Will Green in his home barbershop with client Dustyn Kotwal. He might be just 14, but Will is already well on the way to his dream career. Photo: Zoe Cartwright.
A Kanahooka garage might not be your first pick for a quality barbershop, but let 14-year-old Will Green change your mind.
The teen will welcome you with a warm smile, a firm handshake and the quiet confidence that comes from going after what you want.
His tools and workspace are immaculate. As he works, he pauses regularly to dust off a bit of fluff, or make sure a set of clippers are just so before he puts them back.
Dustyn Kotwal is in the chair today – and he was Will’s first haircut more than a year ago.
While Will has come a long way since then, even at the beginning of his career he had a knack.
“I was inspired seeing other people online doing haircuts and I cut Dustyn’s hair one night and I thought I was good at it, so I kept practising,” Will said.
“I started working at Borgy’s Barbershop in Dapto every Saturday, I’ve been working there for 18 months now. They gave me my first tool and helped me learn how to cut hair and get started.
“It was hard at first trying to get people to come to me, but I said, ‘Well, I’ll give you a free haircut, and if I stuff it up I’ll give you another free haircut’.”
Will now has a client base that spans all ages, from bubs to adults.
Hugo is one of Will’s youngest clients, and he was all smiles after his latest cut. Photo: Supplied.
Although he’s still at school, Will’s spare time is dedicated to honing his skills and boosting his business.
He’s often up ’til late editing and uploading videos to social media, where he has more than 60,000 followers on his Instagram page, cutsbygreeny.
In the afternoons and on weekends he works for two barbershops, Borgy’s in Dapto and Diamond Edge in Albion Park, to further hone his craft – that’s when he’s not giving haircuts from his home barbershop.
He’s also had barbers online mentor him on how to grow his business using social media.
Will has been quick to put those lessons into practice – he hopes to crack the 100,000-follower mark on Instagram soon.
Will said the support he’d had from other barbers had helped inspire him as well as develop his skills.
“I want to own my own barbershop when I’m out of school,” he said.
“I enjoy it a lot, it’s satisfying work and it allows me to connect with people and express myself when I’m doing designs.
“Being able to make my friends look good and being able to earn money and help other people motivates me.
“I feel like I can make something out of this and it’s not just about being a barber and cutting hair, it’s about helping others on their journey to become barbers themselves.
“I’ve learnt not everything comes to you straight away, there’s a lot to learn and it takes time to perfect your craft and improve on yourself.
“It’s definitely something I can see myself doing for the rest of my life.”
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