Angela Henning has been a professional Class A barber for 23 years, working in her native Fort Worth, TX since age 17.  Henning holds a dual license in her barbershop so that she can employ both hairstylists and barbers.  She has always encouraged her team members to do crossover programs for ultimate marketability. Henning is an award winning barber, business owner and educator for 18.21 Man Made Grooming.

“Barbering is literally in my blood. I have 14 family members who have become licensed barbers. I am blessed and honored to be a part of the industry and am still learning. Working with 18.21 has been divine alignment and they are an amazing brand.”  Henning is a regional instructor for the brand, sharing product knowledge and her winning “Fast Fade” techniques.  This was a natural progression as she is a long time mentor to many barbers and hairstylists in her area. She began training younger family members in her grandfather’s shop.

Family Ties: Henning began work in her family shop along with her grandfather, three aunts, brother, sister and numerous cousins!  Her great Uncle Louis Ayala opened his historic barbershop in 1944 in the old stockyard area of Fort Worth. Henning attended the Roffler Hair Design College yet was originally self-taught and didn’t want her younger family members to have that struggle.  Her grandfather would sit new students next to her to learn her skills and she had a natural ability to teach. Henning opened her own shop in 2007 with a second location in 2011. 

Competitive Inspiration: After a few years, Henning found herself in a slump. She notes, “Work started to feel like a grind.  I love what I do, yet wasn’t as inspired or excited anymore. The people around me feed off of my energy.  If I’m not energetic, then they’re not going to be either. I started going to ‘Barber Battles’ competitions to get inspired.  They are very male dominated!  At first, I was very intimidated. I got inspired and in 2014 decided to enter my first competition in El Paso, which I lost.”  Ultimately, these competitions inspired Henning to be better and faster.

Fast Fades: Henning saw a competition in Dallas and entered. She adds, “I’ve always been well-known in my city since I worked in the family business. I never realized that it was frowned upon for women to cut hair in some areas!  I never felt that way myself. Other female barbers told me they got asked frequently, ‘Can you cut hair?’ Some people still believe barbering is just for men, yet it is now becoming much more acceptable for women.” In Dallas, Henning won the annual ‘Fastest Fade’ competition.  She was the only female against 22 men. She finished in an award winning 6 minutes and 48 seconds. She notes, “What really solidified my win was hearing the emcee say, ‘Ya’ll are going to let a girl beat you?!’ after I finished.  That was way better than the trophy and cash prize!”

Barbering Evolution: “Barbering has grown so much over the years. When I first started, my female peers didn’t say they were barbers, they said they were hairstylists. To see barbering evolve into what it is now and see licensed cosmetologists doing crossover programs to become barbers is awesome.  At one time I thought barbering was a dying art and now I think it is beautiful that it has been resurrected.”  Henning has noticed that many cosmetologists now have an understanding that men are a very loyal clientele. “Men will change their girlfriends before they change their barber!  This is a key reason why a lot of cosmetologists are willing to extend their business to gentlemen now and are getting crossover licenses to service both markets.”

18.21 Education:  Henning was discovered by 18.21 Man Made Grooming thanks to social media. She was asked to judge barbering competitions to share her fast fade technique in seminars.  She used the hashtags #ladybarber and #texasbarber and 18.21 discovered her handles. “They were front row during my seminar and the rest is history. They gave me their products to try. I absolutely loved them and knew I needed to work with them.” 18.21 thought Henning’s teaching method was very organic and that she broke down her techniques in an understandable way from a cosmetology perspective. “I always had a dual license in my shop and had many hairstylists working for me for me. They gained the courage to get their barber licenses and use the straight razor.  It’s very cool what’s happening in barbering.  I’ve been able to meet so many inspirational people in the industry.”

18.21 Favorites: Henning was first attracted to the 18.21 packaging, recognizing the quality and meticulous design of the products.  “Twenty-three years ago, I didn’t have a lot of professional tools to work with. It is awesome to have these products now and my clients love the masculine aroma. Clay and Paste remain favorites. The beauty of the line is the diversity.  I use the Paste on hair ends for shine and hold. The Clay is great on fine or thinning hair. The Paste and Pomade are great for over curly or coarse hair. My new favorites are the Shaving Glide and Wax. I teach hairstylists who aren’t barbers to give great experiences to clients, while showing them to use the Glide on the nape of the neck with a feather razor.  The clients feel the blade on the back of the neck.  It makes men feel more cared for and catered to and the fragrance sets the experience apart.”

Spoil Him With 18.21 Man Made Grooming:  Elevate your services with the best men’s grooming products!  For more information, call 469-230-9494, email Info@1821ManMade.com or visit www.1821ManMade.com. Distribution opportunities are still available throughout the U.S.A. and around the world. 18.21 Man Made Grooming, 3501 South Highway 157, Suite 117, Euless, TX  76040 USA.  For more information on Angela Henning contact her at henningangela@yahoo.com or find her on social media with the handles: #ladybarber, #texasbarber and #rxbarber.