Today we’d like to introduce you to Derek Mayfield.
Derek, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I didn’t grow up easy. i grew up around chaos, pain, addiction, and survival. trouble wasn’t something i ran from — I ran with it. by the time most kids were worried about report cards, I was already in and out of juvie, learning life the hard way.
when i was a kid, the system didn’t know what to do with me. they sat me in front of doctors and counselors that said i was broken. they labeled me with everything you could think of — adhd, bipolar, depressed, oppositional, you name it. they said pills would fix it.
by the time i was 11 years old, i was taking 14 pills a day. fourteen. i was so doped up i didn’t even know who i was anymore. i was a zombie. quiet. lost. existing but not living. they told me i’d never be able to function in society without medication. that i’d never hold a real job or live a normal life. i remember them having meetings talking about filing for disability before i was even old enough to understand what that meant.
after a while you start believing that shit. when people tell you you’re broken long enough, you start to live like you are.
but something in me got tired of it. tired of hearing “did you take your pills, take your pills.” tired of being numb. i didn’t even know who i was underneath all that medicine.
by the time i was old 16-18, i quit. i said i’d rather feel pain than feel nothing at all.
that’s when i dropped out. started running the streets. i liked chaos. i liked the rush. i liked the danger. the streets were the only place that felt real even though they were killing me slowly. i could cut hair back then, but it didn’t mean anything to me. it was too calm, too steady. i wasn’t ready for calm.
then i met my wife. and that’s when everything changed.
she was different. real. she saw something in me i couldn’t see in myself. she didn’t try to fix me, she just loved me. that was the first time in my life i learned how to put somebody else before myself.
but the streets kept calling. old habits, old demons, old faces. every time i tried to do right, something tried to pull me back. it’s like the devil don’t let go easy when he’s had you this long.
i knew if i didn’t leave, i was never gonna change. so i made the hardest decision of my life — i walked away. left everything behind.
right around that time our daughter was born. maybe a month or two before we left. and holding her, man… that did something to me. i looked down at her little face and knew i couldn’t keep being the same man.
so me and my wife packed what we had and headed to florida. no plan, no map, just faith.
i found a little shop down there and started cutting again. but this time it hit different. i wasn’t chasing chaos anymore, i was chasing peace. i built a clientele from scratch. we lived right across the road from the beach. i’d wake up to the sound of waves instead of sirens. for the first time in my life, i was breathing right. i had my wife, my baby girl, and peace.
and then i got that call.
my momaw — the woman who always believed in me, who never gave up on me no matter how far i fell — was taking a bad turn. cancer.
that woman was my rock. she was love and grit all in one. she lived through hell and still carried heaven in her heart. she saw good in me when the world only saw a problem. she used to tell me, “boy, you got a gift… you just don’t see it yet.”
when i got that call, everything stopped. I was finally doing things right, finally standing on my own two feet, and now i had to choose — stay in Florida and keep building this new life or go back home to the place i ran from, to be with the woman who gave me a reason to live in the first place.
And there wasn’t even a choice to make. I packed my bags, kissed the ocean goodbye, and went home.
When I came back, life hit hard again. I tried to do right — started a concrete business with a buddy. We poured everything we had into it. time, sweat, money, and then it fell apart. took a big hit. lost damn near everything again.
But instead of folding, I got back up. When you’ve already been to rock bottom, you ain’t scared to rebuild.
I took what little I had left and poured it into what would become The Shave Shack. I told myself, “this was it there is no plan B”
I put down the steel, picked up my purpose, and showed up every single day. me and my little girl, she was with me every day in that tiny-ass room we called a studio. it wasn’t much, just a small closet-sized space, but it was ours.
I’d be cutting hair with one hand, rocking her in her chair with the other. Some days it was just me, her, and Faith. But those days built me. They made me humble. They reminded me this wasn’t about money — it was about legacy.
My granddad was a barber too. tough man. never one for easy words or soft love. He didn’t believe in me much. thought I’d never get it right. But my Momaw did. She always did. She’d been through hell, so she knew what real love looked like. She saw something in me long before I ever did.
Before she passed, she told me how proud she was that I picked the clippers back up. That meant everything. That’s when I knew — this wasn’t just a trade. This was my redemption.
this legacy, this name, this brand — it’s morals and principles are built off what she instilled in me. Not throughout life but more so when she was going through her toughest battles. You know It’s all good until it ain’t and that’s where you learn the true character of a person.
And now what I built feeds over eight families, and it’s still growing. It’s a blessing to look around and see people who once didn’t believe, who thought it couldn’t be done, now driving new cars, new trucks, new bikes, new houses, living stably.
We all have a story.
And we are all our own authors.
I came from being drugged up and written off…
to building something that feeds families and changes lives.
I shouldn’t be here.
But I am.
because God had a plan.
And if my story tells you anything, it’s that you’re never too far gone.
You just gotta fight for the version of yourself nobody else can see yet.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It’s definitely not been a smooth road. I’ve had to fight for every step of it. From being labeled and drugged up as a kid, to doing time, to losing everything more than once — life’s tested me in every way possible.
I’ve been counted out, talked about, and knocked down more times than I can remember. But every time I got back up, I came back stronger. The hardest part wasn’t starting over — it was learning how to stay out of the chaos that used to feel like home.
Every setback taught me something. Discipline, patience, faith — all that pain turned into purpose. God doesn’t waste pain, and everything I went through built the man I am today.
One thing I didn’t mention earlier is that after starting The Shave Shack, I was invited to join Mayor Golden’s Youth Coalition — where we work with troubled youth and focus on mentorship and second chances. To go from being that lost kid everyone gave up on to now helping guide others just like me… that’s what it’s all about.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
what i do goes way deeper than cutting hair. the shave shack started as a dream in a tiny room with me and my daughter, and it’s grown into a full men’s store — a place built for men to feel their best, look their best, and walk out with confidence. we carry top-tier products, clothes, and everything a man needs in one spot. but more than that, we built something that now feeds over eight families and continues to grow.
We specialize in men’s grooming, image, and creating a culture that feels like family. it’s not just about a haircut — it’s about how a man feels when he leaves the chair. what sets us apart is that every person here has a story, and we turned those stories into purpose.
i’m proud that the shave shack isn’t just a barbershop — it’s a men’s store, it’s opportunity, and it’s redemption. it gave me a second chance, and now i use it to give others the same.
today, we’re more than just cuts and products — we’re building community. i’ve gone from being the kid they said would never make it to mentoring others and working with the mayor’s youth coalition, helping guide troubled youth toward something better. my story isn’t just mine anymore — it’s proof that with faith, hard work, and heart, you can turn pain into purpose and build something that changes lives.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
people can work with me by reaching out directly or coming by the shave shack to connect. i’m always open to collaborating with other business owners, brands, and creators who share the same passion for growth, community, and purpose.
we’re building more than a business — we’re building opportunities. i love working with people who believe in second chances, mentorship, and giving back. whether it’s through business partnerships, community projects, or creative ideas that inspire others, i’m all in.
the best way to support what we’re doing is to stop by the shop, share the story, and help us keep creating jobs and changing lives. the shave shack isn’t just a men’s store — it’s a family, and we’re always looking to grow it with the right people.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://shaveshacktn.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/dmaythebarber
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/theshaveshacktn
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/shaveshacktn
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-shave-shack-clarksville?osq=the+shave+shack
