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 were 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 location 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 & Co team. There’s so much I could tell you about this journey. The main thing that stands out 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 & 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 & 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.