Today we’d like to introduce you to Clay Summers.
Hi Clay, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I didn’t grow up going to barbershops. My brothers and I received kitchen haircuts from mom until my sister got her cosmetology license. I never went to a true barbershop until I was 26 years old, and I was instantly hooked on the vintage environment, classic haircuts, and straight razor neck shaves. I started bouncing from barbershop to barbershop, chasing that experience. I was working retail during this time, but wanted to find a work situation that was more conducive to a family schedule. Barbering seemed to be the perfect fit; it’s creative and hands-on, it’s social, it’s rooted in a great tradition, and it would allow me to be self-employed and create my own schedule.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Changing your career is always scary, especially when you have a family to take care of. I had been successfully working my way up the ladder in retail; I was being paid well with great benefits, and had a good position with a lot of opportunities to move up. But I became increasingly aware that I wasn’t passionate about what I was doing, it was just a job. I wanted to create something of my own, and this felt right even though it looked risky. However, there is no way it could have happened without my amazing wife. She worked full time so I could cut back to working part-time while I got my license. She set up my first barbershop in our dining room so I could get extra practice on the weekends. And when I got the chance to help open a new barbershop right after I got my license, she had enough faith to let me quit my job and dive in headfirst, without knowing exactly what that would look like financially. If something feels right, even though it looks risky, sometimes you just have to go for it! And fortunately, my wife has had my back the entire way.
As you know, we’re big fans of Hanging Arrow Barber Co. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I currently run a single-chair, traditional barbershop called Hanging Arrow Barber Co. I specialize in traditional haircutting and straight razor shaving. I do not blend hair using attachments on my clippers the way you typically see hair cut these days. My haircuts are created entirely freehand using a clipper, a comb and a pair of scissors. This allows me to customize a haircut to the specific shape of a client’s head instead of the one-size-fits-all approach of using attachments. For shaving, I use traditional straight razors that must be honed and stropped to maintain their edge. In my experience, a traditional blade is much gentler on the skin than a factory-made disposable straight razor. I have a growing collection of straight razors that I actively use, several of which are close to 100 years old. And speaking of vintage items, the barber chair I use is a restored piece from the 1950s. In my shop, I want you to feel like you’ve stepped back in time. I am proud of the barbering tradition, and I think it is important to preserve these traditions and techniques for future generations.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success is having and fulfilling a purpose. Barbering has created an avenue to success for me. My ultimate purpose is to be a good husband to my wife and father to my son. Barbering allows me to provide for them and our future, while being available to them in the present. I can’t ask for more than that in a career.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hangingarrowbarberco.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/the_barber_clay
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/HangingArrowBarberCo/
Image Credits
Sarah Workman
