Back To My Roots: Bobby Gordon

My dad was a milkman so I worked for him on Saturdays and in school holidays. Looking back, I was probably eight years old.

WHY DID YOU DECIDE ON A CAREER IN BARBERING?

I had an eye for fashion, and I was obsessed with footballers' haircuts in the late 80s and early 90s. I also wanted to get into a trade that didn’t involve working outside in the cold. (PTSD from the milk round!)

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED?

I started my hairdressing apprenticeship for a company called Essanelle in a department store on Oxford Street, London in 1992 and trained once a week at Harrods.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO DATE?

Taking a massive gamble leaving Soho and setting up Fella in Canterbury in 2008 having only been there twice before. After the initial excitement of opening, I remember having no clients and looking out the window of the shop thinking what have I done. Funnily enough I said the same when I moved back to Soho at the end of 2021.

WHAT IS THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?

Work hard and be nice to people.

WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU’D KNOWN THEN THAT YOU KNOW NOW?

What’s available now as far as education and information compared to when I started in the industry is on another page, so I wish just a little bit of that was available to me back then. That’s why I’m always on at my guys to take advantage of what’s on offer.

WHAT'S BEEN YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR?

Winning Business Leader of the Year at the Modern Barber Awards in 2024 was a real highlight for me, but being in business for 17 years and seeing current and former team members have great careers will always be the thing that I’m most proud of.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR YOU NOW?

My main goal is to step back from cutting every day and concentrate on working on the business, growing it and taking it to the next level.