Waihī teen brothers start their own barbershop business

The only barbershop in Waihi is run by teenagers Jamie and Maddie Grey. Photo / Rebecca Mauger

Teenage brothers in Waihī have set up their own barbershop business — and it's cutting edge.

Entrepreneurs Maddie and Jamie Grey have styled careers from what started out as a fun hobby of cutting hair.

Now they run business Maddcutzz which has been open on Haszard St for three months.

Maddie, 17, started cutting hair when he hung out at Waihī Youth Centre where mum Sarah Spicer worked as a youth counsellor.

''It was just a hobby. I'd give little kids buzz cuts and they'd love it. I like people to feel good. If you get a good haircut it makes you feel better about yourself.''

''No one at the youth centre could afford haircuts either,'' Jamie laughed.

It had a domino effect and before long, Maddie was regularly cutting hair.

He's self-taught thanks to YouTube videos. Backyard Barbers in Paeroa took Maddie on for work experience before he moved to Auckland to work at a fast-paced inner-city barbershop.

While he learned a lot, Maddie wanted to come home and work with his family.

''What we discovered was that a lot of people were going to Paeroa for haircuts,'' he says. With Sarah's help, they set up Maddcutzz.

Jamie, 15, had also been experimenting with haircutting. He is on full-time work experience this year. He did his first fade haircut on Maddie.

''He's a natural at it,'' Maddie says.

Jamie finds hair cutting satisfying, he likes meeting new people and is happy to be working with his family. He plans on studying barbering and hairdressing at Toi Ohomai next year.

Jamie and Maddie do the lot — undercuts, fades, box cuts, trims on top, short back and sides.

Maddie is experimenting with shades and they can also do beard trims and cornrows.

Maddcutzz is a man cave - graffiti art on the walls, signature chequered decor, barbershop chairs, a gaming area, a kids' area, DJ set and a ping-pong table for clients.

''A lot of our clientele is from the youth centre. It gives them a place they can come and feel comfortable.''

Every day is a good day, Maddie says. They both love their job and have a great rapport with their clients.

Maddie's biggest day was 36 haircuts. Jamie's was 17.

Last week the two shaved the majority of teens at Waihī College who were raising money for Leukaemia and Blood Cancer New Zealand.

The shop runs as a walk-in barber shop and is doing really well, Sarah says.

''It's if your kids have a passion, you have to nurture that and take a risk. And it's paid off.''