We recently had the chance to connect with Zoe Sneed and have shared our conversation below.
Zoe, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
I’m being called to step into becoming a master barber instructor. Before, I was held back by fears that I was too young, too inexperienced, or that this path wasn’t meant for me. Now, I’m realizing that those doubts don’t define me, and that I have the passion, skills, and drive to teach and inspire others in this craft.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Zoe aka Seven, I’m a 23-year-old Nashville native who’s been cutting hair since I was 13. I got licensed at 18, and over the years barbering has grown from just a skill into my lifestyle and passion. Today, I specialize in luxury mobile barbering — bringing a full, high-end experience straight to my clients. What makes my brand unique is that I don’t just give haircuts, I create moments of confidence, exclusivity, and connection for the people who sit in my chair.
Alongside my work behind the clippers, I also run a photography and videography company called Seven Shot You. That side of my creativity lets me capture stories visually — from portraits to cinematic shoots — and it ties into my bigger vision of building brands that inspire and empower.
I’m building a clothing brand, Rich Off Clippers, and I’m also developing Seven, which is all about creating your own luck. And right now, I’m stepping into something I once thought I was too young for: becoming a master barber instructor. My goal is to share my journey, teach the next generation of barbers, and show that with skill, consistency, and vision, you can carve out your own lane in this industry.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Before the world told me who I had to be, I was just a kid in Nashville with clippers in my hand, chasing a feeling I didn’t have words for yet. I wasn’t worried about titles, money, or proving myself — I just loved the craft and the way it made people light up after a cut. Deep down, I’ve always been creative and driven, but pure in the sense that I moved off passion, not expectation. Creativity was my outlet when my life was falling apart — the one thing that kept me grounded and gave me a way to turn pain into something meaningful. That’s still who I am at my core — everything else has just added layers. And now, I’m working to peel some of those layers back, so I can move with that same fearless energy I had before doubt and outside opinions tried to shape me.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering taught me patience, resilience, and faith in myself in ways success never could. When my life was falling apart and I felt like I had nothing, I had to figure out who I really was without the validation, without the wins, without anybody clapping for me. I was homeless while I was enrolled in barber school, and I still showed up every day with nothing but determination. Success never gave me that. Suffering showed me that discipline and consistency matter more than talent, and that strength is built in silence when nobody’s watching. It taught me to move with humility, to appreciate every win no matter how small, and to never forget the struggle that shaped me. Now, when I step into the role of teaching and inspiring others, I carry that with me — because I know if I could push through those moments, I can show the next generation that they can push through theirs too.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
One of the biggest lies the barber industry tells itself is that it’s all about the money, the status, or the image. A lot of people think if you’re not in a shop packed with clients or flexing your success online, you’re not really winning. But the truth is, this craft is about consistency, discipline, and the impact you leave on people — not just the fade itself, but the confidence and energy they walk away with. Another lie is that you have to follow the traditional path to be respected — work in a shop, wait your turn, and do things the way it’s always been done. I challenge that, because I built my lane in mobile barbering, in teaching, and in creating brands around the clippers. There’s no one way to succeed in this industry. What makes you unique is what sets you apart — and that’s what the industry needs more of.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people say I was somebody who never gave up on myself, even when life gave me every reason to. That I turned nothing into something, and I did it with passion, creativity, and love for my craft. I don’t want to just be remembered as a barber, but as a creator, a teacher, and a builder.
I want the story to be that I poured into others, especially the next generation of barbers and entrepreneurs, giving them not just skills but belief in themselves. That I pushed the margins in every space I walked into — whether it was barbering, fashion, media, or business — and proved there’s no box that could hold me.
I want people to say I was a serial entrepreneur who created opportunities where there weren’t any, and who used creativity as a tool for survival, for expression, and for change. More than anything, I want to be remembered as someone who left people better than I found them, and who showed the world that you can create your own lane, thrive in it, and bring others with you.
Image Credits
Zoe Sneed
