The COVID-19 pandemic has been brutal for many businesses. Those that didn’t pivot and adapt are likely not to survive. When the pandemic-related shutdowns began, Master Barber Charlie McCoy saw that something would need to change about his business if he was to survive the economic fallout that would soon come. That’s how Artisan Luxury Brands was born.
As someone who was already the owner of two successful barbershops in New York City (Artisan Barber and Orchard & Ludlow), he had his hands full before COVID-19 and wasn’t thinking about novel business ideas that much. Once things escalated with the pandemic, he had to adapt quickly, or else.
In times of struggle and adversity, Charlie found himself turning to the Bible. As someone who was raised religiously, this was normal for him, and he ended up finding some passages that resonated with him. The ones that did help him did so by maintaining his resolve despite the legally-mandated shutdown. He was pushed to expand his growing empire.
The establishment of Artisan Luxury Brands is founded upon the following passage from the Bible’s book of Matthew: “So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.”
At the beginning of the pandemic, as well as throughout it, Charlie felt that every business owner was presented with a clear choice to make. Either they shut down and bury their talent, remain active and attempt to double their growth, or ride out the pandemic and see what happens. Charlie chose to remain active, which meant looking at the resources he already had and seeing what he could muster up from them. This included the connections and relationships he had made since his time working for L’Oreal as a Master Barber.
All three of these brands, both new and old, fall under his parent company, including the final addition of his media agency within the past few months called Artisan Media Group, as well as The Grooming Alchemist, which is a men’s lifestyle hub.
Charlie continues to surround himself with creative professionals who help him fulfill any and all media obligations, including his in-house projects. The Grooming Alchemist not only serves as a place to receive men’s lifestyle and career advice, but it is also a platform for consulting and selling digital products.
The creation of these brands was Charlie’s way of taking what he already had and creating more with it. He sees all the success he has had as the universe’s way of rewarding him and letting him know it’s pleased with how well he has navigated the pandemic. You can learn more about Luxury Artisan Brands by heading over to its website.