A lot of people dread the typical 9 to 5 workday for fear of missing out on life. Emmanuel “E-Man” Azoro quickly realized that being cooped up in the walls of a building for most of the day was not for him. The “Shape-Up King” is well known by many as a charming, charismatic man who is chasing his dream.
When Azoro was growing up, he and his brother were often teased in school because their family could not afford haircuts. This ridicule lead Azoro to start cutting his younger brother’s hair, and he gradually began cutting other kids hair as well, charging them just a few dollars. It did not take long for word of mouth to increase his business; soon he was giving haircuts to many well-known football players – even teachers started to approach him.
He obtained actual employment at a barbershop at age 15 and has been a barber for 20 years, owning his own shop in Prince George’s County Plaza Mall (located in Maryland).
Now, the 37 year old travels the streets in his customized vehicle giving haircuts in various parts of the state. A reporter caught up with Azoro as he was finishing up with his first customer of the day. Marvin Uzoho, a 21-year-old senior at Howard University, heard about the “Shape-Up King” from word of mouth and was thoroughly impressed with his work.
As Uzoho was getting brushed off, a next customer was already in line. Richard Ryles, originally from West Palm Beach, Florida, had seen the truck before and saw photos on Instagram.
After Azoro finished up with the Florida native, Ryles checked out his new cut and gave his heartfelt approval. Azoro explained that it is the reaction of customers that makes being a barber enjoyable.
The truck is decked out with a barber chair, a tiny sunroof, mirrored ceilings, the classic spinning barber poles, and of course the latest magazines. The vehicle is also fashioned with a large storefront window so his potential customers can see him in action.
The “Shape-Up King” is happy with how his mobile business is shaping up, but he’s still looking to grow his business. “Even though I have over 2,000 clients right now I’m still hungry and try to go out and get more clients”.
As we see a continued spread in food trucks all across America’s city, it is very possible that barber trucks will also soon be as common.