Murdock London’s Miles Wood Smith shares how he went from shaky beginnings to becoming a master barber
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB BEFORE BARBERING?
I helped my Stepdad as a joiner. I won’t lie, I was a rubbish joiner. It was a lot of cutting wood and getting splinters. I liked working with my hands, but I wanted to work with my hands in a less splintery way!
WHY DID YOU DECIDE ON A CAREER IN BARBERING?
I like talking to people and the thought of taking my job home with me, answering emails or doing something intangible gave me a lot of anxiety. In barbering I love that you listen to your clients and hear their story, but once they leave your job is done and you’re onto the next one. I don’t need to take anything home with me. It’s a very tangible service.
HOW DID YOU GET STARTED?
Well funnily enough it involves my Stepdad again. His friend had a Porsche and I asked what he did and my Stepdad said: “He’s a hairdresser.” He actually tried to teach me hairdressing and I was rubbish at first, but eventually I really got into men’s hair. I still don’t have a Porsche though…
WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE STARTING OUT?
I’d say anxiety and imposter syndrome. I managed to fluke my first-ever hairdressing job interview. I don’t know how I did it because it was a really intense test. I did a haircut I’d never done before, but thankfully the interviewer told me it was perfect. The next day I was cutting and one of my first customers was a guy who was on Made in Chelsea, who asked for a very technical haircut. My hands were shaking, and it wasn’t very good. Getting through those first couple of knock backs was the toughest challenge, to be honest.
WHAT’S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?
Don’t start a haircut until you know exactly what that person wants. For me, I need to know what I’m going to do all the way up until the finished blow dry.
WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU’D KNOWN THEN THAT YOU KNOW NOW?
Your feet will eventually just get used to standing all day.
WHAT’S BEEN YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR?
I have a client called Mark, who I met when he had just moved over from America. I cut his hair and we just clicked. I’ve cut his hair every three weeks now for nine years. I’ve seen him through multiple boyfriends, bad dates, lonely times, all the way up to cutting his hair just before his wedding to his husband. I was even invited to the wedding! That was when I thought: I love this job. That was awesome. And he is still one of my really close friends.
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR YOU NOW?
I’ve no idea. I just do things that feel right, I know I’ve got solid foundations. I do want to travel the world more. My family is from Brazil, so my eventual plan is to move there and open up my own barbershop and just live on a beach. I’ll call it something really English. My mum is Brazilian, and she’s always joking about opening a Queen Elizabeth Tea Party place. It would be so popular!
