Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Whanganui Chronicle

Barber brings back the old-school

By Emma Russell
Whanganui Chronicle·
16 Feb, 2017 07:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

KEEPING IT OLD-SCHOOL: Former Cullinane College student Samuel Monaghan, left, is now running his own business. PHOTO/ STUART MUNRO

KEEPING IT OLD-SCHOOL: Former Cullinane College student Samuel Monaghan, left, is now running his own business. PHOTO/ STUART MUNRO

Emma Russell continues her series charting the stories of former Whanganui students who have gone on to success in the big, wide world

Positive vibes, quality chat and a fresh groom are the gifts Samuel Monaghan keeps on giving.

The former Cullinane College student - just three years out of school - said he found his niche and went for it.

Three months ago the 21-year-old opened up Monaghan Barbers Shop in Whanganui with the aim to "bring back the old-school".

"When I was about 15 me and my brother got sick of having to get regular haircuts so we started doing each others from home...eventually learnt how to cut properly and I started cutting hair for all my mates," he said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

After finishing his last year of school Mr Monaghan started a two year apprenticeship at Barber town in Whanganui. At the same time he completed a one-year small business management course at the local Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.

He said the course was great because it was flexible to work with each student.

"They mould whatever you want... I brought in my business plan for my barber shop and they helped me structure it,"

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Mr Monaghan said it was hard to juggle his busy schedule but the hard work has paid off and now he is reaping the rewards with a busy shop and happy customers.

"I love working in a space where I can be myself completely all the time...it's so easy having a yarn with customers and I think it's a good way to get guys to talk and open up,"

The go-getter said he wanted to make it a genuine barber shop for men and focus on keeping it old-school.

"All my inspiration came from researching online and taking pieces from other old-school barber shops,"

He said it was a scary thing putting all his savings into the business as well as taking out a small loan but it has all been worth it.

"It was hectic over Christmas time...and because we are open Saturday mornings I had to give up rugby but you have to make sacrifices and the rewards have been great,"

Mr Monaghan said he had considered getting a degree in sport but after speaking to older friends who studied sport he felt there just wasn't the jobs available.

"Friends also advised me to start my barber shop in Auckland but I thought if I go there I am just joining all the others...I wanted to be the first old-school barbershop in Whanganui before someone from Wellington or wherever claimed it,"

Currently Mr Monaghan has one employee Josh Sharkey, a 23 year old Australian, and will look to expand as business grows.

To students contemplating starting a business he said "find something you really enjoy and just smash it".

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui Chronicle

'He's just scared of me': Teen's Māori wards challenge to PM

06 Jul 03:55 AM
Whanganui Chronicle

Brazen hammer heist: Police hunt jewel thief, staff distressed after store raid

05 Jul 05:11 AM
Whanganui Chronicle

Kāinga Ora needs to be ‘responsive to need’, says minister

04 Jul 06:00 PM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

'He's just scared of me': Teen's Māori wards challenge to PM

'He's just scared of me': Teen's Māori wards challenge to PM

06 Jul 03:55 AM

Chris Hipkins agreed to meet him in Wellington after the Prime Minister said 'no'.

Brazen hammer heist: Police hunt jewel thief, staff distressed after store raid

Brazen hammer heist: Police hunt jewel thief, staff distressed after store raid

05 Jul 05:11 AM
Kāinga Ora needs to be ‘responsive to need’, says minister

Kāinga Ora needs to be ‘responsive to need’, says minister

04 Jul 06:00 PM
Work begins on key phase of port project

Work begins on key phase of port project

04 Jul 06:00 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP