New Interview with Zlatej

We bring you a series of interviews with our colleagues. In these interviews, we will ask them various questions to introduce them to you more closely.

Now, let’s talk to the barber who goes by the name “Zlatej.”

What is your relationship with your family?

My relationship with my family is, let’s say, unconventional. My father, as I put it, was “on vacation,” and my mother abandoned me when I was fifteen.
Life has been tough, but that just makes me appreciate every real friend even more. To me, they are my true family.

What does being a barber mean to you?

The job itself fulfills me. It’s more than just a profession—it’s a lifestyle. It’s an incredible feeling when clients leave thrilled, taking pictures, unable to believe their eyes.
That’s the main reason I do this—the joy it brings. The stress kicks in when I’m running behind schedule, and things start piling up. Let’s say a 10-minute delay is the max—beyond that, it’s a real problem, and I have to hustle. Those who visit me know exactly what I mean.

Do you have a role model?

Role model… I don’t really understand why I should want to be like someone else. Drawing inspiration from someone and trying to imitate them? That’s not for me.
I don’t compare myself to anyone. I have my own style, and my clients appreciate it. I am my own role model.

You have quite a dark past, don’t you?

That’s a tricky question, and I don’t like talking about it… But most of my clients already know what I’ve been through, so here’s the short version.

My grandmother, whom I considered more of a mother than my actual mom, passed away from cancer. My mother then decided to start a new family and, together with my aunt, sold our apartment. I haven’t seen my aunt or mother since, but I know she now has a happy family, a house, and is living her best life.

I, on the other hand, ended up homeless for two years. I struggled with drugs and often had nothing to eat. But little by little, I pulled myself out of it, and that’s why I am who I am today.

I regret nothing. I’ve already won at life.