Today we’d like to introduce you to James Freedlender.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I have always lived by the idea that if you believe in what you’re doing, and you love what you are doing, financial success will follow. When I was young in my first business my father always taught me to wake up every day and gauge it as a new one. How will I go to work and better my business? How can I utilize my business to better help the people I work with? I have always followed these ideas. My name is James Freedlender and I am 23 years old. I have been a licensed barber for 6 years now but have been cutting for just shy of 10. I started my first business when I was 18 years old with a friend of mine. We were young, but we had extreme passion for the barbering industry. I chose not to go the college route, and that was okay because starting a business these young gave me the ability to learn real life situations in the work place. The company thrived for three years, growing at a rapid pace and exceeding all my expectations.
However, I found myself constantly wanting more for the business and myself. When I turned 22 I had felt that I was becoming stagnant. Which was odd because I felt my business mentality and capability had grown tremendously. I felt confident that I was ready to take on more and challenge myself. My first company was my baby, my friend and I grew it from nothing, but I was ready for growth. When I was 22 I started Kings Corner Barbershop with my best friend, Shawn Prince. Kings Corner not only represented me as a business man, but this would be the brand I carried with me. The brand that I wanted to see globally. I generally believe that in today’s world, everyone is in too much of a hurry. People do not take the time to enjoy your day to day life, and just talk with one another. Also, sometimes right now, the world isn’t perfect. At Kings Corner Barbershop we are trying to change that. We are creating an environment where people can come and relax. Talk with one another and forget about their busy lives. Oh, and get a perfect haircut.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I wish I could say that starting your own business is as fun as it seems on Shark Tank, but it’s simply not. The first few years are filled with blood, sweat, and tears. Tons of sleepless nights wondering if you made a mistake. Of course, in the long term it’s all a big payoff. The initial struggles are some of the worst. Just getting people to believe in the vision that you have. For myself it was incredibly hard. I came from a town where I believe 80% of kids who go to my high school go to college. So as a 16-year-old kid telling adults he is going to start his own barbershop in town, you can imagine the looks I got. I find myself incredibly blessed to have the family I have. They were the only people who saw what I saw. The struggles at the start are maintaining that positivity and belief that your baby is going to succeed, despite what others say. I would say the biggest hurdles I have had to overcome are trying not to move to fast. Every day I want the business to run a marathon when were still working on short sprints. Being this young also has been a challenge. I have had half the life experiences as some of the people I work with, So I need to prove myself to them. I could write pages and pages of the struggles we have endured or that anyone will face when the start a business, but being completely honest, they are 100% worth it.
Please tell us about Kings Corner Barbershop.
Kings Corner Barbershop is a traditional barbershop catered to the modern man. We specialize in all haircuts and every style. Ranging from the 1920’s side parts to the modern cuts we see today. Straight razor shaves are one of our best services. It truly is a lost art that we have revived. Our shop not only provides confidence to anyone that walks in the door, but I do believe they walk out feeling happier. The environment we have created is incredibly fun. We talk about sports, politics, and just what is going on in the world in general. Fathers get to come in with their sons and spend some incredible time together. Funny enough what I am most proud of also sets us apart from others. I am incredibly proud of how much we get involved in the communities that we have shops. We try to become a part of the town were in and help where we can. We give back as much as we possibly can. We hope to make everyone happy with the way they look, but also feel like we are helping to improve the society we live in.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
To be completely honest, no. All the mistakes I have made or small failures I have encountered have helped lead us to the amazing business we have today. I guess the only thing I can think of is, I wish I enjoyed the ride a little more. Maybe took it all in how well everything was going.
Contact Info:
- Address: 29 Hudson Road Suite 120
Sudbury Ma 017765 Milk St Unit 3
Westborough Ma 01581 - Website: www.kingscornerbarbershop.com
- Phone: 9785799555
- Email: kingscornerwestborough@gmail.com
- Instagram: kingscornerbarbershop
Image Credit:
Chris Coe
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