Thriving barber urges youth to get skilled

As a youngster, Odenne Myers harboured a steadfast determination to carve out a career in music. He pursued his passion for years, and despite being convinced of his talent, he didnt get the breakthrough that he sought. However, seven years ago, life redirected him onto an unforeseen path, and now he has discovered an unexpected passion for barbering.

The 39-year-old confessed that he never envisioned himself mastering the trade, but stumbled upon his knack for it when a friend abroad entrusted him to manage his barbershop.

“To be honest, I never saw myself as a barber, but as I oversaw the place, people would come in, see me around, and say, ‘You’re always here at the barbershop, so you must be able to do it too,’ and that’s how I got started.”

Despite receiving some on-the-job training, Myers had to cultivate his craft independently, relying on self-confidence, practice, and dedication.

Myers told THE STAR that the trade has positively transformed his life and equipped him with essential life skills.

“Being a barber, it mek yuh interact with a lot of people, and even with the challenges, it teach yuh a lot. It teach yuh patience, it teach yuh humility, and it teach yuh how fi deal wid people overall,” Myers said.

“Sometimes, people show up short on money, some even expect a free haircut, but you still need to maintain excellent customer service and know-how to communicate with people. You can’t be solely money-focused; you have to be there for the people,” emphasised Myers, who now operates a barber station in Naggo Head, Portmore, St Catherine.

He also told THE STAR that his career has kept him focused and productive.

“It keep mi out a trouble enuh, because mi could a out deh pan di road, but mi deh in a di shop, mi have somewhere to be. Mi have people to attend to, suh it really carry mi through,” Myers said.

He advices young men, especially those growing up in violence-prone communities, to seek to learn a skill so that they can become productive members of the society.

“Every youth fi have a trade, because yuh see when yuh have a trade, nobody can’t twist yuh and turn yuh. Because when yuh know how fi duh work good, people aguh come to yuh, yuh aguh have clients,” Myers reasoned.