Before Jim Valenzuela landed in the barbering biz he had his hand in many fields: securities, commercial real estate, politics and physician practice management. Needless to say, he was a fish out of water with zero experience in the barbering world when he opened V’s Barbershop in 1999 in Phoenix. No doubt his entrepreneurial experience came to his aid in the development and operation of V’s, but the most paramount, believe it or no, was his first stint as a cowboy.
“My main focus in my formative years was as a roper in a rodeo,” explains Valenzuela, who now presides as CEO of the franchised chain. “It’s a culture of respect with yes sirs, no ma’ams, and keeping one’s word. In a service business, these behaviors are crucial to sustained success.”
