Finding a vision: Johnnyd and his journey to becoming Globe’s go-to stylist for men.

At times, the place where one begins is far from where one started, and sometimes it’s in the same place but in a totally different arena. John Daniel Flores, known by his clients and friends as Johnyd, was born and raised in Globe and today operates a successful salon catering to men  His path to success has followed a rather circuitous route, and he is the first to tell you, he is still not sure where he will end up.

Raised in Globe, Johnny D went to Miami High School where  he played football and tennis with the Vandals and worked in the mines straight out of high school. Although he moved away to pursue dreams of acting, he moved back  three years ago where he got his cosmetologist license and opened the Dominion Cutting Company on the upper floor of the historic Gila Bank building in Globe.

His shop caters to a mostly male clientele from ages 2 to 82 and his reputation – built largely through word-of-mouth and on social media – is soaring.

As a child he says he wanted to become an actor, and that desire drew him away from home after high school all the way to Manhattan, where he worked with an agent, booked a few small parts and even modeled for Nike. Yet, the reality of being an actor in the big city fell short of his expectations, and it wasn’t long before he abandoned that dream, returned to Globe and took a job in the mines.

It didn’t take long before the lost that job when copper prices tanked and the mines laid off hundreds of people in the local area. Enter Plan B. He enrolled in the cosmetology program at Gila Community College where he got a license to practice and went to work in a couple of local salon/barber shops; cultivating his skill one head at a time, through repetition and trial and error. 

Although working at local salons wasn’t always glamorous, he says, it was an income. It was the ‘after hours’ that that he enjoyed.  The evenings spent with friends over a beer or two or three which marked his early 20s. A time where alcohol turned into more than a habit, and he became a binge drinker, on the edge of alcoholism.

Before alcohol, he said, he’d dabbled with prescription drugs and marijuana, but stopped those without too much difficulty. “I was raised better than that.” Alcohol proved harder to stop.

That is until he met Moquie Flores, also a native of Globe. The trade-off, sobriety for a life with the woman he’d fallen in love with, was an easy choice.

That was five years ago.

The couple moved to the Valley, where she was hired to teach fifth grade while he worked in salons honing his craft. He says it was during this time that he developed his own techniques and learned to understand hair like a true professional. Becoming in the process more than just a barber – but a stylist.

“I was always watching, listening and practicing,” he said. “You can learn from anyone, anywhere.”

After a year in the Valley, the young couple returned home where Johnyd went back to the mines for three years with the plan in mind to create Dominion Cutting Company.

His early customers from before he left Globe were happy he’d returned and were his first customers. Word spread quickly and, almost overnight, the new grooming parlor grew a loyal clientele base. Johnyd attributes much of his success to his attention to detail.

Johnyd’s story was never only about opening a thriving little business in Historic Downtown Globe, it was about dealing with personal struggle, about being the best he could be and having a positive impact on the world.

His memory of being just out of high school and feeling limited in Globe prompted him to take on apprentices, train them to his high standards of hairdressing with the aim of giving them employment in the Dominion Cutting Company when they are ready.

Because he feels community is important and events in that community are fun, he and Tanner Hunsaker of Western Reprographics created a signature event for the downtown Globe district and called it the Broad Street Beard Battle, a re-enactment of the historic beard-growing competitions that took place in Globe in the early 1900s. This year will be the third annual event, and all proceeds are donated for the restoration of the historic Odd Fellows Broad Street sign.

Beyond his own growing business in Globe, Johnnyd was selected as a national educator for the Johnny B Hair Care company – a hair products company established in 1994 which has a passion for quality products and philanthropy.  In his role as educator, he now gives demonstrations alongside some of the top stylists in the country from Beverly Hills to Nashville to Albuquerque, N.M., Cleveland and South Dakota.

(And if you’re confused by the names, Johnyd and Johnny B? It’s just a happy coincidence.)

So, for those who like a good haircut, plus interesting conversation at no extra cost, check out Johnyd’s Dominion Cutting Company.

NOTE: 

This years’ Broad Street Beard Battle will take place on  Saturday, Dec. 9, at 4 p.m. on the steps of the Cobre Valley Center for the Arts. Competition promises to be fierce.