Most kids curious enough, manage to get their hands on a pair of scissors or razor and make a mess of cutting their own hair when their parents aren’t paying attention. Usually, it only takes that one time for the kid to learn not to cut his or her hair anymore, but that wasn’t the case with Paul Johnson, or better know as Paul the Barber, owner of Xclusive Cuts Barbershop.
“My dad had a ‘fro. I didn’t want a ‘fro,” the Batesville native said, explaining what led to his first do-it-yourself haircut.
He said he had a perception of his own image that did not match the hair his parents wanted him to have, so he went to the bathroom to give himself the look he thought best reflected his personality. This first haircut was not his best, but it was just the beginning.
From there, Johnson continued cutting hair. He cut his own hair, his cousin’s hair and really anyone who would let him practice on his or her locks. He opened Xclusive Cuts about a year and a half ago because he felt like he had a lot to offer to the community and his profession.
“In my life, I always just wanted to be my own person, be my own guy, be my own barber,” Johnson said. “Just be my own everything.”
Sergio Brack sits in Paul Johnson’s chair at Xclusive Cutz barbershop in February. Photo by Ariel Cobbert
His hope in opening the shop was to offer originality to his clients and help them feel more comfortable in their skin by giving them the look they want. He wants to help people feel more like themselves, and by doing this, he hopes he can help others be their own people, as well.
“I’ve been able to cut for professional football players to head coaches,” Johnson said. “Deans, doctors, lawyers, teachers, preachers, gay, straight, lesbian. Just everybody.”
Not every day is equally as busy as the one before. However, success is not what this business is about for Johnson. His idea of a successful day at the shop is any time he can change somebody’s day just with his kind words or by giving him or her a fresh look.
At only 33 years old, Johnson owns and operates his own thriving business, but believes he doesn’t deserve all of the credit.
“First and foremost, I put God first,” Johnson said. “I come from a great family, and I’ve been able to surround myself with some good employees.”
One of these employees, Ortiss Robertson, has worked at Xclusive Cuts since Johnson opened the barbershop. He said that he really enjoys his job and has a lot of respect for Johnson.
“He’s a really good, business-oriented, wholesome guy,” Robertson said. “He’ll always look out for you.”
Tiki Mcfield, an economics and political science major, admires his haircut in February. Photo by Ariel Cobbert
Johnson got his start in the industry about eight years ago at Blessed Hands Salon in Oxford under its owner, Theresa Gibson. Johnson said that without that job, he would not have been able to start his own barbershop so early. Blessed Hands is where he learned the business and how to run one of his own.
He remembers the first day Xclusive Cuts opened its doors to the public, with a general positive chaos surrounding the day. It was hectic but happy.
“It was surreal, getting ready for all the stuff you have to do and stuff you have to buy,” Johnson said. “But after a while, everything falls into place. … It feels really good to achieve a big goal in my life. I feel like people were rooting for me, and I succeeded.”
The best way to get the word out and find new clients, according to Johnson, is word of mouth. That is how he gets most of his customers – by letting his work speak for itself. Again he used the word “perception,” saying that word-of-mouth clients already have a high perception of him going in, so they are the most likely to come back.
Vontae Yates, exercise science major, gets his mustache shaped-up by Paul Johnson in February. Photo by Ariel Cobbert
In a close-knit community like Oxford, small business owners are a quintessential part of the economy as well as the culture. Johnson embodies this truth every day as he wakes up excited to give his clientele the best work he can. He spoke about the feeling he gets when he finishes a haircut and the customer loves his new look.
“It’s an adrenaline rush. Just adrenaline, you know what I mean? You feel justified, like you accomplished something in your day, and it feels like you’re actually doing something that is really benefiting someone,” he said. “So it makes the early mornings a little bit easier to know you can get up and change someone’s life with something as simple as a haircut.”
