Business

Black Business Spotlight: Wilson’s Image Barbers & Stylists

MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN-RECORDER — For the past decade or so, Teto Wilson’s barbershop has served as a Northside staple for not just a good haircut, but also as a place for gathering, good times, and even accessing community resources.

Published

6 years ago

March 27, 2019

Oakland Post

Teto Wilson (Submitted Photo)

By Stephenetta (isis) Harmo

For the past decade or so, Teto Wilson’s barbershop has served as a Northside staple for not just a good haircut, but also as a place for gathering, good times, and even accessing community resources.

After graduating from barber school in Malden, Mass., Wilson, an Illinois native, made his next move to Minnesota in 2000. Here he worked with a friend and fellow student and went on to open Wilson’s Image Barbers & Stylists in August 2007.

Since then, he has connected his passion for people with behind-the-chair therapy to become a prominent voice in the community. “When you come into my shop, it’s more than just a haircut,” said Wilson.

The MSR caught up with Wilson to talk about what it takes to prepare for entrepreneurship and how he combined his two passions to benefit the community.

MSR: What made you decide to open your own shop?

Teto Wilson: When I think back on the things that I did to generate money as a youngster, I’ve always kind of had, like, an entrepreneurial spirit. So, I knew eventually I was going to open up my own shop.

When I came to Minnesota, I worked with a lifelong friend of mine at his shop for seven years. It gave me an opportunity to get to know Minnesota. I built up a lot of clientele, but I knew that wasn’t going to be it for me to just stay working in their shop.

Around the fourth or fifth year, in my mind I was ready. But I hadn’t done things to get myself in position to do it. So I started planning. I started saving money, thinking about locations and how I wanted my business model to be structured. So, it took me a few years after I put it in my mind that it was going to happen.

MSR: What was that opening process like? What were some of your challenges?

TW: Even though I had been here for a few years, I didn’t know who’d be willing to take a chance to come and work with me as a start-up business owner. So, I took my time. Challenges were more making sure I chose the right location and that I had gained enough understanding from working under other barbershop owners of how [the business] actually works, taking what I learned from them and getting all the good that I saw from them and then bringing it into my own and doing things my own way. And getting the right people to work for me.

Also, we always talk about “buy Black” and “shop Black.” Well, you have to support Black. I give good service in a clean, safe environment at a fair price. So, just treat me like you would treat another establishment. You go in, you get what you want, you pay the price.

MSR: What’s one thing you would tell someone else who wants to launch their own business?

TW: I would tell them the same thing as some of the challenges that presented for me, [such as the importance of] location. If you have your own money, then that’s great. If you have to do financing, don’t get in over your head. You have to do your day-to-day management; you have bills, utilities. If you bought a building or if you’re renting, you have a lot of expenses that go with that. Just make sure you plan it out and don’t, don’t just go out there and say, “Hey, I want to open up a business” and throw caution to the wind hoping that it works. You have to be strategic about it.

MSR: What do you think makes a haircut experience in your shop so special?

TW: When people think of barbers and stylists as kind of like their therapist, I think about it as like we are working on their head and that’s how we end up getting in their head, whether it’s 30 minutes for a haircut or with women who can be in the shop for hours. That’s a real intimate time, so people like to share things that are important to them. For me, it’s a listening to what they got going on and making sure that I keep that personal.

Beyond that, it’s having a great haircut and listening and giving your customer what they’re asking for. If you can’t do it, maybe send them to another barber that can… Building relationships — it feels good, you get a great haircut, and you build a relationship with your customer, laugh and talk with them about some things that are important.

MSR: Outside of cutting hair, you have a scholarship fund, host community events. Why is that important for you?

TW: I’ve been cutting hair with a license now for about 25 years. But my passion — as much as I love to cut hair — is not cutting hair. My passion is community and being able to connect with people.

Being a barbershop owner and having my barbershop right in North Minneapolis gives me a space where I can connect with community. I look at the barbershop as a community resource hub. There’s a space in my shop called the situation room, and I designed it just like a round table. We have a lot of events where it could be conversations with the Minneapolis Public Schools superintendent…or with the Minneapolis chief of police and the newly elected Hennepin County sheriff.

Whether it’s around education, police and community relations, whatever it is that we can host here where people can gain from it, that’s what’s important to me. And having the parties and stuff like that, that’s a fun time, a way to give back, too.

MSR: What does success look like for you?

TW: When we’re all winning. I’m going to continue to grow and get in these spaces where I can connect and go to bat for our community. I also go to other spaces where I can gain for us, [and] I can bring it back so we can benefit from it.

The haircutting thing is down pat, you know what I mean? I’ve been doing that for years. But just making sure that our community continues to get what they need — that’s what success is for me.

Wilson’s Image Barbers & Stylists is located at 2201 W Broadway Ave. in North Minneapolis. From April 1 through June 30, MSR readers can mention this article for $5 off adult and kids hair cuts. For more info, visit wilsonsimage.com.

This article originally appeared in the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.

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Oakland Post: Week of December 18 – 24, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of December 18 – 24, 2024

Published

2 days ago

December 20, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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BWOPA Honors Black Leadership and Legacy at 2024 Ella Hill Hutch Awards Dinner

On Dec. 5, BWOPA held its Annual Ella Hill Hutch Awards Ceremony, at the Fairmont Claremont Hotel in the Oakland/Berkeley Hills. At the event, the group comprised of Black women from various professional backgrounds, honored distinguished local and state leaders whose contributions have shaped civic engagement and advanced critical social issues impacting Black communities.

Published

4 days ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

L-R: BWOPA State Executive Director LaNiece Jones; State Asm. Mia Bonta; BWOPA 2024 Man of The Year/Urban League SFBA CEO Ken Maxey; BWOPA State President Hon. Dezie Woods-Jones; State Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas; Rowena Brown, Oakland Councilmember At-Large, Elect; BWOPA State Regional Director Vashone Huff. Courtesy photo.

By Oakland Post Staff

Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA) is a statewide non-profit advocacy and membership organization committed to solving problems affecting Black Californians.

On Dec. 5, BWOPA held its Annual Ella Hill Hutch Awards Ceremony, at the Fairmont Claremont Hotel in the Oakland/Berkeley Hills.

At the event, the group comprised of Black women from various professional backgrounds, honored distinguished local and state leaders whose contributions have shaped civic engagement and advanced critical social issues impacting Black communities.

The evening was hosted by Dr. Shawna Charles, founder of The Charles Communications Group (CCG) headquartered in Los Angeles. Charles served as mistress of ceremonies.

With a track record of elevating voices and empowering communities, Charles’ leadership and insight brought a certain dynamism to the celebration.

“Each year, this event not only celebrates the enduring legacy of our beloved BWOPA founding member, Ella Hill Hutch, but also reaffirms and amplifies our unwavering commitment to building and sustaining Black political power across California,” said Dezie Woods-Jones, BWOPA founding member and State president.

“Ella Hill Hutch’s trailblazing leadership continues to inspire us as we forge ahead, empowering Black women to lead, advocate, and shape a more equitable future for all,” added Woods-Jones.

This year’s event introduced the DWJ Rising Star Award, honoring young leaders like Solano County Board Supervisors-elect Cassandra James, Danielle Motley-Lewis, Naomi Waters and newly elected State Assemblymember elect Rhodesia Ransom (D-Stockton).

According to organizers, the awardees all exemplify “the next generation of changemakers.”

Other awardees included:

Lifetime Achievement Awardees: Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA-12) and Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson
Man of the Year: Kenneth Maxey, CEO of the Greater SF Bay Area Urban League
President’s Corporate Award: Yvette Radford, Kaiser Permanente
In the Spirit of Ella State and Chapter Awards: Dr. Carolyn Greene, Dr. Marcella K. Smith, Dr. Carolyn Drake, Tinisch Hollins, Jackie Jones, Gloria Burgess Johnson, Tamika L’Ecluse, Ellen Nash, Betty Reid Soskin, and Ay’Anna Moody.

BWOPA also celebrated local champions across its chapters, including leaders in voter education, healthcare, criminal justice reform, and community advocacy.

In a statement, BWOPA said, “Honoring Ella Hill Hutch’s legacy, BWOPA recognizes her pioneering efforts as the first Black woman elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Her tireless work amplifying underrepresented voices continues to inspire BWOPA’s mission to build Black political power across California.”

“We extend our heartfelt thanks to our members, partners and allies who believe in BWOPA’s vision to invest in building power for Black women’s leadership,” said LaNiece Jones, BWOPA State executive director. “Your support ensures that Black women have a voice at decision-making tables locally, regionally, statewide, and nationally, advancing diversity and equity in leadership spaces.”

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Council of Islamic Relations Applauds Alameda County Decision to Divest $32M from Caterpillar

The divestment from Caterpillar, a company criticized for its human rights abuses globally—including the destruction of Palestinian homes, infrastructure, and agriculture, as well as in the U.S. prison-industrial complex, border militarization, and immigration detention centers—is a significant step in ensuring that Alameda County’s financial resources do not perpetuate harm.

Published

1 week ago

December 14, 2024

Oakland Post

CAIR-SFBA Policy Coordinator Musa Tariq. Courtesy photo.

Special to The Post

The San Francisco Bay Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, this week welcomed the Alameda County Board of Supervisors’ decision to divest $32 million in public funds from Caterpillar and unanimously commit to adopting an ethical investment policy.

The Board’s decision follows months of advocacy by Bay Area Divest!, a coalition of community organizations calling for accountability in public investments.

In November, CAIR welcomed the reported freeze on the delivery of bulldozers to Israel as an “implicit admission” by the Biden Administration that the far-right Netanyahu government is using that equipment in the ethnic cleansing of Gaza.

CAIR-SFBA Policy Coordinator Musa Tariq said:

“This is a historic moment for Alameda County, demonstrating the power of community advocacy and the County’s leadership in ethical governance. The decision to divest from Caterpillar sends a clear message that public funds should not support corporations complicit in human rights violations.”

In addition to divesting from Caterpillar, the Board voted to move forward with developing a comprehensive Ethical Investment Policy, recommended by District 5 Supervisor Keith Carson.

This policy will include criteria to exclude “investments in industries, corporations, or governments that perpetuate harm to communities and the planet,” such as fossil fuel extraction, weapons production, and entities involved in war crimes, apartheid, and other severe human rights violations.

Alameda County has a proud legacy of socially responsible investment. In 1985, the County divested from South Africa to protest apartheid, and in 1996, it barred investments in companies doing business with Burma due to human rights abuses.

“This forward-thinking policy positions Alameda County as a leader in socially responsible investing,” added Tariq. “By committing to craft the policy within 90 days and implement it within six months, the County has set an ambitious and commendable timeline.”

CAIR-SFBA is an office of CAIR, America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.