Maria Griffith shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Maria, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
Recently, two sisters reached out to Shear Success Academy to get their hair cut for donation to a charity that creates wigs for people battling cancer. What could have been a simple haircut appointment turned into something truly meaningful. As we spent the afternoon talking, they told me they had actually waited to donate their hair until our school opened because they wanted their experience to support our mission. I was struck by their compassion and sense of purpose.
When they were leaving, one of our regular clients – Richard, who visits us through our free haircare program – pulled up on his bike and joined our conversation. In that small, spontaneous exchange, I saw both sides of our mission come together: the people in our community who want to give, and those who receive care and dignity through our services. It was such a beautiful reminder of what we’re building – a place where generosity and humanity meet under one roof. I left that day feeling incredibly proud to open our doors to both.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m originally from Long Island, New York, though I’ve proudly called Texas home for nearly a decade. I graduated from Dartmouth College in 2015 with a degree in Studio Art and moved south soon after – drawn by sunshine, new opportunities, and a desire to build a life rooted in creativity and community.
Outside of work, I continue to take on private art commissions and my husband and I spend much of our time rescuing and fostering dogs.
Over the years, I’ve worked across an eclectic mix of fields; from local CBS affiliate news station, to network television, to the art world in PR and sales. Each experience taught me something unique about storytelling, human connection, and different outlooks. Looking back, I can see how every path led me to discover professional purpose in nonprofit work.
Today, I channel that passion as the Director of Development & Marketing for Have Shears Will Travel, where I get to blend strategy with heart, amplifying stories of dignity, empowerment, and hope.
Have Shears Will Travel is a Houston-based nonprofit built on the belief that changing one’s path in life can start with something as simple as a haircut. Our fearless leader, Barbara Goodson, founded Have Shears in 2015 with nothing but a few barber tools in the trunk of her car and a call to serve. Ten years later, that mission has not only endured – it has blossomed into something far greater. Our stylists travel around Houston bringing free haircare to people experiencing homelessness, individuals with terminal illness & disabilities, children in need, and veterans rebuilding their lives. We partner with more than forty local agencies including Open Door Mission, Ronald McDonald House, Mission of Yahweh, Camp Hope, and Covenant House, to bring compassion and care directly to those who need it most.
The organization’s signature mobile salon was originally a 2001 converted mobile home. It had been put to such use serving the community over the decade it desperately needed to be replaced. In a testament to the community’s belief in their work, several generous Houstonians stepped forward to fund a brand-new, state-of-the-art RV, contributing more than $150,000 without even being asked. The new mobile unit, which you can see driving around Houston in its custom wrap, stands as a symbol of how compassion can quite literally keep things moving.
Have Shears Will Travel didn’t stop there. In 2023, the organization took a bold leap of faith, expanding its mission to include education through the launch of Shear Success Academy: a barber and cosmetology school designed to create lasting change through opportunity. Shear Success offers affordable, high-quality education for students seeking a fresh start or a career that gives back. It is the only one of its kind in the Houston area, lead with dedication and heart by school director Matthew Flores, and a passionate team of experienced instructors. Together, the nonprofit and school create a full circle of empowerment, serving both the community members who receive care and the future professionals who wish to learn to provide it. What began as a dream is now a thriving reality, training the next generation of stylists, including students from partner programs like Sunrise Lofts, which supports youth who have aged out of foster care.
Right now we’re about to have our first Designer Purse Bingo to benefit Shear Success Academy scholarships on October 19th. It’s always very exciting to witness the generosity of local Houston businesses. For instance, Pamela Wright of Bellaire donated a large portion of the luxury items that make this event possible.
This December, Have Shears Will Travel will bring a little extra magic to its mission with a special Holiday Haircuts initiative. Partnering with several of the organization’s longtime agencies, the team will provide free haircuts to children in need while transforming Shear Success Academy into the North Pole. It’ll be complete with Santa visits, holiday treats, and plenty of sparkle. The goal is simple but powerful: to give every child the chance to feel seen, celebrated, and confident for the holidays. It’s a joyful new tradition that blends the heart of the season with the spirit of service that defines everything Have Shears Will Travel stands for.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
Although I grew up on Long Island, I spent much of my childhood visiting New York City. From a young age, my parents made it clear that generosity toward others wasn’t optional – it was part of being human. I remember standing beside my mom as she encouraged me to drop a dollar in someone’s cup, reminding me that we all deserve to be treated with dignity.
One spring afternoon when I was about seven, I was visiting my cousins on the East Side. We were walking to get ice cream when they stopped to introduce me to a man experiencing homelessness who lived near their building. They said very casually, “this is our dad’s friend, James.” He was so kind and soft-spoken, asking about our day and how my cousins were doing in school. This wasn’t a stranger with a cup on the street, this was a friend of my favorite uncle. He just happened to live outside. As we walked away, they told me his story. Life had not been kind to him, and a series of hardships and loss had slowly pushed him onto the street. That moment quietly shifted the way I saw people in general going forward. As I got older, I came to understand even more clearly how addiction, trauma, and lack of support can intersect. Mainly, how privilege itself can act as the safety net that keeps people from falling through the cracks. The longer I work for Have Shears, it’s clear that compassion, not judgement, is what bridges that divide. I like to think that moment in the city meeting James opened my mind just enough from then on. It created a willingness to see the whole person behind those asking for help.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
Absolutely the fear of failure. I’m aware this is extremely universal, however it took me until my adult life to really reframe my thinking. Whether it’s painting, socially, etc. I was always so afraid of putting myself out there. Honestly working in nonprofit has been the biggest difference. Mainly, because who cares what people think of me if the end result is helping people who need it. And the people that come to us have already had to put themselves out there in an extremely vulnerable way for help to spark a change in their life. It turns out that fear was incredibly selfish at the end of the day.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
Absolutely. One of the bigger hurdles I’ve found in taking on this new role has been getting comfortable with putting myself out there on social media. Or rather, trying to succeed to some degree with social media by spreading the word about our organization. I’m an extremely open book, whether that be about my personal views or opinions. I find connecting with our supporters, community, and the people we serve so natural on all levels – however online is a different story. Social media is one of the things that many nonprofits feel pressure to shift energy towards.
I make a point to visit some of our agencies throughout the month when our stylists go to give haircuts, in order to bond with some of the people we serve and listen to their stories. Our Operations Manager, Arron McLaurin, and other lead stylist, Oenita Tatum, always make people feel comfortable and looked after, no matter the circumstances. Listening to people tell their life’s story as they relax in the barber chair is the start of an ongoing project. It would share the individual stories of how some of these wonderful people ended up where they are, and what a haircut means to them. I’ve heard everything from ‘this is my favorite day of the month’ to ‘no one has touched or washed my hair in two years. I was too embarrassed to see my loved ones until today.” Naturally, some of these people are happy to share their story on a public platform, but many aren’t. For the ones that aren’t, I’ll just carry those in my heart.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If you laid down your name, role, and possessions—what would remain?
Someone who is just trying to alleviate the amount of suffering in the world, no matter how small an impact they have. Truly I believe that’s all we can do as humans at this point in history. And someone who has a lot of love in their life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.haveshearswilltravel.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haveshearswilltravel
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/9534808/admin/dashboard/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/haveshears/
