Meet Brian Coleman | Entrepreneur & Visionary

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

Hi Brian, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I have always desired full autonomy to develop and create at my own pace. There are limitations when you are working for someone else or building a brand that you don’t own. I wanted to challenge myself when I opened my first business and it took me totally out of my comfort zone but it grew me in ways I didn’t know that I needed. I was 25 years old when I started my first business and my intention was to make as much money as I could and develop a great brand. My thought process today is much more mature and extemporaneous. As a father, husband and mentor I am much more focused on building opportunities for other people and leaving a dynamic legacy that will stand strong.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I work in the mens grooming industry and I own Gold Coast Barbershop located in the heart of Chicago’s Magnificent Mile and Gold Coast neighborhood. I am the only full service high end multicultural barbershop located in the neighborhood. My journey certainly was not easy. My first barbershop was a 7 chair barber salon located downtown Chicago. I was very idealistic and ambitious with my first opportunity, I learned a lot but I also made a lot of mistakes. In order to truly be successful in business I believe you must have a determination and resolve to learn from your mistakes and keep trying. After closing my first barbershop I took the lessons I learned and fine tuned my approach. Instead of focusing on a large store front space, my goal this time has been to develop a dynamic brand that could have unlimited growth online and at a physical location while keeping overhead low with small square footage. If I could give some solid advice to anyone new to business or entrepreneurship, I would tell to follow your passion and not the money, also leave a footprint unique to what inspires you. Resist the urge to copy what others are doing because you can’t duplicate vision and passion. I started honing my craft as a barber when I was 12 years old and I have been in the industry now for over 25 years. Greatness takes time to cultivate.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If I had friends visiting town, I would have them navigate the city through the food! Chicago is amazing but many hidden gems go undiscovered because they are in less promoted neighborhoods. I would start them off in my neighborhood Hyde Park. We would walk through downtown Hyde Park on 53rd St. We would stop by Barack Obamas home and I would show them his old barbershop where they still have his chair roped off. Afterwards we would visit Soul Shack or Virtue for lunch. Next I would navigate them through the West Loop, South Loop and downtown areas. We would do an architectural tour on the water at Navy Pier. Lastly I would show them the neighborhood I work in on the Gold Coast. We would go shopping, stop by the John Hancock Tilt experience and lastly I would take them to Maple and Ash for dinner.

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?
I would love to shoutout my late mentor Dr. Clifford E. Turner. In every sense he was a pioneer and visionary in ministry and business. His mentorship and life lessons has shaped into much of the man I am today.

Website: www.goldcoastbarbershopchi.com

Instagram: @goldcoastbarbershop

Facebook: Gold Coast Barbershop

Yelp: Gold Coast Barbershop

Image Credits
Joshua Taylor