WATCH
S1 E10 | Marcus Hatch
00:19:44
“No Sleeping in the Trophy Room” is REVOLT’s digital series hosted by Carlos Del Valle. This sit-down style show is a conversation series fueled by motivation, experience and truth, where Del Valle interviews successful individuals across different industries.
Barbers are undisputed pillars of the community. Aside from their de facto roles as therapists, conflict resolvers, and advisers, they also engage in one of the more intimate professions in regards to the physical contact they have with their clients on a daily basis. So, it comes as no surprise that the business came to a halt in the face of the growing COVID-19 pandemic, forcing those in the craft to hang up their clippers while leaving millions to fend for themselves without a routine lineup in sight.
In the latest edition of “No Sleeping In The Trophy Room,” master celebrity barber Marcus P. Hatch reflects on the reverberating effects of Coronavirus while taking note of the bright side in these uncertain times.
“It brought a whole new light on the daily essentials,” he tells host Los Antonio. “Before, barbers didn’t realize how important gloves were. How important the sanitary situation was.”
Hatch routinely makes use of protective measures such as gloves and extra alcohol to ensure the sanitation of his tools and protect the health of clients such as Travis Scott, Diddy, and Odell Beckham Jr. During this pandemic, he’s hopeful that barbers across the globe will begin to implement such practices into their bottom line and push the profession forward. Until things pick back up, however, he believes that the sacrifice of the craft — for the time being — is a mindful act for both barbers and their clients.
This sacrifice has not come without protest, either. In the pool of more lighthearted content, clients far and wide have come to terms with their previously unearthed appreciation for their barbers of choice, and the struggle of having to go weeks without sitting in the chair. For many, it’s a playful distraction. For Hatch and others like him, it’s a testament to the significance of his profession.
”I’ve gotten tagged in so many posts about how they didn’t realize they needed you. We gettin’ the respect now,” he says jokingly. “It’s a wakeup call.”
Per Hatch, barbers supply their clients with day-to-day confidence. That much is evidenced in dismal tweets surrounding the amplification of an already dark time without the proper cut. While he lets the dust settle, however, Hatch cites the routines that allow him to navigate social distancing without feeding into panic.
”I tune into CNN to get the vibe…a reality check,” he says while noting the importance of moderation. “You can’t drown yourself in the media because you’ll lose yourself in life.”
Elsewhere, he’s stocked up the groceries while making an effort to underscore the value of health, citing at least an hour of exercise per day and digging into distractions such as true crime documentaries Ozark, and everyone’s new favorite “Tiger King” miniseries. While his craft is on pause, he’s poured his artistic tendencies into drawing. He’s maintaining a positive outlook on our shared situation.
”This could be a curse and this could be a blessing,” Hatch says. “‘It’s almost a type of rest mode once we come out of this. It’s a reset button…it’s a good hibernating tool.”
He’s already considered an update to his daily life and traveling routine once he emerges from social distancing, vowing to approach his behavior in airports differently and amp up the precautions he already takes, suggesting that he may travel with items such as gloves and masks, while being sure to wash his hands before and after boarding a plane. Hatch also looks forward to more precautions taken in the hair cutting and styling business, giving a nod to colleague AROD the Barber’s line of Elegance Barber Gloves as a staple of the new normal.
”You gotta be fly, but you have to be sanitary,” Hatch says, referencing the line’s array of options outside of standard medical colors.
Newfound mindfulness is Hatch’s mantra as he fastens himself in the belief that this will have to be a group effort that supersedes industries and borders.
”We all we got. We have to cooperate even if you feel like this can’t affect you,” he adds. “We are all in a dire emergency right now. We’re all in it together. We all hurting. We gotta sacrifice for others.”
With this in mind, Hatch declares that once it’s all over, “The culture is gonna just boom like never before.”