This month’s Like a Boss guest is Shawn “Bos-Man” Boston, owner of Deuce’s Barber Society. Host and publisher of Bossier-Shreveport’s only business publication, BIZ., Sean Green interviews the entrepreneur and teacher to find out everything from how Boston got started cutting hair to his favorite thing about Bossier.
“I used to hang out at the barber shop, watching those guys’ camaraderie, and I came home and told my mom I wanted to be a barber. She gave me my first haircut and messed it up, so I had to fix it and I realized that if I could cut my own hair then I could cut other people’s hair. So I started cutting neighborhood kids’ hair for free,” Boston revealed.
“There’s just something about a fresh hair cut,” he added. “We see it when we cut homeless people’s hair. They comes in hopeless and then after a haircut, when they see themselves in the mirror, you can tell it makes them feel good, it gives them confidence again.”
Deuce’s Barber Society, located in the Pierre Bossier Mall, is Boston’s third shop. He opened a shop in South Park Mall in Shreveport in 2002 before he was dislocated after the mall was turned into a church. His experience was so positive that he knew he wanted to get back to a similar setting, eventually jumping on the opportunity at Bossier’s mall in November 2017.
“The mall was where it was at. It brought that crowd. I knew I wanted to go back eventually, so when this opportunity came up, I had to jump on it. It’s a whole different game in the mall.”
This is Boston’s first business in Bossier, and he is impressed by the city, saying “They are on point.”
“It’s growing. They’ve opened up Airline Drive, everything is just new and fresh,” he said. “Bossier is growth and excitement. They’re not scared to invest in their community. They want to see you grow because they know as you grow, they’ll grow.”
In addition to Deuce’s, Boston owns another shop and a barber’s college in Shreveport. He said that the difference between running the college versus the shop is that in the shop, the barbers are eager to earn their way, and in the college that hunger has to be poured into them.
“At the college we recruit, train, and place. I’m dealing with getting almost 40 students into a position to where they can start earning a living,” Boston explained. “In the barber shop, guys are ready. They want to start building that clientele and serving the community.”
But he also noted that his students get “the best advice,” learning from his 25 years of experience.
“I want to make sure the ones who really want it, they get it. I teach more than barbering. I teach life.”
It’s all part of his philosophy of giving back to the community, noting that people support those who support them.
“It’s about getting people to realize what I see in them,” Boston said. “Barbers are more than that, they’re psychiatrists. They’ve got to be willing to listen and give good advice.”
In that vein, Boston noted that Deuce’s caters “from the cradle to the grave,” explaining, “We give you a haircut from when you’re 1, to when you’re done.”
Deuce’s Barber Society
Location: 2950 E Texas St suite 104, Bossier City (Pierre Bossier Mall)
Contact: (318) 716-1435
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deucesbarbersocietyy/
Want more Like a Boss? Check out last month’s episode where Sean Green interviews Jillian Maxwell, a 15-year-old entrepreneur that started Silly Socks by Jilly.