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Before Terrence Davis became known for TDAVISCUTS and began building his name as a luxury barber in Tuscaloosa, his journey started years earlier in Livingston with a simple interest in learning how to cut hair.
For Davis, that interest was inspired partly by what he saw on the big screen and partly by his own childhood experiences.
Growing up, Davis remembers watching the movie Barbershop and becoming fascinated with the profession. As a kid, watching barbers work made cutting hair seem easy.
He would eventually learn that wasn’t the case.
There was also a practical reason Davis became interested in picking up a pair of clippers. There were times growing up when his mother didn’t have the money to take him to the barbershop. Learning how to cut hair himself offered another option.
In 2008, Davis gave barbering a try.
He quickly discovered that getting a haircut right required much more skill than it appeared to require from the outside. Instead of allowing the difficulty to discourage him, Davis continued practicing.
Those early attempts eventually became experience.
A Livingston native, Davis graduated from Sumter Central High School in 2012. He continued cutting hair in the years that followed, but August 8, 2016, became a defining date in his journey.
That’s when Davis says he began taking barbering seriously.
As he became more committed to the craft, Davis worked at Hair • R • Us in Livingston, continuing to develop his skills behind the chair and gaining experience working with clients.
But building a clientele didn’t happen only inside the barbershop.
Like many entrepreneurs trying to grow a business while maintaining traditional employment, Davis used his 9-to-5 jobs as networking opportunities. Conversations with coworkers and people he met through work gave him opportunities to tell others about his barbering.
One connection could lead to a haircut. One haircut could lead to another client.
Little by little, Davis was building his name.
Years after first picking up clippers as a teenager, that name has developed into TDAVISCUTS.
Now based in Tuscaloosa, Davis markets himself as a Tuscaloosa Luxury Barber, with his brand centered around providing clients with a premium grooming experience.
His social media presence has become another extension of that brand. Instead of simply posting finished haircuts, Davis uses professional photography, transformations and consistent TDAVISCUTS branding to showcase his work and promote the experience surrounding it.
His Instagram page includes separate sections dedicated to his haircuts, booking and the TDAVISCUTS brand itself — showing how barbering has grown from a skill into a business identity.
The journey didn’t happen overnight.
It stretches back nearly two decades to a young Davis watching Barbershop, seeing barbers at work and believing it was something he could do.
Then he actually picked up the clippers.
He learned it wasn’t as easy as it looked.
So he practiced.
What began with those early cuts in 2008 became a serious pursuit in 2016. Along the way came years of learning, working, networking and building relationships with clients.
Today, the Livingston native is continuing that journey in Tuscaloosa, transforming something he became interested in as a child into a career and recognizable personal brand.
Davis’ story also represents a path familiar to many entrepreneurs across West Alabama — starting with what is available, developing a skill over time and finding opportunities to promote yourself even while working a regular job.
For Davis, barbering has become more than simply cutting hair.
It has become his craft, his business and his brand.
Those interested in seeing Davis’ work can follow @tdaviscuts_ on Instagram. Appointments with TDAVISCUTS can be scheduled through his current ShiftBOOKD booking page.
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