Daily Inspiration: Meet Matt Gregory

Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Gregory.

Hi Matt, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
The three of us (John Phi, Matt Gregory, and Megan Speese) all had separate journeys to make it into the space we’re in now. John and Megan have worked in the Denver area for quite a while and have been working in our current space (as a separate business) for the past 2 and a half years. I (Matt Gregory) moved from Ohio about 2 years ago and started working with the two of them at a barbershop called Professionally Faded.

The previous owner moved out of state and terminated his lease on the space. The three of us saw a business opportunity to maintain our current clientele and offer premium haircuts in the area and decided to create our brand and business and lease the space ourselves. We had just under a month to completely build a brand, create a business, and renovate the space (Crunch time!). We opened Forum Barbershop in September and built on the success we had already created by offering exceptional service to our current and newly acquired clients.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Needless to say, it certainly has not been a smooth road. We were a bit blindsided by the closing of the space we were running our business out of. Upon taking the space over, there were quite a few issues that needed to be remediated to get the space in working order, as well as negotiating acquiring the physical aspects of a working barbershop (chairs, stations, the things we need to do our jobs).

Setting up bank accounts, getting permits and licenses, realizing that a brand new business has no credit potential, and looking at quite a large monetary investment, but we were able to scrape together enough without having to take out any loans to go into business operation debt free which felt like an accomplishment.

Being that we’re a newer business our current struggle now that we’re comfortably up and running is looking towards the future and getting some new barbers and hairstylists to join us on our journey. All will happen organically in time if we just focus on executing the high-quality experience that has led to our success so far.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
We do high-quality and in-depth men’s haircuts and styles. Starting with comprehensive consultations, we use our expertise to execute flattering styles of men’s hair to a host of different clientele. We do take our time and work on longer appointments to focus on quality over quantity for the sake of our clients and carry a range of local hair and beard products to support the people who support us and build business here in the Denver area.

We decided to call ourselves Forum Barbershop because of the environment we’d like to create. One of my favorite things about the industry is being able to share ideas and opinions, as well as build relationships with people from all walks of life, regardless of race, religion, socioeconomic status, or work background. One of the things that sets us apart from other shops is certainly our attention to detail, our welcoming environment, and our conversation which will hopefully add benefit to both us and our clients.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I think the barbering industry is in a state of constant development as trends and popular culture change. We are ultimately a service-based industry, using our decade of hair knowledge to serve our clients and adapt to different styles through continued education.

Over the next 5 to 10 years, I’d say hairstyle trends will most certainly change, but the scope of our business will remain to apply industry knowledge and serve our clients so they leave feeling happy and confident in themselves. The shift to appointment-based business is something we’ve seen certainly over the last 10 years which I believe has been beneficial to barbers and clients alike. As for what’s next in the hair industry as a whole, I’m not sure much will change in the day-in-day-out-of-the-shop operations.

The popularity of barbers and hairstylists in the wake of the social media boom has certainly affected the way some professionals approach their position, from competing in hair shows and garnishing a following for interesting and funky adaptations of hair, which is great to see recognition for the artistry of our industry.

Our goal for the future will be to remain up to date as things do inevitably change, be adaptable, and most importantly continue to maintain comfortable hairstyles for our regular range of clients.

Pricing:

• Men’s Haircut $40
• Bald Fade $47
• Kids Haircut $35
• Beard Trim $25

Contact Info:

• Website: www.forumbarbershop.com
• Instagram: @forumdenver