Cut, Care, and Community: Matt Schnitzer on Building Barbers for Baja

When Matt Schnitzer picked up his clippers at King’s Club Barbers in Dana Point, he never imagined the same chair would someday fuel a humanitarian movement. In this heartfelt episode of Shady Characters, Matt joins hosts Evan Burgher and Tim DeBrincat to share how a simple idea, a holiday toy drive during COVID, grew into Barbers for Baja, a thriving nonprofit that now funds education, builds clinics, and changes lives across Mexico.

Matt recounts his journey from sweeping floors and learning under mentors like Mike and Scotty, to opening his own chair, to discovering how deeply the barbershop connects people from every walk of life. When a trip to Baja revealed how a few thousand dollars could send students to college or support rural healthcare, Matt realized he could use those community connections (clients, brands, and friends) to make real change.

What began with boxes of toys has evolved into college scholarships for 32 students (and counting), medical and dental clinics serving hundreds each month, and new initiatives providing life-saving equipment to families in need. With partnerships from Stüssy, Stance, and Uppercut, Matt and his team have turned grassroots passion into sustainable impact.

He opens up about the challenges of running a nonprofit while cutting hair full time, the network of barbershops now selling “Barbers for Baja” box sets, and the deep emotional payoff of watching first-generation college students graduate and give back to their communities.

At its heart, this episode is about legacy… how one barber turned everyday conversations into action, and how generosity, like a good haircut, can ripple far beyond the chair.