Faatzsaini

Looking sharp

Every gentleman can look sharp, if he goes to a good barbershop. Fatsi Azani and his brother, Oky Andries, noticed that men essentially had two choices when they needed a spot of grooming in Jakarta. It was either a beauty salon or a regular barbershop. The brothers saw an opportunity to create something special for men - more than just a humdrum haircut place.

They founded Chief Barbershop in 2013. Its mission is to provide a complete gentleman’s experience, from highly professional services provided by talented, qualified barbers to sales of high-quality male grooming products. Now they have four branches in South Jakarta. Their Chief Pomade is available online and in retail stores like Guardian, Century and Aeon. Chief Barbershop is certified by the industry’s National Professional Certification Board. This means everything is standardised, from products to the barbers’ skills.

His move into entrepreneurship was challenging for Azani. He resigned from his previous job discreetly, fearing that his parents would not support him. “Becoming an entrepreneur had never crossed my mind, mostly because I didn’t think I would be good at it,” he admits. “Then I actually did it, and I set out to prove that our journey to success isn’t determined by our education but by how hard we work. Gaining certification gives us big leverage and confidence, business wise. It’s also great for our barbers. It means that what we are doing is right, and that we can keep on improving.”