The Real Cost of Learning Barbering the WRONG Way (From Someone Who’s Lived It)

If you’re wondering how to become a barber in Australia, let me give you the truth most people won’t.

I’ve seen hundreds of aspiring barbers step into this industry with excitement, energy, and ambition—only to burn out, lose confidence, or stay stuck doing basic cuts for years.

Why?

Because they learned barbering the wrong way.

Instead of starting with the proper foundations, they went down the DIY route—YouTube tutorials, cutting their mates at home, or following advice from barbers who never learned professionally themselves. And that path leads to the same dead-end:

🔴 Bad habits that are hard to break

🔴 Poor technique that stalls growth

🔴 Low confidence behind the chair

🔴 And years of wasted time and missed income

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I Know Because I Was That Barber

Before launching School of Barbers, I lived through it. My first two years in barbering were all trial and error.

I was cutting hair for $30… sometimes for free. I’d spend nearly an hour on one fade, hoping the client couldn’t see how uncertain I was. Deep down, I knew it wasn’t clean—but I didn’t even know what I was doing wrong.

I’d binge YouTube videos every night—learning 100+ techniques, hoping to find the one that worked. But all it did was leave me overwhelmed, confused, and stuck.

It wasn’t until I invested in proper barber education and learned from real professionals that it finally clicked:

I hadn’t just wasted time—I had wasted opportunity.

What Trial-and-Error Barbering Really Costs

There’s a romantic idea that struggling makes you stronger. But in the world of barbering, struggling without direction just sets you back.

Here’s what I’ve seen it cost other barbers (and myself):

💸 Missed Income

Barbers stay stuck charging $15–$20 for years because they’re not confident enough to raise prices or too slow to take on more clients. That’s thousands in lost earnings every year.

💥 Confidence Knock

Ever had a client ask for a mid-bald fade or a unique cut… and your stomach drops because you don’t know how to execute it? That fear creeps into every client interaction—and it shows.

⛔ Skill Ceilings

Without guidance, barbers plateau early. They repeat the same cuts, convinced they’ve “got it,” while missing out on the skills that really make a difference in high-end shops. Ego replaces growth, and the dream fades.

That’s Why We Built School of Barbers

We created the School of Barbers in Melbourne because no one else was teaching it the way it should be taught.

From Day 1, our 6-Week Academy gives aspiring barbers everything I wish I had:

• ✅ Real techniques from industry pros

• ✅ Speed, structure, and systems

• ✅ Hands-on experience in a live shop environment

• ✅ Mindset, marketing, and business training to build a career—not just a skill

This isn’t just another barbering course in Australia—it’s a direct path to becoming a professional barber.

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Becoming a Barber is About More Than Cutting Hair

Here’s the truth no one wants to say:

Barbering is about more than tapers and fades.
It’s about retention, speed, branding, and believing in yourself behind the chair.

You can’t fake confidence. And when you know you’ve been trained right, that confidence flows naturally—into your work, your client experience, and your income.

Real Barbers. Real Results.

We’ve seen students go from never holding clippers to landing shop jobs in under two months.

• One student went from cutting in his garage to working full-time at a premium Melbourne barbershop.

• Another jumped from $200/week to $2,000/week in 90 days—because he learned how to cut faster, sharper, and smarter.

These aren’t exceptions—they’re what happens when you’re given the right tools from day one.

Final Word: Don’t Learn the Hard Way

If you're dreaming of becoming a barber, or if you're stuck wondering why your skills or income have plateaued, this is your wake-up call.

The real cost of learning barbering the wrong way is more than just time—it’s lost income, lost belief, and missed chances to build something real.

At Empire Barbershop and School of Barbers, we’re not here to just teach you how to cut hair.
We’re here to teach you how to build a career, a brand, and a future you’re proud of.

🔥 Spots for our next intake are almost full.

Don’t let hesitation cost you another year.

Learn it right. Learn it now.

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— Damian Lai
Founder, School of Barbers