My name is Rommel, I’m originally from the province of Batangas in the Philippines. I started cutting hair aged 14 in my hometown providing services for my family where I developed my skills. I then went on to open my own shop aged 17. I felt like I had all the freedom in the world and no one to answer to; I was my own boss. I served my clients for 3 years and then decided to close my shop to focus on my studies. It was proving difficult to do both and I believe in perfecting one thing at a time. I studied various topics for around 4 years which I don’t regret, however I found that my passion was still in barbering. I re-opened my barbershop and worked there for another 4 successful years. Around this time I got married and had my own family. At this point, I decided to look for a job abroad as the pay is a lot better and naturally my expenses where a lot higher. The first country I travelled to was Libya working as a maintenance guy for the Corinthian Hotel chain. After one year I moved on to Bahrain where I stayed for 4 and a half years where I worked as a barber in a barbershop next to the US army base. I benefited in many ways from travelling, it gave my self-confidence and I became a stronger person. Also, the years away from my family made me realise how much I appreciate them. My current destination is Dubai, I’ve been here for almost 13 years. I have used this time to perfect my skills in the industry I love, and although I feel I’ve reached my full potential, I still spend everyday searching for something new to learn. In 2015 I was invited onboard as one of the first ever members of the Chaps and Co team. There’s so much I could tell you about this journey. The main thing that stands for me is how I feel valued as a team member. When you work for such a loyal team, you value the people more than any salary. I’m so proud to be one of the first serving team members and I try my hardest to influence all new team members with the original Chaps values. I look forward to meeting all new clients, to share with them our service. At Chaps and Co it’s not just a haircut or beard trim, it’s an experience. When the day comes and I leave Chaps to go back home and retire, I hope to write an autobiography. I can’t wait to write the chapter about Chaps and Co and how its influenced my life for the better, including the things I’ve learned, how I’ve grown, and the lifelong friends I’ve made. There are many qualities I have learnt from the Chaps company and I will use these qualities in any future project and in my life. My favourite part about my job is that although I’m just a barber, I have the ability to allow people to walk around with confidence and pride as a result of what I have to offer.