A South St. Pete barber is doing his part for his community with a youth mentoring program based right in his shop.

  • Marcus Dixon owner of Next Level Grooming
  • "Beyond the Clippers Shop Talk" hopes to provide mentoring, guidance
  • Visit Beyond the Clippers Shop Talk on Facebook

Marcus Dixon, the owner of Next Level Grooming on 49th Street South in St. Pete, told us one of the reasons he loves his job is the casual conversation inside the barber shop.

"Just being able to associate and talk to different people," said Dixon.

Dixon has his regular customers, of course. There are, however, also some extra special customers, like 11-year-old Godfrey Torres.

That's because for Godfrey, the monthly visit to the barber shop is for more than just a haircut. It's an opportunity for him to spend some time with Dixon, who's become a friend, a mentor and a father figure.

Dixon hopes to help Godfrey and other young men and families in the community through a program he's named "Beyond the Clippers Shop Talk." The program's aim at "grooming young men for success."

In particular, Dixon hopes to help boys who might be showing at-risk behavior possibly due to the absence of a father figure in their lives. It's a situation he's all too familiar with.

 “I was raised by a single mother," said Dixon. "I was always in the office, suspended from school, kicked out of school.”

All these years later, Dixon said he wants to help kids like Godfrey avoid those mistakes. What better place to talk about it, he thought, than in the barber's chair.

“I want them to grow up to be strong, educated successful young men, no matter what walk of life they come from,” said Dixon.

Godfrey is already taking the shop talk to heart. With a little guidance from Dixon, he's already got plans of his own.

“I want to be two things," said Godfrey.  "A math teacher, a professor ... and a basketball player.”

To learn more about "Beyond the Clippers Shop Talk," visit their page on Facebook.