Today we’d like to introduce you to Lenord Smith.
Hi Lenord, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
It all started in 1978 I was in the 8th grade and needed a haircut for back to school . My Mom had very little income and couldn’t afford me a haircut. So I knew a man how lived in our apartment complex how cut hair his name was Walter. I ask him can he cut my hair for scool and he said no he was getting ready to go off to the army tomorrow but he did leave me his clippers. So I went home locked the bathroom door started cutting my hair . It took a few hours but I finished. When my mom got home she said who cut your hair I said I did she told me I have done a great job. When I went to school everyone loved it . That weekend I started cutting kids hair in the apartment complex. The weekend was a Barber shop in my building breeze way . Walter returned and gave him his clippers back but I still didn’t have money to buy my own the money I made I used it to buy clothes for back to school . The next day my mom was putting together S&H Greenstamp books to get a free Crockpot. So I look in the catalog and saw barber clippers 4 3/4 books needed to purchase them but I had no stamps. So I came up with idea i got big brown paper bag and the catalog and out the door I went . I knocked on everyone’s door and introduced myself as the new apartment barber and were asking fir donations of S&H Greenstamps. As darkness came i started home with my bag Full of stamps. The next day mom took me to the S&H Greenstamp Store were i did purchase 2 Sets of clippers and bought my mom and sister something as well . I made good money cutting hair in the apartment complex. As I moved to high school I became popular as a Barber and began to travel abroad cutting hair. After Graduation I still kept cutting gaining more clients each day. Later I b sign up for barber school at Lynn Wiley Barber School I attended there for months and school closed and went out of business. I lived only 1 mile away it was a dream come true and now a nightmare. I went home wondering what to do I still had my books from school so I studied day and night. I prayed for God to help me show me the way . The next morning I walked back to the school to see if it was going to reopen but it was closed so I sat on the back stairs outside the building and read my student book and my Bible. Every day for 5 days a week I walked to that school read and walked back home . One day my mom drove to the school and ask me was I alright I told her yes mom God told me its ok for me to sit here and read . But one day two cars pulled up one was the administrator from the school the other was a man name Steward Smith i introduced myself to him and he hired me to renovate the school. Wow now I have a job and ghe school is reopening soon . The money Steward paid was enough to fix up my car get insurance and im not walking im driving . After construction was finished I was voted as student body President. When I Graduated Steward Smith sent me my tuition bill of $23,000 . But he wrote on the bill 0 balance have a great career you have done so much for this school we all appreciate what you done for this school enrollment is up 99% for the next few years . I left school and started a full time job and part time barber. I needed 1 year of apprenticeship to get my license. So I started looking for a place and found a place in Simpsonville called the hairpot . A lady name Sandy Gray hired me and worked there with her and Odell Dogan . After 1 year they close and moved into my own shop in 1993. Its called Jirah Barber and Style Shop located at 1032 NE MAIN STREET. I have been there for over 30years and still in the same building now. Im a Master Instructor now I teach trouble kids the Barber skill on OJT Program. Many have Graduated and now own there own shops abroad. I have trained dozens of students Shop owners in many areas around close and abroad.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Nothing is smooth but the haircuts. Many changes took place like the price of square foot rental space and the leese going up or new owners new contract new rules higher leasing. I started out with $542 per month now its $1585 a month . But we are moving on forward growing trusting in God being thankful and blessed.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My Great Grandfather John Paul Smith started the first barber shop , cutting hair in 1920 on the same road that my business is located. The Smiths Barbers has cut hair on this road for over 100 years .
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Yes God has lots to bring through me to the Barbers industry. The rest is a Suprise for 2026 . A New Innovation is on the way .
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