Three words — faith, family and community — help guide John “JB” Burden’s daily choices.
The master barber owns JB’s Barbershop at 123 S. Monroe St. in downtown Monroe and says those three things have helped his business to thrive.
On Tuesday, Aug. 4, Burden will be celebrating five years in business. He’ll have refreshments and pizza to celebrate with anyone coming into the shop to get a haircut.
“I like to be there for the public,” Burden said. “But, if I take a vacation or if it is homecoming, then I will come in and work all day.”
The shop is open 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and 6 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. Hours are subject to change but are posted on Facebook, Google, the shop’s answering machine and door.
“As a musician and performer, barbering went hand in hand,” he said. “I had to let go of one career path to let another path open up but I didn’t want one talent to go to waste so I intertwined them.”
Burden said it is by the grace of God his business has grown.
“To be able to provide a really good service and make people look and feel good about themselves matters,” Burden said. “I refuse to adjust to the new times, the new era. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.”
The 46-year-old believes providing a good haircut and good service keeps customers in his chair.
Burden is trained to cut unisex hair and caters to customers on a walk-in basis. About 95% of his clients are repeat customers. Some come into the shop for a haircut every two weeks, others may wait four.
“I can cut any styles, any lengths, whatever ethnicity you are,” he said. “Everyone is welcome here at the shop. I work with children on the spectrum (ADD, ADHD, autism and special needs).”
When it comes to hair trends, Burden said there are the classic cuts and he still does flattops.
“There are buzz cuts, flattops, mullets, modern cuts, modern mullets, French cuts, textured cuts and tapered cuts. It just varies,” he added. “Recently, I have been seeing a lot of the mod cut. It is like a modern mullet that’s not too long and not too short. It has just enough texture that it’s tapered on the sides from bald to blend to a shadow fade and textured top.”
Since starting the business, Burden has had one saying that has remained as consistent as his clientele.
“’You can’t leave my chair until it’s crispy. Like crispy smooth — just nice lines and layers,’” he said. “‘Get crispy by JB’ comes from my wife. She is also a hairstylist and she brought out my natural talent. She believed in me from the start. I started sending her my haircuts and she would say, ‘Wow, that’s really crispy.’”
Being involved in the community is a priority for Burden. He works locally and shops locally. He supports other small businesses whenever possible and often displays posters in the shop’s window.
Later this month, he is donating five haircut certificates for Oaks Village Back-to-School Bash, scheduled from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 22 at 924 E. 2nd St. in Monroe. This free event provides school supplies and backpacks to K–12 students in Monroe County.
He is also collecting school supplies at his shop. The donations will go to local schools.
To help feed families at Thanksgiving time, Burden will partner with Oaks of Righteousness / Oaks Village to collect hams and turkeys.
In December, he will work with local law enforcement for Barbers, Badges and Blessings, an annual community holiday toy drive.
“I’m very strong in my faith. I’m not a religious person. God has given me more than I have ever asked for,” he said. “Serving the community. Serving the town. That’s what means the most to me. It’s the purpose to serve others.”
— Contact reporter Lisa Vidaurri-Bowling at lvidaurribowling@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Local barber John “JB” Burden celebrates five years of service
Reporting by Lisa Vidaurri Bowling, The Monroe News / The Monroe News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Lisa Vidaurri Bowling, The Monroe News | USA TODAY Network
