Nathan Johnson (00:45)
Nathan with Brotherhood Beyond Business. I'm here with Lewis and Melrose of Wolf's Barber Lounge. And we're gonna learn a little bit more about today, about what goes on at their barber shop. So Melrose, Luis, talk to us real quick. Who are you guys and what do you do for the community?

Luis Cano (00:59)
So my name's Luis Cano. I'm co-owner of Wolves Barber Lounge and you know I've been cutting here for twenty years man, so we service the surrounding communities. we've been servicing Grays Lake for about six years now. Well actually yesterday we turned six.

Nathan Johnson (01:14)
So congratulations

on the anniversary this week.

Melrose Carrion (01:16)
Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Luis Cano (01:17)
And this is my co co-partner Melrose.

Melrose Carrion (01:20)
Yeah, so co-owner of Wool's Barber Lounge, been cutting hair for 14 years. born in New York, came here at like five years old, been a Lake County resident ever since. have bounced around from a few different shops, but now thankfully we have opened these beautiful doors. we're new to this location. We just opened up this location on January 5th.

On January fifth, but the business is six years old as of June first, so COVID babies.

Nathan Johnson (01:47)
Started in twenty twenty. So tell me like how did you guys meet to decide like hey let's open a business together?

Luis Cano (01:53)
So that's that's a cool story actually. We we worked at a different barbershop together. we weren't owners there, we were just coworkers and I feel like we got along really well, you know. And it was one of those things where I came back from college, finished my four year degree and I just kept coming back to the barber industry and I met Melrose at this barbershop and we just hit it off nice, man. And you know, it was it was a nice like I felt like I had one of my brothers with me, so for me

That that's what it felt like.

Melrose Carrion (02:19)
Yeah, literally what he said, I kept hearing about this guy Kano. I was actually cutting while he was in college. and I would kind of inherit some of his clients as walk-ins or, you know, my books weren't as busy. I was new to the industry. I was maybe a year into my career. And I kept hearing about this guy Cano. So, you know, I finally when he came, I was I was excited and I was bummed 'cause I I'm gonna lose all the clients that I've been cutting because now they're gonna go back to their original barber. but I was excited to finally put a face to the name.

And and yeah, so we we that's kinda where the fruits of all of this started and the seeds were planted to one day venture out and open up this this awesome

Nathan Johnson (02:53)
How did that conversation start where you guys were like, We should do this, we could do this.

Melrose Carrion (02:58)
Yeah,

yeah. We worked under under ownership that I think we both felt you know, we saw things that that we could improve on and those were always good signs. Not saying that he was doing anything wrong, but just little things that we noticed that we were like, Okay, we would do those things different. and then it just kinda led into conversations. He was flirting with an idea of a of a career change, and then and then luckily he changed his mind and he stuck with what he was I think gifted with doing so

It just kinda naturally led to us conjuring this this amazing experience and brand. We went from all different types of names.

Luis Cano (03:29)
man, we have like twenty names, twenty different names and they're we're not gonna talk about those pretty embarrassing names. It was really funny though, but you know, we landed with wolves and it just has such a such a power behind the words and I'm I'm just so glad that we stuck to it 'cause we built a very reputable brand all across Lake County now. And you hear wolves and people know who you're talking about, thankfully.

Nathan Johnson (03:51)
For sure

and the wolves, like as a pack, they have to hunt together to live together to survive, right? And you guys built that here with your team of barbers and that's really cool. What like kept you or wanted you to be like, I wanna be a barber, I wanna be well I wanna work with people, I wanna you know, work with people day in and day out. What kind of led you to make that decision?

Luis Cano (04:09)
So for me,

it was like I've always you know, I felt like I I've always been like a people pleaser. Like you know, I enjoy being around people. I'm a social butterfly. And the career that I went to school for tied in very much into that. but as he had mentioned earlier, like I've been I've been doing this a long time and it it was just one of the one of the things that I really enjoyed was just

being with the people, with the community and then just being able to you know, just meet different walks of life, you know. I think I think that was probably the more exciting thing for me.

Nathan Johnson (04:39)
Ten

haircuts, ten very different stories.

Luis Cano (04:41)
yeah,

the networking, all this that we were just talking about that, like the amount of networking done, just being behind these these chairs, these walls, so that's what kept me in the look with it to be honest.

Melrose Carrion (04:52)
For sure. i in bits and pieces, yeah. I th I I was very lost, I think at like twenty five. I was trying to find myself. I think like most young men are. I had a child, so I was already a father and providing kinda became

the the prevalent focus of my life, like what am I gonna do with the rest of my life and how am I gonna provide for this child. I also had people skills. I had worked in customer service in various ways and aspects. I had managerial experience. so I just really needed to hone in on myself and it it was literally by chance that I was sitting at a barber shop waiting for my barber at the time to get to me and he was really ranting and kind of complaining about not having a lunch that day.

And so I'm like, well, how long are you working? And he's like, Well, I've been here since nine and I gotta work till like past nine PM and I'm like, wow, twelve hours of cutting hair, that's crazy. and you know, simple math, I think like most clients do as they're waiting for their barber and they're like, Okay, I know what I pay you, and I know what the so I was doing that math and I was like, Man, this could be a viable career, right? Like this could be something where I can really provide for my family. all I needed to do was hone in on the skills set. And so I started YouTubing and that led to school, barber school.

Probably the only after high school experience scholastically that I've had. but it's it's paid dividends. I went to his and hers barber school, so shout out to his and hers and and on the west side of Chicago. Went there, did my fifteen hundred credit hours, graduated, and then started pursuing barbering. Had no idea how to cut hair, twenty five years old, fresh out of out of options actually. Told my mom about it. She kinda scoffed at it and was Why do wanna cut hair at twenty five?

but mom, look at look at what we've done, right? It's kind of crazy.

Nathan Johnson (06:23)
Pretty incredible. So like you didn't know, you kinda did it for a little bit started younger, right?

Luis Cano (06:28)
Yeah,

I started when I was fourteen, so that that's a funny story in itself. It was honestly

One of my cousins took me to my first barber shop in Chicago and I got my first fade and it was like the coolest haircut I ever got at 14. And you know, I didn't even know how to express that at that moment. I was just like, dude, like I need it I need this every single time. And then my mother, she just she would always take me to her hairstylist and you know, I'll be honest, they didn't really know how to do those kind of hairstyles. so from one day to the next I bought a pair of clippers from Walmart.

And I just started hacking away and that's your own hair Yeah, my own hair. Okay. And I slowly I mean it took a while but it took it took me about a good year for me to finally get it down and and you know, until people started asking me who was cutting my hair and then that turned into me cutting the buddies, my siblings and it just trickled down into that, you know. But at that point it wasn't a career, it was more of a

I've always been like an artsy guy. You know, so I I love doing art classes in high school and stuff like that. So for me it was just more of an art thing. And thankfully I was making like five dollars a haircut. Yeah, why once I started getting a little better and better, people started paying me for it. Yeah, so it was you know, it was more like of a of a hobby, an an art thing for me.

Nathan Johnson (07:33)
Yeah.

So are you from so you went to Chicago for your schooling so if you're up from out here, are you also from out here then? I'm from out here, yeah. Okay. And did you go to school at the same spot?

Luis Cano (07:45)
same schools, yeah, just different times.

Nathan Johnson (07:47)
Okay, very cool. And then you guys built clientele. So you were working at a barbershop and you decided to open your own one and it what happened to COVID just came like three months before you guys planned an open or something like that, right? Yeah. And then talking about like how did you get clients? Obviously you have people who cut hair. Like, I don't know, as men we get nervous about different people cutting their hair, right? Now that I come here, if you guys got my hair cut, like if I don't

book in advance, like I'm like, my gosh, who's gonna cut my hair? Some random person's gonna cut my hair now, right? It's like it's nerve wracking. So how did you get people to get like to come to you guys knowing that like, hey we're gonna take care of you, we're gonna give you the best haircuts probably out there.

Melrose Carrion (08:21)
so for me i in the beginning I I was terrible at cutting hair. I had personality more than I had skills behind the chair. So I think people first liked me and were like, I can I can grow with this kid, you know what I mean? I'll give him a a few opportunities to mess me up and hopefully get it right. and shout out to those people. Thank you. And we all need you. All barbers need people to to practice on.

but I think that for me it was it was that. It was jumping into the deep waters, going into a barbershop with people like Kano, like you know, the gentleman Wilmer who owned the barber shop and his brother Douglas. and they at the time I think collectively had twenty years of barbering experience and here I am like eleven months out of barber school and I'm like, all right, let me jump in here and cut hair next to these guys. they already had a great reputation from s stelos.

Luis Cano (09:08)
Yeah, from Steelers. And one of the old shops in Rom Lake that is no longer there. but yeah, it was very reputable market. So I worked there in my senior year of high school. I got recruited to work there with them. And I worked there till about I think I was nineteen.

Nathan Johnson (09:15)
Yeah. And you'd worked there for a while.

Luis Cano (09:26)
No actually I was twenty one, up until twenty one and then that's when I transferred to the Western Illinois University and I had to leave Barbara in behind before that.

Nathan Johnson (09:34)
Mm.

So some industries have like apprenticeships. Does Barberin have that?

Melrose Carrion (09:38)
Yeah.

Yeah, we actually offer that. you do that. Yeah, yeah, we offer that. So if anybody in Lake County is looking to learn the art of barbering, and you wanna come in, there's you know, twelve to fourteen very talented staff members here that can all, you know, cut hair, do any kind of haircut that you you can imagine. So if anybody is out there even curious and wants to just watch us cut hair, you're more than welcome to.

Nathan Johnson (09:59)
Is it common for the person like if they intern with you, do they probably become a barber for you? Or is that just

Melrose Carrion (10:04)
So far I think we've had really good success with that.

Nathan Johnson (10:06)
Really? Okay. So they like it here. Like,

Luis Cano (10:08)
Yeah, I think so. Yeah, they enjoy it. The thing is that, you know, thankfully we we do have a lot of people that want to work here. And thankfully with this expansion we have room for it. But we take we're taking we're taking the steps slow when it comes to the hiring process. And you know, some of the people that intern with us, they as soon as they're done with school they wanna start here right away. The people that have talked to us recently and

It's just hard, right? 'Cause it we ha we have a pool of people that wanna come in here and we just have to slowly introduce instead of filling up all the chairs.

Nathan Johnson (10:38)
Would they have like give you a haircut for example or what would be like part of that interview process?

Luis Cano (10:42)
Well

it's you know, it's very similar to I I feel like any kind of interview process, right? We have a questionnaire, we get to know them, we kinda check out their vibe and stuff like that. And but if they you know, we always ask for a portfolio. If they don't have portfolio, then we'll do like another another interview process where we'll have them perform a haircut, right? Here at the barber shop just to see where their skill sets are at and

It helps us it it helps us gauge where their skills are at. So it's you know

Nathan Johnson (11:11)
Give them

a little bit of grace if they're coming out of school or something, maybe a little nervous.

Melrose Carrion (11:14)
Yeah, yeah.

Absolutely. We all know what it was like when we first started. We all know what we needed. and it wasn't harsh words and and and you know, unconstructive criticism. So we're all about if you have the right personality, if you're the right person, then I think you're the right fit for this job. I think the skill set always will come with repetition and time and patience.

But if you are of good character and you are of the people and you can, you know, engage in conversation, I think it's I think those are intangible skills that that really set you apart as even as a professional.

Nathan Johnson (11:45)
Teach them maybe a better barber. You can't teach them to be Exactly. I don't say a better person, but like a more detained person. The type of person that people want to get a haircut from. You can be the best barber in the world, but if you're you know, you're boring as hell, like no one's gonna come sit with you, right? Or they if they don't like the environment.

Melrose Carrion (11:50)
Absolutely.

Luis Cano (12:00)
And every time we walk out of an interview process, that's the first thing we talk about. It's like, what do you what'd you think about the personality, you know, what did you think about how they reacted to the same things, you know, the vibe. 'cause we're big on that, we're big on culture here. We need to make sure everybody's getting along. You get a lot of people in one room and they're always together, you know, you don't want things to come off the wrong way or whatever.

Melrose Carrion (12:21)
There's a quote that I was told it said people pay for a service, but they'll come back because of an experience. And I think that that's huge, especially here. We've heard it so many times from clients and even staff that have worked at other barbershops and then the clients that have visited other barbershops and come here and say, you know, like it's different here. I get treated like a person and not a number. I get greeted by multiple people, I get said bye to by multiple people.

and then also from the staff that have worked at other barbershops and been like, dude, the culture there, the you know, the energy, the vibes are off, the music, the just just you know, it it was an environment that wasn't conductive or conducive of good business. And I think that that's something that really sets us apart from a lot of different barbershops.

Nathan Johnson (13:03)
That's so true and that's so that's so I like I like the fact you brought that up because it's so important because some would come in and get a phenomenal haircut. Never come back. They're like, what the heck happened? Yeah. They love the haircut. Yeah. Right? But they could also have a mediocre haircut and have a one-minute experience to be like, environment.

Luis Cano (13:09)
Yeah.

Melrose Carrion (13:17)
I'm coming back, yep. Exactly.

Luis Cano (13:20)
They should.

Nathan Johnson (13:20)
So

like I know you guys want basically anyone to walk through the door, right? 'Cause like you're but it is a barber shop so average clientele is probably male, right? Or at least probably ninety percent is male. So but who do you let's be honest, who do you really want to come in and sit down in your chair?

Melrose Carrion (13:35)
Caleb Williams. No. No, no, I mean I I i to that point, like we've had staff, barber, you know, from from the Bears come, thankfully. We've had coaches come. We've had some rather famous podcasters and and YouTubers. But our biggest thing is everybody here is like a celebrity to us. If you walk through that door, we try to make you feel as welcomed and as special as I think you should be.

treat it anywhere you go to spend your hard earned money. But to me, I don't know that there is like an ideal customer. I think that anybody and everybody that gives us an opportunity to tensor their hair is the ideal customer. That's who we want it. We want to knock it out to the park every single time. I don't know how you feel.

Luis Cano (14:17)
Yeah, there's I mean I have clients that like you know they'd walk in the door and it's awesome, you know, you you meet them, but you know, I just I never thought that the client I had the clientele I have now would be the the most supportive clientele. You know what I mean? And where you know if I'm being completely honest, the clientele that I had at the other location where I was working at prior to me and him open up with Wolves

Very small, very small percentage of those people still come over here, you know. And and it could be a matter of like distance or whatever, right? But it's awesome because, you know, I see I see just people that I've never met before and they're so supportive and they have a lot of wisdom and you know, different career paths and just different walks of life and it's you know, so that's why to his point, anybody that walks in it's it's always a like, w what are we getting this time? You know, like who's gonna sit down in my chair?

Nathan Johnson (15:08)
Right,

it's that VIP treatment. They'll come extra five minutes for that. Right. So have you ever had an experience where you someone came in and like they were just stone cold. They didn't basically say a word to you like the whole haircut, and then like you're like, man, like I just didn't connect with the person that we're coming back. And then like they back and they're like, I had such a wonderful time. And then you're like, wait, what? So have you ever had that?

Melrose Carrion (15:28)
A lot. Yeah. I actually got that one of his clients I think heard me chatting with one of my clients and was like, I would never sit in that guy's chair because he talks too much. Which which is fine, right? But d to that point, like we have so many different characteristics in this barber shop, like Tico, for example, great barber, absolutely amazing. But he's not the biggest talker, right? But I think his clients enjoy that about him. So he has a roster of people that just enjoy not necessarily having to engage in long conversations.

I'm more of a chatty Kathy, right? So I you know, I get the people that wanna have conversations and it's almost like this cool interview process back and forth between me and my customer, i with with every, you know, experience that I get to have and it's cool. but to your point, I think that everybody kind of finds and meshes with their barber. So I a lot of those awkward engagements, if I ever do have them, I'll be honest with that person and be like, Hey, maybe I'm not

the best fit for you here, right? Like, you know, maybe you should sit in Condos chair, maybe you should sit in and in in in the w in the nicest way possible, right? But at the end of the day I want you to have a good experience, a good time. And I want me to enjoy the process of cutting your hair too, right? So I think that that's important too, is is knowing and understanding yourself, knowing and understanding your customer and and being able to say, okay, maybe we s we pivot on this one. You know what I mean?

Nathan Johnson (16:46)
So talk a little more about that. So if someone comes in, they're walking, never been here before, never had any of you guys with their barber, right? No referral system or anything. Right? No idea who to pick and choose from. How would you decide who's their barber if everyone was available?

Melrose Carrion (17:00)
well we always try to consult with the client. So let's say for example it's a walk-in. first question would probably be, Have you been here before, right? no, okay. So you don't have a barber that you specifically want to see. What kind of a haircut are you looking for? And then from there, based on if they say, I want a long layered scissor cut, okay, we right away I have three barbers in mind that I can send them, sit them with, and the barber's gonna be comfortable performing that task and it's gonna be an enjoyable experience for that person.

And then i if you do you have anything to add?

Luis Cano (17:28)
Yeah, definitely that, you know, because it's r it's really hard to it's really hard to really pinpoint

If they're gonna be, you know, a little more chatty or more reserved. Right. It's very hard in an consultation right off the bat w if they don't have any appointments. But that's literally the same thing I do and I know the the guys here as well do the same thing. You just kinda break it down but what kind of hairstyle they're gonna get. and sometimes it it comes down to who has the the most recent availability because that's just how it works, yeah, with walk and traffic, you know.

Nathan Johnson (17:57)
lot of period experts here. Yeah. yeah.

Luis Cano (18:01)
The

guys here do amazing man, it's it's awesome. And it's it's pretty cool because anytime I don't have availability, I always tell my my get my clientele, Hey, don't be shy to sit in any of the guys' chair. Like you're gonna get taken care of. And if for whatever reason there's something that you need to be changed, just let us know man, and we'll take care of you.

Nathan Johnson (18:21)
So you Melrose over here won't get upset if I come sit in your chair one day because he's too busy.

Melrose Carrion (18:26)
Not at

all. The only time we get upset is if we see you at like sports clips or something.

Luis Cano (18:30)
Yeah,

you come like, Yeah, I went to I went to sports business. Yeah. Then we're gonna be like why?

Melrose Carrion (18:35)
No.

But to your to your question, I think I avoided it slightly. There was one time where I have, and I still have, his name is Grant, so shout out to Grant. He is a I'm gonna I'm gonna butcher this and if he watches this, he's gonna be like, that's not my title, Mel. But I think he's a psychiatrist. but he deals with people. And I'm like, I didn't get that till like the second visit. But when I first

saw him like sitting in the lobby waiting for his his his appointment he seemed very stern in the face and like very rigid in his body posture and very like and I'm like this guy's gonna be he's gonna be tough you know like he so he sits in my chair and before you know it man we just have this amazing colorful back and forth conversation and I le once he left I was like I like that guy and I thought I really thought I was like this is gonna be one of those ones that I'm gonna like

I'm probably not the right guy for you. Just because of how rigid he is and how like chill and laxed I like to be and I like to be a little bit of a goofball. And now that's probably one of my favorite conversations behind the chair because we always he might be psychoanalyzing me, but we always have really good banter. It's all it's awesome.

Nathan Johnson (19:36)
The walls came down and he was able to have a conversation. You both kinda mentioned like sports clips like, man, that's like taboo, you know? So but obviously like there's other there's other barbershops out there as well. Right. ⁓ Wolves is its own unique place. So let's talk about that. What did you guys when you first started Wolves and obviously six years later, what do you do specifically that you go we're go doing this and we're doing it differently than anyone else.

Melrose Carrion (19:47)
Absolutely.

Yeah.

you wanna

Luis Cano (19:59)
Yeah, I truly believe

the culture that we have here is like the main attraction where people love to just come and you know, the the experience. As soon as they walk from the moment they walk in to the moment they walk out, I feel like the experience here is is amazing and everybody in here is very friendly. There's there's never a dull moment when it comes to a new clientele coming in through those doors. and we try to, you know and if there is something that's that's happening that's like, you know, like, you know, we we know how to

Just settle things nicely without anybody, you know, getting too upset or whatever the case may be. But I yeah, I actually believe the culture. The culture we have here, I think is the the t the top everything. You know?

Nathan Johnson (20:40)
So like

part of the brotherhood is like to s teaching another male entrepreneurs like systemizing everything, something as special as the experience that you guys provide, like you're talking about Lewis. so what kind of system do you have in place to make sure that that never falters with every person that walks through the door? matter if you guys are here not.

Luis Cano (20:56)
Mm.

yeah, yeah, yeah. So it all comes down to the interview process. You know, we we always man, we we we try our best to just carefully pick people. when we're doing interviews, they they have to match our energy. And they you know, even if they're not super talkative people, like are you respectful? You know, do you respect your elders, you know?

Are you okay f you know, following orders if need so, right? Like how how do you engage with just strangers? Like it's all things that we look for. And we t we could tell right away, even if they do get hired within the first couple days, we could tell with the interactions that are happening around us. But so I think the interview process is where everything starts.

Nathan Johnson (21:39)
Is there like a system where you go the person who's the closest to the front will always greet the new person in?

Luis Cano (21:47)
Yeah, bas that's basically how it is by default. You know

Melrose Carrion (21:49)
Yeah. And that's us. Yeah.

Nathan Johnson (21:53)
So

you guys are like hey, no matter what. Yeah. That person someone walks in, they always get a Hey, how you doing?

Luis Cano (21:59)
Yeah.

Melrose Carrion (21:59)
And I think that there's a unique perspective in the fact that we get to lead from the front, right? Like we're boots on ground with these guys. We are owner operators. We're not just owners. so that gives them a really good reflection of who and what we are, in how we treat our customers and then also how we treat them. so I think that as long as you have that proper culture and what he said, quality over quantity.

as long as you do your due diligence in those aspects, I think that the culture will carry itself and I think you know, we have some elder statesmen that have been with us longer than some of these other barbers and I think they do a really good job of holding the down the fort and making sure that our culture standards are abided by. You know what I mean? Even in our absence. So that's that's amazing.

Luis Cano (22:38)
Hundred percent. Yeah, we we're always encouraging that. Every every single day I feel like we're encouraging Hey man, don't forget, you know, smile. You know.

Nathan Johnson (22:47)
Or just

Melrose Carrion (22:47)
Acknowledge somebody like think about it like if you were to walk in somewhere and you don't know anybody and you've never been there, well how would you want to be greeted? How would you want to be treated? How would you want to be accepted and received? Yeah. and you know, we've heard that from other people. Like clients say, like I've been to other barbershops and they look at you like you're an intruder instead of a guest, you know? It's like

Nathan Johnson (23:05)
You can tell the franchises like in the food franchises that require the hellos and the smiles. Because like the moment you walk through the door, they have to stop what they're doing and turn and look at you and say, Hi, Well, thank you for coming. Right? You're like, okay, that's not done by like just happen chance. But that's like the type of person that needs to be like the type of person needs to be w someone who can do that, wants to do that. Right.

So something else about like barbershops, like some people can think about them as maybe one thing or another, but what do you think people misunderstand or misunderstood about barbershops or owning a barbershop or like what all comes together with being a barber? What people you think misunderstood?

Melrose Carrion (23:42)
⁓

I think I think that sometimes they see or they're surprised maybe to see how successful you can be cutting hair. I had a funny run-in with a a what became a customer, but he saw me walk into a bar. I was invited by one of my

customers at the time in Round Lake and I I went into the bar and I'm so I'm saying hi to him and some of his friends and before you know it I see another guy that comes to the barber shop and it's like, hey and this gentleman's just kind of watching these this engagement that I'm having with all these different people. and then somebody offers to buy me a drink and I'm like, sure man, I'll take a you know, whatever, whatever. And I was like, actually I'm gonna at the time I I smoke cigarettes. So I I excuse myself to go outside to smoke a cigarette. And then shortly after this gentleman follows me. And so now we're both outside

And he like starts conversation with me by saying, Hey, do you have a lighter? And I was like, Sure. So I, you know, give him a lighter. We're now we're talking, we're smoking a cigarette. And he's like, So what do you do, man? And I'm like, What do you mean? And he's like, Well, who are you? And I'm like, ⁓ I'm a barber. And he was like, And I'm like, Okay, that was that was you know I mean, not the reaction I was expecting, but I was like, Why do you ask? And he was like, Well

Nathan Johnson (24:39)
Ha ha.

Melrose Carrion (24:49)
You're over here like saying hi to everybody and you know the bartender and they're buying you drinks. He was like, I thought you were like some sort of drug dealer or something. And I'm like, Dude, what gave you that impression? and he's like, But you're you're a barber, that's cool. He's So what do you guys make? Like twenty-eight thousand a year or something? And I'm like I'm like, Well, I don't really talk about numbers, especially not with somebody I just met, but I was like, if I am making twenty-eight thousand, I probably need more clients, right? So, you know, here's my business card and and and reach out if you ever need.

So he finally does come. I th dude, it was like six months later. It took him a while. And I see him come in, him and his son, and I'm like, wow, look, I know that guy. I know I never forget a face. And he just so happened to book with me because I was one of the newer barbers, so I had more availability than everybody else. So he sits in my chair and he's like, dude, are you I'm like, Yeah, that's me. And he was like, dude, that's crazy. I was like, Yeah. And then so he pays me at the end of a s the service for me or for him and his son. And it was like his second visit, and he's like, dude, I'm sorry.

And I'm like, What? He's like, I get it now and I'm like, okay, there you go. Like a minimum wage for you.

Nathan Johnson (25:46)
yeah.

Like

Luis Cano (25:50)
so used to from when I first started and I I'm pretty sure having him too a lot when he first started like man people just downplayed so much like people that are you know like hairstylists and and barbers like I don't know I don't know why there's a misconception of like you said you know bottom bottom of the barrel yeah

Nathan Johnson (26:08)
Exactly.

Melrose Carrion (26:09)
Ran out of options.

Luis Cano (26:10)
Yeah, I just think people don't like they can't see past that for some reason some for some reason it's not as now it's become becoming more respected, right? But before, man, I when I was in high school, I'll tell you what man, like people people that I knew dragged me through the floor because they were like, dude, you're not going to college? This is all you gonna do with your life, bro? Like it was man, it was tough, dude. It was tough because it was like, dude, I love I love what I'm doing. What do you mean? Like

And I was like, Well, yeah, you're just cutting hair though. Like, that's it. And I'd be like, I I was lost for words, you know, I'd take that home with me and just kinda ponder on it like, dude. Yeah, yeah, like like what are you That's that's when I that's when I was young, right? That was before all of the Ca Floors, but

Nathan Johnson (26:42)
Here that's

Melrose Carrion (26:52)
Now here we are. I think people forget that it's a it's a trade. It is a trade and it's actually one of the oldest trades in in in American history, right? Or in in world history probably. I don't know, but it's a trade and it doesn't require a four year degree, it doesn't require, you know, thousands of and and shout out to the people like my son is getting ready to embark on that journey and he wants to go to college and I support it fully and I think that that's amazing. and if it would have been for me, that would have been my route a hundred percent.

But you know, I I really want k people and and especially the younger people to understand like this is a very viable career option and it's a very lucrative career career option if you treat it like a career, right? And you respect it and you have the discipline and the consistency to get good at it and and really work at your craft, you can I mean there's really no heights. There's kids that are surpassing what w even me and him are doing and they don't even own a barber shop. They don't have the stress of owning a barbershop, they just kind of

created a brand around themselves and now they're they're cutting celebrities and they're cutting influencers and they're traveling here and there and I mean it's just incredible. Like I've I just watched UFC and they had a whole segment around barbering. Like it like the fighter in the chair with the b with the barber and having and it's a reoccurring theme in all of these build up like promos for fights. You you you see it more and more now. So, you know, barbering is really becoming a a mainstay in in

pop culture which is is helping everybody, you know.

Nathan Johnson (28:16)
I mean you brought up a great point. So you talked about stress as a owning a barber bottle. Right? So let's talk a little bit more about like what that's like as a man trying to be like you you both have families, right? Yes. You're trying to provide for You're also trying to run a business. Talk to me about like how do you balance the work and the life.

Luis Cano (28:35)
For me it it's

It's very easy to forget that like, you know I mean and th I feel like when you're an owner in this kind of industry it's really hard to not take this with you at home, right? Because we are always dealing with emails, projects, you know, getting on Canva, making flyers, blah blah blah. All th all these things that just that that we have to do, that has to get done. getting on phone calls at nine thirty PM, you know, for an hour and just talking about what's next or hey, this is we need to do this and that. So like

it it's it's tough but I think just having a a good partner to understand that hey this this is a thing that needs to get done you know and there's no other way around this and and if I don't do this me and my partner are gonna bump heads like and and I can't have that. I know he doesn't want that either you know so it it's it's tough but having the communication at home for me has helped me a lot and yeah that's

Nathan Johnson (29:27)
Is there a lot of intentionality like with time away from here? It's like I'm not to be bothered or is it like

Luis Cano (29:32)
Yeah, yeah, like when I'm at home you mean? Yeah, yeah, there's there's you know I I you know, I would say that there's certain hours I'm just like, Yeah, dude this is where I'm cutting it off. I think we've gotten better as we've got before. Didn't matter what

Melrose Carrion (29:45)
It'd be midnight, one in the morning sometimes, and we're shooting emails, text messages, images back and forth, ideas, and it's like I'd wake up out of my sleep sometimes and have this like you know, awestruck idea, and I'm like, I gotta send this before I forget it. You know what I mean? It it it's terrible timing, and and but I think to his point, like the older you get, the more you realize. I think watching my son, who's now 17 and having a daughter who's five.

has really put things into perspective because I'm on like I'm in the middle of two spectrums where one is really becoming an adult and it's you know, doesn't need me anymore. And I'm realizing how important it is for me to be there for this little five year old girl that's quickly gonna become that's my seventeen year old son. So for me it's understanding like, hey, you know, I was always under the impression and d don't leave anything for tomorrow. My mother used to always stress that. Don't leave things for tomorrow. If they can be done today.

because tomorrow can never come and to my p my point to that or my my argument to that would be if tomorrow doesn't come, does it even matter anyway? Right? Like that I did that and then tomorrow never came, like it is what it is. Nothing happens after that anyway. So understanding balance, cadence, I have A D D, so my my life is all about notes and and and reminders and and then calendars. I've gotten really good my wife has made me really good at Google calendars and just really

documenting my my steps throughout the day and what I have to do so that I don't double book myself because I was really bad at that and I think you can agree. where we would say yes to so many things, back to that people pleaser mentality. And then you're overcommitted and you're like, dude, I'm gonna drop the ball. Like who do I disappoint? And and that never feels good. So to me I gotta definitely shout out my wife and to his point having a good partner but then having a business partner.

That I can share the stresses and the loads of doing business with. It has been invaluable. And we were both told when mentioning that we were gonna partner and do this thing together, how much that wasn't a good idea. a lot of people believed that you know we were better off doing it by ourselves and and you know, no partnerships really succeed, and they always end up in the, you know, in in in court and in litigations and things like that. So, but thus far, six years going strong, man, and they've flown by.

And I can't imagine not having a business partner to to kind of bounce ideas off of.

Nathan Johnson (31:55)
To your point, like you yeah, we've heard that too, but like I my business is partnered.

Right, as well. They can grow a bond. Yeah. Like what you guys have done here. And then it if you have the right mentality about it and that not that selfish individual, you could be like, Well, I'm working from my family and me, right? 'Cause you mentioned your family, right? But then if you drop the ball, if you really care about Lewis, you don't want you to drop the ball on him and his family, same vice versa, right? You're you're for you and your family and for him. Like I care about him, I don't want the ball to drop for him. And then you have a team of wolves, right? You have the wolf pack, and we We drop the ball on that

That that's that's lo they're their life, their lifestyle, their their income. So that's really cool that you guys have applied that to everything. So on a scale of like one to ten, like ten being like incredible stress, one being low, where do you guys rank it now after like some years of experience? Like talking about the beginning. Obviously COVID was probably just insane stress. So and then now it's probably like I'm assuming a lot lower.

Luis Cano (32:44)
Yeah.

Yeah. yeah, I would say yeah, definitely when we first started we poured we poured ever everything we had. I I know I poured all of my life savings into the first location and and I freak I was freaking out. I was like, Man, how are we gonna do this? How are we like now they're talking about two and a half months till we can open anything and we were supposed to open March. It was like the end of March or something, right? Yeah. And and

Yeah, for me the stress was at all time high. I didn't know I don't know what was gonna happen. Especially it's opening the doors and all the regulations that they wanted us to have in place in the barber shop and this and that and how our clients gonna react to this. Like, who's gonna want haircuts? You know what I mean? Like it was yeah, it was through the roof for me. You know, I don't know if y your experience

Melrose Carrion (33:28)
absolutely. yeah, there were so many hurdles that that we had to cross COVID aside, just even getting to

the grand opening, there were so many different things that that we just kept running into that we weren't expecting. we weren't carpenters or handymen by any stretch of the imagination. So we a lot of what we had to do because the budget was so small, was DIY. so we found mentors, we found friends that had like businesses in the carpentry industry, or trade, and then kind of were like, Hey, if you can just kind of watch us mess up and then

Correct us, we'd appreciate it and we would pay you for your time. and so shout out to everybody and anybody that that helped us with with Wolves number one. I mean that was incredible. and we it it it took a village, it really ⁓ so wolves number one technically was at eighteen twenty four East Belvedere Road. We are currently at eighteen thirty six East Belvedere Road. so our previous unit was

Nathan Johnson (34:09)
Not wolfable.

Luis Cano (34:21)
literally

five units that way. So as soon as you walk out of this building it's five units to your right. So we were there for f five years. yeah, smaller space. Yeah.

Nathan Johnson (34:29)
Smaller space.

Melrose Carrion (34:32)
Sixteen hundred square feet.

Nathan Johnson (34:34)
So that's a big decision to decide to like move spots, right? Because it's not just moving things, you're moving chairs, you're moving all the other stuff. So when it mak comes to making those big hard choices, how do you guys like what's that process like? You have to like

Luis Cano (34:46)
Yeah.

Melrose Carrion (34:47)
Hey Siri. As she's listening, stop. I was just kidding. yeah, no, that it was it was one of those things where we had 1824, it was amazing. We grew during COVID, we expanded in in size as far as staff, and it got to a point where we were, you know, rejecting more business than we felt comfortable rejecting.

Because we were booked. so walk ins, phone calls, things of that nature would kind of, hey man, we don't have any availability and then we'd end up sending them, which is whatever, we're all about community and we understand that barbering is is a huge fraternity, so we we don't have necessary issues sending other places. But it's never a good feeling as a business owner to like, Hey, go to the competition. but so and then f obviously we needed more staff and we were fully staffed, so I'm like, Well that's a that's an

Glaringly obvious pointer to expansion. and and we started flirting with Antioch and Mundaline, and we looked in Libertyville and Vernon Hills for a second location. In that process, there was a young lady that was currently a tenant here, and she didn't want this much space, didn't need this much space. So she wanted to downsize.

Luis Cano (35:41)
Yeah.

Melrose Carrion (35:55)
She hit us up and was like, Hey, I heard you guys are looking to expand. I'm looking to shrink a little. C maybe we can help each other out and so we explored those options and

Luis Cano (36:04)
Yeah and it was I think it was the best option we we came across to be honest. The best thing that happened because we were able to stay local. Same plaza, everybody already knows we're here. And then we got a space almost twice as big.

Nathan Johnson (36:15)
Did you guys literally just

flip with her?

Melrose Carrion (36:17)
Ya well so no, she actually ended up leaving the plaza entirely and going to a a smaller unit somewhere else. ⁓

Nathan Johnson (36:23)
Sort of like

Luis Cano (36:26)
Yeah.

She wanted to go to a completely different town, so that's what she

Nathan Johnson (36:32)
Okay.

Fair enough. Very cool. So I mean you guys obviously have instilled like quite the experience here. So what if you were to do like if you're like okay, I want someone to remember think about the wolves this way, what would they want them to say? Or it could be about Melissa, it could be about Lewis, right?

Melrose Carrion (36:52)
I really think that this business epitomizes the American dream. The the rags to to maybe one day riches. We're not there yet, but we're climbing. I think it's very much that, is it's that wolf mindset of that never give up mindset, that that the thrill of the hunt and the chase, COVID, obstacle number one, right? And we got through it, thank God. Well, there was obstacles before that, but thank God we got through COVID.

you know, this last obstacle was expansion and what direction do we go and God opened these doors and again we find ourselves in a beautiful place and and everybody's accepting and welcoming of us. we built this with our own two hands, this and the first one. That was me and this guy, hammer and nail, drill and saw, like putting this place together. long hours cutting hair all day and then being whatever DIYers at night, on top of

running a business like this one was unique because the first one was hard because we were working as barbers and then we would come to this location 1824 and and just hammer and nail and try to build it out. The last one was tough because we were running 1824 while building 1836. So that was unique, right? Because now not only are you cutting hair all day but you're cutting hair, running a business and now building a second business all at the same time. And that you know and trying to juggle to your point earlier, family life and

fun and friends and not just going insane and burying yourself in work and not having a life outside of it. It was it was intense for sure. But I think this is what the American dream's about that never quit, never say never, never, you know, stop trying attitude like we're gonna go for it every time.

Nathan Johnson (38:19)
promise to your wife, like I once I will have this build this new building open by this day so you I will not be in two spots anymore.

Melrose Carrion (38:26)
Yes, and she laughed and said you'll find other things to bury yourself under so I'm I'm already used to it. Like you know, it's one of those things with her. But thank you. I love you, babe. You're the best. What about you?

Nathan Johnson (38:36)
what would you say the number one thing if a person leaves wolves you want them to say about it?

Luis Cano (38:41)
You know, I keep coming I keep coming back to the culture aspect of of it. I I love it here. I've I've worked in s in different barbershops where it was very cutthroat and you know, th there's times where I sit back and I'm like, Man, why did I why did I stick along for so long in certain certain places, you know, like why did I like why did I let some of these places kill my

like the love of the craft that I that I once had when I was young. 'Cause that's what led me to going to college. And then thankfully I found it again. The love for for the craft in college and after, you know, wh when I met my boy here and

You know, and I I just think it's the culture that we created here that we we don't want anybody to ever feel that way. And I I just you know, I just want people to you know, to to look back, you know, if this were all, you know, snap, everything's gone. Tomorrow you'd be like, Man, the wolves, man, that that was one of one, man. One of a kind. And you know, you can't find that anywhere else, you know, like so for me it's the culture, the culture that we've built here. think it's it's it's great, it's awesome.

Nathan Johnson (39:43)
Very unique to what this is. 'Cause there are like you you guys talk there are barbershops even around this local area where you're they're trying to get you in and they're trying to get you out as quick as they possibly can. Right? That's it's it's like the great kips, sport clips business model.

Luis Cano (39:52)
Yeah.

Yeah, just a number.

Melrose Carrion (39:59)
Turnstop business model for sure.

Nathan Johnson (40:01)
So like obviously as I you know I'm a customer here for these guys. I can't tell you much the custom the experience along with the quality of the haircut is top notch. Obviously beard work as well here. But I just wanna give these guys a second to talk about an awesome event that they're putting on coming up in September. So they're gonna talk to you guys a little bit.

Melrose Carrion (40:16)
Out

golf. Yes. so we've become infatuated. Yeah. with golf and we were almost bullied into doing our own outing by customers and people that we have engaged with at their outings. So shout out to Billy Hamric, shout out to Mike Pruitt at the Vine, all of the people that were involved in in in pushing us. Alex Aikman

Luis Cano (40:21)
We got the bug. we did.

Melrose Carrion (40:41)
in in in this direction. So we are doing a golf outing September

Luis Cano (40:46)
third. September third it's the Thursday before Labor Day. we're starting a twelve PM shotgun start, right? And we're doing it all for

Melrose Carrion (40:56)
Movember. So if anybody's familiar with Movember Foundation, it's centered around men's mental health, testicular cancer, and prostate cancer, which are the top three killers of men, unfortunately, in this country. So we're big on obviously men's mental health is a big thing at a barbershop. We we we we talk about everything here. Yeah. we're kind of your impromptu psychologist, your your cheaper psychologists.

So we're gonna be doing a golf outing again. It's it's we're shooting for 36 Forsoms. We're looking for companies to sponsor. So if you know or are somebody that would like to help us sponsor and put together this charity event and raise money for an amazing cause, please reach out to us at WLVSculture at gmail.com. That's how you can get in touch with us. or you can call the shop 224-275-8430 and get a hold of Melrose or Cano.

And we would love to get to know you and give you some more information and explore how you can help us put together this amazing event and hopefully more amazing s events to come in the future. So the Movember and September to remember is what's coming. So the Wolf Classic is coming and hopefully we can knock this out of the park with the help of our amazing community. Yeah. Absolutely.

Luis Cano (42:08)
And we'd love to have you there. So please,

please reach out, come join us, get yourself a a quad, a foursome, and a and join us for an amazing day at golf, man.

Melrose Carrion (42:17)
Pizzeria DeVille will be on deck on premises. If you Pizzeria de Ville, shout out to J.R. Escobar. He was nice enough to bring his food truck and his delicious offerings. So that's also gonna be part of the event. There's gonna be so many things, so many games, so many prizes, so many opportunities to win some cool stuff. So come on out and join us.

Luis Cano (42:34)
Yes, sir.

Nathan Johnson (42:35)
There you have it, the Alphas of the Wolves Barber Shop, Mr. Melrose and Luis, right? Now you know who they are, what they do, and why you should come see them. Alright, have a great day.

Luis Cano (42:45)
Thank you. Peace.