Sitting in his house during quarantine, he heard his cousin complaining that he couldn’t go to his barber. Justin Escobedo or as many know him, “JBlendz,” asked his cousin, Bronson, if he could try and give him a haircut. After that, his love for barbering only grew. He began to help out his friends and cousins that were looking for barbers and through this, he became a respected barber in the San Rafael community.

JBlendz has always had a different way of thinking than others. “Justin’s mentality is way different than other people’s,” said Samuel Gonzalez, one of his very close friends. “He is very disciplined and he stays consistent until things become a habit.” Justin is ready to work hard for something regardless if it is challenging or makes him uncomfortable.

He has made an impact on a lot of people aspiring to be barbers. Many people have started cutting hair because of JBlendz, and at Davidson Middle School, JBlendz has heard that he is “the talk of the town.” While I was getting my haircut, a little kid who lives in his complex ran up to him with a big smile. “You are my favorite,” he said. “Can I get a haircut?” 

JBlendz doesn’t have a deeper reason for why he cuts hair. “My main motivator is making money really,” said Justin. He believes that with enough hard work he will be able to make a living off this business. “I don’t really want a normal 9-5 job, not that there’s anything wrong with it,” he said. “I want to have a flexible job that makes a lot of money.” Justin has shown that he really wants to pursue the business of barbering.

JBlendz started off by cutting his friends’ hair, and he is grateful that they believed in him and helped him improve. “I learned mostly through YouTube and just practicing on my friends and cousins,” he said. “I’m grateful they gave up their hair for me to practice, knowing that the haircuts wouldn’t be that good.” These friends continue to help him by trying to put his name out there and recommending him to people that are looking for barbers. He believes this is a big reason for his name getting out there.

He really fills the role of a traditional barber. His “shop” is a place where people can kick back, have conversations, and chill out. As soon as you sit down in his barber chair, JBlendz is comfortable talking about anything that sparks up. He really fills that role of not just a barber but a friend that you can talk to. He gets straight to work cutting your hair and at the same time makes the haircut enjoyable, he can create a calm vibe with some R&B or a more fun environment with some Rap music.

“I feel very comfortable talking with JBlendz,” says Benjamin Rodas, a client of his. 

“I have no problems chopping it up and talking with him when I’m there,” says Nico Woodall. 

 His friends believe he can go big places with his barbering career. Justin wants to eventually own his own barber shop and teach people how to cut hair. He is already on his way to improving and becoming better. “I’m gonna start making some changes,” said JBlendz. “I’m gonna move my chair into my room and make it so that where I cut hair is much more comfortable.” This ties in with his mentality to reach his full potential and accomplish the goals that he has set for himself.

A lot of his success has come from social media and being able to get his name out there so quickly anytime he wants. JBlendz has an account on Instagram where he posts his cuts, helping to promote his work. Another way he built a clientele was by word of mouth. The people that he would give haircuts to were relatively well-known like athletes and even some SRHS staff, so people would ask them who gave that cut. This led to his name being spread more. Building a clientele was one of Justin’s main challenges. “A challenge I had was trying to get new people to trust me to give them a cut,” he said, “and when they did trust me it was hard to get them to come back because everyone already had their own barber.” Over time though, JBlendz was able to build a loyal clientele.

Justin is not just dedicated when it comes to barbering. He enjoys going to the gym and he plays soccer for San Rafael High School. He likes going to the gym with his friends because he likes to improve his health as well as build a good physique. Justin loves building habits that will improve who he is. 

As he finished my cut, I got out of the chair very pleased with how it looked. I could tell that he has been really trying to improve his craft. His pure ambition and dedication are visible just through his work and he only sets the highest standards for himself. 

“I am excited to continue discovering my passion for barbering and where it takes me,” said JBlendz.