Meet Laleh Rezaie | Goofy Barber

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

Hi Laleh, what is the most important factor behind your success?
I think I owe a lot of my success to the connections I’ve made with my peers, my neighborhood, and my clients. Through these connections, I found a cozy 300 square foot space to call home to my barber shop, continue to have marketing opportunities through magazines and local events, remain busy at work, and can find a friendly face anywhere in town. Networking is paramount to success, but I think it makes owning a business less intimidating. My business peers and neighbors are my council, and any business challenge I have faced is easily navigated through a good text or call of encouragement from them. Also, I have some of the most loyal, amazing clients. I’ve cut their hair in preparation for the first date, the big interview, the baby’s arrival, and their wedding day. We’ve talked about bad dates, potty training, job woes, current events, and mortality. It is such a huge responsibility and I’m always so excited to participate. It’s these personal connections that keep clients coming back – even when they’ve moved away!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
South Barbershop is a two-chair barber shop hidden away in the fun, new neighborhood of Fort Worth – the near southside. I always marvel at how serendipitous most of my business journey has been. It started when I was sulking at the brewery that would eventually house my bi-weekly barber pop ups. That led me to trimming the hair of a man who’s wife was redeveloping a building nearby, which led me to an investor for a big shop space. When he jumped ship (he didn’t see the vision for the neighborhood upon inspection) I had to think smaller. In his defense, it was pretty sparsely occupied 5 years ago. The owner of the property introduced me to what would become my barber shop: a small, dark, red-paint splattered, Dexter-esque 300 square foot paint booth. This micro-shop turned out to be the quirkiest, speak-easiest barber shop in town.

None of the renovation was easy. Between coordinating with contractors, electricians, plumbers, the list of tasks for myself, and the administrative duties required of starting a business, it was a crazy year. But I learned that one of my greatest assets is my ability to adapt and overcome. Sometimes, when you allow yourself to pursue an idea that wasn’t in the original game plan, even greater opportunities present themselves.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, I’m very partial to the neighborhood that my shop is in, so for breakfast, we’d hit up Stir Crazy Baked Goods, Bodega on South Main (those patisseries!), or Brewed. Lunch has several fun places, like Bearded Lady (grilled cheese sandwich of the month!) or any of the incredible barbeque joints around, like the newest Sabar (Pakistani bbq!) or Panther City BBQ. The Pantry has incredible dumplings, Spice has incredible curry, and Teddy Wong’s duck will stay in your brain for weeks.

There are lots of live shows at Cicada, which has a great vibe, and HopFusion has a huge selection of beers they’ve brewed. FreePlay is a great arcade/bar with an incredible rooftop bar. I love the Down’n Out bar’s cozy/divey aesthetic and they have great drink specials.

I would absolutely ensure we stop by Morgan Mercantile for all of the best Fort Worth/Panther City gear for the body and the apartment. And if we’re feeling adventurous, we’d go get matching tattoos at Panther City Tattoo next door.

We would also check the event calendar for Near Southside Inc – the neighborhood’s nonprofit. They host happy hours, free concerts, and the biggest art festival I’ve ever seen. Honestly, that’s the first place I’d look. NSI is my resource for new restaurants, bars, and events.

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?
Macy Moore and Matt Hill at HopFusion Ale Works. When I was first starting up my barber shop, not only did they allow me to occupy space in their business for almost 2 years, but they have continually been an important resource for all my business questions. They are two of the kindest, funniest, most industrious people I know and I’m so thankful they are a short walk away from my shop.

Website: southbarbershopfw.com

Instagram: @southbarbershopfw

Facebook: @southbarbershopfw

Image Credits
Nathanael Gassett