Meet Donnell Hilliard | Barber

We had the good fortune of connecting with Donnell Hilliard and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Donnell, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I’m originally from New Orleans, Louisiana. My father was in the U.S. Marine Corps so most of my childhood, I grew up in North County. I attended Buena Vista Elementary, Valley Junior High School, and Carlsbad High School until my parents divorced and I moved with my mom back to New Orleans at age of 14 after my freshman year, which was when my mom decided to give me my first pair of clippers to cut my own hair. In Louisiana I finished High School and had my first child at age 19. I Then joined the U.S. Army in September of 2000 at age 22 and served 3 years until I was injured. After returning to Louisiana, I struggled to keep a job for 2 years. In August of 2005 my life was turned upside down by Hurricane Katrina, and in the chaos I was given the opportunity to return to California by bus.

Louisiana shaped my future in a way I could not understand at the time. Unfortunately, I wasn’t initially accepted by my peers at school, because I was an “outsider”. For the first 6-12 months I was bullied and picked on for being the new guy. I started using my clippers to my advantage though. There were only a few barbers in the area I was in so I started cutting my cousins hair, then their friends and in time I was accepted by everyone because I was able to cut their hair. I had my first child in November of 1997 and had to figure out how I was going to provide for him. I tried many different jobs and never thought about barbering. After struggling for a few years, I chose to join the Army out of necessity to provide for my child.

After finishing basic training, I bought myself a pair of clippers and started cutting in the barracks to make extra money. This was huge for me because upon my entry into the Army, I realized how little I was actually making. Cutting hair for $5-$10 gave me money to send home and help with things that I couldn’t afford. Cutting in the barracks also gave me confidence and helped with my communication and social skills with people.

When I returned to Louisiana in 2003, after being injured, I again went from job to job trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, because I had all intentions of making the military my career. I did things that I wasn’t happy with. I ventured into sales, marketing, and even enrolled into truck driving school. None of which I felt I was comfortable or happy with. In 2005 after Hurricane Katrina ravished New Orleans and busses showed up to the Superdome taking people to different cities, I chose one that was coming to California. I figured I would get a fresh start in a familiar environment.

Coming back to California was hard, especially knowing I was leaving my kids behind, but I knew it was in my best interest and there was more opportunity here. Going through the struggles of life and figuring out what I wanted to do with my life was difficult, but it changed me for the best. I feel like I learned so many things that made me who I am. I learned to be resilient , persistent and chase my dreams. I also found that I was capable of anything that I put my mind to. With that being said, I realized that my dream was to be an entrepreneur, and barbering was my area of expertise . In 2006 I walked into a barbershop, told the owner my story and based on my experience in Hurricane Katrina, he felt bad and gave me an opportunity to become a barber. That was the day that I knew I found my calling!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I love being a barber. I have worked in several barbershops over the years, so Ive taken some things that I liked from all of the shops that I have worked in and I like to think that I made them my own. What sets me apart from others and what I am most proud of the fact that I was given the opportunity to become an instructor at Associated Barber College of San Diego. The school helped and allowed me to refine my skills as a barber and teach the things that I knew and in some way fuse the old school barbering that I was used to with the new era of barbering.

I learned to simplify what I knew and communicate it with others in a way that will help them understand how to effectively create a haircut. This was the hardest part of my barbering career so far. The challenge of putting into words what I do from muscle memory was the hardest thing I had ever done. Overcoming my fear of public speaking and finding the words to express myself in a manner that others could understand pushed me and helped me to realize that I had a love for teaching, which is why I opened up a barbershop of my own. Not only to be a shop owner but, to be able to help those that want the knowledge that I have to offer.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are a few people that have been essential to me chasing this dream and getting where I am today. First of all, the owner of the barbershop that I walked into that gave me my first opportunity to be a barber. James Threats inspired me to be a professional. He showed me what barbering was. I was given the mentorship, tools, and drive to succeed as well as the space to to do so. I knew nothing about being in a barbershop or barbering for that matter. I learned very quickly that I was not as good as I thought and was given a crash course. After a few bad haircuts and many nights questioning my decision, I was encouraged by James to stay the course. James took a chance on me and I am forever grateful for the tutelage and friendship that he has and continues to give me.

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