Karen Tudor says clients are friends and kids have fun.
She believes her business has been more successful here than it could have been in a big city because “everybody knows everybody and word travels fast.”
Tudor says she was a workaholic, working six days a week at her barbershop, but now she’s been able to reduce that number to three-and-a-half days. “I’m having a whole lot of fun.”
Keeping the flattop haircut of the ‘50s popular, Tudor has gained a reputation in Cottonwood and claims that she might be the only barber who embarks on this classic clipping. “A lot of the police and firemen come in for these haircuts. I don’t do foo-foo hair styling and I don’t wash, just cuts.”
Her laid-back barbershop is a comfort zone of memorabilia, family pictures and displays of Tudor’s jewelry and keychains that she makes in her free time. She also brings in her three hairless cats, one at a time, that her customers have taken great interest in. “Some ladies come in just to bring them gifts,” she said.
“Karen does a great job, she gets you in and out fast and there’s always good conversation,” said Salt River Materials Group Shipping Manager Charlie Kester. “She is very energetic and so nice. I typically get a standard cut and a beard trim.”
Accepting walk-ins only, Tudor has been cutting hair for almost 40 years. “My clients have become my friends and I get to catch up with them throughout the day. I also like to make it convenient for my clients, so sometimes I’ll come in and open the shop for one person. I love my job and I’ve found that my haircuts are better when I’m talking.”
A playful model airplane and a car converted to a barber’s chair is one way she makes haircuts fun for children. “I love kids and I think I do a pretty good job of making them feel comfortable, so they’ll open up to me. They can sense I like them, and I think they like me, too. Sometimes they read a book while I cut their hair. The only problem is the big kids want to sit in the car, too.”
“Karen is super great with children and our son loves her,” said Bloom Flower Farm owner Brandie Wolfe. “She knows how to work with kids who are fussy, upset or afraid. She keeps them calm by making silly faces and using stuffed animals and toys. She goes out of her way to make sure they are comfortable.”
Tudor came to Phoenix from Methuen, Massachusetts when she was 9 years old with her mom and three sisters. Her husband, Tracy, who was born and raised in Camp Verde, is an auto shop and sports medicine teacher at Camp Verde High School. “He served in the Air Force for 24 years, so we traveled for a bit. Then he began a career as a physical therapist for several years before working for the high school,” she said.
The couple has a son and a daughter. “I really wanted more children, but now we have three grandchildren and that makes life so wonderful,” said Tudor. “Our son is a nurse and wants to be a nurse practitioner and our daughter has a master’s degree in communication.”
Tudor emphasizes how much she enjoys her time at the barbershop. “When my job becomes a job, that is when I’m going to quit. It’s just fun for me right now and my friends come to visit every day.” QCBN
By V. Ronnie Tierney, QCBN
Karen’s Barber Shop is open Wednesdays through Saturdays, located at 703 S. Main Street in Cottonwood. To reach the shop, call 928-634-0288.
Photos by V. Ronnie Tierney, Fresh Focuses Photography: Karen Tudor is Cottonwood’s “flattop” specialist. Among her many clients, including children, her barbershop is popular with police officers and firefighters who prefer the classic hairstyle.
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