May 17, 2017

Meet Nicholas Howard II of Barber To The Stars in Galleria

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicholas Howard II.

Nicholas, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
When I was 12 years old, my best friend’s mother told him she wouldn’t be taking him to the barber shop anymore…and here are some clippers, you can get your friend to do it. That was first time that I had ever touched a pair of clippers. My friend Mireo had a very thin textured curly afro, so we figured it out together. Miraculously I didn’t mess it up or plug him. So, I continued to practice on his hair periodically and eventually 1 or 2 more friends would ask to be cut also. By the time I got to high school, I was much more comfortable with the clippers. By this time I was cutting High School basketball teammates in the restroom. Eventually I attended Prairie View A &M University…and that’s when I got a chance to practice daily and become very good. I charged $5 a haircut, cutting hair became an opportunity to keep some money in my pockets. I attained a reputation for good, consistent skills. At an early age, I was already taking appointments between classes and other work schedules. As I continued my business management studies, friends would always mention I should get my barber license and become a barber. Everyone thought I could be good. The vision wasn’t that clear to me. I had planned to go work for a company in some sort of managerial capacity. After graduating in 1993’ with Bachelor’s in Business Management, I was hired as a management trainee in retail…and at that time I realized that my freedom would be limited from now on. So after 2 years of trying to establish a management career…I figured out that I wanted to work for myself so I decided get my barber license and make a career of it. I finished my Texas required 1500 hours in May of 97’. Within my first 3 months of building a clientele…tragedy struck my life…my mother fell ill to lung cancer and passed away. My life totally changed going forward. I was determined to become successful. I remember asking a local promoter how I could get my name out there to be a well-known Houston barber. He had little insight, but I kept moving forward as he suggested. Fortunately I was meeting a lot of people that eventually became clients…I always made it a point to carry business cards. After 2-3 years of building, I ran across a few celebs that either played in NBA or sang Platinum R&B hits. Some of the first celebrity clients I remember were Gary Payton of NBA and H-Town recording artists. So someone suggested I was a barber for the stars…hence, the term barber to the stars is what I decided to market myself as.

More and more celebs started to flock to me, then all of a sudden I was Nick the “Barber To The Stars”. In 2001, I gained more notoriety through a calendar I produced called Barber Dolls. The calendar was full of sexy female posing as the sexiest barbers alive. This, was all before social media and even Myspace was brand new at this time. We sold calendars and posters all over the country. Some of my models were casted in music videos and went on to have great modeling careers starting from the Barber Dolls Calendar. Then in 2002 arrives the NFL Houston Texans franchise. One of my clients was an executive for the franchise. He promised me that I could be the locker room barber…he made good on that promise and 16 years later the rest is history. I have been there every Friday since then. The team players are a revolving door…but some of those relationships have cultivated into lifelong friendships and for that I am grateful. Over the years, my phone would just ring and on the other line would be a stranger asking if I could come cut the likes of New Edition, Kobe Bryant or whomever. I realized that successful people want to do business with the best. But for me it was mostly the reputation. I’m one of the best but never have I claimed to be the best. Over the years, my clientele continued to grow. At the time I was a big music fan. It became surreal to get phone calls of some of those artists like UGK. They were all we listened to in college and after…now I can say that Bun B one part of UGK rap duo…is one of the most intelligent friends I have today. I remind him that I was a fan first. I have toured with clients from city to city. At one point I would have to fly weekly to Miami and Memphis. My clients are able to see the whole world and it’s always a pleasure to get them back the chair and hear about their travels abroad. In May 2017 I will have served the Houston community for 20 years. Some consider that legendary status. I will just say I have been blessed beyond measure by this city and its people. I look back at all the acquaintances and friends I have gathered over the years. I rarely can go anywhere in Houston and not see and talk to someone I know or that been in my chair.

Has it been a smooth road?
My mother passed in ‘97 and that was hard to deal with. It caused me to sit out and take care if her for 6 months in San Antonio. I actually had to start and regain a new clientele all over again.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
I do just about any style of men’s, ladies and boys cuts…. but in recent years the young barbers have come in doing some great work. I never got used to what I called spray painting people heads to make it look better. I vowed to not make that a practice of mine. I am most proud of the professional clients and friends accumulated through the years and living up to my exceptional skill level through consistency professionalism and availability. People know me as “Barber To The Stars” but to my friends I’m just Nick.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Other barbers in other cities and Houston would often call me to ask how I did it. How can they be a “barber to the stars” in their city? And I always tell them to just concentrate on building a clientele. I did not necessarily plan to become “Barber To The Stars”, but a lot of the reasons it worked out for me is because we live in a cultural diverse city. We have many entertainment options. We have an NBA, NFL, MLB and MLS teams and all the entertainment stars perform here. We are the 4th largest city in the country, which has afforded me the privilege that I have. The city has hosted Super Bowls, All-Star games and many other pertinent events. So, Houston is a great city to start a barber career.

What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
Also most proud of as a barber… What most professionals would call an undesirable profession but it has afforded me homes, cars, and trips around the world. Not to mention a multitude of perks attached… and most of all I am a proud father of a 4 year old girl Bailey Nichol and her sister Journey. Being a father to them has taught me so many things…and shown me a love I never knew… The best joy of life is fatherhood!

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