Goody Cutz: A Lakewood Barbershop Combines Local Charm with Global Ambition
“If you can't find something, sometimes you gotta create it.” - Jahara Miller, owner of Goody Cutz Barber & Beauty
By Mead Gill - #SupportBlackBusiness
Stationed on the main strip of South Tacoma Way, Goody Cutz Barber & Beauty, owned by Jahara Miller, brings local perspective with boundless aspirations to the Lakewood community.
Since officially opening Goody Cutz in August 2024, Miller has worked to establish Goody Cutz as a community staple, prioritizing the meaningful relationships built from mom-and-pop shops with the consistency and reliability of commercial stylists. Miller’s dedication to her goals of expansion is mighty—a reflection of her humble values and dedicated spirit.
The Best of Commercial and Local Business Models
A licensed barber for 10 years, Miller launched the initial concept of Goody Cutz to find the middle ground between large corporate barbershops and neighborhood stylists. When she couldn’t find the right balance working as a staff barber, she took matters into her own hands. “If you can't find something, sometimes you gotta create it. And that's what led me to opening up my own barber shop,” she said.
Miller partnered early on with Jazmin Elon, a business strategist who helps point ambitious entrepreneurs in the right direction. Elon described herself as a “dream nerd,” always on the lookout for inspiring stories and values to uplift, and Miller’s background resonated deeply.
“She deserves the support because she has a great vision, she has a great goal, she has the drive, and she has the heart,” Elon said enthusiastically.
The Significance of a Haircut
While a routine haircut might seem inconsequential on the surface, Miller highlighted her role in directly impacting how people identify and how they carry themselves through life.
“Confidence starts with the haircut,” she said when reflecting on the uniquely intimate relationship between a barber and customer. “A lot of times, people might be going through things. You get to be around people for a lot of big milestones in their life.”
Breaking Out of Queens Bridge Housing Projects
Originally from QueensBridge Projects in New York City, Miller comes from an environmental where running a successful business was far beyond what was expected of her.
“Where I'm from, this is really big because a lot of people don't make it out of the conditions that I was born into,” she said, expressing her gratitude for the opportunity to move to Washington State with her mom at a young age. This move represented a turning point in Miller’s trajectory, away from the typical path of her peers who often resorted to selling drugs to make ends meet.
Miller emphasized the weight of the paths she was lucky enough to escape, but made clear that they do not have to be the end-all-be-all. “I just want to show people where I'm from that it's possible to make it out and you don't have to be a rapper, you don't have to be a basketball player. You can own your own business,” she said.
Creating a Safe Space for All Backgrounds
Miller’s formative years in New York City exposed her to the vibrant diverse cultures that make up the larger community. As a kid she was exposed to different festivals, foods, and backgrounds from the Black, Italian, Mexican, and Puerto Rican communities surrounding her. As a business owner, she aims to celebrate the unique backgrounds of her customer base and her employees to ensure that everyone feels welcome.
As a businesswoman in a male-dominated industry, Miller is not a stranger to overcoming obstacles. “Being Black, being a woman and being a lesbian, I get [discrimination] from all angles,” she said, citing situations where her success as a barber garnered negative reactions when she was outperforming men. Drawing from her firsthand experiences, her goal is to create “a safe space so that anybody of any demographic…can feel comfortable just coming to get a haircut.”
Investing in the Community
Paving her own path in the industry, Miller views community engagement as the stepping stones toward expansion. After nine months of operation, Miller is looking to onboard more talented barbers whose values align with the bread and butter of Goody Cutz. As a boss, she hopes to give barbers harmony between the roles of employee and independent entrepreneur. “I just want to be able to provide people with opportunities to control their own schedule, their own destiny, be able to, of course, make money and take care of their families,” she said.
Giving and taking within the Black community has defined Miller’s perspective and pushed her to use her power as a business owner to invest with extreme intention. “When you spend money with people that are closer to you, you tend to see it back,” she said, advocating for increased circulation of Black dollars within the Black community.
Striving for Local Expansion and Beyond
Despite a long road ahead, Miller is determined to turn Goody Cutz into an international franchise. “I want Goody Cutz to be in your face. I want everybody to be talking about it to know about it,” she said. “I want a Goody Cutz in Jamaica and Bali. I want them everywhere.”
As she nears the one-year anniversary of Goody Cutz, Miller plans to open more storefronts in the area. If the success of her first year in business is any indication, she is confident in her ability to achieve the next steps in her journey with the same determination and drive that landed her on South Tacoma Way.
“If I can persevere through all of that and do what needs to be done and do it at a high level, there's really no excuse for anybody,” she said. “There's nothing that should be able to stop you from doing what you want to do.”
9312 South Tacoma Way #152
Lakewood, WA 98499
TikTok: @lgooducutzbarberandbeauty
Instagram: @goodycutzbarberandbeauty
This article is part of Converge Media’s Support Black Business Campaign. Please click here to learn more and support!
