We:30 Share & Tell: Andy Shares the Evolution of his Mohawk

Every Wednesday at 3:30 we get together to celebrate an employee who exemplifies our core values to inspire, share, evolve, exceed and be 100% jerk-free. Our Share & Tell edition invites an employee to share something that inspires them and has a unique story. This week Andy, our Operations Manager, shares the evolution of his mohawk.

About a year ago, I went to get my haircut at the same place I had gone for the past five years. Getting a haircut for me is like torture. Sitting in a chair for an hour, trying not to move—ugh… enough said! As usual, I sat down and Freddy asked me, “What are we doing, fool?” I said “I dunno. What should we do?” Since the Chargers had just made the postseason, he said, “Let’s do an Eric Weddle, yo!” I said “NO.”  “C’mon! Let’s do it,” he said.  I told him, “Fine. Hurry up before I change my mind.” So, I proceeded to get a faux hawk and thought it was soooo crazy (for me)!

Pilar (my wife) had asked me, “Would you do a mohawk?” “Would you dye it?” “NO! and definitely NOT,” I exclaimed in disgust. Two weeks later, I told Freddy, “I want a blue Mohawk.” “What, fool? Sweet!” Freddy said in excitement! Sometimes, he talks too much with the buzzer flailing around and I have to get him to focus. I was a bit nervous, but with after few buzzes, I had a mohawk. The first thing I thought was, “What the heck did I do to my nice hair?” I’m not going to lie—I thought that I had I made a big mistake. I went home, not feeling confident about my new hair, but I got a big thumbs up from Pilar. I felt better, and started to grow accustomed to the mohawk.

I love how my mohawk represents my individuality. It’s my own blank canvas that I can do anything I want with. I think I’ve pretty much tapped out all possible colors. My favorite color has been the “electric red” that Pilar swore she could see in the dark. I especially like how every time I shampoo my hair, it changes to a different shade. It’s like getting a new mohawk each day.

I never thought that I would be sporting a haircut like this, but it has definitely made me a more confident person. It’s taught me to embrace my uniqueness, get out of my comfort zone, and to just enjoy all of the attention it brings. I never thought people would be so intrigued by it, but I love the daily random comments like “I love your hair,” “Nice hawk, man!” and “I dig that color.” I even appreciated the Starbucks employee who boldly admitted, “No, I don’t like that one.” So, for now, I’ll rock this thing into the New Year. I’m sure that one day I’ll be just as extreme with my hair as I was when I first got my faux hawk, and come into work with a shaved head.

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