Victor Fontanez is a twenty-year-old entrepreneur from Fayetteville, North Carolina, who has grown his side hustle as a barber to a global phenomenon. Over the years, Victor has won various accolades such as barber rookie of the year and was nominated for the American Influencer Barber Of The Year. No stranger to the barbering industry Victor has began to be known as one of the most sought after celebrity barbers in the world!
In this article, we dive on the celebrity barbers background story & plans for the future.
What’s your background story?
“I am from Fayetteville, North Carolina. Growing up in Fayetteville was very eye-opening. This is a city with not many opportunities but, growing up here taught me how to make something out of nothing.
You’re constantly surrounded by a lot of people who have the “Ville Mentality” we like to call it, but really it’s a small-town mentality that causes people to only know what they’ve grown up around. They’ll shoot your dreams down in a heartbeat and remind you that you don’t need anything outside of home, this makes it hard to go to the next level.
I’ve been blessed to be able to have the discipline to not let my physical surroundings affect where I wanted to be mentally. I knew that God gave me the vision to be great, and being in that environment was a test of faith to see how bad I really wanted to make it. My big brother Dennis Smith Jr. was next up after J. Cole to show the city how to make a change through your craft. He’s one of the very few people I know personally that never changed who they were. Even after he made it, he still touches back to the trenches to show everybody it’s possible and mental discipline is what it takes.”
What’s is like knowing an NBA player Dennis Smith Jr?
“It’s a blessing, sometimes I forget my guy even plays basketball, we like playing Call of Duty more than anything. I met Dennis back when I was serving tables in a restaurant, it was the week after he got drafted & I bumped into him coming out of the bathroom.
I congratulated him on getting drafted and I knew this was my one opportunity to get this haircut in, I told him I was a barber and if he ever needed a cut I got him, I showed him my Instagram and the first thing he said was “Hell yeah, we from the same city, you help me and I’m gonna help you.” I had one last business card in my wallet, I gave it to him, and as soon as he left he texted me. We’ve been locked in ever since.
When I started cutting his hair it was during my first year of being a barber, back when I was still in the garage, so he saw my career grow from the bottom. We’ve definitely come to be a family more than anything and that isn’t a word I use lightly for people, especially where we come from you gotta watch your circle more than anything.”
What are some plans you have for the future?
“I plan on touching back with my hometown and setting up some givebacks, charity events, and workshops to show kids you don’t have to get “lucky” to make it out. This year 2020 I have big plans for my old schools South View High School & FTCC Barberschool. Just follow your passion like I did and God gone handle the rest. I want to open them up to the idea of true Entrepreneurship.”
“I feel like everybody knows VicBlends the Barber, but I want to show everybody Victor Fontanez the entrepreneur and how I took my craft and turned it into a global brand. A lot of people still look at me as just a barber, but there are principles and values to success and business that I’ve picked up over the years that I can now teach back to anybody to do the same no matter what industry or craft you’re into. This year is going to be huge for me in every aspect, business, personal, and spiritually.”
Any advice for someone looking to become successful in life?
“Find your purpose, and wake up every day making sure you fulfill it. We were not put on this earth to make money, buy material and die. Every single one of us has a purpose that we need to fulfill. So whatever it is that you’re doing, remember it’s bigger than your own pockets. Remember the vision God gave you and don’t lose your faith, my big brother Dennis Smith Jr. reminds me all the time, “It gets greater later”.”- Victor
