Today we’d like to introduce you to Carlos Gabriel Turpeau Ramos.
Hi Carlos Gabriel, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My Story
I was born and raised in Juana Díaz, Puerto Rico. Before moving to the United States, while I was still a child, I had my first encounter with the Christian faith and made the decision to give my life to God. At that age, I did not fully understand the depth of that decision, but the seed had been planted.
My journey has not been perfect. I have made mistakes, taken wrong turns, and gone through seasons when I lacked the discipline I needed. However, when I look back, I can recognize that God never stopped walking with me. Even during the moments when I did not understand my purpose, He used my experiences, my failures, and my responsibilities to shape my character and direct my life.
My father passed away when I was four years old. Because of her work and the circumstances she was facing, my mother was not always able to give us all the time and attention we needed. When I was fourteen, I moved to Greenville, South Carolina, with my older brother.
My brother did everything he could to take care of me, and I will always be grateful for that. However, he also had his own family, his job, and his responsibilities. He could not completely replace the role of a father. Because of that, I had to learn from a very young age how to take care of myself, make decisions, and develop an independence that usually comes much later in life.
Arriving in South Carolina was difficult. I did not speak English, I deeply missed Puerto Rico, and for a long time I wanted to return home. Everything was different—the language, the culture, the school system, the customs, and the way people interacted with one another.
I first attended Greer Middle School and later Greer High School. While I was trying to adapt, I began playing baseball for the school and managed to maintain good grades. Becoming part of the team changed the way I saw myself. I was a young man who could barely communicate in English, but I was studying, competing, and finding a place within a completely new community.
That experience taught me one of the first important lessons of my life: circumstances can make the road more difficult, but they do not have to define a person’s limits. I understood that I could move forward even if I did not yet have all the tools, as long as I was willing to learn, work, and remain disciplined.
My life changed again when I became a father at seventeen years old while I was still in high school. It was a responsibility that came earlier than I had planned, but my son was never a mistake. On the contrary, he became one of the greatest driving forces in my life.
His arrival opened my eyes. I could no longer live thinking only about myself. I had to choose a direction, accept responsibility, and develop the consistency needed to build a future. Today, I thank God for my oldest son because, although he came into my life during a difficult season, he was one of the main reasons I matured and became the person I am today.
I began working as a dishwasher at Johnny Rockets. At the same time, I started getting closer to the barbering industry and learning how to cut hair. My brother was already an experienced barber from Puerto Rico. At first, he was not convinced that barbering was the best path for me because he believed I had the ability to pursue a traditional college career.
I understood his concern, but barbering was the opportunity directly in front of me.
In the beginning, I was not cutting hair because I was already in love with the profession. I was cutting out of necessity. I did not have a car, so I sometimes gave free haircuts to classmates—even though those early cuts were far from perfect—in exchange for rides to work.
I cut hair at school, went to wash dishes afterward, and practiced every time I had an opportunity. I learned through necessity, observation, repetition, and discipline. What began as a way to survive slowly started becoming a profession.
Greer High School offered early career-training programs. I enrolled in cosmetology because it was the closest available path to the barbering profession I wanted to pursue. That program allowed me to receive formal training and begin my professional journey with a license.
At that time, I was still facing life without my parents beside me, without reliable transportation, and with limited English. Nevertheless, I continued moving forward. I did not have every condition working in my favor, but I had a reason to keep going and a responsibility I could not ignore.
After graduating, I worked in different beauty salons and later had the opportunity to work alongside my brother. It was during that stage that barbering stopped being simply a way to make money and began becoming part of my identity.
In Puerto Rico, barbering is part of our culture, our traditions, our style, and the way we connect with one another. A good haircut, a clean fade, and the relationship between a barber and a client carry a special meaning. The barbershop is a place where people talk, express themselves, regain confidence, and build community.
Little by little, I fell in love with the profession. I fell in love with the creativity, the transformation a haircut could create, and most importantly, the opportunity to connect with people.
Art had always lived inside me. From a very young age, I was passionate about music, rap, writing, and composition. I began combining barbering with music and motivation. I wrote songs and created messages connected to my life, my profession, my faith, and my personal growth.
I also developed positive Christian monologues about discipline, purpose, responsibility, and overcoming adversity. That combination of barbering, music, motivation, and faith helped me create a different identity within the industry.
Over time, doors began opening for podcasts, seminars, presentations, collaborations, products, and projects with important industry brands. My professional relationship with Booksy and my collaborations with L3VEL3 represented a defining stage in my development.
Those opportunities allowed me to travel to more than fifteen countries. However, I was not traveling only to teach, represent a brand, or stand in front of an audience. I was also traveling to learn.
Every country, seminar, stage, and conversation became an opportunity to observe the industry from a broader perspective. I connected with barbers, educators, entrepreneurs, artists, and communities from different cultures. I learned how to communicate with different audiences, present my knowledge, and understand that barbering could become something much greater than the chair where we perform a haircut.
During those years, I collected information, experiences, and real-world data. I listened to the questions professionals were asking, observed the problems they were facing, and studied why some people continued advancing while others, even with tremendous talent, remained stuck.
I discovered that many challenges were repeated regardless of the country: barbers with great technical ability but limited education in business, finances, customer service, marketing, personal branding, discipline, planning, and character development.
Those experiences helped me understand that a barber’s education could not end after learning how to use clippers and scissors. It also could not end simply after obtaining the license required to work legally.
At the same time, while operating my own businesses, I constantly faced the challenge of finding barbers who were prepared, responsible, disciplined, and properly licensed. The combination of that local need and everything I had observed internationally began shaping a much broader educational vision.
Over time, I opened Barber Gallery on East North Street in Greenville. Barber Gallery remained in the market for seven years and became one of the most recognized and successful barbering brands in the local industry.
At its highest point of growth, the business included twelve barbers. It also stood out for the number and quality of its five-star reviews, reaching a position of leadership among independent barbering businesses on Booksy and earning recognition far beyond Greenville.
Later, I opened a second location, Barber Gallery 2, on White Horse Road. Leading those barbershops was a major opportunity, but it was also a school of life.
It taught me about administration, customer service, leadership, hiring, conflict, growth, responsibility, and team development. It also showed me that outward success does not eliminate internal problems. A company can continue growing, but if the leader does not continue growing in character, discipline, health, and wisdom, the weight of the business can eventually become greater than the leader’s ability to carry it.
I have learned that failure does not always begin with one major tragedy. Sometimes it begins when we stop being disciplined in the small things—when we stop taking care of our health, our finances, our family, our habits, or our relationship with God.
Discipline does not mean never failing. It means recognizing when we have failed, correcting our direction, and getting back up with greater wisdom.
Operating Barber Gallery also helped me identify one of the greatest problems in our industry: there are many talented barbers, but it is not always easy to find professionals who also have a license, business education, character, consistency, and a clear vision for the future.
That need was one of the reasons I pursued my license as a barber instructor in South Carolina. I did not pursue that title simply for recognition. I did it because I wanted a legitimate way to prepare, guide, and support professionals who needed an opportunity.
Many of them were immigrants or talented individuals who could not easily afford a traditional barbering education, which can cost approximately $20,000 to $25,000. I wanted to use my experience to help them advance in a responsible, educational, and legal way.
After obtaining my instructor license, I continued preparing myself. I have always believed that a true educator never stops being a student.
In addition to my professional licenses and credentials in cosmetology, barbering, hair specialization, and barber instruction, I studied filmmaking and music production. That education strengthened my ability to create content, produce audiovisual materials, develop campaigns, and communicate stories professionally.
I realized that many people have talent, but they do not know how to present it, document it, or transform it into a brand with identity and direction.
I also continued expanding my technical education so I could provide services beyond traditional haircuts. I trained in scalp micropigmentation and hair-replacement systems, specialties that allowed me to address needs connected to hair loss, personal image, and my clients’ confidence.
However, my intention has never been to collect certifications out of pride or simply add more services. I try to turn every piece of knowledge I acquire into education. What I learn through barbering, audiovisual production, music, marketing, technology, scalp micropigmentation, or hair replacement also becomes a tool I can share with my students.
My commitment is to continue learning so I can teach more effectively, elevate the profession, and expand the opportunities of the people God allows me to train.
From all those years of experience, travel, collaborations, business ownership, and education came the concept that eventually became De Barbero Dotado a Artista Leyenda—From Gifted Barber to Legendary Artist.
This program was not created overnight. It took me approximately three years to collect the information, study the needs of students, organize the subjects, and transform more than a decade of experiences, mistakes, achievements, and lessons into a complete educational system.
The program was created to teach barbering, but also to address everything that is not normally taught behind the chair.
Many independent barbers do not know how to properly prepare their taxes, organize their finances, position themselves to purchase a home, establish a retirement plan, or protect their families through life, health, or disability insurance.
Others do not know how to build a personal brand, retain clients, produce content, manage social media, protect their reputation, or navigate the modern world of marketing, branding, technology, and artificial intelligence.
That is why my educational focus expanded far beyond teaching technical skills.
After operating Barber Gallery for seven years, I made the decision to move into a new stage. I sold Barber Gallery and Barber Gallery 2. That decision did not mean abandoning barbering or walking away from success. It meant recognizing that God was leading me into another dimension of my purpose.
I describe that stage as a personal and professional metamorphosis. The time had come to use everything I had learned to build something deeper, more organized, and capable of impacting more lives.
I began concentrating more intentionally on my health, character, faith, family, education, and the legacy I wanted to leave behind. I opened Barber Gallery Suite, where I currently serve clients, teach my students, and develop my educational programs.
I also began strengthening the vision of a future bilingual barber academy in South Carolina: Barber Gallery Academy, as the home of the De Barbero Dotado a Artista Leyenda educational system.
Today, I teach in both English and Spanish because I personally understand what it means to arrive in this country without speaking the language. I do not want language to become a barrier that prevents someone from receiving an education, understanding their responsibilities, or reaching their full potential.
My program teaches barbering, but it teaches much more than barbering.
My students learn about customer service, professionalism, personal branding, marketing, content production, social media, technology, artificial intelligence, business structure, taxes, financial planning, insurance protection, retirement preparation, and long-term professional development.
I also integrate knowledge of scalp micropigmentation, hair replacement, and other specialties that can expand their opportunities within the industry.
My methodology seeks to develop five fundamental dimensions: the mind, the heart, the profession, behavior, and professionalism.
I do not want to train only people who know how to cut hair. I want to help develop disciplined, responsible, educated professionals who are prepared to create stability, care for their families, serve their clients properly, and contribute value to their communities.
My vision is for a barber to be able to purchase a home, correctly organize their taxes, protect their family, establish a retirement plan, build credit, operate a business, and develop a brand that maintains value for many years.
I also founded United Multimedia, a company dedicated to marketing, branding, content creation, audiovisual production, technology, and business development.
United Multimedia helps entrepreneurs understand the digital world: how to establish a company, create an identity, develop a personal brand, attract and retain clients, produce content, and communicate their value professionally.
Through this company, I have had the opportunity to participate in work and collaborations connected to the City of Greenville, the City of Greer, and recognized brands such as JCPenney and Macy’s.
United Multimedia and De Barbero Dotado a Artista Leyenda are independent projects, but they complement one another. One develops the professional’s talent, knowledge, and character. The other helps that person present, communicate, market, and scale that talent within the business and digital world.
Over time, God also allowed me to build a beautiful family. I met my wife, Eva Ramos, an extraordinary woman who has been a fundamental part of this stage of my life.
Today, we have four wonderful children, including my oldest son, who came into my life when I was seventeen and became the motivation I needed to accept responsibility and begin building a future.
We live in Taylors, South Carolina. My family is one of the main reasons I continue working, learning, and trying to become a better person every day.
I also feel a deep love and gratitude for Greenville. I consider myself an ambassador for Greenville, South Carolina. Every time I travel, teach, participate in a seminar, or have the opportunity to tell my story, I speak proudly about the city that welcomed me as a teenager and allowed me to build my professional life.
Greenville welcomed me when I did not speak English, did not have my parents beside me, did not have transportation, and did not know exactly what the future would bring. Today, I want to give back some of what this community allowed me to build.
My mission is to continue bringing value through education, professionalism, principles, faith, and a champion’s mindset.
I believe we should not live waiting for another person to come and solve our lives. We depend on God, but we also have the responsibility to use the discipline, character, wisdom, and abilities He has allowed us to develop.
When I look back, I do not see a perfect story. I see losses, mistakes, difficult decisions, seasons of confusion, and moments when I had to learn through consequences.
I also see times when failure showed me that talent cannot replace discipline. Talent may open a door, but discipline is what allows you to remain. Motivation may begin a process, but consistency is what produces transformation.
I have learned that failure does not mean the purpose is over. Many times, failure reveals which part of our character still needs to be developed. God can use a fall to teach us humility, responsibility, and direction.
Above everything else, I see the faithfulness of God.
I see how every stage—even the ones I did not understand at the time—was preparing me to serve in a greater way. God was present even when I was not walking correctly, when I made wrong decisions, or when I still did not completely understand my purpose.
Over the years, I have come to understand that my greatest purpose is not simply to be a barber, instructor, entrepreneur, producer, director, or brand owner.
My purpose is to serve.
It is to help other people grow professionally, but also to develop as human beings. It is to help them strengthen their character, recognize their value, accept responsibility for their decisions, and understand that talent requires discipline, principles, and direction.
I do not want the people who learn from me to leave only knowing how to make money. I want them to understand how to manage their lives, how to treat others, how to care for their families, how to honor God through their work, and how to become a positive influence in their communities.
When I think about the fourteen-year-old boy who left Juana Díaz and arrived in South Carolina without speaking English, without his parents beside him, without transportation, and without knowing exactly what his future would look like, I feel a profound sense of gratitude.
Today, by the grace of God, I am a husband, father, licensed professional, bilingual instructor, educator, entrepreneur, creator, director, producer, and mentor.
I have worked, studied, traveled, taught, and built businesses. But none of those accomplishments stand above God. Everything I have achieved has been possible because of His grace, the opportunities He placed in my path, and the people He used to help me grow.
I am still learning. I am still changing. I am still going through my own metamorphosis.
But at this stage of my life, I am less focused on accumulating titles, businesses, or recognition, and more focused on producing meaningful fruit.
Fruit built upon faith, family, discipline, character, service, education, and a firm foundation.
That is the legacy I want to leave.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, it has not been a smooth road. Most of the important things I have built were created while I was learning how to overcome circumstances I was not fully prepared for.
I lost my father when I was four years old. At fourteen, I moved from Juana Díaz, Puerto Rico, to South Carolina without speaking English and without my parents beside me. My older brother supported me as much as he could, but he also had his own family and responsibilities. I had to become independent very early, adapt to a new culture, and learn how to move forward while often feeling alone and wanting to return to Puerto Rico.
Becoming a father at seventeen was another major challenge. I was still in high school and suddenly had a responsibility much greater than myself. My son was never a mistake; he became one of the greatest motivations in my life. However, I had to mature quickly. I worked washing dishes at Johnny Rockets while learning to cut hair. I did not have a car, so I sometimes gave classmates free haircuts in exchange for rides to work. Those early haircuts were not perfect, but every mistake became practice, and every difficult day strengthened my discipline.
The language barrier also followed me into my professional journey. I had to study, obtain my licenses, communicate with clients, manage businesses, and eventually become a state-licensed barber instructor while continuing to improve my English. That experience is one of the reasons I now teach in both English and Spanish. I understand what it feels like to have ability and ambition but struggle to fully express yourself or understand the system around you.
Building Barber Gallery brought another level of challenges. Growing a business with multiple barbers required much more than technical talent. I had to learn leadership, hiring, customer service, finances, conflict resolution, branding, and how to carry the responsibility of other people depending on the business.
There were successes, but there were also mistakes, pressure, difficult decisions, and moments when I realized that growth without structure can become a burden. I learned that a business can look successful from the outside while the owner is struggling internally with health, family, stress, or a lack of balance.
One of my greatest lessons has been that talent cannot replace discipline. Talent can open a door, but discipline is what allows a person to remain. Motivation may help us begin, but consistency is what produces transformation. I have experienced seasons when I was highly disciplined and seasons when I allowed small areas of my life to become disorganized. Those moments taught me that failure often begins quietly—when we stop protecting our health, finances, habits, family, character, or relationship with God.
I have also faced the challenge of knowing when to release something successful so I could move into a greater purpose. After operating Barber Gallery for seven years and expanding into a second location, I made the difficult decision to sell both traditional shops and enter a new stage of my life. Walking away from something I had worked so hard to build was not easy, but I understood that my next chapter required me to focus more deeply on education, my family, my health, Barber Gallery Suite, United Multimedia, and the future Barber Gallery Academy.
Through my travels to more than fifteen countries, my work with Booksy, my collaborations with L3VEL3, and my experience teaching and connecting with professionals, I repeatedly saw the same struggle: many barbers have extraordinary talent but lack education in business, taxes, financial planning, insurance, retirement, marketing, branding, customer retention, and character development.
That challenge became part of my purpose. It took me approximately three years to organize what I had learned and create De Barbero Dotado a Artista Leyenda. I wanted to build the type of educational system I wish more professionals had access to—one that teaches not only how to cut hair, but how to build a stable career, protect a family, develop a brand, and become a responsible leader.
My road has included loss, financial pressure, language barriers, young parenthood, business challenges, personal mistakes, and difficult transitions. I do not present my story as one of perfection. I present it as evidence that a person can fall, learn, correct their direction, and continue moving forward.
Above all, my faith has carried me. I became a Christian as a child before leaving Puerto Rico. I did not fully understand that decision at the time, and I have not always made the right choices, but God has remained faithful throughout my journey. I believe He has used both my successes and my failures to shape my character and reveal that my greatest purpose is not simply to become successful.
My greatest purpose is to serve—helping people grow professionally, but also helping them become stronger individuals, better leaders, more responsible family members, and people of character. The road has not been smooth, but every obstacle has helped prepare me for the work I am doing today.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My work exists at the intersection of barbering, education, business development, creativity, and service. I am a licensed barbering professional and Barber Instructor in South Carolina, a bilingual educator, entrepreneur, filmmaker, music producer, and the founder of several projects created to help people transform their talent into a sustainable profession and a meaningful legacy.
Barbering has always been the foundation of my professional life. I specialize in precision haircuts, fades, beard design, scalp micropigmentation, hair-replacement systems, image development, and premium client experiences. However, I have never viewed barbering as simply cutting hair. For me, it is an art form, a business, a cultural connection, and an opportunity to restore confidence in another person.
I am also known for combining barbering with education, motivation, faith, music, visual storytelling, marketing, and personal development. My background in filmmaking and music production has helped me communicate ideas creatively, produce professional content, and teach other professionals how to present their work and build brands that reflect their true value.
Through my professional relationship with Booksy, collaborations with L3VEL3, seminars, presentations, and industry opportunities, I have traveled to more than fifteen countries. Those experiences allowed me not only to teach, but also to learn from barbers, educators, entrepreneurs, and different cultures around the world. I spent years observing the challenges professionals faced and collecting practical information about what separates technical talent from long-term success.
One of the businesses I am most proud of building was Barber Gallery. It remained active in the market for seven years, grew to include twelve barbers, expanded into a second location, and became one of the most recognized barbering brands in the Greenville area. The company developed a strong reputation through thousands of positive client experiences and five-star reviews.
Although I am proud of what Barber Gallery accomplished, I am even more proud of what those years taught me. I discovered that many talented barbers receive enough technical training to obtain a license, but they are not always taught how to build a financially stable life around their profession. Many do not understand business structure, taxes, credit, homeownership preparation, insurance, retirement planning, customer retention, marketing, branding, content creation, or the responsibilities of being an independent professional.
That realization became the foundation of my educational mission.
I created De Barbero Dotado a Artista Leyenda, which translates to From Gifted Barber to Legendary Artist. The program took approximately three years to develop because it was built from real experience, international travel, business ownership, education, mistakes, research, and direct observation of the industry.
The program teaches much more than haircutting. Students learn technical barbering, customer service, professionalism, personal branding, marketing, social media, content production, artificial intelligence, business structure, taxes, financial planning, retirement preparation, insurance protection, and long-term career development. I also introduce students to advanced services such as scalp micropigmentation and hair replacement, helping them understand how the industry continues to expand.
I teach in both English and Spanish because I personally understand what it means to arrive in this country without speaking the language. I do not want language to prevent a talented person from receiving an education, understanding the professional system, or reaching their full potential.
Today, I continue serving clients and teaching through Barber Gallery Suite while developing the future vision for a bilingual barber academy in South Carolina. My goal is to create an educational environment where students learn not only how to become skilled barbers, but also how to become responsible professionals, business owners, leaders, and providers for their families.
I also founded United Multimedia, a company focused on branding, marketing, audiovisual production, content creation, technology, and business development. Through this work, I help entrepreneurs establish their identity, communicate their value, retain customers, and understand the modern digital business environment. I have had opportunities to contribute to projects connected with the City of Greenville, the City of Greer, and recognized brands such as JCPenney and Macy’s.
What sets me apart is that I do not separate technical talent from character, discipline, business knowledge, creativity, and service. My teaching philosophy focuses on developing the mind, the heart, the profession, behavior, and professionalism.
I do not want to teach people only how to make money. I want to help them understand how to manage their lives, protect their families, treat people correctly, build something sustainable, and use their abilities to serve their communities.
What I am most proud of is not a title, a building, a review count, or a business achievement. I am most proud of the people I have been able to teach, mentor, encourage, and help move forward.
My faith is at the center of that mission. I believe God has used my successes, failures, education, travels, and personal challenges to show me that my greatest purpose is not simply to become successful. My purpose is to serve, to educate, and to help other people recognize that talent becomes powerful when it is supported by discipline, character, knowledge, and a firm foundation.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up, I was independent, observant, creative, and determined, although much of that independence developed out of necessity. Losing my father when I was four years old and not always having my parents physically present forced me to mature earlier than many children around me.
I was born in Juana Díaz, Puerto Rico, where culture, family, faith, music, and community were important parts of my early life. Before moving to the United States, I became a Christian as a child. I did not fully understand the depth of that decision at the time, but faith remained a seed within me and later became a central part of my identity and purpose.
I was always attracted to creativity. Music, rap, writing, composition, visual art, and storytelling allowed me to express emotions and ideas that I did not always know how to communicate in ordinary conversation. Even before I understood branding or content creation, I naturally enjoyed combining words, images, music, and motivational messages.
I also enjoyed sports, especially baseball. After moving to South Carolina at fourteen without speaking English, baseball gave me a way to connect with others and become part of a team. Playing for Greer High School while maintaining good grades helped me realize that language and circumstances did not have to define my limits.
Personality-wise, I learned to be resourceful and adaptable. I was not someone who could wait for perfect conditions or for another person to solve every problem. I learned to observe, make adjustments, work with what I had, and continue moving forward.
Becoming a father at seventeen accelerated that growth. It gave my life a clearer direction and taught me that responsibility is not based on whether a person feels ready. Sometimes responsibility arrives first, and maturity must follow.
I was also ambitious, although my ambitions evolved over time. At first, I wanted to survive, work, and provide. Later, I wanted to master my profession, build businesses, create art, travel, teach, and serve others.
Looking back, the interests I had while growing up—music, art, sports, faith, leadership, creativity, and connecting with people—eventually came together in my professional life. They became part of how I approach barbering, education, filmmaking, music production, branding, entrepreneurship, and mentorship today.
I was not a perfect child or young man, and I made mistakes along the way. However, I was always willing to learn. I believe God used both my natural interests and the challenges of my childhood to develop resilience, creativity, compassion, and the desire to help other people discover what they are capable of becoming.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tulpithebarber.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tulpithebarber/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/TULPITHEBARBER
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tulpithebarber
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@tulpithebarber
- Other: https://unitedmultimediaservices.info
