Issue link: https://www.ahpindiestylist.com/i/1467303
N ot a m e m b e r ? J o i n at a s so c iate d h a i rp rofe s sio n a ls .c o m 43 Q. You have a lot of local pro athletes as clients. How did you get your foot in that door? A. Honestly, people don't realize the power of social media. Posting and being consistent has helped me a lot. But making contact by commenting on their posts or just interacting at events also helped a lot. I reached out to Jason Zucker of the Pittsburgh Penguins on Instagram and have been his barber ever since. John Petrishen, a football player for the University of Pittsburgh, and I also connected on Instagram. John knew I offered a great service and would recommend his teammates to me, and I became close with those guys. When there was an opening at the university's football facility for a barber, John and [football player] Terrance Moore put my name out there with the director of the facility, and I've been there ever since. I spend a majority of my Wednesdays at the facility cutting hair for the staff, players, and anyone else who works there. Q. Tell us what it's like working within the Pittsburgh sports culture. Any juicy or fun stories you can share? A. Working with pro and collegiate athletes is one of my favorite parts of my job. I'm such a sports fan, so being around guys who are driven and talk about goals and bettering themselves definitely rubs off and pushes me to be better. John Petrishen, Terence Moore, Jason Zucker, and J. P. Holtz are hands down some of the nicest men you'd ever meet. They all have their hands in the community, giving back in some way. Zucker has a charity called Give16, and he and his wife Carly have given back to Children's Minnesota (where he was drafted)—he built a studio for the kids to produce music, TV shows, broadcasts, and so much more. I love giving John Petrishen crap because he's single, and a few of his teammates and I tell him he needs to be on The Bachelor. I also love picking on John Petrishen for being vegan. I honestly don't know how he does it and keeps that kind of muscle on. I joke with the football team all the time and say that being around a bunch of guys who watch what they eat and work out so much has pushed me to lose weight and get in shape. Q. Why did you decide to go the suite rental route as opposed to renting/buying your own space? A. I knew this was the no-brainer route to get my foot into ownership. I felt it was a safe route to take without taking a huge risk. You're pretty much set up for success in a suite. I think there are about 26 other "I hope to get to the point where I'm teaching at hair shows, whether it's cutting, social media, or something with a brand. I also have big plans for a barbershop. I want to take on helping to elevate other barbers and building a team and helping them grow their own brand and name." —Dave Peters