Parents Wanted Son To Stay Away From Ancestral Profession, He Made It A Global Hit

Can someone become a legend by giving hair cuts to people? Well, the spotlight today falls on a person who has done this despite graduating in French literature. The very famous Jawed Habib never thought he would make a career in hair cutting/grooming business.

Although this was his family profession, his parents never wanted him to follow their lead. From an early age, he received good education and completed his graduation from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, one of the most prestigious universities in the country. He did extensive research on his this profession from an early age and after graduation decided to pursue his career in hair styling.

Today, Habib is listed as one of the most successful and accomplished hair stylists in the world. Habib has proved that no business or profession can be regarded as unprofitable or small. Systematic and passionate work can make you successful even at the international level.

Runs in the family

It is worth mentioning that Habib’s grandfather Nazir Ahmed used to be the official barber of Lord Mountbatten and the first Prime Minister of India Pandit Nehru. His father also joined the family profession and worked as a hair stylist in the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Since childhood, Habib grew up while closely monitoring and understanding their family profession. But he did not have any particular interest in this field initially. His interest in hair styling grew after he completed his graduation and was looking to begin his career as an entrepreneur.

Habib dreamt of making a unique start-up and went to London for further studies. He returned to India after completing a two-year diploma course on Art and Science of Hair Styling and Grooming from the Maurice School of Hairdressing and London School of Fashion. He realized that everyone needs to have a regular haircut in their life and this area has a big business potential, which mostly remained ignored in India.

But the biggest problem was that the hair cutting and fashion sector were completely unorganized. Habib made this vital shortcoming his potential business base and established 50 salons in many cities across the country in just five years. In most places, he trained the staffs himself and went on to expand the business in other cities. He followed the franchise model to expand his business. He also organized numerous seminars and awareness camps to attract customers to his brand of the salon. Initially, his clients were mostly housewives from well-to-do families who came to have a different experience.

It is impressive that today Habib owns thousands of saloons in 110 cities across the country under the banner of the brand ‘The Jawed Habib Salon’. In near future, Habib wants to expand his business in the rural areas as well. Not only that, he also established over 30 Trichology Institutes in the country to provide quality training on hair styling. Apart from India, he also opened Trichology Institute in Malaysia and Nepal.

I learned a lot from McDonald’s. It taught me the right attitude for building a business. I thought if McDonald’s can sell burgers all over the world, then why not a brand for haircuts which everyone needs.

Habib has the ultimate dream of opening at least one salon of his brand in every city of the world. There is no doubt that he has successfully taken the art of hair styling to new heights. But it was not possible without his hard work and passion.

He once gave 410 haircuts in one day without any break, a feat registered in the Limca Book of World Records. He is the one who popularized the fashion of hair coloring in India. Personal care brand Sunsilk made Habib its brand ambassador. He can also be credited for revolutionizing the fashion industry by making the raised hairstyle (spiky hair) popular.

We can learn a lot from Jawed Habib’s success. No work should be treated as small or big. Even small things can be done differently with innovative ideas and planning. Every one of us has the ability to do something big in life. Follow your passion and you will be successful.