Cuts By Josh, or CBJ, is known as an elite hair stylist and barber. Joshua McKenzie, from Fort Worth, boasts 14 years of professional experience in the industry and has competed in, won, and assisted others in many hairstyling competitions, and has also developed his own product line. He has one goal in mind: to raise the level of expectation of the word “barber.” He stands by the slogan, “Status isn’t everything, but first impressions speak for themselves,” which is why CBJ puts 100 percent into every haircut and product.

“Creation is a vital aspect of barbering. The fact that I’m able to start with a clean canvas and come up with multiple styles and trends is absolutely satisfying,” Josh says. For Josh, this isn’t like the nine-to-five job that most people go to every day, because he has a sense of freedom and independence in working for himself, which allows him room for his own creativity. “The creative perspective is about developing valued relationships. I don’t want to just cut someone’s hair, I want to develop a long lasting relationship.”

If Josh could cut any one person’s hair, it would’ve been Steve Jobs. “His ability to see things beyond a ‘right now’ perspective was and still is impressive,” he says. “Through it all, he always found a way to execute his ideas, even when people discredited them. To create a product that would live beyond his time here on Earth is something I would ask and would be worth obtaining while cutting his hair.” With that said, Joshua McKenzie is much more than just a barber. He has also created a luxury line of hair care products called the Amber Collection, designed to treat the most complex skin, hair, and scalp conditions. “It all started with an idea on paper while in barber school,” he says. “I was thinking into the future and wanted to be one of the only barbers in my area to create a product line and do more outside of the chair. I did my research, looked at the market and contacted several manufactures and found one that fit my vision at the time and developed a shampoo with my barber name, CBJ, on it.”

From there he traveled to barber shows selling it, only to realize that he wanted more than just a shampoo in a clear bottle to offer, and stopped for two years to develop it. Soon after, he found containers that were amber colored and thought, “I could have a collection.” He then added styling, conditioning and beard maintenance to the equation and thus the Amber Collection was born. Amber also has a spiritual meaning: “a natural purifier and helps to alleviate stress and negative energy. Amber clears depression, stimulates the intellect and promotes self-confidence and creative self-expression.” This ties in to every aspect of how Josh wanted his product line to make people feel.

Like any other business, there are ups and downs in selling a product. Josh admits that the journey was never easy. “I used to get rejected over and over, but you develop tough skin and know that it’s just part of the process. So after selling, comes the consistency in effectively following up to insure that customers enjoy the product and will come back.” So between quality products, great cuts and a strong work ethic, Josh continues to effectively promote his brand of barbering.

Stay connected with Cuts By Josh and the Amber Collection.

Instagram: @cbjofficial + @_ambercollection
Website: www.amber-collection.com

Purchase Issue 26 of COSIGN Magazine which features Cuts By Josh clicking the link below!