Creating Transformational Client Experiences with IMAGE Icon Johan Fitch

In this episode of The VIP Suite, host Matthew Landis sits down with IMAGE Icon 2026–2027, barber and entrepreneur Johan Fitch at IMAGE Studios Melbourne, Florida. 

Johan describes how his marriage, children, and the miracle of becoming parents despite medical doubts deepened his sense of purpose. For Johan, success is a balance between business and life: he now works four days a week, reserving Sundays–Tuesdays for family, errands, and rest, and emphasizes that true fulfillment comes from consistency, faith, and surrounding yourself with like-minded people.

Johan explains why his studio offers “more than a haircut – it’s an experience.” He likens the studio to a pit stop on each client’s life journey, a place to recharge emotionally and spiritually as much as physically. 

On marketing and content creation, Johan reveals that his videos and messages are born in the chair: he listens deeply to clients’ struggles, then processes those conversations through grounding practices like walking barefoot in the grass and disconnecting from his phone. That reflection becomes the inspiration for his short-form content. A simple car video set to a corridos-style Christian track went viral with 2.2M+ views, driving his Instagram from around 10K to 40K followers and expanding his reach worldwide.

Johan reframes FAIL as “First Attempt In Learning” and urges salon suite owners and creatives to stop waiting for perfect conditions: start the video, launch the business, post the content, move cities if needed, and trust that growth comes through action and discomfort. 

You can follow Johan on Instagram: @cutsbyjohan and TikTok: @cutsbyjohan

The VIP Suite is the official podcast of IMAGE Studios, created for independent beauty, health, and wellness professionals who want to grow their businesses and thrive in salon suite life. Hosted by Director of Education, Matthew Landis, each episode shares real success stories, marketing tips, and business strategies from top beauty entrepreneurs and wellness leaders.

Episodes are sponsored by GlossGenius, the all-in-one salon software. Learn more at glossgenius.com. Episodes are also sponsored by Elite Beauty Society, providing business and long-term career support to beauty & wellness professionals. Learn more at elitebeautyins.com/IMAGE.

Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Connect with us on Instagram @imagestudios360 and visit imagestudios360.com for more information about IMAGE Studios luxury salon suites. New episodes drop every two week. Subscribe to hear how beauty and wellness professionals like you are building powerful, independent careers.

Transcript

Johan Fitch: 2:14

Wow, that's a great question. Well, well, I'm more than a barber, I'm a father, I'm a husband, and I'm a firm believer of my Lord and Savior, and without Him, I will not be here. I'm just grateful to have been on this journey as a barber. It's helped me to become more than that. It's helped me to keep growing in so many ways that I still haven't hit the top over the top.

Matthew Landis: 2:39

You have not, I know that for sure. Now I noticed themes of faith, heritage, family, and gratitude throughout your content. Where do those values come from?

Johan Fitch: 2:49

So, make it short. Um, I was born in the Dominican Republic. I came to this country when I was five years old. When you're born, you're not - you're not asked to come to this world. So, you know, as I was a kid, I was told, you should believe in this, you should believe in that, and as you get older, and as I got older, I found myself with what I really believed in, and through going through so much in life, helped me with the journey of really allowing me to become who I am and find myself, because we're always sold, you should do this, do that, and as you come to a conclusion, you hit a rock, and I hit that rock, and that's when I met my Lord and Savior, and with Him, I've learned about, you know, that whatever you go through is not here to hurt you, it's not here to break, it's here to build you. All that faith and everything else helped me today become not only a barber, but a father, a husband, and somebody that I can help uplift around my community or even my neighborhood.

Matthew Landis: 3:46

Now, your location owner, Susie Kroll, she nominated you for the Icons program because she said you were such a good mentor to the other people in your location there in Melbourne, Florida, and I think that's so incredible, and I've only known you for a short time, but I feel that you really inspire the people around you, and I think that's incredible. You use a song in one of your videos, it was called "Ayer Hable Con Dios—Yesterday, I Spoke With God," so tell me about that.

Johan Fitch: 4:15

to God is that you have to just like say a special

Matthew Landis: 5:24

and that's amazing. That is incredible, and that's, I think, how a lot of us feel, and maybe can't put it into this beautiful words that you have. And I love what I do. I love being able to work for Image Studios. I love being in this industry. I love the variety of people, and nobody is able to touch people and be with people and connect with people the way that we're able to do, and the kind of work that we do. I have gratitude all the time for making the choice to be in this industry, and then being a part of such a great, a great group of people.

Johan Fitch: 5:56

Absolutely,

Matthew Landis: 5:57

so your family shows up in a lot of your, your content, and there seems to be a strong focus on gratitude and family. So, tell me about them.

Johan Fitch: 6:06

As I said before, I'm not only a barber, I'm a husband and a father. Um, I've been with my wife now going to 13 years, best thing money can buy. Um, it's been a journey. I'm grateful to God to have her in my life. She's been the motor of what cuts by Johan and Johan, who's Johan, is today. You know, I met her in Miami. We both were going through similar situations. We were lost, and we came together, and we have built something together. We uplifted together. I'm going to put this out there. What's most beautiful thing about me and my wife was that she was told by doctors she can't have kids, she couldn't have kids, so for years she tried, and I remember when we first tried, we had a miscarriage, we didn't have, you know, we met, we lost one, so that's when the doubt started. So you know, just already planted in our lives when we're told we can't do certain things, that's when we talk to God. I get out, like, on deals, you talk to God, and you rely on his strength and just let him do his part and you do yours. So fast forward time, now we have a boy and we have our daughter, we have Noah, he's 11 years old. And then I have my daughter, which is her name is Joe Halen Grace. She was born march 16, so if you go in the Bible, it's 316 So for God gave his only begotten son. It's been a blessing, because we both came from the bottom, and we've been able to build something that we're not even there yet, but we enjoy the journey, and that's where all this faith, where all this has developed, because we came from where we're told we can't do nothing, we're told where we're gonna, we're already marked that where we're at, that's where we're going to be, and sometimes it's not about that. You have to move from places, you have to get away from people, and sometimes surround yourself by like-minded people in order to motivate one another. And the faith is the faith is what it left me to be today, man. Who, who I am, is this is bigger than me. This is not just about a chair, a business, it's about those that are watching, those that are coming behind me. I can, for just one little thing, I can drop little seeds here, and they start growing, and whatever time it is, because it's not in my time, it's in God's time.

Matthew Landis: 8:13

I love the way that you see yourself as part of a bigger purpose, a larger purpose than yourself, as part of a system, a holistic ecosystem is bigger

Johan Fitch: 8:23

than us.

Matthew Landis: 8:24

When you think about success, how much of it is business and how much of it is the life that you've built around your business?

Johan Fitch: 8:31

Well, it's a balance. It's a balance, Matt. Right now, I only work four days out of the week, Wednesday to prayer. No, it's like what me and you are doing right now, so Saturday, but I'm gonna let you know right now, as an I speak with God every day, and God is the one that helps me get entrepreneur, as a barber, as a tradition, you know anything through. And listen, I want to put this out there before I get that you want to do in this life, it's a matter of starting. ahead of myself. I know that I was named as Image Icon, but Don't see what is right in front of you, you know, it's about this is bigger than me. We're putting Image Studios of Melbourne on the map. This is for everybody in this building, what's ahead. You got to see yourself doing it already. So, everybody that does what they do, you know, Latisha. Uh, it's just a.. I'm grateful to God for all the opportunities that have come my way, and it's just.. I have so much in me, tattooing piercing massaging, you know, we have great people Matt, that I want to give to the world, but you just have to get in this building. So, again, I want to put that out there. Yes, started. You just have to believe, and you have to put I was nominated, but this is bigger than Johan. This is yourself in a position. I believe that it's about just bigger than Cust by Johan. This is something that I came here showing up, man. You show up, and I think the rest will be for. This is what I love about Image, that you're able to come taken care of. here and build a brand, but at the same time, you're able to

Matthew Landis: 9:14

And that's a lesson that I learned mid-career, 15 years into my career, I was pursuing success bring with people with you and uplift them, and that's what I, that's what I love, and greatness and building an empire and doing all these things, and it took me a long time to come back to the simple.

Johan Fitch: 9:29

It takes time, but you build it, like right now, like I said. I only work four days out of the week, so Sunday, Mondays, and Tuesdays I don't work. I'm with my family, I'm running errands, I'm doing things. So, am I at the position where I really want to be? No, but I'm not where I used to be, and I'm heading the right direction. But at the same time, it's not only about work, it's only, it's not only about making money, it's about building a connection. Once you find a solution to the problem, everything else gets taken care of. And right now, what I can really tell you is I might not want to, I might. Not be where I really want to be, but at this time I'm really happy with my life, because those little little stones that I went to go put in little by little, the consistency, the faith, and believing that one day I will see what I pray for, and that I talk to God about. I'm starting to see it today, but it takes time. It wasn't in two years, it took five to six years to get to where I'm at today. So, consistency, believing, having faith, and surrounding yourself with the right people, and just know this: there's days that you're not going to feel great, and those are the days that you feel like giving up. But guess what, those are the days where the real growth comes out of it.

Matthew Landis: 10:37

You have said in your videos and on your website that what you provide is more than a haircut, it's an experience. So, what does that mean to you?

Johan Fitch: 10:48

Definitely, Matt, what I can tell you is it says it itself. It's more than a haircut. I have people that sit in this chair that come in here with difficulties, difficulties in their life, you know, they have goals, they have, you know, things that they want to accomplish, but a lot of them are fathers, a lot of them are husbands, and they're running a business, or they're working for somebody, and they live this stressful life because they're trying to be there for their family, they're trying to be there for their business, or they're trying to be there for the company that they work for, because even myself here says Cust by Johan, but I represent Image Studios. So, when I carry myself out of this building, when I'm walking around, I cannot only worry about what people are going to say about Cuts by Johan, I got to worry about what they're going to say about Image Studios, because I represent everybody in this building. Again, it's bigger than so the experience is when they come in here, I give them a one on one experience. It's not the same as a barbershop, and my guys from the barbershop listen to me clearly. I'm not throwing heat at you. Love the barbershop, that's where I came from. The suite is not for everybody. If you're a barber that's coming out recently, and you need to, you know, if you're trying to go far in this, you need the barbershop, because you need to build the clientele. If you just coming out of school and you think you're going to get your inner suite, and this is not bragging, this is reality, you need to have that client self. So I just wanted to put that out there, but Matt, it's just they come in here, they get the haircut, you know? I put a nice music, as you can see in the background, I put a nice house music. Chilling is a good environment, it's clean, it's a one on one. When I have the client in my chair, I'm not on my cell phone. I have a booking app. They go in there, they book their appointment, they know where they're coming to get. They come straight through that door, they sit down, give them the haircut. I give them a nice facial with a hot towel. And some people, they don't only come for a haircut, man, they come because they want to be heard, and that's where I come from. I come in. I'm sorry. I not only deliver you a different approach of life, and just change your image. You walk out of here with a different, different perspective of how you walked in, because this is the same as church, is the same as what me and you are doing right now. It's a matter of having communication. If everybody was to have that, we will be so much better in this world, but all I can say is it's more than a haircut, it's an experience. You come in here, you feel refreshed, you leave refreshed, because our conversations go way beyond a haircut. It's about family, it's about faith, it's about continuing to believe, even when you don't see things are coming out the way you want, because those are the days that when you do things that you don't want and you still do them, the best comes out of you.

Matthew Landis: 13:25

I like the way you think, you know, listening to you. I picture in my brain, you know, talking about your own journey and talking about other people's journey, and, and my journey, and life really is a journey, and we say that, and it sounds really cliche, and you know it isn't about the destination, it is about the journey, and what I like about you, and what I like about your content, and this conversation is making sure to stop along the journey and have gratitude for what is in front of you, and what is, and what is real, and who is in our life, and all of those things, and then we're talking about the service that you provide, and what that means along the journey, and I'm picturing people on this journey. All of our clients are on a journey as well, and their journey is different than our journey, than your journey, than mine. And we are a pit stop, we are a rest stop on the journey, and we provide some a space for them, and to rest and unwind, and to recuperate, and to refill their cup, and get them to the next part of their journey, and I think that is really an incredible thing that we get to do.

Johan Fitch: 14:32

Definitely, it's an amazing thing, Matt, that I'm able to build a community out here, and again, it's more than a haircuts experience. I have connections with police officers, sheriffs, realtors, painters, mechanics. I just had one of my clients, you know, in my house. I had a problem with the AC. I contacted him, he came on, and he was like, "Don't worry about it. And what do I do when they come in? I give back, you know. It's like, hey, I give them a haircut. Them to experience, oh, how much is it? Don't worry about it, man. You took care of me, now I take care of you. So it's just you, what you receive in Spanish, there's a saying, and you can say it in English, da pol gracia, que por gracias a recibido. Give grace, because give grace you have received. Don't keep it to yourself, share it to the world, and life is way beautiful like that,

Matthew Landis: 15:20

you put out this amazing inspirational content, and what I will say is the quality of the content that you put out is really good, and I think that a lot of people struggle making content, they want to, they want to be able to do what you do, and your videos are amazing, they run the gamut from simple and concise to pretty epic in design, so I want to know what your process is when you're planning your videos and your social media content, and how you go forward.

Johan Fitch: 15:51

That's a great question, Matt. So it all starts from here. The chair starts from the chair again. These clients just don't come in to get a haircut is more than that, so I listen to them, and sometimes I'm their voice, and again, it's not about me, it's bigger than me. But when I listen to them, I don't judge them, I hear them out, and some of the stuff that I put out, it first hits me. So anybody that watches my video and think, oh man, Johan is perfect. We're not perfect, we're on our way to perfection every day. Little by little, we change. And how do you call that thing, man? When you, you're in the.. they're forming the clay.. what is that called again? You're not.. you know how they shape the vase with the sand,

Matthew Landis: 16:41

yeah, with the pottery wheel, and

Johan Fitch: 16:43

exactly, so that's what I'm not trying to get religious, forming

Matthew Landis: 16:46

Forming the clay

Johan Fitch: 16:47

exactly. So, what happens? What happens is I listen to my clients, and they're more than clients, they're family, so I listen to them, and I just go for a walk, or I go in the back of my house. I love grounding, you know what grounding is?

Matthew Landis: 17:01

Where you're barefoot in the dirt?

Johan Fitch: 17:03

Exactly. So we have to get in contact with nature. So what I do is I go in the backyard, I walk barefooted, I feel the grass, I feel the air, I disconnect from the phone, I disconnect from the world. So now that's when the ideas come in. You know, the day that I had that I listened to my clients, now the ideas come in and I start putting the things together, you know what I'm saying, and that's when the videos come out, and it's like you, that you're watching me, you could be in this position right now as well, but you let fear get in the way of what if it doesn't come out right. I want you to look at my videos of Instagram. When I first started, man, I used to do videos, it used to take me three hours. It used to be blooper by blooper with my wife. I don't like it. I don't like the angle. Well, I wore that shirt last week. Listen, wear the same shirt, don't worry about it, just get started, put yourself out there. But, man, it just, the ideas come from every who I listen to, what they're going through, their struggles, my struggles, because I'm 37 years old, and my life have not, has not been sweet all the time, but all the things that we go through in life is what build us and bring and takes us to here. So, you, that you're watching, and you're watching this podcast right now, use everything you have inside of you, everything you have gone through, and use that as an idea. That's how people write books. That's how people, you know, make a movie, make a series. You're your best project. The best project you will ever work on will be yourself. So, the ideas already in you, just got to put them out. I

Matthew Landis: 18:37

like that whole process, and I think that is so brilliant, because this calls into a lot of conversations that that I have with pros around marketing, for example.

Johan Fitch: 18:49

Yes,

Matthew Landis: 18:50

you, the first thing that you said is listen. So, I think that we're always trying to come up with ideas, what do I do, what do I do, what I do, but if we look at who we are serving, what problems we are solving for them. If we listen to them, they will come up with the questions.

Johan Fitch: 19:07

Yes,

Matthew Landis: 19:07

and we can then sort of open ourselves up to the content. So, who is your client? What is important to them? What problems are you solving for them? What questions do they have, and they will ask them. And if you, if you open yourself up to that, and you clear your mind from having to come up with everything on your own, they will help you get there. And then I love that you have that process of grounding. You go outside, you get barefoot in the grass, and you clear space for inspiration to come. I do that every morning, walking the dogs. I make sure that I don't ground myself barefoot, I should, and I have done it in the, in the past, but one of the things that I always do when I'm walking the dogs in the morning is I make sure we have this huge mountain here in Palm Springs called Mount St. Jacinto, and it is just this grand thing that is there and has always been there and will be there long after. We are gone, and I always make sure that I ground myself to this space and to this time, and I give gratitude for where I am, and it helps, sort of, it grounds me, and I think when you're in those moments, whether it's, you know, sitting on the grass or meditating, or whatever you're doing, walking the dogs, those sort of moments are when the inspiration comes, and you've been listening, you've been taking all this stuff in, let it come and let it go forward, and so I love that you have sort of figured that out.

Johan Fitch: 20:31

Thank you, Matt.

Matthew Landis: 20:32

What advice would you give to salon suite owners that are, that are feeling stuck or overwhelmed by, you know, the thing is, is people get into their heads, and we need to be better on Instagram. I need to be, but I, I need to do this, I should do that. How do you sort of, you know, shake them and get them unstuck and free them from from that mindset?

Johan Fitch: 22:16

The number one thing is, you, that you're watching me right now, you're special. All of us have different fingerprints. You're one of a kind. Whatever it is that you have in your mind, I always look at this. If you look at the word fail, if you separate them one by one, the letter F, the letter A, the letter I, and the letter L, as I

put it like this: 22:37

first attempt and learning. If you're, if you don't fail, you're not learning, so that means you're stuck in the same ways of thinking. We have to break cycles of things on how we were raised, and nothing to our parents, and nothing to our generation that was before us. But every time are different. So you're that you're watching me again, you're special. Just get started. Don't let the fear keep you stuck in a place where you don't belong. I always say the best is on the way, but the only way to get there is to start making moves. If you don't move, nothing will move. You will stay in the same place every year. We have weeks, we have days, we have weeks, we have months. It's 365 days in the year, and I want you to, I want to tell you this, and again, I'm not trying to get biblical or anything, and the word, the word I will not fear is in the Bible, if I'm not mistaken, put 365 times, do not fear, do not fear, if it doesn't work out, okay, you move on to the next thing, but do not live your life based on what would they will say, you first of all, you have to be happy with yourself, man. You have to be happy with the decisions you make. Every day is a choice. I decide to be cussed by Johan every day, I decide to be a husband every day, I decide to be a father every day. It's a choice, so we're one choice away from becoming the better of us, the greater of us, or we're one choice away from staying stuck, or even being worse at where we're at. So stop feeling stuck. Put that video up, start that business, start that podcast, start that whatever it is in your mind, start living and start doing more of what makes you happy and what you don't have control of, it does not need to be in your head,

Matthew Landis: 24:25

I always tell people, like, you know, if you don't know which way to go, just go, because if you're going in the wrong direction, there will be signs that point you, you will find out, you will at least know, you'll know, hey, that was the wrong way, and eventually you will find the right way, but if you, if you don't move, if you don't, if you don't try, you'll, you'll just stay where you are.

Johan Fitch: 24:47

I'm gonna tell you this, man. I've been here in Brevard County now, going to eight years, and I was only plus supposed to pass through here. I lived in Miami most of my life, in North Miami Beach, so all my NMB people, I love you guys. Um, and I came up here to visit my uncle in 2017 When I came out here, I came to Brevard County, South Palm Bay, Millen. I said,'Wow, this is a nice place to raise my family. Fast forward time, look where I'm at now, and this is not - this is only the beginning. So, what I'm trying to say is, start like Matt said, move - you need to start, you need to go, because if you don't move, you're not going to find out, and it's, it's, it's a.. you said something earlier, man, and it's not about the destination, it's the journey, it's the purpose, that's where you find yourself, that's where you.. you see a different version of you that you never knew existed inside of you. I.. I'm still growing, look, I'm 37 but mentally I thank God, and all the things that I've gone through in life that I still go through, because I want you to know that you that are watching me, you watch my videos and think that, oh, I want to be like Joel, he's perfect. Nah, you will not, you will not, you know, you don't want to wear these shoes, it's a constant battle. This is a battle every day that I have to deny myself to a lot of things that I used to do in the past, so with that being said, just go for it. Move, move from a city, move from places that no longer you fit in. You have to get away, so your mind can grow, because there's certain places I'm sorry to talk like that, man, but there's certain places, certain things that we have to disconnect in order to connect with ourselves in order to find who we really are, because again the best is on the way, but until you don't move and until you decide to start doing something different than you, what you already have been doing, you will never find out who you really are.

Matthew Landis: 26:37

Amen to that. You know, it's interesting. You know, my journey took me to Miami at one point, and I was, I moved there, and it was right after 911 and this goes back to, like, hey, moving life will, if you're in the wrong place and you're moving in the wrong direction, life will, life will tell you, and Miami told me this is not where you're supposed to be, and you know, it was surrounded by beauty and beautiful people and beautiful things, and, and yet, that wasn't it, wasn't my journey, it wasn't my home, it wasn't where I was supposed to be, and so it took me back to my hometown of Salt Lake City, and that's where I really began to grow and go forth, but it's just interesting, all these sort of intersections that that we take throughout life. Another thing I want to say about your getting back to the content is your music choices are always so great. They're mostly in Spanish, which I love. I speak a little bit, you know, although in Poco Espanol. So, what's on your playlist right now? And how can I get it? Because I love, I absolutely love the music that you choose for your videos.

Johan Fitch: 27:45

The reason why my algorithm, that we're so big, my algorithm, so, it's moving so much, is because you have to put, you have to put out there what everybody's looking for. Again, it's bigger than me when I try to do a video, and I try to put this music, it's something that I want to connect with people. So, right now, Corridos, that's what it's called. It's coming out of Mexico. You got a lot of people out there. Um, by the way, I have music, I don't, not myself, it's just producing it, that's something in the works that I'm going to be putting it out as well. But right now, that's what is moving a lot, corridos, so corridos. What they've done is they got the rhythm from, you know, the traditional music from Mexico, but they've had it now, which is the word of God included. So we live in times, rough times. So these new, the muse that I put out, it helps to connect with people, I've talked, man, I talk with people from Nicaragua, Peru, Mexico. I'm in Brevard County. Okay, I'm in Melbourne. I'm here in Ugali, our district in the heart of Ugali, but I'm talking to people in Los Angeles, I'm talking to people all over. So that's what this music does. And you can find this music in YouTube. I can share it with you, and you can listen to it, and your, and your Spanish will get even mejori, you know. But what I'm trying to say is, is that it's just, you gotta search what you got to put out there, what people need, and again, if it was, if I was selfish, and I will put my stuff what I want, only it will not probably make it, because at the end of the day, it has to be bigger than you. It has to be a purpose behind what you're doing in order to connect with people. So, by me doing videos on my car with this music, or in my house, or here in the suite, I'm talking to people worldwide. So, I'm not even going over there, but I have connections.

Matthew Landis: 29:41

Well, you're your followers. I noticed this. I looked at your profile today, and I'm like, I don't remember it being 40,000 people. It jumped in a matter, it jumped in ago. It was 10.

Johan Fitch: 29:53

It was 10. It jumped in a matter of.. and it started with that video called Rios. You know, I get out the condolence. Else that video hit 2.2 million views, and it's literally me and my car, and I all it took me to make that video was record myself listening to the song, singing it, and then using an app called Caption. I'm not sponsored by them, by the way, it's called Caption, and it's just basically you upload the video and it gives you the, you know, the captions, and then I uploaded it to Instagram, Facebook, and, you know, Tick Tock, and all of them, and that one hit 2.2 and just that video alone alone, I, if I'm not mistaken, almost got me 20,000 followers.

Matthew Landis: 30:33

Oh my gosh, well, yeah, I was looking through your stuff this morning before the call, and I'm like, this really has blown up, and you know, your personality, your message, the music, all of it, I think has really created this sort of perfect storm, and it's so exciting. It's very cool to watch, and I'm really, really glad that you are one of our IMAGE Icons.

Johan Fitch: 30:57

I'm glad to be on board. I love it. And shout out to Susie, shout out to her husband, Kevin, for the opportunity to have me in this place, and everybody in this building that you guys are going to be watching this later on. I love you all. I know sometimes I walk around here, I'm six foot three, I weigh 300 pounds. Sometimes I might have a serious face, it's nothing to you guys, it's just my mind always thinking what to do next, and I'm very grateful to be here with this group of people that are just doing the same thing. They're building a brand, and there's some of them, but they might not say they're scared, they're scared, like they're they fear gets in the way of what if, and you're already, you're already a winner, because you're here in my books, you're a winner, and I love you all.

Matthew Landis: 31:40

Well, they're lucky to have you around there. Susie's amazing. Susie Kroll, I adore her. You know her better than I do, because you get to see her all the time. Yes. And what has she meant for your journey?

Johan Fitch: 31:53

Oh, everything. Everything you know, you got to give flowers to people when they're alive. Don't wait for them to just be six feet down and then buy flowers. Susie, you're going to watch this. I'm more than grateful, and you know that I'm grateful for her husband as well, Kevin. He's the one that's helped me with everything. When it comes to, they help everybody here, they accommodate you, they make you feel like family. It doesn't feel like you have a boss, it doesn't feel like you have somebody that's supervising you. No, they let you be, they let you come into this place and let you become the person you want to be, so I'm grateful for her. She's an amazing person. She always wants the best for us, and if there's no solution for that in her hands, she finds somebody to be able to fix what needs to be fixed.

Matthew Landis: 32:37

Well, I have to say, across the nation, across the country, Susie and Kevin, and the hundreds of image owners that we have throughout the country, they're just really cool people. We, we are so lucky to have brought together so many incredible owners, incredible pros. And how would you say Image Studios has contributed to your success in your journey.

Johan Fitch: 33:02

Oh man, it's been amazing. I'm only going to eight months here, and all I can tell you is just I haven't hit where I want to be. But all I can say is this: seven months ago I was working at a barbershop, okay, with other 10 barbers from Venezuela, Cuba. I was the only guy that spoke English there, so I felt I helped out most of the people, but what I can say is just the journey here has helped me grow so much. I went from my client list went from 285 and I'm currently at 446 right now.

Matthew Landis: 33:37

Wow,

Johan Fitch: 33:37

okay, so now let's not, let's not get ahead of ourselves doesn't mean that those 446 all come to me every week. I have able to build, I have people that come weekly, every two weeks, every three weeks, monthly, but just coming into a place where they come in is family oriented, is clean, it's not a, you're not going to come into a place where the music is playing loud, you don't have to worry if something's gonna go bad, you know. You're surrounded by good people, and this place is a one-stop shop. I mean, I have Lola that works in the back, she's a laxation. So, you have.. I'm sorry, yeah, lactician. So, you got the guys that come in, they get their locks, and then they book an appointment with me, and they come get a haircut, you know what I'm saying? Like, you cannot beat that. And then I have another client, her name is Pam. She comes in, she brings her kids to get a haircut by me while she's getting her hair done with Lola, or she goes to side up and goes and gets her nails done. So this place has been beautiful, and I've been able to grow, and not only that, man, my clientele that I've had for five and six years, we have more conversations now than we ever did, because of the one on one private. That's what the suite gives you. It gives you that private one on one with your client, where now you don't have to wear again. My barbershop guys, I love y'all, but sometimes you know, being around so many people, the person that is sitting in the chair doesn't want to speak out because he's afraid what. Other people are going to think so. Now, me having that, I'm more than a barber therapist, you know what I'm saying. I'm going to.. it's more than that again, it's more than a haircuts and experience, that's where it falls into it. So, you know, just that's all I can say. Image Studios has changed my life for the best, not only for me, for my family, because what I do is not just for me. I'm doing it for my family, I'm doing it for my kids, I'm doing it for everybody that's watching, that you know that you can see me doing, you can do it in as well. It's just move, get out there,

Matthew Landis: 35:32

that's what it's all about. What made you make the move?

Johan Fitch: 35:34

Um, when I spoke to Susie at the time, I spoke to her, wasn't it, wasn't the right time, you know? I, you know, like I said earlier, when you come to a suite, um, you barber, that you're listening to me, you know that you want to come into a suite. If you don't have clients, don't make that move. I'm not saying you're it's not possible. You have people that have been able to, hey, listen, we have a barber in here, his name is Peter. Okay, he just recently started. Peter, if you're watching this, man, I love what you're doing. Keep it up. He does it old school. He doesn't have social media, he doesn't, you know, have a booking app, he does everything through his phone, and you know, word of mouth, he walks out here in the U-Galley, he talks to people, and he lets them know he gets business cards out. So, what I'm trying to tell you is, it don't matter what you do, it's about you, you're selling yourself, Matt, you sell you, Johan, I sell cuts by Johan. It's more than a haircuts and experience. People come to me just alone in this area, man. There's a total using the app that I use. There's about 86 barbers. Okay, so that means they have 86 options, and yet they continue coming to me. So, for those that are watching, my clients are going to be watching this on my Instagram. I love you guys. Thank you. You have made me better than just a barber. You have made me a better father. You have made me a better friend. You know, because this goes deeper, and I want you to know as well. I know I'm getting ahead of myself, but everybody that's watching this, sometimes I'm listening to you when you're in this chair, and some of you guys have uplifted me. Sometimes I've gone through certain fights, because we're not perfect. Sometimes we wake up, but I want you to know that even when I come to this door, I might not feel 100% but I give you my 100% because you guys deserve it. And I'm grateful for what you have done in my life, and I love y'all.

Matthew Landis: 37:17

We're gonna do a rapid fire before we wrap up. You ready for this?

Johan Fitch: 37:21

I'm ready.

Matthew Landis: 37:22

What's one business habit you never skip?

Johan Fitch: 37:24

Staying consistent.

Matthew Landis: 37:26

What's your favorite app on your phone?

Johan Fitch: 37:28

The Bible

Matthew Landis: 37:29

coffee or tea?

Johan Fitch: 37:30

Tea.

Matthew Landis: 37:32

What kind of tea?

Johan Fitch: 37:33

Anything that just relaxes me and makes me just kind of unwind, because as a barber, you know what we're talking now, it's all about energy. We're energy, that's why sometimes you touch something, you feel that shock. We have energy in us, we're alive. So daily thing of listening to people working, the stress on the body. I like a nice tea at night, and you relax, and you're able to lay in that bed and you're able to unwind and just kind of go in straight to that sleep, so I love my tea coffee. No, I'm sorry, coffee will make me look like a wolf on Wall Street. I feel like running, and I don't want..

Matthew Landis: 38:15

well, you have so much energy that I get it. I'm like, okay, this makes sense. Alright, early bird or night owl?

Johan Fitch: 38:23

early bird,

Matthew Landis: 38:24

same. Early bird. One song you never get tired of.

Unknown: 38:28

Wow. "Yesterday I spoke with God."

Matthew Landis: 38:38

Biggest lesson you've learned in the last year,

Johan Fitch: 38:40

just let things be, just let things be one

Matthew Landis: 38:44

word you want people to use to describe you.

Johan Fitch: 38:48

I leave that up to them, because it's bigger than me. I just.. I don't.. I don't have a word.

Matthew Landis: 38:52

One last question, when people look at Johann Fitch five years from now, what do you hope they will say that you have built,

Johan Fitch: 39:01

I'm going to quote Tupac. Okay, he said I might not be able to change the world, but I, if I'm able to spark some someone, then I did my job. In other words, so I just want, when people say, "Johan, say thank you, thank you for what you did, thank you for making a path, thank you for not just thinking for yourself, but thank you for others around you. Grateful, I just love.. I might not.. I might seem rough, big guy, six foot three, but I just want people to say when they say Johan, especially my wife, my kids, I want them to say he was rough, but he always meant good.

Matthew Landis: 39:39

Well, Johan, I can tell that you have already changed people's lives, and that you will continue to do so. And I'm so glad I met you. I am so grateful that you are one of our image icons. And I just want to thank you so much for this conversation today.

Johan Fitch: 39:58

I'm grateful for you, man. I'm grateful for. Everybody, image over there at headquarters, as well, image here at Brevard in Melbourne. I'm sorry, all the image worldwide, and everybody again in this building. You guys keep doing your what you're doing. You guys are doing great. I love you all, Susie. Thank you for the opportunity, Kevin, as well. Everybody that comes in here, and just one way or another, just helps each other out. I'm grateful for that, and I'm grateful for you, man, for this opportunity to be here, and the best is on the way.

Matthew Landis: 40:27

Thank you, Johan. Now, where can people find you and connect with you?

Johan Fitch: Anywhere: 40:31

Facebook, Johann Fitch, on Instagram:@cutsbyjohan and TikTok,@cutsbyjohan as well. I'm on YouTube, and I also have another Instagram, which is called@BeyondtheBarberPoll. I'm looking forward to also doing podcasts. I'm going to be doing podcasts here in my suite with all my fellow everybody here in the building. I want them to share their story and to feel more comfortable being out there, because in order to people know who you are, you have to put yourself out there. You're selling you. It's more than a haircut, more than a tattoo, is more than braiding a hair, it's more than doing makeup or doing a massage. Is who you are. So that's what brings people to you.

Matthew Landis: 41:12

I just had a great idea. Maybe I can get you to guest host sometime. How about that?

Johan Fitch: 41:17

I love that. I love that. I'm all, I'm all about that.

Matthew Landis: 41:20

All right. Well, thank you, Johan. Thank you for joining us for this special IMAGE Icons edition of The VIP Suite at IMAGE Studios. The IMAGE Icons program celebrates the professionals who lead with excellence, elevate those around them, and represent what's possible when independent beauty and wellness entrepreneurs bet on themselves and build businesses on their own terms. To learn more about IMAGE Studios and the Icons program, visit Imagestudios.co or follow us on Instagram at@ImageStudiosHQ. I'm Matthew Landis. And until next time, keep creating, keep growing, and keep building the business and the life you deserve.