Where are you from?
I’m from Alberta! Born in Calgary, raised in Red Deer.
Do you like living on Vancouver Island so far?
Oh ya… I miss my family and the epic prairie thunderstorms, but the Island feels like home. Can’t beat seeing green in the winter!
What do you do at Heavy D’s Barbershop? Are you Nanaimo’s newest barber?
Nope! Not yet anyways. I could see myself learning how to cut hair one day though… These guys make it look like a fun job. For now, I’m responsible for all the administrative stuff. Maintaining the website and working on the social media actually takes up the biggest chunk of my day.
What’s your favourite part about doing the whole social media thing?
Personally, I feel way more comfortable writing versus creating visual content. Luckily, I’ve received a lot of guidance from my coworkers at Class Act Media. I’ve been writing blogs for that crew since October of last year, but managing Heavy D’s is the first time I’ve manned the ship when it comes to Instagram and Facebook for a business. But it’s not 100% me, Matt and Dan do a great job of keeping on top of our social media too. I think honest engagement is vital to building an audience. Our barbers are always leaving positive comments on content that inspires them, and that causes a ripple effect, you know? It’s just a great way to meet like minded people!
Any Instagram tips and tricks you’d like to share?
That’s a tough question! I don’t know if there’s a “one size fits all” tip that works across the board. Maybe transparency? Honesty? I always post the barbers schedule in the morning. Even if it’s a rainy, cold Wednesday and we only have five clients booked in, I still put all of the available appointments in our IG story.
In this industry, I think posting pictures of your current work is also really important. These guys are artists, and we think of our feed as a portfolio of sorts… Nothing is more satisfying then when a new client comes in and they want a haircut they saw on our social media.
Lastly, use HASHTAGS! Especially those that are specific to your location! #nanaimobarber #nanaimobarbershop #nanaimobeard are ones we use often. We’re also trying to get our clients in on our #thedudethursday tag, which you should check out if you haven’t yet!
Enough work talk, what do you do for fun?
Our dog Elle is a big source of joy for me. I love taking her for walks and having her down here at the shop. I’m also a big foodie and wine lover. I did the WSET training in Kelowna, so I’m always up for trying different varietals!
Foodie hey? If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Oooohhhh… Toughest question yet! I’m going to be a pain and say soup… I think it’s so comforting. Pho and ramen would be at the top of the list for sure.
Last question: Who would play you in “Heavy D’s Barbershop – the Movie”?
Emma stone! She looks like she has a lot of fun, and she’s a fellow ginger!
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