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The 2021 Starks Fall Style Guide

When we first opened Starks back in 2013 it was abundantly clear that beards were emerging as an acceptable look for the office. A modern version of the pompadour hairstyle with a “hard part” took the 1950’s greaser classic and revolutionized it for the 21st century. Men were starting to wear really tight, tapered pants and being a “hipster” wasn’t so hipster anymore, as the trend known for avoiding the cultural mainstream became exactly that. Almost ten years later we’re seeing the fashion cycles change and some interesting looks from the 90’s like not so tight pants are starting to reemerge. Here’s what we’re looking forward to seeing in our barber shops this fall.

Hair & Beard

Let’s start with what we know best, grooming. We’re sticking with our predictions from early in the year like the resurgence of the mullet. A fashionable mullet has really taken hold this year. For someone less adventurous we recommend the disconnect; which can be worn in various ways like slicked back, textured, messy or even with a pompadour. For bearded gentlemen, the scruffier the better in the fall. Grow your beard out a bit no matter the length, everyone will notice you’re sporting a new look for the new season. 

Garment

Let’s start up top. Washed denim is a sharp look if you need something different than the fall classics like tweed or wool. That said, flannels are essential for this time of year so make sure you have a few flannel shirts in your lineup. For something different than a classic red and black lumberjack, try something inspired by the denim we just mentioned like navy and slate. For layering look for “shirt jackets” - a hybrid of the two that has the perfect amount of sartorial charm for the fall. 

As far as pants are concerned we were surprised to learn that major shifts are coming. Out with the skinny and in with the baggy, not to mention pleats. Thats right you heard us, pleats are back. First off, baggy isn’t mandatory. The less adventurous can still wear a fitted slack but make sure it isn’t too tight, and grab something pleated if you want to be on trend. 

Colour Combos & Fabrics

Keeping in-line with our denim recommendation, blues like indigo are in. So is the combo of black and brown. What used to be a major offence is a legit approach this fall according to GQ. As always, you can’t go wrong with earth tones and as far as fabrics are concerned, ditch the smooth stuff and roll with some texture like tweed, wool, corduroy and twill. 

Accessories 

Watches, hats and vests are the essentials for accessorizing your outfit in the fall. For watches look for something outdoorsy with a larger bezel. A green nylon strap is a great look, as is leather. For now, ditch the metal or rubber straps. A textured hat that’ll keep you warm with a pattern like houndstooth is a sharp look. The pattern doesn’t have to (in fact it shouldn’t) match the texture of the rest of your outfit. Vests are a fall classic but if you’re looking for a change try the shirt jacket we mentioned above. 

If there’s a silver lining to the end of the summer it might be the beginning of the end of this dreaded pandemic. Maybe (I’m knocking on wood as I type this) we’ll be interacting more and more with each other in person as time goes on. What better way to embrace the social resurgence than with a new wardrobe and a fresh style to suit the season. 

Steve Tallis is a thought leader in men’s grooming and franchising. He routinely contributes to style and business publications to promote wellness and the growing brand he co-founded almost ten years ago. For more information head to StarksBarberCompany.com.

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Running a Business During a Pandemic

There is no question that the pandemic is the stiffest challenge a small business like ours has (and will) ever face. I’ve been telling my franchisees things like “you can’t fall off the floor” to motivate them and keep their spirits high ☺️. But there is something everyone should realize about the pandemic and how it affects certain sectors of small business; there are clear-cut winners and losers. It’s an unfortunate thing but it’s the reality of today’s world where we struggle with issues like inequality. Where one business fails, inevitably another one succeeds and that is how disruption occurs. In our case, being able to take appointments and having very clean and minimalistic designed barber shops has been a huge advantage. Our stores are not eclectic and busy looking, nor are they old and unruly. We have receptionists cleaning in between services and the neighbourhood barber shops don’t. The appearance of being extremely clean became a huge priority for customers overnight. As far as appointments go, many of our competitors from old school barber shops to budget brands simply can’t take appointments because it doesn’t fit their business model. Ask yourself, would you want to drive down to the barber shop and stick your head in the door just to be told to wait in your car? Typically, people sit in the store and wonder “am I next or is it the guy next to me?” Another advantage we have relates to capacity limits. Because our stores are bigger, and our barber chairs are six feet apart we can operate at max capacity under the public health guidelines. The reality is with a barber shop, unlike something like a restaurant, they all have a similar number of chairs and in this case, smaller stores were at a disadvantage. If the old school barber shop is only 500 square feet and they can’t keep people social distanced, they might only be able to run three chairs at a time instead of five. Now think about the wage subsidy. For businesses like Starks with payroll, we qualify for the subsidy, and it has a tremendous impact. When we reopened after a lockdown, we would see a gold rush of clients and because the subsidy looks back 3 months (during a lockdown period) almost 90% of the wage costs are absorbed by the government. We see an incredible amount of business in the first two weeks after a lockdown and although it doesn’t make up for the closure, it helps a lot. Almost all the old school barber shops either rent chairs or pay commission to their staff. Their “employees” are considered independent contractors and they can’t get a dime from the federal wage subsidy. 

In normal times it might not be as easy to win someone’s business from the incumbent neighbourhood shop that they’ve supported for years. But when it comes to people’s personal safety, if you have the right solution, you’re going to get a shot at their business. When they decide to give us a shot, they enjoy those modern elements like booking on a mobile app and being taken right when they walk in. They get a relaxing wash before their haircut and a nice massage after and think it might be time for a permanent change. For the extra $5-$10 that Starks charges, we’ve probably won them over with those value ads. As much as this sounds like a story of fortune, the reality is we’ve been disrupting these barber shops long before the pandemic. Our commitment to involve ourselves in the communities we do business in, supporting local causes, sports teams and fundraisers is another way we get an edge. Typically, the old school barber shop is friendly and nostalgic, but does little marketing or purposeful work in the community outside of cutting hair. 

I’ve been noticing these covid winner/loser parallels in different areas of small business and through different franchise systems. It seems that the forward-thinking ones are really capturing market share as we vault faster into the digital age. I remember listening to one of the more accomplished people in the world of franchising speak at the beginning of the pandemic. He’s a Harvard Business School graduate and has over 1500 franchised units globally under his watch. He said “the consumer will change forever when this is over. Don’t wait for things to ‘go back to normal’ make sure you anticipate change.” Boy was he right, and this was last April when everyone was still seeing stars and wondering what happened over the last few weeks. I took his advice and in 2020 we launched our mobile booking app which has been a huge hit with customers. 

Times change and so do businesses, but this was a shock to the system. Perhaps we needed it to prepare us for the future where disruption will occur faster and faster as technology continues to evolve. Lucky for us people will always need a haircut. Now that said and as with any business, they’ll always be someone trying to eat our lunch. 

I typically write these blogs very spontaneously based on whatever comes to mind. I feel its a very authentic way to share my thoughts. When I started off here, I didn’t think I would have painted such a rosy picture of the pandemic, especially after starting off by saying this was the stiffest challenge we’ve ever faced. There’s no question we’ve had to endure a lot. The closures first and foremost, but also having to change the way we service clients, try and protect people when it seemed impossible to do so; has all been very difficult. All that said, any challenge in life is only as difficult to handle as the attitude you approach it with. My default attitude is always positive. I left my corporate career 10 years ago and got into the hair business with no experience, no business plan, and no money (LOL). If I had to peg success to one thing it would be attitude. I guess that’s why this blog took a positive turn right away. If there’s any takeaway so far from this experience on a business level, its that business leaders need to be prepared for anything. When that “anything” comes, you need to attack it with positivity and anticipate change. I’ll leave you with one of my favourite quotes about attitude…

“Every single problem that you have in your life, is the seed of an opportunity”

- Deepack Chopra 

Steve Tallis is a thought leader in men’s grooming and franchising. He routinely contributes to style and business publications to promote wellness and the growing brand he co-founded almost ten years ago. For more information head to StarksBarberCompany.com.

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The 3 Pivotal Questions  (to ask yourself when buying a franchise)

Watch out for technology, it gobbles up businesses and industries quickly and can turn the next great thing obsolete void of any value. That said, with the acceleration of e-commerce behemoths, people are craving a great experience. Coming out of the pandemic we certainly don’t see this trend slowing down any time soon. As the old saying goes - necessity is the mother of invention. So look for businesses that are using the current climate as an opportunity to fill a void for consumers.

As a potential franchisee you need to vet yourself just as you would vet the business you’re looking at buying. Make sure your values, goals and lifestyle are inline with the business and brand that you want to partner with. Buying a franchise isn’t like buying a car and driving off the lot with it. You’re getting into business with the franchisor for a very long time. I talk to potential franchisees everyday and there are people who I believe will make great small business owners, but are simply not the right fit for us. Everyone has a skill set and businesses succeed when those skills are the right match for the business.

Here are 3 basic questions to ask yourself during your quest to find the franchise that is the best fit for you.

1. Am I looking to put my money to work for me, or for something more than that?

Buying a vending machine franchise can provide a simple return on your investment, but you can’t add any value to a business like that. This means you probably won’t get the fulfillment you’re looking for from the work, and your financial upside is capped. If you’re feeling stifled in your job and want to be more creative as you make the leap into entrepreneurship, consider finding a brand or product that you can get excited about. Find a business where you can actually move the needle if you want to make more money. 

2. Is this a business or a job?

A lot of franchise models require you to work in the business if you have any chance of replacing the income from your current career. This model works for a lot of people/families out there, but if your ultimate goal is to have more flexibility or to own multiple units, you need to make sure you’re buying a business that can succeed without you working in it 30-40 hours a week. Perhaps a model where you are best used training others and spending the rest of your time on things like local marketing and PR.

3. Does the business fit my skills and the lifestyle I want?

Some people we meet have the education, financial and business acumen we are looking for. However, they don’t have the soft skills or the passion and they don’t make it through our selection process. Our philosophy is that we don’t sell franchises, we award them to people who believe in us and are a great fit for our brand. What you need to find is something you’re passionate about that compliments your skillset, so that the work you do is exciting and impactful. You need to look for that synergy where both sides feel like there’s a great fit. If you don’t feel like there’s a fit and they do, it’s a big red flag. These types of franchises are trying to sell a business to anyone with a heartbeat and a paycheque. As far as lifestyle goes I always use this analogy; if you love sports and think a sports bar is a good fit, consider first whether you want to spend evenings and weekends working, or with your family and at the cottage. If so, a sports bar is probably not the right fit for you. 

People buy franchises because they want to buy into a system. For the most part, established and almost perfected systems like McDonald’s or Tim Horton’s are already spoken for. Where you will find the biggest success is in a business model that is striving to become them. As a franchisee you will help them expand and refine their system. Look at what the business is and what it can become. Ask the franchisor what their plans are and where they see the business in five and ten years. Then vet yourself and ask if this is the right fit for you.

Steve Tallis is a thought leader in men’s grooming and franchising. He routinely contributes to style and business publications to promote wellness and the growing brand he co-founded almost ten years ago. For more information head to StarksBarberCompany.com.

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Why Looking Good Really Matters

There’s an old saying “we keep what we have by giving it away.” At Starks we believe giving the world the best-looking version of yourself is about something way more meaningful than image or ego. Appearance should be about building your confidence, your attitude and overall - about wellness. There is actual science behind the whole looking good feeling better thing.

At Starks we teach the barbers to complement their clients. It makes the client feel better about their appearance and it gets the barber in the habit of constantly giving themselves positive affirmation. After all, they are complimenting their own work. This type of positive affirmation builds their confidence and promotes a positive attitude; ergo, it’s great for their overall mental health. 

When you compliment someone, practice gratitude or even compliment yourself, it releases dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin in your body. These are the feel-good chemicals that are associated with well-being and happiness. Even the practice of self-care rituals like the application of great products to the skin, hair, etc. can be considered this type of behaviour and trigger these chemical results in your body. In an article I found from Medical News Today, an outlet that tackles various subjects from ADHD to back pain to Leukemia – they outlined the following tips for hygiene:

Make it a habit: With daily practice, a new habit can become a regular part of life. Choose one area to focus on and practice until it becomes second nature.

Set reminders: Using the notes app on a cell phone can be a great way to avoid forgetting any tasks.

Use rewards: A sticker chart can be a brilliant incentive for children to maintain their personal hygiene.

Invest in nice toiletries: Using products that smell good may encourage some people to stick to their personal hygiene routine.

They also explain why practicing good hygiene is great for mental health. Ultimately, you really have to feel good about the way you look, and hygiene is only one element. 

One of my barbers told me years ago that “Helping people feel good about how they look is a really rewarding part of our job”. I couldn’t agree with her more. Think about the reaction you get when you take your child for a haircut and see them with their new look and a big smile... That’s the way the barber feels every time they give a great haircut. Now ask yourself if you get the same feeling when you see your own haircut. If you don’t, you should try it the next time you step out of the barber chair. You’ll get the opportunity when you reach the front to pay and see those giant mirrors behind our reception desks. They’re cool looking pieces, but they were implemented so the customer can check out their new look! We encourage you to pay yourself an internal compliment, it might seem silly but it’s a really great habit to get into. Whether you do or you don’t, your barber will. We teach our staff that these compliments and the positivity behind them can even make their workday less stressful. 

Like many jobs, there is an element of stress and pressure that the barber feels. They want to give every client the best possible haircut, while engaging in interesting conversation and staying on time. When I left my corporate career and started Starks, I learned very quickly that the work they do can get very overwhelming. We can’t really make the barber shop look like the Google campus with ping pong tables and nap pods, but we take a fairly focused approach to keeping the staff in good spirits. Our Toronto Franchise Owner Sam purchased an electric shoulder massager for his barbers to use on their breaks. We’ve now started to put them in all of our stores. The feedback from the barbers was tremendous and I’m sure it made Sam feel great. Good karma all the way around!

At Starks we really feel that our company has to pay attention to the role that grooming plays with wellness and mental health. We see restaurants that procure spices and vegetables from a local farm, or businesses that plant a tree every time one of their products is purchased. They’re called “impact businesses” and it’s certainly a buzz word these days, but If you think about it, every business can have an impact if they make the choice. Our impact has a direct connection to well-being, because making people look good makes them feel great about themselves. 

When we conceptualized this blog and decided to write about style, grooming and franchising – the idea to write about wellness was equally as exciting. I started writing this particular piece with the intent of highlighting and explaining the whole “look good feel better” concept – and I’m ending it with the hope that you will feel compelled to pay someone a compliment today. If everyone did that once a day, the impact would be immeasurable. 

Steve Tallis is a thought leader in men’s grooming and franchising. He routinely contributes to style and business publications to promote wellness and the growing brand he co-founded almost ten years ago. For more information head to StarksBarberCompany.com.

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5 Products Every Man Should Have

We hear a lot of things at our barber shops...

“I have really sensitive skin” 

“Why can’t I style my hair at home the way you guys do?”

The list goes on. Sometimes we challenge people on things like sensitive skin, educating them on what the right products and routines can do to solve the problem. We find that many of the challenges men face improving their look, or with anti-aging lie in the products they use (or don’t use). Simply put, this is a category where women have been way ahead of men for quite some time. I recently surveyed barbers across all of my stores to come up with the top 5 products every man should have. If you’re lacking any of these staples on your bathroom counter, it’s time for some self examination!

#1 - The Correct Styling Product

Different hair types require different products. If you have thin hair and it falls naturally you don’t want something with too much hold. If you have thick hair, you definitely need something with hold to get your hair where you want it. If you want a matte look, you need a matte product. Same applies for a slick or wet look. For example, our Clay Pomade has no water in it whatsoever. It’s great for extra hold and a matte finish. 

#2 - Conditioner 

At Starks we always cut clean hair which means we wash every client before their service. During the wash we always ask new clients about their routine at home and we continue to be astonished at how many men don’t use conditioner. Conditioner softens your hair but it also protects your hair shafts from being damaged, and unlike shampoo, you can and should use it every day. 

#3 - Pre-Shave Oil 

If you’re a wet shaver this product is a game changer. It not only lubricates the skin allowing the blade to glide better, it also adds another layer of protection against friction along with shaving cream. The less friction, the less your skin will react. Pre-shave oil should be applied prior to applying shaving cream as a base layer. 

#4 - Beard Oil

If you don’t shave and you’re sporting a beard, take the consensus advice from all of our barbers and get yourself some beard oil. This product does more for the skin under your beard than the beard itself. It hydrates the skin and prevents beardruff, the buildup of dead skin cells under the beard. It also gives your beard a nice fragrance. 

#5 - Moisturizer 

Moisturizers prevent dry skin and improve skin texture. This is a hallmark example of something women do for their skin that men typically don’t. Moisturizing daily will play a big role in anti-aging and the look of your skin as you get older. Not to mention, it will help in the winter time when your skin gets really dry and can start to crack. 

The unique thing about Starks is that we do most of our R&D in store. Whether it’s from surveying clients and paying attention to their needs, or the actual testing of the products themselves - nothing hits the shelves until it has been approved by a wide range of men and the grooming professionals who care for them. 

The biggest piece of advice I was able to get from my barbers was “it’s never too late!”

Steve Tallis is a thought leader in men’s grooming and franchising. He routinely contributes to style and business publications to promote wellness and the growing brand he co-founded almost ten years ago. For more information head to StarksBarberCompany.com.

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Beard Advice for 2021

When we founded Starks back in 2013 the beard craze was just picking up a head of steam. Many thought it would be a passing trend, but we could tell from being on the front lines that it was here to stay. Business casual was getting... well… more casual, and men were beginning to experiment with their look more than ever. Whether it was tattoos or funky watches, times were changing, and the corporate man was finally allowed to walk into the office with a beard that didn’t resemble Ben Bernanke’s. Wearing a tie, cufflinks, and being clean-shaven for work was becoming a thing of the past. At Starks we were servicing a ton of corporate clients and taking notice. Looking ahead, it certainly seems Covid isn’t reversing any of these trends as people grapple with their hair and beards during lockdown without the hand of a professional. Over the years I’ve learned no matter how much a certain style of beard is meant to look unruly or unkept, it can and should be maintained.

There’s an art to this type of maintenance and I sat down with my longest tenured employee Ann-Marie Zakkak, who has been with Starks since opening day back in 2013, for some advice on beard styles and maintenance. 

“There’s a difference between a proper five o’clock shadow and one that’s more like a nine o’clock shadow” said Ann-Marie, who happens to be a big fan of the look, if executed properly. She advised that the typical beard trimmer with no guard can be used every other day to maintain this look. She also says you should not line up a five o’clock shadow with a razor, as the look is meant to be a little rebellious.

With longer beards Ann strongly recommends heading to the barbershop for proper maintenance. She says you can keep your beard healthy and comfortable with the right products, but when trimming a longer beard “one mistake can reverse months of hard work growing your grizzly masterpiece.” She walked me through the process of trimming a long beard, and it revealed exactly that. She starts by trimming the wall, or the sides of the cheek and the beard itself using a set of adjustable clippers (the same professional set of clippers she would use for a haircut). This requires a lot of skill because there is a certain downward angle that needs to be maintained to ensure you don’t ruin the beard’s shape. As much as it would be comfortable for the DIY’er to trim working upwards, she says “that will grab too much hair and most likely take out a chunk.” She uses the large mirror at her station to replicate the other side, constantly cross-checking her work, and then moves onto the front, masterfully shaping the beard into the desired look. After the length has been trimmed, she switches tools to a T-liner or razor to line up the beard. Lining up a beard is some of the most precise work a barber does she says, with very little room for error.  

Now, just because you rely on the hands of a professional doesn’t mean that there isn’t maintenance you can (and should) do at home to keep your beard healthy and looking it’s best in between services. “Beard oil is an absolute must that I recommend to all of my clients with facial hair. It softens the beard and gives it a nice fragrance, but contrary to popular belief, it does something even more important... It moisturizes the skin under the beard”. Ann went on to explain how keeping the skin underneath hydrated is the key to avoiding the dreaded Beardruff.

BEARDRUFF /ˈbird/ [ r ]uff

The result of a buildup of dead skin cells. Beardruff appears when the skin sheds faster than normal, resulting in a noticeable collection of snowflake-like skin cell clusters.

Sorry folks, I had to look that one up. Sometimes (oftentimes) my staff knows a lot more than I do about grooming. I’m lucky to be surrounded by such a talented team.

In addition to Beard Oil, Ann recommends having a good beard brush (or comb depending on the length of your beard). She said you should give it a good brush every morning to detangle it. “Sometimes your beard doesn’t look too tangled but the longer you leave it the harder it will be to untangle it.” Lastly, beard hair should be shampooed and conditioned like the hair on top of your head. At Starks we are currently prototyping a beard wash & conditioner system that will launch this spring for this exact reason.

So what type of beard is right for you? “It really depends on the shape of your face and the type of hair you have. Let’s not forget what’s trendy”. I surveyed Ann for her top styles for 2021 and who should be wearing them and here’s what I got:

Short

Five O’clock Shadow – Wear this if you have medium to thick hair and don’t want something too high maintenance. Make sure you don’t let it grow into the “whiskery” stage, keep it at stubble length, and don’t line it up. If your hair grows in patches you want to avoid this look.

Medium

High Boxed Beard – This one is corporate approved but can have a hint of hipster to it if you lengthen the chin area. It’s basically a quarter to half inch length beard all the way around. Use rigid lines to complete the look and keep them high on the cheek. This one can and should be lined up with a liner or razor. At Starks we would use a straight razor, the service is known as Straight Razor Detailing.  

Long

Verdi – This longer beard is not for the faint of heart. It’s a 3 to 4 inch length beard with a long moustache. It takes several months to grow from scratch but certainly makes a statement. This beard is rounded and definitely needs to be trimmed by a professional from time to time. The moustache looks best styled/twirled, with a clay or beard wax.

There’s something primal about a beard that can take your style in a totally different direction unlike anything else. If you’re considering this new and bold look, consult your barber for the right approach. Ann-Marie says “keep it maintained and you won’t have to sacrifice comfort for style.”

Here’s to looking our best in  2021!

Steve Tallis is a thought leader in men’s grooming and franchising. He routinely contributes to style and business publications to promote wellness and the growing brand he co-founded almost ten years ago. For more information head to StarksBarberCompany.com.