Page 9 - Harnett Life Spring 2019

riety of services offered is the most distinctive of all. “For
about 30 years men forgot how to groom,” Graham said,
and Bearded Goose is here to change that. “All clients
come in and get pampered, that’s what we do.” He says the
(not-so-secret) secret is that men want to be pampered, but
won’t say so. The most popular services and products the
shop offers are listed on the business/appointment cards:
haircuts, hot towel shaves, steam facials, beard condition-
ing, hair products, cold drinks, and cigars. “Beard sculpt-
ing is the big thing right now,” Graham said, because there
really isn’t any other business that specializes in this, and
guys are “very particular” about their beards, who they
will allow to trim or shape it.

Education is key, Graham said, because the client doesn’t
know the biology and scientific details of the three stages
of hair growth, or “how the texture of your beard is total-
ly different than the texture of your hair,” but the client
doesn’t have to know this information because the barber
does. The client then leaves “with a beard trim, a haircut,
and an education...a better understanding.”

When a new customer comes in, Graham said the first
thing that’s always asked of the customer is ‘What is your
goal?’ but said most guys don’t know, so there is a poster
that displays different styles to help them get an idea of Pictured above: On most any day you will probably walk
what they want. “The client needs to give me a vision, and into the shop with the sound of guitar music greeting
if you give me a vision, I’ll give you a roadmap how to you.
get there,” Graham said. Once the customer tells the bar-
ber everything he wants, the barber will repeat it back, to
make sure both parties are on the same page. The barbers
are able to take the vision the client gives them, then, tak-
ing into account each person’s unique facial features, give
the client the most flattering cut and style.

The shop sells oils, pomades, shampoos, and, balms to
help the client maintain between appointments. There are
two brands for beard products: Cardinal Beard Company,
and Chattanooga Beard Company, from North Carolina
and Tennessee, respectively; and for hair products, Gra-
ham chose to carry Australian brand Uppercut Deluxe Po-
mades. Graham said he wanted to sell local, small batch
products. Cardinal Beard Company is exclusive to Beard-
ed Goose, and is as local as it gets: the company was start-
ed by Sean Bass, lead pastor at Redemption Hill Church in
Erwin. Graham said carrying Chattanooga Beard products
was his way of tossing a bit of Tennessee into the shop, and
Uppercut pomades were made by a group of barbers who
decided to develop their own products, providing plenty of
options the consumer is able to experiment with different
textures and finishes. Graham said the shop has gotten lots
of requests for tutorials on the differences between beard
balms and oils, how to apply each product, when to use a
brush instead of a comb, and other common questions, so
these instructional videos are recent additions to the shop’s Pictured above: Stop in for a shoe shine while on your
social media platforms. lunch break.