Single Mom, Walmart Clippers, Now She Owns a Barber Studio | FadesxDre Part 2

Send us Fan Mail Part 2 of our conversation with Dre, known as FadesxDre, barber and owner of Ritual Barber Studio in Grapevine, Texas. We pick up with Dre's time working for the state. She opens up about CPS cases, the pressure on caseworkers to close cases by the numbers, and why she eventually walked away. Then it shifts. In 2020, working from home, she cut her son's hair with a clipper kit from Walmart. It didn't look bad. That week she went to the nearest barber school and enrolled on the spot. What followed was a lot at once. A divorce, two boys, online barber school during COVID, and a front desk job at a pet hotel with a boss who gave her grace when she needed it most. She lost her school's owner and instructor to COVID before finishing. She found a mentor who let her watch, split cuts with her, and never charged her. Then she packed a U-Haul, hitched her Jeep, and drove her boys to Dallas, where two realtors had the keys, pizza, and a stocked fridge waiting. Dre talks about networking beyond barber events, being the only Latina on a business board, cutting for the Mavericks G League team and the UT Cotton Bowl team, judging barber competitions, and why she and her husband scaled back to a studio closer to home after their baby was born. She closes with advice for anyone starting out: stay consistent, stay disciplined, and learn business first. And a reminder that your job is never your identity. Takeaways:  Why structure and discipline matter more than fast money  How mentors outside your industry can teach you the most  What it takes to prove yourself in a male-dominated field  Why showing up for people should never be transactional Content note: this episode includes discussion of child abuse cases from Andrea's time working for CPS. Connect with Andrea:  Instagram, TikTok, Facebook: @fadesxdre  Ritual Barber Studio: @ritualbarberstudiodfw  Sparkyard Greetings: sparkyardgreetings.com | @sparkyardgreetings The Global Latin Factor Podcast with Crispin Valentin  YouTube: @thegloballatinfactorpodcast  Email: [email protected] If this story meant something to you, follow the show, leave a rating and review, and send it to someone who's thinking about starting over. Go show Andrea some love too. WEBSITE: https://thegloballatinfactor.com/ Support the show Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheGlobalLatinFactorPodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/thegloballatin1 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegloballatinfactorpodcast Tiktok: ...