Ben Barkworth didn’t always plan to be a hairdresser. But growing up in Stouffville, he’d constantly been told by hairstylists that he should do hair. And at the age of 25, working late hours and long shifts in the hospitality industry, he finally decided to give it a shot. “My friend said he was going to hairstyling school and I was like, ‘whoa, I’m going to go with you,’” says Ben. As soon as he stepped inside the school, he knew hairstyling was his calling.
Since doing hair, it’s always been Ben’s dream to open his own salon. On June 1, 2015, after eight years in the trade, he turned his dream into a reality and opened JustB Salon in Leslieville.
“I wanted a place where people could feel comfortable, feel welcomed and a place where they could be who they want to be,” says Ben. “There’s a lot of salons that I find are more about the exterior image instead of being comfortable with who you are. My goal is to make people feel comfortable in their own skin and make them feel the best they can be.”