Jason Schneidman grew up on the beaches of Southern California surfing and seeking the fun, care-free lifestyle it offered. His partying continued into his thirties until his life unraveled completely when he found himself homeless and addicted to crack cocaine. Sixteen years ago, he knew he had to do something otherwise he’d end up in jail or dead and so he asked for help and began the hard work of getting and staying sober.
Jason’s rehabilitation taught him the importance of giving back. He decided to go out onto the streets with cordless clippers and treat homeless individuals as though they were his celebrity clients. He was able to connect with them because he’d been through what they had. With a friend nearby to video his encounters, hundreds of thousands of Instagram viewers would get to see first hand his motto, “A haircut can change a life.” You can’t be helped but be moved to see how a haircut and kind human interaction not only helps people gain self-confidence and see their value, but also seek treatment for their addiction and gain employment.
Since Jason was a young teen he’d been cutting hair, but not until he got sober did his fierce work ethic lead him to make a name for himself creating fully unified looks for press tours, red carpets, music videos and editorial gigs. After apprenticing under Jennifer Aniston’s hair stylist, Chris McMillan, Jason was soon being asked to fly off to the the Super Bowl to cut Bruno Mars hair, and style and cut other big celebrities like Rob Lowe, James Corden, Hugh Jackman, Jonah Hill, Robert Pattinson, and Jay Shetty to name a few. His editorial work has appeared in magazines such as Rolling Stone, GQ, Entertainment Weekly, and Billboard.
Jason branched out on his own creating an entire salon and product line upon the fundamentals of men’s hair care. Aptly named “The Mens Groomer,” his Venice Beach, Lincoln Boulevard headquarters is part barbershop, part coffee shop, and part surf/skate shop. With his motorcycles and hot rods parked in front and his shop next to the iconic Dogtown Skateboards, it’s the epitome of California cool. Don’t be surprised if the legendary surfer, Laird Hamilton stops by for a cut and coffee.
Jason donates a percentage of his styling products and his haircuts to his foundation he started to give the homeless the second chance they need and deserve. Jason is married and has two adorable kids. He’s grateful every day for his family and friends and for the devoted group of clients he continues to gain and keep.
SHOW NOTE LINKS:
The Men’s Groomer on Instagram
Rachel’s Essay- Homelessness is More Than Lesshomeless
Jonathan Leeper on Dear Family,- Homeless Drug Addict Becomes Beacon of Hope Helping the Homeless
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