Eric García is a Richmond-raised Army Veteran based in Austin, Texas. With deep roots in valuing family and hard work, he has demonstrated these qualities across a six-year enlistment in the US Army and his current pursuit as a barber. Emphasizing selflessness as his greatest lesson in the military, Eric shares in this interview how he is eager to sell confidence to his clients.
Where were you born and where did you grow up?
I was born and grew up in Richmond, Virginia. I’m the youngest of six, so strong roots in Richmond since all my siblings and friends are still there.
What was the biggest community that influenced you?
Definitely my friends and family. I’m super close to my family and a lot of the friends that I grew up with, I’m still friends with. We stay in touch and try to see each other as much as possible.
I feel like Richmond is a good place to grow up. We have the mountains and the beach nearby so location-wise, it’s a really cool spot. Richmond in general has a cool music scene and is known for the arts.
Who was the biggest influence on the person you are and what you are pursuing today?
I can’t pinpoint one or the other, but I would say my parents. They’ve always been super supportive of me going out to follow what I wanted to do. My parents are from Guadalajara and immigrated to the States back in the 70’s and they’ve always had a blue-collar, work really hard and you’ll eventually make it mentality. That is how I grew up, I was very fortunate that my parents were stable at that time. They definitely instilled the mentality in me that I have to work really hard for what I want and that’s what I am doing now. I moved to Austin five months ago without knowing anyone. I am kind of starting over and transitioning out of the military to pursue barbering so I’m going all in on it. I would say that my parents helped me to work for everything I feel I deserve, and that’s what I am doing right now.
Can you talk about your experience in the Army and why you decided to enlist?
I joined the army when I was 19 shortly after high school because I already knew that was the direction I wanted to go in. I didn’t come from a military family or background at all, but I felt a calling and trusted my instincts. It was a great experience, I served for six years as a combat engineer and also a parachutist which was really fun. I got to do a lot of cool things and meet amazing people. I was stationed in Vicenza, Italy for 3 years. Overall, that experience shaped who I am now and how I care about myself. The discipline and confidence are all attributes that I have from my time in the military.
What was the greatest lesson you learned while serving?
I would say selflessness. The amount of selfless people in the service is unreal. There are so many people that would literally give you the shirt off of their back if you needed it or help you out through a tough time. I haven’t seen that amount of selflessness in the civilian world, the civilian side is very different. In the service we take care of our own and I think that was the coolest thing was witnessing these acts and being around those kind of people.
Can you talk about what you are pursuing now?
I am five months into my seven-month barber program in Austin and it’s gone by so fast. I’m almost done, but I feel like I just started not long ago. I’ve learned a lot so I am super grateful to be here.
What do you love most about being a barber?
The thing that I like most about being a barber would be putting a smile on people’s faces and giving them confidence. I feel like a lot of people go into a barbershop to look clean and fresh so to provide a good service and make someone feel good makes me feel good.
What is the experience you hope for your clients to walk away with?
For me the client experience is the most important thing to me. I want to sell confidence. I want my clients to look at themselves and be happy with their appearance. I think that men should take pride in how they look and I am happy to be the guy that can give advice or recommendations. Even just being able to listen to what someone has going on and having a good conversation is what makes people come back to you as a barber.
Eric on Instagram
