On a typical windy Ellensburg day, Jaime Gutierrez wakes up early, eats some breakfast, washes it down with a cup of Joe or Red Bull, and reads the newspaper. By 8 a.m., it’s time for the owner of Northwest Barbershop to walk up the two-stair stoop on Fourth Avenue and open his shop for the day.

After going through his checklist – making sure the shop is clean, everything is fully stocked and all clippers are in working order –  it’s time to get cutting.

He applies a fresh neck strip and gracefully places the cape over his first client.

“So how do you want your cut today, bro?” he asks.

“Tight fade on the sides and finger length on top,” answers Brooks Abel, one of Gutierrez’s regulars.

How it all started

Gutierrez’s career as a barber took off during his middle school years in his hometown of Toppenish, when he decided to pick up a pair of clippers in the 8th grade and begin cutting all of his homies’ hair.

“No one where I was from really knew how to do the haircuts that people wanted…So my last resort was to start doing it myself,” says Gutierrez as he fires up the clippers.

“And so I ended up becoming the team barber; the neighborhood barber.”

As high school graduation approached, he had to start thinking about his college options.

He had three older brothers and sisters who attended college before him; his parents made it clear that not going to college wasn’t an option.

After falling in love with Seattle, and wanting to escape the small town confines of Yakima, he decided to pursue his studies at the University of Washington.

He first set his sights on a business degree, but after receiving a letter of rejection from the business school, he decided on law society & justice and ethnic studies.

That led him to his first postgraduate job working with a high school equivalency program (HEP).

It was Gutierrez’s responsibility to help individuals gain the education needed to qualify for careers they desired, such as to enroll in college or to enter military service. But his time with HEP was cut short when he was laid off because of budget cuts.

Gutierrez said trying to remain competitive in the tough job market is what led him back to his barber roots and to his decision to attend barber school.

“I actually ended up finishing barber school before anyone got back to me for another job, so I said, ‘alright let’s go cut some hair,’” he recalls.

After graduating from barber school, he returned to Toppenish where he first began cutting hair professionally at Memo’s Barbershop.

“It’s a good scene to get into because there’s a lot of young people…[in the] music scene and sports, so it makes it pretty popular,” he explains.

Gutierrez says many of the Hispanics in the Yakima area have disposable income, so getting a haircut every week and a half to two weeks is normal.

But just as he felt when he left for college, Gutierrez wanted to get out of the Yakima Valley.

“The gang violence – it doesn’t matter if you’re affiliated with gangs or not, it affects you one way or another,” he says.

All it takes is someone being at the wrong place at the wrong time. But luckily the gang violence never affected his business – to a degree.

He had to make sure to schedule certain clients at different times when he knew they were from rival gangs.

He shuts off his clippers and pauses for a moment.

“The last thing I would want is…”

“Two colors in one room!” says Abel.

“Yeah, you know!” says Jaime.

“That’s always fun!” Abel chuckles.

Setting up shop

Gutierrez had friends in Ellensburg and started growing fond of the town. He could especially appreciate the lower crime rates and lack of gang violence.

Gutierrez prepared a business plan and saved the money to start up his shop.

“I wanted to do it right,” he says. “This is my first business I’ve ever owned, and I didn’t want it to crash and burn within the course of a couple months or a year or two.”

His parents, who were able to provide for the family through agriculture, initially thought Gutierrez’s plan to pursue a career as a barber was foolish. But, after seeing that it was their son’s passion, they softened.

After he got the shop up and running, there were some initial growing pains, Gutierrez said. At the beginning, he would get bored by the repetitive conversations.

But that soon changed as he began to develop relationships with his returning clients.

“I started learning their names,” Gutierrez says. “I got to know people and started having that connection with them that I’ve had previously with my barber’s, you know?”

“You’re my friend, right Brooksy?” he asks Abel.

“Oh yeah. You probably know some shit about me a lot of people don’t know,” Abel replies as they share a laugh.

Abel has been a regular customer for eight months, and he says it feels like you are always going to a friend’s place when you go to Northwest.

“Guy is a homie,” Abel says about Gutierrez.

Abel says he enjoys having the freedom to talk about whatever may be going on in his life without the worry of being judged.

Abel used to make trips to the West side or would settle for a buddy to do the deed when he needed a fresh cut. But no more.

“He’s an awesome guy,” Abel says. “He offers just about anything that men need in a good barber.”

Abel, who is a part of the Blue Rock Saloon staff, says Gutierrez has become not just a friend, but a frequent visitor and supporter of their business as well.

“I’ve actually referred all of my employees and coworkers to go get their hair cut up by Jaime,” Abel says.

Home for now

Gutierrez was the first of his siblings to leave the Yakima Valley, so coming to Ellensburg was initially a scary thought. He constantly worried about leaving his family and not having enough money.

After a long period of self-reflection, he says he came to the realization that the venture was worth the risk.

“I think I’ve become more mature and more of an adult now that I own a business,” he says. “I’ve gotta be here on time, I’ve gotta show up ready to work, I’ve gotta manage my money…Just making sure I don’t run it into the ground,” he adds, counting out his list on each finger.

Gutierrez is now in his third year of running Northwest, and says he’s now ready to add a second chair.

“We’re slowly expanding and I thought about opening another shop in Yakima, but the last thing I want to do is neglect this one,” Gutierrez says. “But only time will tell.”

Gutierrez says what’s most vital in the world of barbering is keeping up with the latest trends so he can give the cuts people want and like.

While being a barber is his passion and is paying his bills, Gutierrez says he doesn’t see himself barbering much further into his future.

“Eventually I want to go back to graduate school and get a more stable career in the long run for my family if I were to ever get married and have kids,” he says.

Gutierrez says he envisions a family being a part of his future, but he is currently married to the shop.

“I think it would be pretty hard. I come in early and I leave late,” Gutierrez says, making his last and final snips with his scissors.

“How does it look, bro? Nice and tight on the sides; finger length on top,” Gutierrez asks Abel as he off the protective cape and hands him a mirror.

“That’s what I need,” Abel says as Gutierrez blows the remaining loose hair off of him.

Abel hands him a $20.

“Alright Brooks. You need change?” Gutierrez asks. Abel shakes his head no as he gathers his belongings.

“Thanks, man.”