Maxim Stifler about his first haircut, relationships with clients and tattoos

Maxim Stifler is a barber, owner of TheSketch barbershop chain, a guy who loves old school, tattoos and really loves creating classic haircuts.

Haircut with a lighter

Let's start from the beginning of your story, namely childhood. Did you still want to become a hairdresser?

As a child, I liked to do my own hair using gels, etc. Particularly inspired were old-school films and the actors’ hairstyles – hair slicked back or to one side. Mom always asked me not to do that, because Hitler wore that hairstyle.

There was a funny incident when I cut my own bangs. My parents left for work for a week, which meant that I had the whole house to myself. It was a time of crazy school life when we were just trying to smoke. I had long hair and equally long bangs.

I lit a cigarette, and my hair burned straight along the line of my eyebrows, leveling out into a beautifully trimmed bang. Mom said then that I would definitely be a hairdresser, because everything turned out so clearly and smoothly for me. She still had no idea how exactly the bangs came about! But now, it seems, he finds out.

How did your parents feel about your passion for hair styling?

It wasn’t that I dreamed of becoming a hairdresser, but I knew that I would be associated with the art in which I was interested. It was important for me to do something interesting, creative, make people more beautiful or design. And everything that could be invested in art in a creative sense came to me at the hairdresser.

When the body is still a canvas

Tell us about your passion for tattoos.

Tattoos have grown from a hobby into some kind of fetish. Once upon a time it was fashionable to print hieroglyphs, dragons or something like that. My first tattoo was a dragon on my shoulder. He was funny and somewhat reminiscent of a humpbacked horse. One day her mother noticed her and asked if she was going to be there for the rest of her life. He answered that he did everything, and she didn’t like it very much. At first, she perceived it all critically, but now she doesn’t seem to notice the tattoos, she’s gotten used to them.

You have tattoos on your face. What do they mean?

The number 79 is personal, the only tattoo I got while drunk. And the second is three dots, which stand for “my crazy life.”

Who inspired you to get tattoos?

My father had a lot of tattoos. When we talked already in my adulthood, I saw a lot of tattoos on him, which looked very beautiful, although they did not mean the best things. I really liked them.

How many tattoos do you have? Did you count them?

No, I didn't. I think eventually 70–80% of my body will be clogged, but I won’t touch my face anymore.

Should all your tattoos have meaning? Or do you sometimes give freedom to an idea?

50/50. Something connected with my activity: I have about 10 straight razors all over my body, they are hidden among other tattoos. On the wrist is the logo of my barbershop TheSketch, which was invented and created even before its appearance. Initially, my friend and I decided to launch a cosmetics brand, which laid the foundation for everything.

From a cosmetics brand to a chain of barbershops

Why did you decide to launch a cosmetics brand?

It’s just that back then, 6–7 years ago, we had to start somewhere. I have long wanted to open a barbershop, but finding investment is very difficult. First, it was necessary to make the brand recognizable. This is probably why we launched a brand of cosmetics and, at the same time, clothing: hoodies, T-shirts, sweatshirts with TheSketch logo. Since then, the logo has not changed.

And how was the business going?

We broke even. At that time this was enough. Items were produced in limited collections, and to this day many friends and those who bought our merch have kept it as a reminder.

Did your idea to make TheSketch brand recognizable work?

Well, let's say, because of the brand, I quarreled with my friend, with whom we all started. It was my idea that I lived by, and he supported me. But my friend was offended by the fact that I didn’t want to make him the same boss in the barbershop I was going to open. In general, thanks to the recognizable brand and the name made, everything worked out.

Did your “cosmetic background” come in handy when you needed to choose products for your barbershop?

I think yes. When we order a new product, we always study its composition. It is important that the product does not harm the client’s hair and that the barber can use it to achieve the desired result. Please pay attention to what kind of hair the product is applied to – wet or dry. Over the years, we have settled on some positions that suit us well. From time to time, of course, we try something new.

What products do you use most often?

We're fans of water-based pomades because they apply to both dry and wet hair. When the lipstick dries, the strands have almost no shine. We also use briolin, but drier, which does not make the hair so greasy. And we practically don’t use hairsprays – they dry out our hair and make styling look unnatural. But varnishes are very useful in competition entries or for photo shoots when you need to “freeze” your hair.

What was the transition like from a cosmetics brand to opening a barbershop?

These ideas existed and developed in parallel. When I worked for the brand, I wrote various business plans, thought through possible development options and knew for sure that the morning would come when I would wake up and say: “The time has come.”

At first I looked for investors among friends, on different platforms. I have repeatedly received offers, they say, come on, Max, you cut hair great, we’ll open a network right away, there will be a lot of money. But I refused because I didn’t feel these people were my partners. Yes, I understood that it would work and several barbershops would open at once, but all the laurels would not go to me. That is, they tried to mold my idea into something of their own, to somehow implement it in their own way. I wanted to see everything differently, to stick to my concept. Because it was my idea.

I also opened TheSketch with a partner, but this was the person with whom we worked together. He made a huge contribution of ideas and suggestions. His part of the job is advertising and communication. But over time, he either got tired of it or stopped seeing any meaning in it.

About TheSketch's competitors

What was the hairdressing market like when the barbershop opened?

We were the fifth or sixth barbershop that opened in Kyiv at that time, that is, we were among the first ten in the capital. Only then they began to actively open.

Did you have any competitors when you opened the barbershop? If so, who?

Back then I didn’t consider anyone a competitor. Kyiv is big, there are also a lot of men who take care of themselves. And there was no point in worrying about competition. At that time, it was a blast to work because people were just starting to learn about barbershops, about barbering, and they liked it.

As soon as a person came for a haircut for the first time, he immediately became our client. There were no problems with competition for those barbershops that provided quality work and good service. Then we were just starting to run this business, we tried to do everything right and therefore observed European and American barbershops.

If you compare TheSketch then (4.5 years ago) and now, is it something completely different?

The design has changed. Not much, but something was added, something was removed. Many guests say that this is the most lively and atmospheric barbershop. It has its own party, where our guests-clients, who have become friends, bring their friends, and they also stay with us. We probably remember everyone by name. But despite the fact that these are our friends, we do not cut them for better or worse. We do not overstep the bounds of professionalism.

About customer relations

It happens that a client becomes a friend over time. But how do you feel about the fact that a certain familiarity appears?

Sometimes a client-friend can even get a better haircut because he is more loyal to having his hair cut a little longer. For example, he won’t mind if the master cuts hair 15–20 minutes longer, but gets a cleaner job with more details. And the client is confident of an excellent result. It’s easier to negotiate with such guests and get a haircut after work.

This in no way means that new customers receive less quality or service. No. They are often shy because it is their first time. But the atmosphere always speaks for itself: dude, relax, everyone here is normal, normal guys. It is always difficult for us to determine who came into the barbershop - just a friend of the master or a guest-client.

You've been cutting hair for a long time. Has the excessive caution and feeling of excitement when working with new clients disappeared? What kind of clients are in the master's chair?

Very different people come. There are such scrupulous guys who are afraid for every hair, and someone sits in a chair and completely trusts the master. First, we find out the person’s preferences and agree on a haircut. But if he is nervous and constantly looks in the mirror, then we try to turn the chair away so that the client looks at the room and communicates with someone.

Because a mirror is primarily for the master, and not for the client. During haircuts, the chairs are raised high and tilted at a certain angle - for the convenience of the hairdresser while working. And when clients try to stand up during a haircut or turn around and move closer to the mirror to look at the haircut, it can tilt and fall. Is it dangerous. The client can look at the result at the end of the haircut, when the hairdresser is finished.

About the workflow

What haircuts do you like the most?

I'm a fan of classic pompadour haircuts. Despite my predisposition to creativity, I prefer classic haircuts. But this does not mean that I only perform classic haircuts.

The guys and I do both model haircuts and fades, we modernize and combine different styles. Barbershops are different from each other: some do only classic haircuts, some only do modern ones, but we do everything. After all, different people come, and they have different preferences.

Have you ever had a situation where the client didn’t like the end result? If yes, what did you do in this case?

I don't remember these. The client may have been unusual in seeing himself as new. I love surprising people. You listen to preferences, add a little of your own, take into account the proportions - and you get something very cool. But I always warn people about this. For example, I tell him that we will do the haircut the way he wants, but I will try to style his hair differently, and it will be different from what the person is used to wearing, but it will look cool.

Clients have different attitudes towards styling products. Some people love styling, while others are categorically against it - they want their hair to be stiff and practically fall apart in their hands.

Previously, grease was used for styling - it glued the hair together so that you could “blind” anything from it. But the product was difficult to wash off. Nowadays, clients most often come with a request to make their hair not shiny and easy to comb.

About the team

What does an interview for a barber look like?

It happens in different ways. Sometimes you call a specific master, when you know him and his work, and offer your conditions. If someone comes and asks for a job (sometimes they come from other countries, but have problems with a visa), we help. But only if we feel that the person will be part of our team.

When you select staff, what do you pay attention to?

First of all, you need a person’s desire to work and develop. Secondly, I need to know what kind of person this is. How honest and interesting he is, whether he knows how to communicate with people, how he will behave and feel in a team. These criteria are the most important. It happens that a person may fall short in professionalism, but he can always be trained.

How did you select guys for the team?

It is always important for me that the guys cut hair as well as I do, so I tried to hire experienced ones. But he taught many. The reality is that when you are surrounded by less experienced barbers, your level may drop somewhat. But when you see cool work, you try to do something better. And if you look at a bad one for a long time, then you yourself work worse. You don't see the rating, the quality. It happened that I myself buried myself in what I knew. When you study, you don’t do complicated things, haircuts. Various master classes help you get out of this state. I follow news, trends and try new things myself. For example, the same haircut using a different technique to renew the forgotten and modernize the old.

Do you listen to your team's advice?

I like to listen, but most often I do it my own way. It all depends on what we are talking about. Of course, if the guys report that they are more comfortable working on a certain product, then I will meet them halfway. But if they start talking about which accountant I should choose, then things won’t work out here.

About barbering culture in Ukraine

Describe the barbering culture in Ukraine now.

It is developing very well and has grown significantly compared to previous years. All masters try to attend master classes, learn from others, and try something new. Nowadays there are many barbershops, and clients are looking not so much for their own barbershop, but for their master. If previously you had to go across the city to a barbershop to see a barber for a haircut and atmosphere, now you just need to get a haircut, preferably somewhere close to home.

There are also more craftsmen now, because the number of barbershops has increased. But there are not many professional barbers. Not everyone treats work with love. Someone comes with the sole purpose of earning their own bucks a month. And those who come out of love for the profession try to study all the time, to be in this crowd and atmosphere, to even learn how to dye their hair. And sooner or later such a person will start earning good money.

I am increasingly seeing how craftsmen move from place to place; they can change 10 jobs in a year. Such barbers first of all lose their clientele: no one will run after a barber throughout the city.

Blacklists of barbershops

On the topic that barbers often “run” from one barbershop to another. What is the attitude towards such masters in the professional sphere?

Pros know very well about such barbers. But they will most likely just look at them and smile. People love to discuss everything. And if a person moves to another barbershop, he may be discussed. I don't like gossip, but it often reaches me. Even if the master leaves me, someone from another barbershop may call and ask why he left. Perhaps he quit himself, or maybe he stole something and I fired him. Barbershops have their own blacklists. We can put a barber in it, and he won’t be hired anywhere.

How many people are on your blacklist?

Less than five. It is important to form a friendly team, because the guys work shoulder to shoulder, they must help each other and learn from each other. There are those who come with their own rules and principles; they may not fit into the team. This spoils the work, and the atmosphere is lost.

About Stifler's lifestyle

What bloggers do you follow?

I follow a lot of people. I like Lin and Bertus, the founders of the Reuzel brand and the Schorem barbershop. I really like The Bloody Butcher barbershop. They only do classic haircuts. The trick is that their team initially did not have barbers, but actors whom they trained, so there is a very interesting atmosphere there. They can present themselves beautifully, it’s like you’re at a performance. But at the same time, their work is of high quality, they are constantly learning, although they only cut classic haircuts.

Josh Lamonaca, a British barber and co-founder of the Menspire salon, does textured haircuts. Yadiel Alberto Rodriguez, known as Arod the Barber, or A-Rod, is from Mexico. He uses charisma to do interesting things and runs his own YouTube channel. I would like to mention these masters separately.

Tell us about your lifestyle. How do you spend your free time?

Now I try to spend as much time as possible with my family, with my child - this orients me towards other values in life, where there are fewer parties, raves, there is practically no such thing anymore. It used to be a blast - I loved the breakdancing scene, the rap movement, electro music, clubs, I was everywhere, and perhaps there was too much of me. My son and I play sports, learn English, and travel. We love active recreation.

If we talk about clothes, then I’m not attached to anything here. In my youth, I could call myself a rapper, wear the largest size 56 pants, which my friend and I fit into.

In everyday life I prefer casual, it’s comfortable. I also love classic clothes - shoes, shirts, vests. Depending on the occasion or mood, I can dress in a biker style. I can dress creatively - a red shirt and a red hat.

What are you listening to?

I love rock and roll, hip-hop, soul, jazz - it all depends on my mood. I don't like pop music. I listen to rock. I like Cypress Hill - they have recitative and the music changes. While driving, I like to listen to more driving music while pressing on the pedals. If at home - a relaxing mantra. I listen to as many different types of music as possible, and I even did meditation at one point. To create in one area, you need to develop and be creative in different areas.

The conversation was moderated by Victoria Galiy