When Jimmy Rod O’Brien sets his mind and his heart on something, well, it’s just gonna happen. He was a young lad of 16 years when he decided barbering was for him. He left school on Friday and started work in the barber trade on the Monday at his dad’s mates barbershop. He had been offering Jimmy a trade as a barber since he was 12 years old. Persistence pays off.
You’d be hard pressed to find a more down to earth and hard working bloke than Jimmy O’Brien. ‘Barbering is my life!’ says Jimmy, ‘I live it day in and day out. It’s all I’ve known from the age of 16.’ Jimmy’s love for all things barber has proved a successful passion for him. He opened the doors of his first barbershop in 2003, called Jrs Barbers, and then a second shop in 2007. In 2008, he changed the name of the shop to Jimmy Rods. And the rest, as they say, is history. Jimmy has opened 5 stores from 2008 – 2014. That’s a grand total of 7 awesome barbershops in the Brisbane area!
Jimmy puts his success down to a few simple factors. Great haircuts. Hiring the best barbers. Providing an atmosphere for guys to relax, socialize and tell jokes. ‘Word of mouth advertising is the best kind. People talk’.
Plus, he’s got a PS3, so you know, there’s that.
Relationship with his staff is very important to Jimmy. ‘I want my guys to come into work and have fun, laugh, joke and smile. I have the best staff. We push ourselves day in and day out. Without my team, we wouldn’t be smashing it like we are.’ The number one rule in Jimmy’s shops is to have fun. It’s the Jimmy Rod’s way. He don’t want no staff hatin on each other.
There’s still plenty more to come in the Jimmy Rod’s story. He’s looking to open up more shops in Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and the Gold Coast. Such success is evidence of a desire in the guys of today to make that real connection and seek out the camaraderie that they find in a good barbershop.
‘We should work together to build this barber industry!’ Jimmy reckons. The Cutthroat Journal is totally with you on that Jimmy. Love your passion brother!
