Today we’d like to introduce you to Tomas Molloy.
Hi Tomas, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My story is a little different. I was raised in the Vista/Oceanside area. Naturally I grew up loving the ocean being so close to the beach but I was also intrigued with Southern California gang culture. Instead of following my dream to be part of the surf industry I chose to put all my eggs into the gangster basket. My life was like the real life animal kingdom but without all the extras. That path eventually lead to drug use and finally prison. After multiple stays in prison I found myself with the opportunity to use the re entry services to get back on track and to get my barbers license. Since getting my license I haven’t looked back, my business has continued to expand. Although my life is exponentially better these days I haven’t forgot my past. I continue to work on helping my community, from small things to giving free haircuts to under privileged youth, helping out at food banks, talking to at risk youth to my latest opportunity where I’ll be going in to jail to talk to inmates about succeeding at becoming a contributing part of society when they are released
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Oh yes, the struggles. Like I said before I was not living my best life and that has a tendency not to work out too well. The frustrating part was it was my choices that made so many of the roadblocks and detours I had to navigate. I struggled with leaving that kind of lifestyle for years. Then once I did decide to change there was all the residual consequences of everything. Let’s be honest being a convicted felon is not what employers want and no one can blame them for that. I just kept my eye on the prize and focused on manifesting the future I wanted for myself.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a barber that it’s continually working on his craft. It’s hard when ask about specializing because there’s so many aspects of my trade. I love it all from gentleman’s, pompadours, straight razor shaves to skin and burst fades to tapers with designs. I feel what sets me apart is when I see someone come in I look at them as a blank canvas and go from there visualizing how to get the best final result. My drive also sets me apart, it’s how far I’ve come, I refuse to go backwards any longer
What was your favorite childhood memory?
That’s hard I have two that I think back to a lot. One I was around 5, helping my dad fix a sprinkler and him taking me to get ice cream after. The other memory was around the age of 12/13 surfing on the south side of the pier on a summer day, the sun was out, water was warm, waves were good and I was surrounded by friends.
Pricing:
- $40 + haircuts
- $60 + haircut and shave
- $30 military
- $35 children
- $30 straight razor shave
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Vistafreshcutbarber.com
- Instagram: Ig@clipseyhustle
