Adaptability and resilience led Master Barber Shaun Anthony to develop an entrepreneurial mindset.
By Mary Ellen Mitchell
Just a few months before Christmas in 2013, the workers of EVRAZ Claymont Steel were summoned to the community room for an impromptu meeting. A company official stood before the crowd of 400 workers to reveal the agenda: The steel mill was closing.
Shaun Anthony was one of those workers. Having just placed a bid in on a house in Wilmington, and with a family to support, he stood with his back against the wall as heads around him dropped.
“I looked up. I don’t know why, but I felt strangely OK with it. Maybe part of me was growing weary of the trade. Or maybe I knew I could rely on myself to figure things out.”
Anthony grew up in Camden, New Jersey — a city that faltered when once-vital industry fell due to unforeseen economic changes that began in the 1960s — the same kinds of changes that contributed to the closure of EVRAZ Claymont Steel.
He had always wanted to be a barber, but his mother — coincidently, a cosmetology school graduate who worked in a beauty salon alongside his aunt and grandmother — wasn’t sold on the idea.
After graduating from Camden High, an opportunity for a well-paid position as a crane operator at Claymont Steel caught Anthony’s attention. He was hired and later promoted to management, providing the impetus to stay for what he assumed would be his entire career.
Being laid off at age 35 from his only employer for 12 years, Anthony quickly realized he had to take positive steps to overcome self-doubt. “I told myself that I would refuse to let my circumstances change my approach to life,” he says. “I vowed to live freakishly awesome.”
That day, Anthony walked out of the steel mill with his first step already planned: “I called my realtor to withdraw my bid and find a place I could afford on unemployment,” he recalls.
He soon applied and was accepted to the American Beauty Academy in Wilmington, graduating a year later as a licensed master barber. It was there he had the good fortune of meeting campus director Tyrik Jackson, who became a mentor and friend.
“I think it’s important for every entrepreneur to recognize areas of development and have a supportive mentor that can help you find ways to improve,” Anthony says.
To enhance his public speaking skills, Anthony became a platform artist for reputable hair care brands, including Basic, V. Gan, Clubman Pinaud, and Bigen USA. This role required him to serve as part educator, salesperson, and entertainer, traveling the country and taking the stage to promote products by demonstrating how best to use them.
When he was ready to put all he had learned into practice, Anthony went to work as a full-time barber, renting a suite in a barbershop in New Castle, where he earned a loyal following over the next several years.
By 2020, he was able to save enough money to open his own barbershop: Freakishly Awesome by Shaun Anthony, at 805 N. Tatnall St. in Wilmington.
A Clear Vision
“When I decided to open my space, a friend who was helping me with the buildout said, ‘While we’re working, we should cover the windows to protect the investment.’ “But I disagreed, and said, ‘I want the young people who walk up and down this block to see that two black men are creating something here. This is the new Wilmington.’”
Passersby would be able to see clearly into the shop, brightly decorated from floor to ceiling with contemporary art created by some of Anthony’s favorite local artists — Alim Smith, Cony Madariaga, 7GOD, James Wyatt, Kariem Young, Oba Jackson, and Smashed Label.
“This art is all about Wilmington,” he says. “I believe in this city. It’s a powerhouse of talent.”
Anthony is an artist in his own right, clipping fresh fades and clean lines alongside barber Matthew David and esthetician Charne Layvonne, whose talents have helped build Freakishly Awesome’s diverse clientele and substantial record of five-star Google reviews.
Retired salon owner Christina Harris has a standing appointment every six weeks. “Shaun’s gift is his ability to create the perfect look for each individual, based on their lifestyle, personal style, hair type, and head and face shape, she says. “My mom, as well as my 15-year-old son — who is extremely difficult to impress — won’t go anywhere else. His four-step facials are amazing.”
Shaping Futures
Riding his road bike with friends and playing golf are Anthony’s favorite ways to stay active. He enjoys spending time with his 22-year-old son, Bryce, who recently graduated from Delaware State University, and his 17-year-old daughter, Lyana, another talented artist whose work is on loan to the barbershop.
Anthony holds a strong belief that everyone should give back, but tell no one about it. Through no self-promotion, he has earned a reputation for helping Wilmington’s less fortunate, organizing food and clothing drives and performing many other generous acts of kindness.
He’s a volunteer lecturer at Howard High School of Technology, Christiana High School, and Camden High School. He also teaches at area cosmetology schools, including Premier Barber Institute and Paul Mitchell The School.
“If I can help my students understand how to approach this industry, I feel good about that,” he says. “Maybe I can flip a switch for someone who needs a different way to learn.”
Last year, Anthony was asked to be an instructor for Launcher, a program offered by Wilmington’s West End Neighborhood House, a nonprofit community development organization. Launcher’s mission is to help Delaware entrepreneurs start or enhance their small business, and in turn, help revitalize disinvested neighborhoods.
So far, Anthony has taught business plan development to two of the 12-week Launcher program cohorts, which he thoroughly enjoyed. He also shares his knowledge and expertise outside of class, offering additional one-on-one support and mentorship.
“I explain to the students: ‘You can’t skip steps. You’ve got to build your craft. Read the books. Become an expert in your field. It’s a lot. But you’ve got to do the hard work first.’”
New Location, Expanded Services
To allow for even greater visibility, Freakishly Awesome by Shaun Anthony has recently moved to a new location as a full-service salon, at 5 E. Fourth St. (near the intersection of Fourth and Market streets).
The new salon will offer the same by-appointment haircut, grooming, and facial services as always, but Layvonne will expand her esthetician services to include manicures and pedicures. With the addition of stylist Shaniyah Thomas, braids and locs will be available as well.
For client convenience, the new location will offer recommended hair, grooming, and skincare products for sale, including fragrances.
The grand opening and ribbon-cutting celebration will be held in September, on a to-be-announced date. A new website with built-in scheduling is also in the works.
“You’ll notice that my Shaun Anthony logo has no straight lines,” Anthony says. “That’s symbolic. There isn’t always a straight path to success in life. But I like to think that I’ve made my mom proud.”
Above: Shaun Anthony sits in his shop, Freakishly Awesome, decorated with art by his favorite local artists. Photo by Justin Heyes.