters of the coif and debonair styling, barbers face the same challenges that any small business or artisan does when attempting to hang their own shingle up for business. Brothers Fredis and Juan Carlos Perdomo are no different in this regard except for the fact that they’ve made it and want to share their story with the world in the hope that others can achieve what they have, too. Breaking out in none other than red hot Miami, where the competition is almost as intense as the heat, the brothers founded The Spot Barbershop together with the idea of bringing something traditional, new, and completely unique to the south Florida scene.
But, as they readily admit in this candid interview, the fever of starting a new business is often tempered by the constant need for two things: Money and more money. Specifically, the brothers discuss how new ideas and innovation, while exciting and enticing, are often out of reach for most small businesses because of lack of funds. And when things finally get settled and going, having just enough isn’t enough as alluded to above. To make more money, companies have to expand and innovate. If you’re seeing a pattern here, it is one that Fredis and Juan Carlos identified in the beginning and that is mastery of cash flow. They also couldn’t do it alone. Working with Lester Rivera and Diana Hernandez, The Spot Barbershop has made a distinct impact on Miami’s cultural landscape. Hernandez, an expert when it comes to aesthetic and presentation as well as branding and execution, and Rivera, a master stylist and human resources professional, worked with the Perdomo brothers to hone a system and create a company that offers all of the services of a traditional barbershop with a modern lens.
Utilizing their combined talents and harnessing the unique energy of Miami’s culture, The Spot Barbershop is set to become yet another hot destination location in the Magic City.
Juan Carlos, what were some of the challenges The Spot Barbershop experienced in its early years?
Lack of money, lack of financial stability. A lot of ideas but lack of money.
How long was the barbershop open before you felt it was successful?
We have been in business for 20+ years, I don’t feel we will ever be successful until we retire.
Juan Carlos, how does The Spot Barbershop stay up to date on the ever-evolving haircutting industry?
We have team effort, we always reach out to new and old barbers. Our barbers are the future of our business so we always listen to them.
What is the future of The Spot Barbershop? How will it stay at the forefront of style in Miami?
The future of the barbershop is to stay relevant, and find new ways to keep our team together, our biggest richness is always the barbers, with them we always stay relevant.
The Spot Barbershop was founded in 2001 and today, is stronger than ever. Fredis, start by telling me about founding the barbershop and its early years.
We originally opened in 2001 with a 5 chair barbershop. I have been a barber since the age of 12 years old, but I had no clue how to run a business. We learned as we went. We only had 5 barbers, 5 chairs; but it was right across the street from my old high school so I had some leverage there. It was amazing!
Was it difficult to carve out a niche in Miami?
It was difficult. We were new, the new kids on the block, and there were already shops around here doing fades and everything. So, we definitely had to do a lot of promotion and work.
How long was the barber shop open before you felt it was successful?
I think I started to feel like we were successful within the first 7 years of us being open. That’s when we decided to open the second one because, by then, I felt like I knew what I was doing and that the barbers responded to me well.
Fredis, tell me about the expansion of The Spot Barbershop. With so many locations, how do you ensure customers get the best service possible?
The way we ensure this is by a lot of training and hand-picking the barbers to make sure we get the right people in the door. When it comes to the team, we make sure they understand what they’re coming into because we provide an experience more than anything. So, it’s a lot of training. We also have Area Managers that go around and visit shops and check in on everyone to make sure that if there is anything that needs fixing, we can nip it in the bud right away.
Miami is one of the most popular destinations in the United States for domestic and foreign travelers. What can a new customer expect from a visit to The Spot? How do you set the barbershop apart from other establishments in Miami?
A new customer can expect top-notch service! When you come, we have a hostess that greets you with a drink and makes you feel at home instantly. It’s our culture that sets us apart. In this company, we also have a lot of barbers running the show which plays a big role in our culture.
What is the future of The Spot Barbershop? How will it stay at the forefront of style in Miami?
To keep ourselves on our toes and to keep going with the times; not getting comfortable at all. We are expanding and we look forward to going along with the times and what is happening now and are also open to adjusting along the way.
Lester, tell me about the role of the head barber at the Spot. How do you ensure the best barbers in Miami cut hair for The Spot Barbershop?
That’s a role shared between Fredis and myself. Our staff find it a luxury to have the company protocols created by barbers (Fredis and myself), with our team in mind. As barbers leading this company, we designed our operations with the barber in mind, tailored systems that allow them to work efficiently without being exploited. This is something all barbers look for when making the switch over to our company. As Fredis and I always say during orientation, “We would never ask you to do something we have never done or are not currently doing”.
Today, you are the HR lead for the team. What led to your transition from barber to HR? Do you ever get back onto the floor and style hair?
My transition to HR was a very easy one. While in the store, I noticed we were seeing better results from our team when I was a resource for them rather than another barber. Being a barber myself for the majority of my life, I was privy to all the areas in our business and personal life where barbers were untrained and uninformed. This led me to do tons of research and attend numerous seminars/courses so I can focus on the people development aspect of our business. We focus on developing the personal side first, then the barber aspect. Found this to be a stronger passion than Barbering, but it still holds a place in my heart. You never stop being a barber. Nowadays, I rarely get back behind the chair. If I do, it’s to bond with our team.
Diana, how do you come up with the interior designs for each barbershop?
We strive to create a unique look for each shop mandating our brand aesthetics, we want each shop to have its own personality and represent the area that it will live in. Connecting with the community, I study the city and the surroundings and the culture. Every location is an opportunity to innovate and create a WOW factor for our barbershops, I take pride in designing unique barbershops for our clients. Creating a sense of belonging makes our brand more than just a place to get a haircut. We design our spaces to be comfortable and inviting, with soft lighting and comfortable seating.
Is there a conscious effort to make each shop look different or do you try to stay true to a specific look?
We stay True to our Industrial Vibe, and have elements that are consistent to our brand design. Containers, Metals, Bricks and our wood stations. However, we do purposely create a unique feature for each shop. It very important they have something that stands out and gives them their own identity within the brand. With Over 25 shops you can find unique pieces of throughout… Cars that have been designed to be chairs, lamps that are foosball tables and many other creative elements throughout.
To know more about The Spot Barbershop please visit https://www.thespotbarbershop.com
