Meet Leonardo Garay | Master barber & Educator
We had the good fortune of connecting with Leonardo Garay and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Leonardo, how does your business help the community?
I consider that I help my community by sharing my beginnings and my mistakes, my knowledge and experiences through voluntary conferences in the United States, I want to be an example for my community of perseverance and improvement since I had my clients when I was 15 years old, and. My clients and the people who knew me at the beginning had the opportunity to get to know my vulnerable side where I had to work non-working hours to be able to pay for the essentials. They saw the formation of my character and my maturity. They saw the formation of a teenager taking the role of a man. The impact of the growth of my business and myself has been a great inspiration to my community, both my former school, clients and followers. feeling that I had everything against me and still not giving up, age, money, legal and financial knowledge, not having support, not having experience, not having a defined character were some of the obstacles that I had to put aside to overcome the way I’ve done it.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
What do I want the world to know about fenix barbershop? I want the world to know that the founder started with a big dream and achieved it, I want my brand to be recognized around the world, I want to be able to cut the hair of important and famous people, I want it to be prestigious, I want the world to know my story and to follow my career, I want to be the mirror and inspiration of a person who has dreams and wants to fulfill them. No, of course it hasn’t been easy, it never has been. learning something new every day, it feels like unlocking new and higher levels every day, how to communicate correctly, talk to people and connect with them, how to be a better leader and guide my workers to be able to achieve their dreams in the best way and how I have learned it. Having new questions every day is a world with a question mark that never goes away.The challenges never end, every day there is a new challenge but the way you overcome them makes the difference,When I have a new challenge I look for the solution and I face it with diligence and try to make the best decision every time.When you are a business owner you have to know everyone’s solutions and answers.The biggest lessons been to always be prepared, always have a plan B in case plan A doesn’t work. Prepare, educate yourself, learn new things, develop your skills, exploit them. Don’t be afraid of new things, always set new goals, aspire for more, believe that if you dream of it you can achieve it, always believe in yourself, and take care of yourself.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
to eat and be able to delight them with a delicious meal I would take them to “vida” it is located in the down town of Knoxville, and from vida I would take them to the ground floor which is called “the vault” for some alcoholic beverages they are the same building but different floors, my plans for Saturday night will be “bernadettes crystal garden” it is a place with a diversity of language and music with a rooftop bar that shows you market square. For family Sunday I would take them to Gatlinburg to explore the “smoky mountains” and enjoy nature.
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?
My dad was one of my great inspirations in my life, his work ethic and his life, I think that thanks to him I had the training and character that I have even though he passed away when I needed him the most, he left me a great lesson. in the life. Another person is my older brother, if it weren’t for his initiative to teach me how to cut hair, and worrying about me when my dad passed away and giving me a way to start, I wouldn’t have known the world of barbering.
Website: https://www.fenixbarbershopknox.com
Instagram: Leog_the_barber & Fenix_barbershopknox
Facebook: Fenix Barbershop
Yelp: Fenix Barbershop
Image Credits
Reed schink Miguel angel jauregui zavaleta of Angel jz photography
Nominate Someone: ShoutoutTennessee is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
