It is not often that one gets to impact a community while simultaneously living out their childhood dream. Steven Putman, owner of Olde World Barber Shoppe, never imagined the sheer success he would find in doing what he truly loves.

Growing up, cutting hair was a hobby for Steven. “In middle school and high school, I would cut my brothers and my friends hair,” he says. However, he adds, “I didn’t think I could ever do it as a career.”

Never daring to dream of taking his hobby further, Steven spent his 20s working in insurance, the automotive industry, and even poker dealing. While these jobs got him through, he began to wonder if he could make a difference doing what he loved.

In his early 30s, Steven went through the Central Georgia Technical College Barbering Program where he felt at home in his career for the very first time. Almost immediately, he opened Olde World Barber Shoppe. “We opened in 2014,” he says. “I was less than a year out of barber school. I just went out on a limb, and I was able to build a clientele really quickly that first year.”

When he opened the shop, Steven was determined to use his business to impact the community. “The main thing I love about this area, it’s called the international city for a reason.” Having lived his whole life in Houston County, Steven was familiar with the diversity and the needs of the community. “We grew up in a diverse classroom and neighborhoods. [But] there were no diverse places in town where white people, black people, old, young, everybody could go at once. That was my idea, to [create] and all-inclusive place.”

While hiring barbers, Steven carefully considered how each barber would contribute to the diversity of the team. Often hiring new barbers with little experience, he says, “When I’m interviewing, we don’t even care about the haircut quality. We’re looking for customer service super stars, and we can teach them to cut hair. ”His employee’s experience range from bartenders to shoe salesmen, all of which are thriving under Steven’s guidance.

Because of this, the team at Olde World Barber Shoppe is a beautifully blended group of service oriented individuals passionate about enhancing the community’s barbershop experience. “We have by far the most diverse staff in all of Georgia,” Steven says proudly. “We have a variety of religious preferences, sexual orientation, old, young–everyone’s welcome and they’re all represented in our shop.”

In their commitment to keeping you happy with your look both in and outside of the salon, the team shares tips and tricks with customers to help them at home. Often, Steven says, “You leave the salon and they styled your hair and it looks terrific, but then you get home and can never recreate the look. We teach the clients how to recreate this.”

Since opening Olde World Barber Shoppe, Steven discovered a new-found joy in mentoring others in their passion for hair care. The Warner Robins shop that opened in 2014 was such a success that they opened two additional shops in Macon and Perry. Steven partners with Jason Patridge over the Macon location and with Kevin Battle in Perry. Both men have been with Steven since 2014, and he has loved watching them grow in their talent and capabilities as leaders. “That’s the biggest joy I get, honestly,” Steven says. “I celebrate everyone else’s victories.”

Members of the team also get the opportunity to demonstrate their talent on a larger scale. “In 2016, we started going to barber shows across the country, and they have competitions,” Steven tells me. At these events, barbers battle for titles such as Best Fade, Best Design, and Best Overall. It allows them to gain accreditation while showcasing their work.

The Olde World Barber Shoppe competition team participated in the Annual Barber Battle in Nashville where they won six trophies. At the Connecticut Barber Expo, one of their team members took home second place. “I really encourage stuff like that,” Steven says. He even covers the entrance fee for his team believing the experience is vital for their continued growth as a barber.

Locally, Olde World Barber Shoppe was featured in The Macon Telegraph’s Best of the Best. “They never had a barbering category,” Steven shares. “But in 2016, we got second place in the salon category–and that was all of middle Georgia. After that, they created the barber shop category, and we’ve won that every year.”

While Steven hoped for this kind of recognition, he is humbled by their continued achievements. “I’m surprised at the success,” he says. “I didn’t think a shop could do this high a volume.”

Doing 3,500 haircuts monthly out of the Warner Robins shop alone, they are usually booked to capacity. Olde World Barber Shoppe sees almost five times the revenue as the average Great Clips, the busiest shop in America. This has allowed Steven to provide financial assurance for his barbers.“

Most shops do booth rentals, [but here] they’re all employees so they get a steady paycheck every month.” With this business model, Steven pays himself last to ensure his barbers get what they deserve. A sacrifice in the early years of the business, this made all the difference in finding and keeping excellent barbers.

On the customer end, Steven adds, “We have much higher retention rates than the average [barber shop].” Steven attributes this to their commitment to quality customer service. He admits a trick they use to keep customer satisfaction at an all-time high. When a customer comes in for a cut, their barber will input notes about their visit including details from their conversations. When the customer returns, they will be asked about their new job or how their kids soccer games are going regardless of who is cutting their hair. This personal touch goes a long way.

Steven enjoys giving back to the community that has supported his business. “We do a whole bunch of charity stuff every year,” he says. “We do free haircuts for the homeless in Macon and back to school haircut events. We sponsor little league all-star teams and the Houston County wrestling team.”

They also offer free classes for Central Georgia Technical College. “Since the industry has blown up, they have dual enrollment for high school kids. They get halfway through their license by the time they get through high school.” Steven relishes the opportunity to teach and encourage barbers with the passion for haircutting he also shared at that young age.

After longing to become a barber for so many years, Steven is thrilled to not only run his own barber shop but to help his barbers achieve their dreams. He encourages others to pursue their passions, because you never know the joy that awaits.