Interview with Josh Lamonaca

Josh got off to an early start in barbering. What attracted him to the business? “I got into cutting hair because I was inspired by football players and their hairstyles and overall style. As a 15-year-old, I dreamt of becoming a professional football player. So football spurred me to become interested in design, haircuts, etcetera,” says Josh.

MENSPIRE took off with flying colours from day one. A pivotal moment in the company’s history takes place relatively shortly after its founding. Having outgrown the first location, Josh and his business partner Samuel Palmer had to decide whether to take the risk of taking on the extra overhead of a larger shop or to put the brakes on the growth. They chose the former and the risk paid off. Josh explains: “We had a shop that was too small. Within about 18 months, we grew so rapidly that we had to decide to go big or stay small. And so we ended up taking a new unit. We doubled the size, tripled the rent, and quadrupled the opportunity. So we took that risk and it’s paid off.”

International expansion soon followed. “We opened our second shop in 2018 in Dublin. In 2019, we had our third shop. The number of shops moved to 8 or 9 in that same year. The number hit 15 in 2020 and we’ve been steadily expanding ever since. Today we have 31 shops, including six in the Netherlands, with another four pending,” Josh explains.

MENSPIRE is celebrating its tenth anniversary. Josh reflects on the first decade: “It’s been an overwhelming journey. What’s incredibly special is that we’re constantly raising the bar. The development of MENSPIRE has never been a big explosion. We just keep constantly tapping away step by step. Reaching new heights,” says Josh.

What have been high-points and low-points? Josh: “A high-point has been being able to figure out how to operate. In a way which we have been able to franchise and that our franchisees are content and successful with the blueprint we’ve created. Opening new shops with other people and seeing them be successful has been great. We’ve succeeded in navigating our way into a position where we understood that there is a way to do it and to be successful with it. So one of the greatest successes has been figuring out how to scale this particular business.”

And the low-point? Josh says there have been multiple obstacles along the way: “Both Samuel and I were experts in hair but not in business. That means we’ve had to learn the business side of things along the way. Early on we were caught out by, for example, not knowing how much tax we have to pay at the end of the year and consequently not having the necessary reserves. As a result, we encountered financial difficulties, even though the world knew the MENSPIRE brand. It was tough to realise that, while MENSPIRE was a globally known brand, our business was not in the best condition. We learned from that experience, sorted out our business finances and came out ahead.”

It is easy to imagine that MENSPIRE’s success is largely thanks to sophisticated marketing. That’s not the case. Josh says MENSPIRE did not focus on marketing as a growth vehicle during its first eight years. Josh explains: “We didn’t start seeing marketing as a priority until about three years ago. That is because naturally, as a one or two salon owner, your real marketing comes from your clients, from word of mouth. That’s how you establish and grow your business until you get to a point where you have multiple businesses. Only then do you need to build your brand identity rather than the business. When you’re building a franchise network, your marketing focuses on your brand identity and the benefits of becoming part of the MENSPIRE organisation either as a franchisee or associate.”

Josh says the relationship with the MENSPIRE franchiser in the Netherlands is an excellent example of a mutually beneficial relationship in which a local entrepreneur can build a successful enterprise within their franchise network: “Our Dutch franchiser Najib Mea has been a phenomenal addition to our directorship, he has achieved far more than any entrepreneur in barbering history. To be able to take on 6 projects in Amsterdam and let’s face it that’s not cheap, that’s lots of risk, and 3 years on its already beginning to pay off. Where he has transitioned from being a barber and move into mentor mode after working with Samuel Palmer he has become an integral part of the management team and is leading the way through the Netherlands and beyond. With the MENSPIRE Academy Netherlands about to begin its going to pave the way to place the Netherlands on the map once again following the successful path in the Netherlands that once Schorem laid out. Now it’s time to keep pushing the boundaries and raise the level one more time with our education and our vision.”

Josh does not believe traditional marketing is the best way forward for most barbershops. He says, “If you have a single barbershop, what you’ve got to do is focus on your product. You don’t have to have online marketing to build a good salon reputation. You don’t have to spend money on marketing unless you have multiple shops. So at the end of the day, marketing is important, and it isn’t important.”

What is Josh’s advice to barbers wanting to build their business? “I would go on the street. I’m old school and believe in communicating face-to-face. We built our clientele by providing a great product – a fantastic haircut that wasn’t offered by anyone else in the area. That’s the secret to success. Give someone excellent service and a nice haircut and they will come back.”

So what does the next ten years have in store? Josh says they plan to stay on course and keep growing the business gradually. “We’re on the right track and want to continue on the successful path. Our objective is to expand into new countries, new regions – so to continue to do what we’re already doing.”

Josh wants to keep doing the things he loves and exploring new creative endeavours. “I want to achieve a great deal over the next ten years. Creating step-by-step books and videos and doing big shows. All the things I really love. I’ll focus on mentoring and coaching our staff and ensuring our standards remain at the optimal level. I envision a much freer role in carrying our brand forward, creating the interest and attracting people to our industry that offers so many opportunities.”