Meet Cruz! our junior barber behind the chair
My name is Cruz Rocha I come from a small, rather remote town called killingly in the Northeastern corner of Connecticut where my siblings and I grew up under a single mother. With not much going on in the town, most are unfamiliar with even the name let alone the area itself. My hometown is quaint and quiet with not too many prominent names originating from its soil, however my brother and I plan to ditch such a narrative and make ours known along side the evolution of Elevate and our barbering journeys
I enjoy a variety of different hobbies aside from barbering including video games, snowboarding, hiking, camping and fishing as I grew up with a line of fisherman within my family before me. Music also holds a very prominent role in my life, growing up playing the saxophone I have developed a distinct appreciation for all forms using the emotions they convey as inspiration for different aspects of my work.
I decided to start barbering in part because of my brother Ronnie, a phenomenal barber and inspiration to myself. I can also give credit to my first ever experience in a barbershop atmosphere. Having only been to Salons as a young kid, my first time in the barber chair was something special. I was given confidence in the form of a haircut and I thought if only I could do the same for others I could make a career in which would last a lifetime. Now that I have been able to be in this industry for some time, I truly believe there is nothing else I could value more than this profession
To be a barber to me is a sense of gratification and a unique form of artistic expression. Making others look and feel great whilst providing a sense of comfort and good conversation is mentally rewarding more so than a paycheck
A better question would be why wouldn’t I want to be a part of elevate. Elevate as an establishment holds the utmost standard when it comes to meeting client needs, setting the example for what proper customer service should be. Every member of our team shares a similar dedication to making sure no request goes unfulfilled, taking strides to educate and improve upon not only ourselves but each other as a team and even clients alike
No other business tops Elevate as far as being a shop environment accessible to all. A sense of uniqueness is tied to Elevate that clients pick up almost immediately upon entering whether it’s result of formal greeting or complimentary beverages from our team members. I’m excited to see what heights this name will make, rest assured I will be growing along side it.
Over the mere two years I’ve been barbering I’ve seen a multitude of changes and developments, the biggest having been my very first handshake with our owner Victor. Having thought prior to our first encounter that I knew all I needed to in order to be a true service provider, Victor showed me this was not at all the case. That there was more work to be done, and a good bit at that. His insight showed me the true meaning of what it is to be a barber. He, as well as others in the shop showed me the importance of confidence, of constant growth and open mindedness. Since then, I’ve directed my focus on versatility and I have began truly investing my time into the craft. I’ve worked toward refining my techniques by attending educational courses and seminars to aid in building my ideal cutting methods. Ultimately, with the guidance of proper mentors such the men who stand beside me day to day as well as education, my confidence as well as my presence within the barber industry has steadily improved with no intention of halting.
In 5 years I see myself truly refined as a prominent, respected and well rounded barber with plans to expand the name we’re working hard to build. Having the opportunities and outlets Elevate has blessed me with at a young age it’s a guarantee that I will have taken proper strides in order to further myself toward opening a location of my own under the Elevate name.
I have a range of goals regarding different aspects of life. One example would be to truly familiarize myself with all types of hair. As broad as that may be, I’ve benefited from writing down goals touching on ability, career, personal, and financial matters across all different time frames to scale my progress and stay in line with my vision. A more long term goal would be to have an Elevate location operating with myself at the forefront, providing new passionate individuals with the same opportunities and ideals our owner Victor has been able to bestow on me
If I could go back I would choose barbering again. Having grown up a rather selfless kid, the sense of fulfillment this industry gives is unmatched. I am abled to act as more than just a service provider, building relationships with clients inside and out of the building. Not to mention barbers are some of the most genuinely cool, united, and creative people.
Advice I would give to a barber student would be to stay resilient and to not give in. Confidence will bring you as far as you need to go starting out even if you have to fake it. It is a good thing to be your own worst critic, however you should never let emotions falter your growth as you are in competition with none other than yourself.
