Lorenzo Pearson, August 15th, 2022
Title
Lorenzo Pearson, August 15th, 2022
Description
In this interview, Lorenzo Pearson talks about his business Untouchable Empire unisex salon, and his story of what led to the creation of his business.
Publisher
Detroit Historical Society
Rights
Detroit Historical Society
Language
en-US
Narrator/Interviewee's Name
Lorenzo Pearson
Brief Biography
Lorenzo Pearson was born in Detroit in 1987 and cut hair for most of his life, which led to the creation of his business in 2013.
Interviewer's Name
Billy Wall-Winkel
Interview Place
Detroit, MI
Date
8/15/2022
Interview Length
34:16
Transcriptionist
Taylor Claybrook
Transcription
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:00:01] Hello. My name is Billy Wall-Winkel. This interview is for the Detroit Historical Society's Hustle Project. We are in Detroit, Michigan. Today is August 15th, 2022, and I am sitting down with.
Lorenzo Pearson [00:00:14] Lorenzo Pearson II.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:00:16] Please spell your name for me.
Lorenzo Pearson [00:00:18] Lorenzo Pearson, the second.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:00:27] So we're going to just ask you some quick boilerplate questions first, and then we can get into the the follow ups and things like that. Okay. This is for metadata. So if we lose anything, we have it right away. Mm hmm. What is the name of your business?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:00:40] Untouchable Empire Unisex Salon.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:00:43] How long have you been in business?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:00:45] Since 2016. I think, like January, maybe February 2016. On record, I should say.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:00:51] Okay. You know.
Lorenzo Pearson [00:00:52] Before then, I had…I actually started the business in 2013. Yeah.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:01:02] Was this your first barbershop haircut in the business? Yes. Okay. Where were you born?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:01:13] Year? ‘87.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:01:18] Here in the city?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:01:19] Yes.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:01:21] Did you grow up in the city?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:01:22] I did.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:01:24] What neighborhood?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:01:25] Um, quite a few. The one I spent the most time and was actually in this area, Trumbull/Hancock area, I was raised by my great grandmother. She stayed in the house for like 30 years.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:01:43] Awesome. So tell me, like, take me through your journey, like, getting into being a barber and getting into this field, like, you see. So I started unofficially in 2013. What was the journey to that?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:02:02] Well, when I started cutting hair initially, when I was 14 years old, just, you know, tired of people messing my hair up, you know, even though haircuts was pretty cheaper back then, it was still expensive. All right. So. And I feel like I'm pretty artistic. So I would go in the barber shop and just watch, you know, the barbers cut the clients hair and all that. Paying attention to the movement, you know, we caught a flick of a wrist and stuff like that. So I had a friend of my father. Gave me my first pair of clippers. It was, I believe, like I think they were wall clippers. And they had a. Cheetah or leopard print on it. It was funny, but it gave my first pair of clippers, then a female that I was dating mother gave me my first pair of liners around that time. So. So I was cutting my brother's hair. Friends hair in a neighborhood. And then I guess it's more like a hobby. You know, I didn't think I was ever going to be a barber, wanted to go to school for one to be architect. I actually went to school at Lawrence Tech University for like a semester. And for architecture. And I went to one that was at that graduate high school. But I went to after that, I went to Michigan Barber College in 2007. I didn't finish. I was a young parent at that time. So I just, you know, more focus on the money and spend some time, just. You know, trying to hustle and make ends meet. I went back to Barber School 2011 and I think it was Detroit barber school I can remember it was on 6 Mile and San Juan spent some time there. Didn't finish that right. I was working in my first shop at Top Chef Barber and Beauty Team on Seven Mile and Montrose. It was a lot of older guys. I was around like it was 2009. I think I was like 22, I think. And I really, really loved them guys, man. And they really raised me in the barber game, you know? So a lot of people, everybody was like 35 and up. So they took me under their wing and, you know, show me, show me the proper way to cut hair and raise my prices. I started off at $12 a head. They encouraged me to go to 20. I was like the go to guy for hair designs. Right. So I had tons of clients for designs. And a lot of people will come from all over to come get their designs. But I didn't have a consistent client base, like for regular haircuts. Right. So I had…Shockingly, I had someone fly from Germany for a hair design. I don't know if they was on our way here or what, but they saw me on social media and they… she brought her son to me a game, you know, a mohawk haircut. People from Chicago drove up here for the hair designs then. I. I left there and my auntie had a nail salon. She had room for, you know, for a barber or whatnot. So. I went there because booth rent was cheaper. You know, spending for a year. My wife now, she had a cousin that was really, really excellent at cutting hair. She invited me to her show. I can't remember the name of that shop, Six Mile and St Mary's. Learn a lot of stuff from her. Went there for a few months. Went back to Top Chef. And I had a friend that actually had a salon in Southfield that was that…that was moving to California. Right. To pursue his music career and produce a career. And he was he called me up, you’re the only person I trust with my clients, man. I have a shop out here. I would really like if you took it over. So. I moved. I moved out there to the chance to move out there. That's when I started Untouchable Empire. Unisex Salon. I wanted to I wanted women, barbers, and nail techs the whole nine. So that's when I was in 2013. From there, you want to go from there?
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:07:15] Mm hmm.
Lorenzo Pearson [00:07:16] From there. I was. I was working at Chrysler, and I was still kind of trying to figure out if I wanted to pursue my architecture career or just school period, because I think I'd switched my major to AutoCAD. I went to Oakland County Community College and I was doing AutoCAD and I was working at Chrysler and cutting hair. And my time was really, really limited, right? So and I at the time, I had two kids at that time. Two daughters. And one of them. She lived in… my first one who lived in Texas at the time. Excuse me. And my second daughter. You know, she was she spent most of her time with me. So I was losing a lot of time. And I had to make a decision on how I wanted to pursue
my life in my relationship with my daughter or something like that. So I decided to quit Chrysler, quit school and focus on my career. To invest in myself. You know what I'm saying? I put all my eggs in one basket. Right. So. I did that. 2015. I went to David Presley School of Cosmetology in Royal Oak. I got my certificate in cosmetology. So even though they call me LP Master Barber, that's my specialty. In my heart, I'm a licensed cosmetologist. All right, so. I graduated from there. And 2016. When I got my my certificate or my license, my cosmetology license. And then that's when I officially started the untouchable empire in 2016. Right. And so from there, from I had an office suite in, in Southfield. That's where my first job was at Southfield in about 2013. And in 2015 and. There was an office suite and then moved from there and obtained my storefront. At 6 Mile and Tracy. So I had a storefront, spent about three years there. I was leasing out of that building and I ended up leaving there and acquiring my own building in 2020. So that's that's where I'm at now. All right. So, you know, my shop that I have. I had a client that came in and he really love the professionalism, the vibe of the shop and how serious I took my business. I operate off the books here and he really appreciated it. All right. So he had a salon him and his cousin shared a salon together and his cousin played overseas and he like, man, you know, we have a shop. We’re over here if you want it? At the time, I couldn't really afford it because I was putting all my money into my house. And then I lost contact with him for, like a year and a half. Right. And I was praying every day, like, man, I got a I got to make a move. You know, so he he popped back up surprisingly, man. I was like, you know, thank God I told him man I've been looking for you, you know? Do you two have the shop available? He, like, yeah, man. And. You know, God blessed me with the tools and everything and I needed to, you know, acquire the building. And, you know, that's all she wrote. Here I am, you know, out in 2018, I'm sorry, 2018, I had won the Best Barber Detroit Award, and that was a blessing. You know, I got a lot of recognition that year. It seemed like all the hard work that I was doing was paying off. So I want to thank Detroit for voting me as a best barber in the city, because we really have some great, great barbers in the city of Detroit, you know? So yeah, man. So it's been a journey, a wonderful journey, you know, so.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:12:05] That was great. That was awesome. I appreciate it. So a couple quick follow up questions. Where is your shop located now?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:12:11] Wyoming. Wyoming. 15…. I'm sorry. 15758 Wyoming Street. Detroit, Michigan.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:12:25] Yeah. Was it important to you to bring the shop from Southfield to Detroit?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:12:33] Yes. Yes, because a lot of people was calling me the best barber. Detroit before I even won the award. And I'm like, I am not even in Detroit, though, you know what I'm saying? So I'm like, and I was charging pretty high out there, booth rent it's pretty high. I set like an ambiance and a whole, you know, gave my clients the whole experience out there though. So I wanted to bring that to Detroit, you know, and I had got a lot of backlash. And I mean, you know, people are going to want a payday in Detroit because it's, you know, rough and stuff like that. And I'm like, man, I can't we get better. You know, I'm saying we got to be a part of the solution and and and give them and they deserve it, you know, and give them that experience everybody else is getting, though. So I'm not going to change my prices. Actually, I went up, you know, and and and yeah, a lot of people was coming. They really appreciated it, you know. And so.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:13:33] And did that... Did that feeling of like contributing only, not only, but did it increase when you purchased your second… or when you purchased your own place and kind of made it more permanent, rather renting?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:13:47] Yeah, it was it just set the bar high. You know, like I said, a lot of people saw my journey. I was super proud of myself, you know, going from this, having no office building to a storefront to my own building. And I can really make a difference. You know, I can really care about I mean, I already cared about what's going on in the city, but I could really. Say, You know, I have a piece of property that I own. I could truly be a pillar in the community. You know what I'm saying? That people can come and that we don't we done shot films in my shop, you know? You know, we had events in my shop, man. And it's just it is a blessing, you know?
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:14:34] So backtracking now. You went to Lawrence Tech for a semester before going to Lawrence Tech and decided be an architect. Did you have any thoughts about doing being a being a barber full time?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:14:50] No, I didn't. I just. No, I just want I wanted to be architect, you know, or get into construction. You know, I have all the males in my dad's side of family were in... There were carpenters. My granddaddy brother taught carpentry, you know, and I said, It was just like in my blood. I wanted to do something different. So I wanted to, you know, design and stuff. But I didn't even know that I was an artist, you know? And I think I'm just a creative person, you know, and I can see something and take it. I like to create something from nothing, no matter what it is. It could be art. Haircuts, building something, whatever. Projects or community events I like to, you know, create. Right. So, no, I didn't. My second daughter mom, she's a hairstylist in Detroit, a pretty popular one. And she just she encouraged me. I was trying to figure out what I was going to do around that time. And she was like, why don't you just cut hair? Right. And then, you know, she helped me when she purchased my first set of clippers for me, you know what I'm saying? And. I was, uh. I took off from there. You know, so I didn't I didn't know. And even then, even when I got into cutting hair, I still didn't see myself being a barber because I was still trying to pursue my architecture career or autoCAD career. And it wasn't till I made a deal myself that I was going to quit and invest in myself. You know, I was really great at it. And they always say, you know, if you could do some, you know, with ease and make money off of it. You know, why not go now? You know, you don't have to just stick to that, basically, you know? And like I said, it was easy. And you know, with God this has just been a blessing, a blessing.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:16:54] So as you're as you're going through this journey of trying to decide what you're going to what you're going to follow through with in the end. Mm hmm. Is what you considered like your side hustle, does it flip, like back and forth between the time. Like, do you consider like cutting hair to be like would you do on the side and then eventually do that you guys have to like your work at Chrysler is on the side of supporting your hair ambition.
Lorenzo Pearson [00:17:17] Yeah. Well, at the time I was I mean, when I first started, it was just a hustle, right? Because I was trying to do other stuff I used a barber money to. You know, pay for everything goes all right. And but, you know, I decided to turn my hustle to our career, to a profession, you know. And that's when I went to school and stuff like that. So then I used Chrysler as the hustle. So, you know, I pay for everything in my shop. I literally use every single check. To invest into my business, you know, since I, I really I really hustle and sacrificed, you know, and to make my dream a reality, you know? So.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:18:13] So you mentioned earlier how like owning the shop, like the storefront you're in now makes you feel to be more of a part of the city as a whole. Does it make you feel part of your local community, like your local neighborhood there? How does the shop interact with the community? Aside from, you know, being there to be of service?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:18:32] Well, just like when I first got there, I did like free haircuts in the community just to kind of let everyone know what I was there, you know, so so I mean, it's been like a year and a half. So like I said, I acquired a building in October 2020, but I didn't officially move in until January 2021. So it's been like a year and a half. So now like I'm still trying to create ways to be a part of the community. You know, I connected with the Church of... I can't remember the name of the church, and it’s literally across the street from me.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:19:14] Don’t worry it happens to everyone.
Lorenzo Pearson [00:19:19] Trying to think of the pastor’s name. Can’t remember it. It’ll come to me. Reach out to him. He has a parking lot next door to my shop and the people who had the shop before it they used to tell me, he’s not going to let you use that parking lot. We tried for years and years and years and but, you know, I believed in myself and trusted the process and reached out to them and, you know, saying and I think he was I think he was pretty much watching me. I was a young guy he’s watching me to see how I interacted with the community and stuff like that. And eventually me, he came and he gave me he gave it to me, but he allowed us to use the parking lot. You know, we lock it up every night, the whole nine. And he told me he really appreciate, you know, moving over and taking this thing for for what it’s going to be, you know what I'm saying?
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:20:10] Granted, it has only been a year and a half, like you said. But how has the community changed at all since you moved in? Have you seen a lot of other businesses coming in? Yeah.
Lorenzo Pearson [00:20:20] Yeah, I have. Uh... I have it next door to me. It's. It's a plumbing place. It's not open. I don't know if the guy is a plumber or what, but is it used as a storage space. But he also has a unit next door today and he's been remodeling that. And he said he was going to turn it to a like a community center. So he's been doing awesome with it. So I can't wait to see what that turned out to be. He's doing an excellent job with that, with that building and then just... A couple of. It's another unit, a building next door to our strip. I think they were remodeling that, trying to turn it into a restaurant. So is this a lot of people that's coming into, you know. You know, help the community out and start these businesses and stuff like that.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:21:20] You mentioned earlier that Detroit is home to a lot of really great barbers. How has it been? Navigating that space and like finding your place in that in that field?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:21:35] Well, a lot of barbers we show each other, love. You know, and if we can't get to some people, we, you know, recommend the barber. So we really work together. I don't really see any any conflict or anything like that with barbers. And, you know, Detroit is a big city. So it’s so many people in the city. And is enough money for everybody. You know, so yeah. So we pretty much just help each other out and I communicate on my social media. You know, we give flowers when flowers are due, you know what I'm saying? So that's really. Yeah, we just... Brother love, barber brother love. Yeah.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:22:19] So you mentioned earlier that. People questioned your decision to move the shop to Detroit. And the natural follow up question I forgot to ask at the time is How did Detroiters react once you opened up the shop?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:22:35] They were they were pleased because there was a lot of people who came from like east west side. And even though Southfield ain't that far, you know, you hear Southfield, they say, oh, man, I got to drive all day out there, you know? So they like, man, thank you for coming out here. You've given us a great service. We had to drive so far for it, though, so they really appreciated it.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:22:55] Did you ever happen to see any of the naysayers or talk to the naysayers again and kind of give an update? We're like, Hey, it worked great.
Lorenzo Pearson [00:23:03] Yeah. I mean, they come to the shop all the time, you know, and even some of the people that, like, I had a couple of hairstyles, I didn't want to come to Detroit. And now they work at each other, you know? And so it’s like you said, it worked out and it ain’t so bad. Yeah. So I like, I like challenges, you know what I'm saying? Like I say, I like projects and I like turning things from nothing to something. So, you know, I don't care, you know, I'm a come in and and turn it around, you know, for the greater good. So.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:23:39] What are your plans for the shop moving forward?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:23:42] Well, my retirement plan is to open up a cosmetology school. So that's what I've been trying to work on. You know what I'm saying. You know, the shop itself is it's a family business. You know, I mean, I have it for the kids. And if my kids don't want it, then I got to, you know, hopefully keep it in the family. And if I see any great barbers or even a young barber that come in and work and he's working, he's grinding and he's hustling. I might bless him, you know, and bless him with the building who knows or even, you know, I've rent out, you know, give him his own space where he can lease it or whatnot. But my plan is to open up a cosmetology school. I think it would be one of the best cosmetology school because I'm a barber.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:24:38] So are most not run by barbers?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:24:41] Can you say that again?
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:24:44] Is that…are most not run by barbers like you implied. Like from your because your perspective is that a barber would elevate it. Yeah.
Lorenzo Pearson [00:24:51] So well yes exactly. Because in cosmetology I notice schools that I went to, they didn't really touch on barbering and as much it was strictly hair, you know. So I was like the only barber in there. And they actually asked me to teach to barber course, you know. And that's when I got my first taste of of teaching. I also offer barber classes to now, but like I said, that kind of sparked it, you know, so they like, are you a barber, your great barber. How about you explain it to these ladies what barbering is about, you know how to use it to or stuff like that though. So yeah. So with that I think we touched on it maybe like a week or two or something like that that our time I've been there and I'm like, Oh man. And then a lot of the students in there was, was coming to me a lot, you know, the ladies they like, I want to know how to cut or I want to learn. I want to learn, you know, maybe you have some classes in the future. So they also sparked me to do the barber classes, and I started off doing barber classes for women only. Right? But, you know, that
turned out really great. And so I'm like, I guess if I opened up this cosmetology school. Me being a barber, I can really tap in, you know, and so hopefully I can change. It changed the law because I think the law says you can have barber and barber in a beauty school together, which is crazy to me. So hopefully I'm able to turn that around and I could just have a straight cosmetology and barber school or they can have a license, just one license. I mean, because you can't cut hair. You can you can you can cut hair with a cosmetology license. You just can't use a straight razor. That's it. You know, and I'm like, wow, that's great. I'm like, so, you know, hey, hey, if you know how to cut hair, I suggest you go get your cosmetology license, because it's it's an umbrella for everything else, you know, esthetics, you know, nails, you know, like I said, the facials, hair, you know, even cutting hair. You can do all that stuff. With a cosmetology license, though. So. So hopefully I'm able to bridge the gap between the two and just make it one license, maybe, you know.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:27:21] How did it feel going from like the experience you had of having being… The unexpected experience of teaching the first time to now charging people and teaching them out on out on your own.
Lorenzo Pearson [00:27:36] You said how is that experience?
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:27:37] Yeah. How did it feel for you to. Moving from like remembering what it was like to be kind of having that responsibility foisted on you to now actually being in a position where people are paying you and are paying someone else to for you to teach them.
Lorenzo Pearson [00:27:51] Well, like I said, it motivated me to do it on a larger scale. Mm hmm. Right. I got a lot of people hitting me. Like, even. Like, even yesterday. You know, one of my friends texted me yesterday, like, oh, man, can you teach me how to cut hair? You know? And he knows those classes. So I get people asking me quite often. So I'm like, and I do the classes. I host the classes at my shop. So my shop is, you know, it's like 1200 square feet, though. So I don't have a lot of room for a ton of people. So I have so many at a time. So, so I mean hey it’s super beneficial to just open up the school, you know, so that way I can get and we can get more guys to come in and tapping into cosmetology space, even I'm saying because even in my friends at cosmetology, you know, that is for girls and all that type of stuff. But I'm like, you know, there's money in it, you know? And and if I was single a lot of women in there, too. So, you know, so it was. So I can, you know, I can encourage guys and girls to tap in in other industry, you know, girls can go to barber and men can go to cosmetology does so.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:29:13] What's been your... I'll say some of your favorite experiences or memories working in this field.
Lorenzo Pearson [00:29:25] Couldn't one of almost say my second favorite rapper, Snoop Dogg. So that was my greatest experience. I love Snoop Dogg. Great guy. You know, he he had like that play. I forgot the name of the play. And some people reached out to me saying, you know, I was highly recommended, so I was able to cut him up. Omar Gooding from Baby Boy came up and some of the other cast …some of the other cast in the play. You know, so that was like one of my my greatest moments. And then, you know, winning the best barber of Detroit award. So those two memories was great.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:30:15] Was there anything about your time as a barber or working in a shop that you wanted to share with me but you I didn't ask you about.
Lorenzo Pearson [00:30:26] Um. Not that I can think of. Hmm. No right now. Billy Wall-Winkel [00:30:37] That is perfectly, perfectly reasonable.
Lorenzo Pearson [00:30:39] No. But like I said, we just found a movie called A Pandemic. It's a comedy movie that's coming out pretty soon, I think, like October in Integer. I had a couple of lines in the in the movie. So that was a great experience. And then, you know, we have a couple of podcasts. With a guy named Robert Courtney. Really great guy. And he's a media… I can’t remember the title of his profession. But. Yeah, is it allows me to meet some really great people, you know, and and, you know, the best thing about it is a bartering system. You know, say, hey, you give me your good, I give you this, you know, say so. I got some great stuff just off of, you know, give us America. It's, you know, so a great experience, man. The sky's the limit. A lot of barbers are getting recognized in the country, you know, and around the world. And social media being a great platform helped us really elevate and raise prices. So we now we, you know, you know, the money we make and be putting a lot of time, effort into perfecting our craft too as well. And also you see some really great stuff on social media like, wow, that's a great honor, you know, great haircut, you know, hairstyle, stuff like that, though. So it's been amazing, man.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:32:11] It was also just a couple quick wrap up questions here. When you think of the word hustle, what comes to mind?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:32:26] Grind, grinding sacrifice, discipline and have a structured focus, you know, and getting it by any means. That's what comes to mind.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:32:40] And then when you think of the word hustler, what comes to mind?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:32:45] Same thing. Same thing. Just a person that drives a person as that's a go getter, you know, and is going to get it by any means. That sacrifice, focus, you know.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:32:59] And then last question. Now that you have this business going, you have all this stuff you're working on. Do you still find yourself having a side hustle?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:33:10] Yes, of course. Man, it’s in me. It ain't on me, you know. And so I'm, you know, I tapped into real estate. You know, like I said, I'm trying to create. More businesses within my business, you know, I'm saying so you can't stop us hustling, you know, just as long as you're breathing, you've got to keep giving, you know, saying it come from Detroit, man. It raises you to be a hustler, you know, to be disciplined and focused and a go getter. You know, if I understand, people in the city you serve is going to push you. You got to push you to go get it because you see so many businesses flourishing, people looking great. And like I said, you just have to people like friends and family, they just, you know, matter what it is they cooking, they find a way to make it, you know what I'm saying? So it's the best thing about living in Detroit now, for sure. Just people.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:34:13] Thank you so much. It was great.
Lorenzo Pearson [00:34:14] Thank you, man. I appreciate it.
Lorenzo Pearson [00:00:14] Lorenzo Pearson II.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:00:16] Please spell your name for me.
Lorenzo Pearson [00:00:18] Lorenzo Pearson, the second.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:00:27] So we're going to just ask you some quick boilerplate questions first, and then we can get into the the follow ups and things like that. Okay. This is for metadata. So if we lose anything, we have it right away. Mm hmm. What is the name of your business?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:00:40] Untouchable Empire Unisex Salon.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:00:43] How long have you been in business?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:00:45] Since 2016. I think, like January, maybe February 2016. On record, I should say.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:00:51] Okay. You know.
Lorenzo Pearson [00:00:52] Before then, I had…I actually started the business in 2013. Yeah.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:01:02] Was this your first barbershop haircut in the business? Yes. Okay. Where were you born?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:01:13] Year? ‘87.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:01:18] Here in the city?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:01:19] Yes.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:01:21] Did you grow up in the city?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:01:22] I did.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:01:24] What neighborhood?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:01:25] Um, quite a few. The one I spent the most time and was actually in this area, Trumbull/Hancock area, I was raised by my great grandmother. She stayed in the house for like 30 years.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:01:43] Awesome. So tell me, like, take me through your journey, like, getting into being a barber and getting into this field, like, you see. So I started unofficially in 2013. What was the journey to that?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:02:02] Well, when I started cutting hair initially, when I was 14 years old, just, you know, tired of people messing my hair up, you know, even though haircuts was pretty cheaper back then, it was still expensive. All right. So. And I feel like I'm pretty artistic. So I would go in the barber shop and just watch, you know, the barbers cut the clients hair and all that. Paying attention to the movement, you know, we caught a flick of a wrist and stuff like that. So I had a friend of my father. Gave me my first pair of clippers. It was, I believe, like I think they were wall clippers. And they had a. Cheetah or leopard print on it. It was funny, but it gave my first pair of clippers, then a female that I was dating mother gave me my first pair of liners around that time. So. So I was cutting my brother's hair. Friends hair in a neighborhood. And then I guess it's more like a hobby. You know, I didn't think I was ever going to be a barber, wanted to go to school for one to be architect. I actually went to school at Lawrence Tech University for like a semester. And for architecture. And I went to one that was at that graduate high school. But I went to after that, I went to Michigan Barber College in 2007. I didn't finish. I was a young parent at that time. So I just, you know, more focus on the money and spend some time, just. You know, trying to hustle and make ends meet. I went back to Barber School 2011 and I think it was Detroit barber school I can remember it was on 6 Mile and San Juan spent some time there. Didn't finish that right. I was working in my first shop at Top Chef Barber and Beauty Team on Seven Mile and Montrose. It was a lot of older guys. I was around like it was 2009. I think I was like 22, I think. And I really, really loved them guys, man. And they really raised me in the barber game, you know? So a lot of people, everybody was like 35 and up. So they took me under their wing and, you know, show me, show me the proper way to cut hair and raise my prices. I started off at $12 a head. They encouraged me to go to 20. I was like the go to guy for hair designs. Right. So I had tons of clients for designs. And a lot of people will come from all over to come get their designs. But I didn't have a consistent client base, like for regular haircuts. Right. So I had…Shockingly, I had someone fly from Germany for a hair design. I don't know if they was on our way here or what, but they saw me on social media and they… she brought her son to me a game, you know, a mohawk haircut. People from Chicago drove up here for the hair designs then. I. I left there and my auntie had a nail salon. She had room for, you know, for a barber or whatnot. So. I went there because booth rent was cheaper. You know, spending for a year. My wife now, she had a cousin that was really, really excellent at cutting hair. She invited me to her show. I can't remember the name of that shop, Six Mile and St Mary's. Learn a lot of stuff from her. Went there for a few months. Went back to Top Chef. And I had a friend that actually had a salon in Southfield that was that…that was moving to California. Right. To pursue his music career and produce a career. And he was he called me up, you’re the only person I trust with my clients, man. I have a shop out here. I would really like if you took it over. So. I moved. I moved out there to the chance to move out there. That's when I started Untouchable Empire. Unisex Salon. I wanted to I wanted women, barbers, and nail techs the whole nine. So that's when I was in 2013. From there, you want to go from there?
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:07:15] Mm hmm.
Lorenzo Pearson [00:07:16] From there. I was. I was working at Chrysler, and I was still kind of trying to figure out if I wanted to pursue my architecture career or just school period, because I think I'd switched my major to AutoCAD. I went to Oakland County Community College and I was doing AutoCAD and I was working at Chrysler and cutting hair. And my time was really, really limited, right? So and I at the time, I had two kids at that time. Two daughters. And one of them. She lived in… my first one who lived in Texas at the time. Excuse me. And my second daughter. You know, she was she spent most of her time with me. So I was losing a lot of time. And I had to make a decision on how I wanted to pursue
my life in my relationship with my daughter or something like that. So I decided to quit Chrysler, quit school and focus on my career. To invest in myself. You know what I'm saying? I put all my eggs in one basket. Right. So. I did that. 2015. I went to David Presley School of Cosmetology in Royal Oak. I got my certificate in cosmetology. So even though they call me LP Master Barber, that's my specialty. In my heart, I'm a licensed cosmetologist. All right, so. I graduated from there. And 2016. When I got my my certificate or my license, my cosmetology license. And then that's when I officially started the untouchable empire in 2016. Right. And so from there, from I had an office suite in, in Southfield. That's where my first job was at Southfield in about 2013. And in 2015 and. There was an office suite and then moved from there and obtained my storefront. At 6 Mile and Tracy. So I had a storefront, spent about three years there. I was leasing out of that building and I ended up leaving there and acquiring my own building in 2020. So that's that's where I'm at now. All right. So, you know, my shop that I have. I had a client that came in and he really love the professionalism, the vibe of the shop and how serious I took my business. I operate off the books here and he really appreciated it. All right. So he had a salon him and his cousin shared a salon together and his cousin played overseas and he like, man, you know, we have a shop. We’re over here if you want it? At the time, I couldn't really afford it because I was putting all my money into my house. And then I lost contact with him for, like a year and a half. Right. And I was praying every day, like, man, I got a I got to make a move. You know, so he he popped back up surprisingly, man. I was like, you know, thank God I told him man I've been looking for you, you know? Do you two have the shop available? He, like, yeah, man. And. You know, God blessed me with the tools and everything and I needed to, you know, acquire the building. And, you know, that's all she wrote. Here I am, you know, out in 2018, I'm sorry, 2018, I had won the Best Barber Detroit Award, and that was a blessing. You know, I got a lot of recognition that year. It seemed like all the hard work that I was doing was paying off. So I want to thank Detroit for voting me as a best barber in the city, because we really have some great, great barbers in the city of Detroit, you know? So yeah, man. So it's been a journey, a wonderful journey, you know, so.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:12:05] That was great. That was awesome. I appreciate it. So a couple quick follow up questions. Where is your shop located now?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:12:11] Wyoming. Wyoming. 15…. I'm sorry. 15758 Wyoming Street. Detroit, Michigan.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:12:25] Yeah. Was it important to you to bring the shop from Southfield to Detroit?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:12:33] Yes. Yes, because a lot of people was calling me the best barber. Detroit before I even won the award. And I'm like, I am not even in Detroit, though, you know what I'm saying? So I'm like, and I was charging pretty high out there, booth rent it's pretty high. I set like an ambiance and a whole, you know, gave my clients the whole experience out there though. So I wanted to bring that to Detroit, you know, and I had got a lot of backlash. And I mean, you know, people are going to want a payday in Detroit because it's, you know, rough and stuff like that. And I'm like, man, I can't we get better. You know, I'm saying we got to be a part of the solution and and and give them and they deserve it, you know, and give them that experience everybody else is getting, though. So I'm not going to change my prices. Actually, I went up, you know, and and and yeah, a lot of people was coming. They really appreciated it, you know. And so.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:13:33] And did that... Did that feeling of like contributing only, not only, but did it increase when you purchased your second… or when you purchased your own place and kind of made it more permanent, rather renting?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:13:47] Yeah, it was it just set the bar high. You know, like I said, a lot of people saw my journey. I was super proud of myself, you know, going from this, having no office building to a storefront to my own building. And I can really make a difference. You know, I can really care about I mean, I already cared about what's going on in the city, but I could really. Say, You know, I have a piece of property that I own. I could truly be a pillar in the community. You know what I'm saying? That people can come and that we don't we done shot films in my shop, you know? You know, we had events in my shop, man. And it's just it is a blessing, you know?
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:14:34] So backtracking now. You went to Lawrence Tech for a semester before going to Lawrence Tech and decided be an architect. Did you have any thoughts about doing being a being a barber full time?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:14:50] No, I didn't. I just. No, I just want I wanted to be architect, you know, or get into construction. You know, I have all the males in my dad's side of family were in... There were carpenters. My granddaddy brother taught carpentry, you know, and I said, It was just like in my blood. I wanted to do something different. So I wanted to, you know, design and stuff. But I didn't even know that I was an artist, you know? And I think I'm just a creative person, you know, and I can see something and take it. I like to create something from nothing, no matter what it is. It could be art. Haircuts, building something, whatever. Projects or community events I like to, you know, create. Right. So, no, I didn't. My second daughter mom, she's a hairstylist in Detroit, a pretty popular one. And she just she encouraged me. I was trying to figure out what I was going to do around that time. And she was like, why don't you just cut hair? Right. And then, you know, she helped me when she purchased my first set of clippers for me, you know what I'm saying? And. I was, uh. I took off from there. You know, so I didn't I didn't know. And even then, even when I got into cutting hair, I still didn't see myself being a barber because I was still trying to pursue my architecture career or autoCAD career. And it wasn't till I made a deal myself that I was going to quit and invest in myself. You know, I was really great at it. And they always say, you know, if you could do some, you know, with ease and make money off of it. You know, why not go now? You know, you don't have to just stick to that, basically, you know? And like I said, it was easy. And you know, with God this has just been a blessing, a blessing.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:16:54] So as you're as you're going through this journey of trying to decide what you're going to what you're going to follow through with in the end. Mm hmm. Is what you considered like your side hustle, does it flip, like back and forth between the time. Like, do you consider like cutting hair to be like would you do on the side and then eventually do that you guys have to like your work at Chrysler is on the side of supporting your hair ambition.
Lorenzo Pearson [00:17:17] Yeah. Well, at the time I was I mean, when I first started, it was just a hustle, right? Because I was trying to do other stuff I used a barber money to. You know, pay for everything goes all right. And but, you know, I decided to turn my hustle to our career, to a profession, you know. And that's when I went to school and stuff like that. So then I used Chrysler as the hustle. So, you know, I pay for everything in my shop. I literally use every single check. To invest into my business, you know, since I, I really I really hustle and sacrificed, you know, and to make my dream a reality, you know? So.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:18:13] So you mentioned earlier how like owning the shop, like the storefront you're in now makes you feel to be more of a part of the city as a whole. Does it make you feel part of your local community, like your local neighborhood there? How does the shop interact with the community? Aside from, you know, being there to be of service?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:18:32] Well, just like when I first got there, I did like free haircuts in the community just to kind of let everyone know what I was there, you know, so so I mean, it's been like a year and a half. So like I said, I acquired a building in October 2020, but I didn't officially move in until January 2021. So it's been like a year and a half. So now like I'm still trying to create ways to be a part of the community. You know, I connected with the Church of... I can't remember the name of the church, and it’s literally across the street from me.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:19:14] Don’t worry it happens to everyone.
Lorenzo Pearson [00:19:19] Trying to think of the pastor’s name. Can’t remember it. It’ll come to me. Reach out to him. He has a parking lot next door to my shop and the people who had the shop before it they used to tell me, he’s not going to let you use that parking lot. We tried for years and years and years and but, you know, I believed in myself and trusted the process and reached out to them and, you know, saying and I think he was I think he was pretty much watching me. I was a young guy he’s watching me to see how I interacted with the community and stuff like that. And eventually me, he came and he gave me he gave it to me, but he allowed us to use the parking lot. You know, we lock it up every night, the whole nine. And he told me he really appreciate, you know, moving over and taking this thing for for what it’s going to be, you know what I'm saying?
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:20:10] Granted, it has only been a year and a half, like you said. But how has the community changed at all since you moved in? Have you seen a lot of other businesses coming in? Yeah.
Lorenzo Pearson [00:20:20] Yeah, I have. Uh... I have it next door to me. It's. It's a plumbing place. It's not open. I don't know if the guy is a plumber or what, but is it used as a storage space. But he also has a unit next door today and he's been remodeling that. And he said he was going to turn it to a like a community center. So he's been doing awesome with it. So I can't wait to see what that turned out to be. He's doing an excellent job with that, with that building and then just... A couple of. It's another unit, a building next door to our strip. I think they were remodeling that, trying to turn it into a restaurant. So is this a lot of people that's coming into, you know. You know, help the community out and start these businesses and stuff like that.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:21:20] You mentioned earlier that Detroit is home to a lot of really great barbers. How has it been? Navigating that space and like finding your place in that in that field?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:21:35] Well, a lot of barbers we show each other, love. You know, and if we can't get to some people, we, you know, recommend the barber. So we really work together. I don't really see any any conflict or anything like that with barbers. And, you know, Detroit is a big city. So it’s so many people in the city. And is enough money for everybody. You know, so yeah. So we pretty much just help each other out and I communicate on my social media. You know, we give flowers when flowers are due, you know what I'm saying? So that's really. Yeah, we just... Brother love, barber brother love. Yeah.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:22:19] So you mentioned earlier that. People questioned your decision to move the shop to Detroit. And the natural follow up question I forgot to ask at the time is How did Detroiters react once you opened up the shop?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:22:35] They were they were pleased because there was a lot of people who came from like east west side. And even though Southfield ain't that far, you know, you hear Southfield, they say, oh, man, I got to drive all day out there, you know? So they like, man, thank you for coming out here. You've given us a great service. We had to drive so far for it, though, so they really appreciated it.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:22:55] Did you ever happen to see any of the naysayers or talk to the naysayers again and kind of give an update? We're like, Hey, it worked great.
Lorenzo Pearson [00:23:03] Yeah. I mean, they come to the shop all the time, you know, and even some of the people that, like, I had a couple of hairstyles, I didn't want to come to Detroit. And now they work at each other, you know? And so it’s like you said, it worked out and it ain’t so bad. Yeah. So I like, I like challenges, you know what I'm saying? Like I say, I like projects and I like turning things from nothing to something. So, you know, I don't care, you know, I'm a come in and and turn it around, you know, for the greater good. So.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:23:39] What are your plans for the shop moving forward?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:23:42] Well, my retirement plan is to open up a cosmetology school. So that's what I've been trying to work on. You know what I'm saying. You know, the shop itself is it's a family business. You know, I mean, I have it for the kids. And if my kids don't want it, then I got to, you know, hopefully keep it in the family. And if I see any great barbers or even a young barber that come in and work and he's working, he's grinding and he's hustling. I might bless him, you know, and bless him with the building who knows or even, you know, I've rent out, you know, give him his own space where he can lease it or whatnot. But my plan is to open up a cosmetology school. I think it would be one of the best cosmetology school because I'm a barber.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:24:38] So are most not run by barbers?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:24:41] Can you say that again?
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:24:44] Is that…are most not run by barbers like you implied. Like from your because your perspective is that a barber would elevate it. Yeah.
Lorenzo Pearson [00:24:51] So well yes exactly. Because in cosmetology I notice schools that I went to, they didn't really touch on barbering and as much it was strictly hair, you know. So I was like the only barber in there. And they actually asked me to teach to barber course, you know. And that's when I got my first taste of of teaching. I also offer barber classes to now, but like I said, that kind of sparked it, you know, so they like, are you a barber, your great barber. How about you explain it to these ladies what barbering is about, you know how to use it to or stuff like that though. So yeah. So with that I think we touched on it maybe like a week or two or something like that that our time I've been there and I'm like, Oh man. And then a lot of the students in there was, was coming to me a lot, you know, the ladies they like, I want to know how to cut or I want to learn. I want to learn, you know, maybe you have some classes in the future. So they also sparked me to do the barber classes, and I started off doing barber classes for women only. Right? But, you know, that
turned out really great. And so I'm like, I guess if I opened up this cosmetology school. Me being a barber, I can really tap in, you know, and so hopefully I can change. It changed the law because I think the law says you can have barber and barber in a beauty school together, which is crazy to me. So hopefully I'm able to turn that around and I could just have a straight cosmetology and barber school or they can have a license, just one license. I mean, because you can't cut hair. You can you can you can cut hair with a cosmetology license. You just can't use a straight razor. That's it. You know, and I'm like, wow, that's great. I'm like, so, you know, hey, hey, if you know how to cut hair, I suggest you go get your cosmetology license, because it's it's an umbrella for everything else, you know, esthetics, you know, nails, you know, like I said, the facials, hair, you know, even cutting hair. You can do all that stuff. With a cosmetology license, though. So. So hopefully I'm able to bridge the gap between the two and just make it one license, maybe, you know.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:27:21] How did it feel going from like the experience you had of having being… The unexpected experience of teaching the first time to now charging people and teaching them out on out on your own.
Lorenzo Pearson [00:27:36] You said how is that experience?
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:27:37] Yeah. How did it feel for you to. Moving from like remembering what it was like to be kind of having that responsibility foisted on you to now actually being in a position where people are paying you and are paying someone else to for you to teach them.
Lorenzo Pearson [00:27:51] Well, like I said, it motivated me to do it on a larger scale. Mm hmm. Right. I got a lot of people hitting me. Like, even. Like, even yesterday. You know, one of my friends texted me yesterday, like, oh, man, can you teach me how to cut hair? You know? And he knows those classes. So I get people asking me quite often. So I'm like, and I do the classes. I host the classes at my shop. So my shop is, you know, it's like 1200 square feet, though. So I don't have a lot of room for a ton of people. So I have so many at a time. So, so I mean hey it’s super beneficial to just open up the school, you know, so that way I can get and we can get more guys to come in and tapping into cosmetology space, even I'm saying because even in my friends at cosmetology, you know, that is for girls and all that type of stuff. But I'm like, you know, there's money in it, you know? And and if I was single a lot of women in there, too. So, you know, so it was. So I can, you know, I can encourage guys and girls to tap in in other industry, you know, girls can go to barber and men can go to cosmetology does so.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:29:13] What's been your... I'll say some of your favorite experiences or memories working in this field.
Lorenzo Pearson [00:29:25] Couldn't one of almost say my second favorite rapper, Snoop Dogg. So that was my greatest experience. I love Snoop Dogg. Great guy. You know, he he had like that play. I forgot the name of the play. And some people reached out to me saying, you know, I was highly recommended, so I was able to cut him up. Omar Gooding from Baby Boy came up and some of the other cast …some of the other cast in the play. You know, so that was like one of my my greatest moments. And then, you know, winning the best barber of Detroit award. So those two memories was great.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:30:15] Was there anything about your time as a barber or working in a shop that you wanted to share with me but you I didn't ask you about.
Lorenzo Pearson [00:30:26] Um. Not that I can think of. Hmm. No right now. Billy Wall-Winkel [00:30:37] That is perfectly, perfectly reasonable.
Lorenzo Pearson [00:30:39] No. But like I said, we just found a movie called A Pandemic. It's a comedy movie that's coming out pretty soon, I think, like October in Integer. I had a couple of lines in the in the movie. So that was a great experience. And then, you know, we have a couple of podcasts. With a guy named Robert Courtney. Really great guy. And he's a media… I can’t remember the title of his profession. But. Yeah, is it allows me to meet some really great people, you know, and and, you know, the best thing about it is a bartering system. You know, say, hey, you give me your good, I give you this, you know, say so. I got some great stuff just off of, you know, give us America. It's, you know, so a great experience, man. The sky's the limit. A lot of barbers are getting recognized in the country, you know, and around the world. And social media being a great platform helped us really elevate and raise prices. So we now we, you know, you know, the money we make and be putting a lot of time, effort into perfecting our craft too as well. And also you see some really great stuff on social media like, wow, that's a great honor, you know, great haircut, you know, hairstyle, stuff like that, though. So it's been amazing, man.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:32:11] It was also just a couple quick wrap up questions here. When you think of the word hustle, what comes to mind?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:32:26] Grind, grinding sacrifice, discipline and have a structured focus, you know, and getting it by any means. That's what comes to mind.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:32:40] And then when you think of the word hustler, what comes to mind?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:32:45] Same thing. Same thing. Just a person that drives a person as that's a go getter, you know, and is going to get it by any means. That sacrifice, focus, you know.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:32:59] And then last question. Now that you have this business going, you have all this stuff you're working on. Do you still find yourself having a side hustle?
Lorenzo Pearson [00:33:10] Yes, of course. Man, it’s in me. It ain't on me, you know. And so I'm, you know, I tapped into real estate. You know, like I said, I'm trying to create. More businesses within my business, you know, I'm saying so you can't stop us hustling, you know, just as long as you're breathing, you've got to keep giving, you know, saying it come from Detroit, man. It raises you to be a hustler, you know, to be disciplined and focused and a go getter. You know, if I understand, people in the city you serve is going to push you. You got to push you to go get it because you see so many businesses flourishing, people looking great. And like I said, you just have to people like friends and family, they just, you know, matter what it is they cooking, they find a way to make it, you know what I'm saying? So it's the best thing about living in Detroit now, for sure. Just people.
Billy Wall-Winkel [00:34:13] Thank you so much. It was great.
Lorenzo Pearson [00:34:14] Thank you, man. I appreciate it.
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Citation
“Lorenzo Pearson, August 15th, 2022,” Detroit Historical Society Oral History Archive, accessed October 5, 2024, https://detroit1967.detroithistorical.org/items/show/810.