Changing the Coast one cut at a time

When we got the opportunity to sit with Josh from Allan’s Men's Hairdressing, little did we know that this story was such a tribute to hard work, love, and commitment between two boys and their dad.

Josh and his brother grew up in Brooklyn, a small suburb located on the outskirts of Sydney, which is surrounded by nature and occupies a strip of waterfront along the southern bank of the Hawkesbury River. The town provides a range of activities, mostly for boating, fishing, and bushwalking.

Josh has fond memories of the town and says, "It's no surprise my first job, like most young boys living in the area, was cleaning tinnies and houseboats during the holiday season."

Josh said, "My dad first purchased his barber shop some 40 years ago in Baulkham Hills; it was in a little arcade. He later started to branch out into shopping centres and now has 16 successful Allan’s Men's Hairdressing stores."

We asked Josh when he decided he wanted to work in the family business. He replied, "From the day I was born, my dad used to take me and my brother to work with him. We were so small he used to put a cot in the back of his shops to keep a close eye on us. It’s no surprise we are both running our own stores now."

Josh is proud of his dad’s achievements. In his words, his dad is his hero. You see his face light up when he talks about him. When asked what he thinks is the secret to his dad’s success, he replied, "It's simple. My dad is a highly motivated individual, he never stops working, and he is consistent with everything he does. Every customer is important, and every customer, when they walk into one of our stores, receives impeccable service."

Josh could have picked any store to manage, but he chose Lake Haven Centre. We asked him what it was about this store. He replied, "I have run this store for five years now, and I love the atmosphere this Centre provides. Along with living on the Central Coast, it’s such a beautiful part of the world. My dream is to find a piece of land big enough to build my dream home for my partner, two children, and our two dogs. Oh, and enough space so I can purchase an Australian Stock Horse. I had one when I was 16, and I miss not having that again."

When we sat with Josh, it was easy to see how he has followed in his dad’s footsteps. He has a strong work ethic, a passion for business, and his vision, along with his brother's, is to continue their father’s dream.

We said to Josh, "Your staff always seem to be loving what they do." He agreed, "It's easy to look after your staff. Without them, we wouldn’t have a business. My staff are a happy bunch, and they know they can always come to me for advice or if they just need a helping hand. The store thrives on happy staff, which leads to happy customers."

To have 16 stores is a testament to hard work, resilience, and focus. Allan’s Men's Hairdressing is a family-run operation with a reputation that is the best in the business. Their business model is built on providing customers the best possible service at reasonable prices. "It works, and it will continue to work in the years to come," said Josh.

We asked Josh what his favorite cut is. He said, "I enjoy any sort of skin fade as it provides a lot of creativity for me. I did an analysis on our other 15 stores, and Lake Haven Centre has the highest number of these types of cuts."

These days, men are taking the time to enjoy the experience, with beard shaves, beard and hair washes. Josh said, "Some men come into the shop every week to keep their cut perfect, and we even have a customer who comes in twice a week.”

• Favourite shop in Lake Haven Centre: Sayas Ink and Kols Kebabs
• Favourite sport: Golf
• Favourite food: It must be my partner’s slow cooked pulled lamb with mashed potato.