Business Spotlight 3 - The Right Direction Barbershop

Economic Development Department

November 1, 2021

Business Spotlight: The Right Direction Barbershop

For decades, probably even centuries, barbershops have played a major role in the community. They serve as sacred places for people of all walks of life to convene and be free to be themselves. Barbers are natural community builders and talented artists that are essential to society. Besides tax professionals and morticians, barbers are one of the few professions that I believe will never die.

Background

Christopher Madera, our Burlington Business owner spotlight of the month, recognizes the importance of his role in empowering and uplifting his community by making people feel beautiful. Christopher, originally from New York but a Burlington native, has always taken pride in his appearance. From a young age, he always stayed knowledgeable on trends and cut his own hair. After obtaining his diploma, he was not sure what to do next. However, he always had a talent for cutting hair, so he went to a professional barber institute in North Carolina. At the same time, he accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior, and devoted his life to living for God.

After graduating in 2011, around the same time social media began to grow in prominence, he saw successful barbers that motivated him to pursue entrepreneurship. He encourages aspiring business owners to be themselves, work hard, and respect their craft. The “Right Direction” was inspired by Christopher’s transition to begin walking in purpose, while following God. He says there is a right way to live and a wrong way. He wants to encourage his clients to move in the right direction, regardless of their previous path.

Services

The Right Direction Barbershop aims to make customers feel comfortable, enhance their look and leave feeling more confident. Christopher says his target market is “everybody.” He is skilled in dealing with every texture of hair, making him stand out from the competition. No matter the texture of hair, Christopher says “a fade is a fade.”

Christopher strives to uplift the community by making people feel exponentially better through beautifying their external appearance. He says, “when you look good, you feel good.” During the pandemic, Christopher thrived, as he was still booked throughout the week. He had to adjust the number of people allowed in the shop, by only servicing one person per hour. Surprisingly, Christopher found that many people liked this change, as it made people feel like they had their own personal barber.

Business in Burlington

When asked about the benefits of doing business in Burlington, Christopher had a great deal of wisdom to contribute. He says since Burlington is not a bigger city, you do not have to worry about many of the crimes and violence that persists in larger metro areas. Burlington is comfortable to live and raise children. It is place for retirement because it is so peaceful. If he were to tell anyone to come to Burlington, he claims “wherever you got talent you can make it happen. It is money to be made here. If you are diverse in the profession, you can make money out here.” Additionally, it is cheaper to stay in Burlington than other cities like Raleigh and Durham.

Christopher Madera, a family man and flourishing business owner, is the perfect example of hard work and dedication bred in Burlington, NC. His story should be an encouragement to us all. From being unaware of his mission in life to devoting himself to his craft, Christopher remains optimistic about continuing to move in the right direction.