Joey Hito has learned to enjoy life through hard work, family, and his free-spirited mindset. Growing up in a small town called Palolo, Hawaii on Honolulu, working three jobs in high school, is where he learned the value of working hard. His Uncle handing him down a ukulele before his passing and watching his mother and father share a love and passion for music is where he learned the value of family. Lastly, having kids and seeing their unfiltered joy and happiness is how he learned to not always take everything so serious and do what makes you happy.

Joey is a barber at Renegade Barbershop in downtown Eugene. He found a love for cutting hair when he was still living in Hawaii where he would frequently cut his younger brother’s hair. Eventually, his little brother spread the word and brought his friends around for their own cuts. Joey talks about cutting hair like it’s his job to make the customers’ day. “I understand how important a fresh cut is for a guy. It can either make or break their week.” Joey flew to Eugene for a party where he would go on to meet his wife. Eventually, he decided to make the move to Eugene, where his soon-to-be wife and better opportunities to forward his career resided. He bounced around a few shops and eventually found his home in Renegade Barbershop. He sees the shop as his sanctuary and his coworkers as his family, describing work as, “I get to come in every day, do something I enjoy, make good money, and do all of that with good people.”

Joey, now a proud husband with two children isn’t changing his ways. His next step in his career is to open his own shop In Eugene. Joey mentioned he makes music and has grown a big enough fan base in Eugene to sell out a show recently. As surprising as it is, he just wants to keep music as a hobby. He feels he’s found his purpose with barbering and wants to keep it that way. After the interview, I came away thinking Joey is someone who doesn’t feel urgency or pressure. He seems to be way beyond his years and has realized the importance of “doing what makes you happy”, a sentiment he shared with me when talking about his children. He feels that he went about life doing what made him happy and it got him right where he wants to be, and is hoping his two children live by that rule as well.