Spotlight on Sean Aylward of The Humble Barber: Promoting Men’s Health, While Doing What He Loves

With a strong interest in men’s culture, when Sean Aylward decided to start his own business in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, it was a natural choice to open a high-end barbershop and retail store that offers haircuts, facials and hot towel shaves for men.

The Humble Barber opened earlier this year when Sean found that working for other people didn’t give him enough freedom to grow. “I am a very driven person, and a little bit OCD. Not being able to change things to improve efficiencies or just be in better order would drive me crazy,” Sean explained. “Having my own business solved both of these problems for me.”

Sean graduated from the University of PEI in political science, and after working in the oil path as a carpenter out West, doing sales in Ontario, and taking the LSATs in Newfoundland, he found inspiration in a barbershop in St. John’s. “I recognized an opportunity back home to try my own spin on the business,” Sean said. Sean now loves that he is in control of his career trajectory and is able to create and execute his own plan, all while doing what he loves.

For some businesses, there are specific causes and events that just go hand-in-hand in terms of supporting one another. For The Humble Barber, one of those causes is Movember—an annual event where men around the globe sprout hair on their upper lips to raise awareness for men’s health issues. For Movember this year, on top of growing his own “mo,” Sean will be working with a local Junior A hockey team to raise awareness, and will be donating profits from a full day of shaves to prep men’s faces for the month.

“We’ve only got one body, and one kick-at-the-can. It’s important to be educated in how to best take care of ourselves,” Sean shares. Sean would like to help people get more out of their life, by leading a healthy and natural lifestyle, and he does this by selling natural and high-end products, while preaching the benefits of taking care of your skin, face, and body. “Movember brings the conversation further, so it’s a natural bridge,” he explains.

Getting involved with causes and organizations can be a win-win situation for both parties involved, and when it comes to teaming up in your community, Sean shared some advice: “Reach out to the staples in your local community and do a joint program. It helps get the word out better when more people are involved.” Sean also explained that it can be a lot more fun when you interact with other organizations and it can even open the doors to doing something unique that you may have not thought of on your own.

You can follow The Humble Barber on Instagram here, or on Facebook here. To learn more about Movember and how to get involved, click here.

Written By: Lauren Marinigh, Social Media & Content Creation Coordinator, Futurpreneur Canada