This browser does not support the Video element.
Barber paying it forward to families
He's what's right with Tampa Bay
TAMPA, Fla. - Back to school haircuts can be expensive for families on a tight budget but thanks to a community barbershop, the price is just right.
Carl Martin is 33 and living his dream of owning his own barbershop. He started cutting hair when he was 16.
"I love it. I love what I do now," he said. "Around high school, I got really serious about it."
Carl bought his shop four years ago, but the location has a much longer history in the community.
"Use to be Cole's Barbershop, owned by the Cole family. I known them my whole life so they handed it over to me and I changed it over to Martin's Place Barbershop," Carl said.
He learned his haircutting skills from his father who was a barber for 50 years.
"A little bit of the new school stuff I learned from others but he taught me the basics, definitely."
Now he's paying his success forward with $5 back-to-school haircuts.
"I try to give back to mothers that aren't as fortunate, you know what I mean? If their kids want to come and get a $5 haircut, any type of haircut, we're here for that. We try to look out," he said. "I understand that we have to work and we have to make money too but you also have to help out a community and give back so that you can get back something from them... You can't always just take, take, take."
Carl hopes the haircuts help students have a positive attitude for the new school year and give parents one less thing to worry about.
Carl will be offering the $5 cuts this Friday and Saturday at Martin's Place Barbershop, located at 6016 N 40th Street in Tampa.