Meet Laleh Rezaie | Barber Shop Owner/Operator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Laleh Rezaie and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Laleh, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Being someone with high anxiety, I am very selective with my risk. Anyone who rewrites a text 12 times before they hit “send” or uses Google Street View to scope out the parking situation of an unfamiliar place before arrival understands the typical risks I am willing to take. With a small handful of situations will I throw caution to the wind. Affection, food, and career path have always been risk-worthy for me, moreso realized in recent years (practice, practice, practice!) There’s a fine line between remorse and ennui. So when something really matters, I’ll absolutely take the leap of faith. It’s paid off so far.

What should our readers know about your business?
South Barbershop began around 2017 on my sister’s patio as an idea and a list of business names. It also started with an investor that pulled out when he couldn’t see the potential success of an at-the-time desolate South Main Street district. With some severe downsizing to a single-chair shop in a former paint booth and 21 months of pop up barbering at a brewery, I scrambled to get my shop ready and finally opened in March 2019. I’m really proud to be self funded (with some help from family).

It was a really tough time, honestly. Setting up a mobile barber station three times a week in a dark, sweaty corner of an awesome brewery for almost two years while converting a horror-movie-worthy space into an inviting barber shop was a huge undertaking. There was very little work/life balance. I also bartended at the brewery on days I wasn’t cutting hair and going to barber school to flesh out my cosmetology license.

Motivation was totally reliant on my support system and my lists. I love lists. Lists calm the inner monologue down, and scratching off a completed task on a list is really gratifying. I learned that starting a business can be a daunting task, but anything can seem more attainable if it’s broken down into smaller tasks.

I hope that I my space is a welcoming space for clients and barbers alike. I want the shop to be a beacon of light for people to come together, look and feel good, and share some laughs. Laughing is one of the greatest unifiers. I love to laugh.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Fort Worth is transitioning into this really cool, artistic, fun place to be. Growing up in Plano, I always saw Fort Worth as one big honky tonk. The new eclectic vibe is home to a ton of art and music. Food is one of my love languages, so we would be doing a food tour. Since I’m a sucker for my own neighborhood, Arcadia Coffee and Roots Coffee would be our first stops each day. Lunches at Coco Shrimp, sandwiches at the Bodega South Main, burger of the month at Bearded Lady, pizza at Black Cat Pizza (don’t sleep on that amazing Cesar salad), beers at HopFusion, music or a comedian at Tulips, Wabi House ramen, Bowl Lounge for bowling and wings. There’s just so much to do in the Near Southside.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have to give a shout out to my dad! I think his work ethic affects me in everything I do personally and professionally. Nothing has come easily to him, being an immigrant, and laziness isn’t a habit for me. I make sure that I whole heartedly commit to the people in my life and to my work. With a solid foundation of personal drive, my path is a fulfilling one.

Website: southbarbershopfw.com

Instagram: instagram.com/southbarbershopfw

Facebook: facebook.com/southbarbershopfw

Image Credits
Jon Forrester, Elizabeth Ann