Former delivery man from the interior of SP becomes 'athletes' barber' and gains space among celebrities Leaving a steady job with a salary of R$2,000 as a tool delivery man to try his luck cutting hair for R$15 per client seemed like a shot in the dark. Add to that the challenge of being the only left-handed person in the barbershop class under the suspicious eyes of the teacher. Eight years later, Rafael Munhoz, 30, turned distrust into a "passport" behind the scenes of the country's celebrities. 📲 Join the g1 Presidente Prudente e Região channel on WhatsApp Born in Presidente Prudente (SP), the hairdresser turned a curiosity awakened during a haircut into a profession that took him to major events and serving athletes and nationally known personalities. Interest in the area arose simply. When he was still young, when he went to a salon to get his own hair cut, he noticed that the environment brought together two characteristics that caught his attention: work and satisfaction. "I saw a very good energy. I realized that, in addition to making money, it was fun. There were a lot of people to cut and, at the same time, a happy environment", recalled Rafael. Without high expectations, he decided to take a barbering course. What started as an attempt to learn a new activity ended up turning into a profession: "I didn't imagine that I would identify so much with this profession and have the gift that I have." READ ALSO: Couple who met at a religious camp turns love story into music in the interior of SP From the World Cup to the cabinet, vice-mayor of Presidente Prudente recalls the team's security times in Qatar: 'I keep it with great affection' Sweet shops in the interior of SP transform difficult moments into stories of reinvention: 'The art of sweetening life' Do dogs and cats dream? Science explains what happens in pets' brains during sleep Former delivery man overcomes difficulties and meets famous people, such as Alok, MC Pedrinho and football players, through his work in Presidente Prudente (SP) Rafael Munhoz/Social media Simple start Rafael started working in the area in 2018. At the time, he combined his new activity with his job as a tool delivery man. During the day, he worked at the company. At night, I served clients at home, often until after 10pm. The barber admits that, at that time, he still didn't believe he could make a living exclusively from his profession. "One day I told a mother, while I was cutting her son's hair, that I thought I would never have a salon, because, at the time, I earned R$2,000 as a biker and, to make that amount, I had to have a lot of customers", he recalled. In addition to providing services at clients' homes, Rafael also set up an improvised space in the area of ​​his grandmother's residence: "It was a very simple place, but I'm very proud of where I came from." Opportunity The trajectory began to change when clients started recommending his work to other people. According to Rafael, one of the decisive moments happened when a professional athlete, recommended by an old client, decided to try his services. After the service, the athlete praised the result and started to recommend it to other players: "I confess that I was very anxious about what was happening and what would happen after the service. It was a great feeling to have delivered work that he liked and to be able to post the video and for him to praise my work." Barber has already cut the hair of athletes from Chapecoense and Botafogo de Ribeirão Preto Rafael Munhoz/Social media From then on, new doors were opened. For the barber, networking played a fundamental role in professional growth. "Networking helped me a lot because of the friendships we make, because they open doors that we didn't imagine. We managed to gain access to big-name people," he said. Behind the scenes of major events In recent years, Rafael has accumulated experience in events linked to sport, entertainment and the world of beauty. Among the works he considers remarkable are participation in stages of Formula 1, Stock Car, carnival, Barber Week and services linked to the artistic world, including the singer MC Pedrinho. Former delivery man overcomes difficulties, becomes 'athletes' barber' and meets famous people through his own work in Presidente Prudente (SP) Rafael Munhoz/Personal archive Although not all celebrities were served directly by him, many were known thanks to the events he participated in. "Everyone has a memorable moment, because each one was a different experience. Behind the scenes, living and seeing up close what we only saw on TV, is incredible", he commented. In one of the experiences, the barber also represented a brand for which he is an ambassador in the cosmetics sector. In addition to the services, he had the opportunity to speak at events that bring together thousands of professionals in the field across the country. Former delivery man overcomes difficulties, becomes 'athletes' barber' and meets famous people through his own work in Presidente Prudente (SP) Rafael Munhoz/Personal archive Challenges and overcoming A remarkable episode happened right at the beginning of professional training. Left-handed, Rafael heard from a teacher that adapting to work could be more difficult due to the scarcity of specific equipment. Even so, he decided to turn the situation into motivation: "I promised myself that I would be the best student in the class", he said. Currently, although there are some tools adapted for left-handed people, he prefers to work with conventional equipment. Next steps Currently, Rafael dreams of expanding the structure of his own business and forming a team of barbers. The biggest challenge, according to him, was believing that he would be able to have his own salon. "This showed me that just by working and doing the right thing, opportunities will come to us. The obstacle was leaving where I worked, because as I had a month-old son, we who are parents know the extent of the responsibility. But it seems that God gave a little help and told my boss to send me away", he stated. Finally, among the professional objectives is the creation of a reference space in Presidente Prudente. And another dream that remains alive is to meet the player Neymar. "I believe this can happen, because I believe in the law of attraction. Everything we sow we will reap. And I want to live this experience and I will achieve it if God allows it", he concluded. Former delivery man overcomes difficulties, becomes 'athletes' barber' and meets famous people through his own work in Presidente Prudente (SP) Rafael Munhoz/Personal archive Initial plugin text *Collaborated under the supervision of Stephanie Fonseca See more news on g1 Presidente Prudente and Region VIDEOS: watch TV TEM reports