Cutting a Path to Purpose
Photos + Story by Cliff Standard Co.
In Japanese culture, there is a term (“Ikigai”) that describes the intersection of what you love, what you're good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. It’s a way of describing a natural yet deep-rooted passion that, time and time again, draws you back in. Some never find their Ikigai – I’d say you're lucky if you do.
Eduardo and Ralph are among the lucky ones.
Their ikigai lies in the art of haircutting. From a young age, they discovered their love and talent for grooming hair, and as they grew up, they saw a demand for their skills in the barbering industry. Not only do they find joy in cutting hair, but they’ve also found fulfillment in educating others and helping their clients feel confident and stylish. Haircutting is not just a job for these guys - it's their purpose, their passion, and their calling.
Ralph grew up around the industry, as his mom owned a hair salon near Mountain View for over two decades. Some of his earliest memories are of playing in the salon as a child, often being the test subject of her many haircutting experiments.
“I had the flat top, the mushroom cut, blonde hair, cheetah hair, orange hair – you name it,” laughs Ralph.
“Hey, it’s just hair! If you don’t like it, you can let it grow and cut it”
Something must have stuck from a young age. Ralph continues to be bold, never taking his own hair too seriously. “Hey, it’s just hair!” he said to me. “If you don’t like it, you can let it grow and cut it.” Haircutting wasn’t an immediate passion for Ralph though. He wasn’t sure that was the route for him – after all, he had aspirations of going to college and pursuing a different career. And because of his hard work, he had the grades for it. He took AP courses and ultimately graduated in the top 10% of his class. But as he reached his senior year, the coursework was overwhelming and uninspiring for him.
“I got burnt out at college and realized it wasn’t for me,” he said. With a little encouragement from his mom, he took another look at the barber chair and it drew him in. After making his way through hair school and helping his first customers, he realized how much he enjoyed the craft. “I kind of fell in love with cutting hair around then, even though it wasn’t my first choice,” he said with a smile.
Eduardo’s call came much earlier. As a kid growing up in Duncanville, he remembers cutting his friends’ hair in middle school. “I started initially cutting my brother’s hair,” Eduardo said, “and then my brother’s two friends started to show up. And then after that, two of my close friends would come by the garage.”
“I always cut hair for fun, but when I started working in the [first] shop, it was one after the other, like an assembly line...”
By the time high school rolled around, Eduardo was cutting the hair of almost every one of his friends. It was only natural, then, that he would leave high school and start work in a number of local barber shops. But the transition wasn’t what he expected immediately, and the creativity and enjoyment he got naturally from cutting hair felt somewhat lost. “I always cut hair for fun, but when I started working in the shop, it was one after the other, like an assembly line.”
He backed away from the industry for a brief period of time, trying his hand at other jobs such as welding. But his passion remained in haircutting, and eventually, he decided to go to Caliber Barber College for some formal training. It was here where he met Ralph.
“I first met Ralph when he came by to teach a class. He had been at a barbershop already for some time, but came into our college sometimes to teach a number of classes,” Eduardo said. Classes were also an opportunity for professionals like Ralph to look at the students and see who was engaged, and discover who showed promise or talent. He says Eduardo immediately struck him as someone passionate and dedicated to the craft. “He was attentive and soaked up the material,” he said.
He backed away from the industry for a brief period of time, trying his hand at other jobs such as welding. But his passion remained in haircutting, and eventually, he decided to go to Caliber Barber College for some formal training. It was here where he met Ralph.
“I first met Ralph when he came by to teach a class. He had been at a barbershop already for some time, but came into our college sometimes to teach a number of classes,” Eduardo said. Classes were also an opportunity for professionals like Ralph to look at the students and see who was engaged, and discover who showed promise or talent. He says Eduardo immediately struck him as someone passionate and dedicated to the craft. “He was attentive and soaked up the material,” he said.
After graduation, Eduardo interviewed with Urban Soul, where Ralph was working at the time. The two immediately connected and a friendship was born. Eventually, that friendship turned into a business partnership as they started their very own Barbershop, Reycol (took from their last names, Eduardo Reyes and Ralph Nicol).
They first learned about Tyler Station in 2018 through Dr. B at Ann’s Health Food Center, who encouraged them to check out the newly renovated factory. “It was massive and mainly empty, with big, giant pillars,” says Eduardo, “ we got to choose our own spot too, which was great.” Despite the rawness of their first visit, they quickly caught a vision for their business. And though they had never run their own business like this before, they confidently jumped into the world of entrepreneurship.
“It took us a while,” adds Ralph, “maybe a year and a half or so to get momentum, because we were just working with the two of us. We were building it up, fixing it as we went – it was honestly a lot of work. Now, it’s growing in a great, slow, and steady way.”
The duo also began to hold regular education classes in their barbershop, connecting with big-time educators – which has essentially placed them on the map and encouraged new team members to join from all around the States. “We’ve had people travel from as far as Louisiana just to join a workshop here, it’s crazy!” Ralph said.
Above all, the team at Reycol Barbershop says they are so content with the environment they have created, and it’s unlike anything they’ve ever worked in before.
“We just try to create a space where everyone is comfortable. It doesn’t matter who you are, or what you’re worth, or what you do. Everyone gets treated the same. If you’re a person who is willing to socialize, then this is the spot for you.”
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