Today we’d like to introduce you to Diego Bastos.
Hi Diego, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My career in the barbershop business began in 2017. I used to go to the same barber for years, one day he got an invitation to work at this new barbershop, that is how I discovered The Ultimate Cave Barbershop. Him and I used to always talk about our lives, and eventually, he asked me about my job. A day before my appointment I was fired from my job so I mentioned to him that I was going to start looking for something else. At that moment, he remembered that the previous owner of the barbershop was looking for a new front desk, so he referred me to the owner that immediately hired me. A year later, a new owner took over the barbershop, it was a woman. She put me in a new position where pretty much I had to do everything, when I say everything I meant front desk, manager, marketing, administration, financial, etc. For two years I learned a lot as an “owner” I didn’t have the title of an owner however I used to do everything a barbershop owner should do because she was never there, actually she used to live in Miami, so the barbershop was more like a hobby for her when actually for me was my life because I was literally there more than I used to be in my house. In 2020 I had the opportunity to literally buy the barbershop and I did it. It has been the best one year and most stressful one of my life, I am very proud of me and my family and for everything, I’ve built for The Ultimate Cave Barbershop and we still have big plans ahead.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Working with barbers is not simple. A barbershop depends 100% of labor, so if you have an issue with a barber, that barber won’t produce for you, unless you rent the chairs which is not my case, I work with percentage because I like them all to follow my rules, so I would say my biggest struggle is make sure that everyone understands their places and keep that high profile my barbershop has it.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
My business is a barbershop, I finished my associate degree in administration, so I use all that knowledge to keep all the finances of the business in check, I also learned how to do the barbershop’s marketing. I’ve been doing on my own for 2 years until I finally hired a team for that. I guess I am different from most of the barbershop’s owners because I am not a barber myself, I always focused on everything else than just cutting hair. I could say because of that my barbershop is very known in Orlando, because I had more time to work on our name. I would love to show the readers that we offer a totally different environment, where people can wait and play some videogames, or take some friends to play pool table or enjoy our bar with complementary drinks such as beers, whiskey, coffee or water, also every weekend we have a masseur to give the most relaxing time to our clients.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Covid didn’t affect us as I thought it would, however for precautions our barbers use masks.
Pricing:
- Haircut $35
- Shape Up $18
- Beard Lines $18
- Beard Care $23
- The Ultimate Experience $35
Contact Info:
- Email: diego@thecavebarbershop.info
- Website: www.theultimatecavebarber.com
- Instagram: @theultimatecave
- Facebook: @theultimatecavebarbershop
Image Credits
Kiva Schuller
