Meet Waverly Willis | Proprietor of the Urban Kutz Barbershop chain

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

Hi Waverly, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I wanted to open up a quality multicultural business. People identify my business as a Back-owned business which it is however about 50% of our clientele is made up of other races ethnicities and lifestyles. He is ago when I pray about my business and put pin to paper to write about it I got exactly what I prayed for. I have a very multicultural business regarding my clientele as well as the staff. All races ethnicities and lifestyles have always been welcome inside of all three of my shops. I am very blessed. Also I wanted to have more than just the barbershop. Anyone can go to a random shop and get a haircut but no one can go to a barber shop and get their blood pressure checked or a list of employers that hire people with a felony background. In essence my goal was to open up a community center that you can get a great haircut at.

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?
Urban Kutz Barbershop has three locations on the west side of Cleveland. All of which are multicultural and staff and client base. My barber shop was founded on three pillars. Number one multiculturalism which means we can handle any type of hair and hairstyle and it is represented again in our client base as well as our staff, number two availability which means all three of my locations are open 7 days a week 365 days a year. Before you ask Yes we are there on Easter, yes we are there on Christmas, yes we are there on the 4th of July. Number three professionalism. Being a black business owner I know that their myths out there that our businesses are not professional and are ghetto. My goal and how I carry myself personally as well as my business is to change the narrative. My barber shops are not typical barber shops We are a group of professional people that deliver a professional service at a reasonable price. I am also an Ohio license to barber instructor. I went back to Barber college to get my instructor license because I could not find people to fit into the culture that I had envisioned. Now all of the people that work at my barber shop at one time was my student. Those are some of the things that set us apart. More things are the fact that we are big on community service. We do blood pressure checks We recently partnered with the case Western reserve University to do the blood prostate screens at our barber shop. We have a literacy program for kids at our barbershop. These are the things that set us apart. It was not easy getting here trying to find the right people to promote the culture that I envisioned continues to be a difficult task but it is working and the community has responded favorably to what we are doing. Over the years I have had many barbers work under my tutelage. Those barbers that chose to listen went on to open very successful barber shops of their own. I help them do it. And my goal is to help more do it. People must understand the fanfare that you see on social media is not true. The business owner that is building a brand is not telling the full story of the heartache and pain of paying bills, doing unexpected repairs, having to let go a friend because they just don’t fit what you are trying to do. Those are the stories that are not put on social media and these are the things that I I am truthful about to my team as well as up and coming entrepreneurs. I’ve learned many lessons one of which is everyone that smiles at you is not happy for you. That does not stop me from smiling back at them though

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Since I’m a small business owner I am a champion for small businesses. We would dine every night at different small business restaurants. We would go to the neighborhood diner or coffee shop in the morning as well as afternoon. In the evening we would take advantage of the many variations of cultures and ethnicities that are represented in our food scene here in Cleveland. We will probably take in a sports event since Cleveland has all of the major sports teams. For culture we would take advantage of the world renowned art museum and if the Cleveland symphony is doing something we would definitely do that. Lastly we would take advantage of our treasure of the playhouse square district as well as other Play houses like the Cleveland playhouse in the near West theater. All of which as a tour fantastic time hearing the land

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First and always I must give credit to God because my story is a unique one. I am a recovering drug addict and alcoholic. I was labeled as what’s called severely homeless. This means I was not couch surfing on friends and family’s couches. I was the guy in front of the Greyhound station downtown picking up cigarette butts off the ground with a cup in my hand asking you for change, I was the guy that slept on the corner of 18th and Superior Avenue in the winter time with the cardboard on the ground and the steam coming up, I ate out of the dumpster of Kentucky fried Chicken on the corner of Carnegie in downtown Cleveland, how was that guy. So again first and foremost I must always give honor and praise to God from saving me. Today I know that I will saved so other people can know they can be saved from that and other lifestyles that They think maybe hindering them from achieving success. Secondly the city of Cleveland Ohio has been very good to me, jump start incorporated, the Urban League of greater Cleveland, The former mayor of Cleveland Frank Jackson, the owner of the Barber college that I work at Laura Clemente. I also have to take a deeper dive to thank individuals like my high school wrestling coaches Jerry Morgan and Dorsey trotter that kept their foot on my neck literally and physically. They showed me tough love and it helped me get through the hard times. My high school football coach Tom Mental literally called me fat ass my last two years of high school I hated it at the time but now as a grown man it made me tougher. Yes my mother knew about it and no she did nothing about it because she knew as a young Black boy the world was going to get tougher on a Black man. I went on to be a state regional champion as well as an all state, our city, all conference, and honorable mention All American in football with a full scholarship to college. Lastly my sister Brenda Lloyd That stayed the course in her life and was an example of how to come the obstacles of growing up in the ghetto and becoming a success. While my brothers and I were ruining our lives with drugs and alcohol she never got caught up in that life. Lastly my mom Wardell Willis for being a single parent of three knucklehead boys and one outstanding girl. She worked hard and not only told me but showed me with hard work determination and will You can be a success

Website: UrbanKutzCleveland.com

Instagram: @UrbanKutzBarbershop

Linkedin: Waverly Willis

Twitter: @UrbanKutz

Facebook: @Urban Kutz Barbershop

Yelp: @ Urban Kutz Barbershop

Youtube: Urban Kutz Barbershop

Other: @WaverlyWillis on IG @WaverlyWins on FB @WaverlyWillis on X

Image Credits
Waverly Willis & Teresa Willis