TYLER, Texas — An East Texas teen has been navigating his way through the hurdles of opening a local business in Tyler.
At 16-years-old, Tony Medina is set to open his barbershop with his brand name, 903 Cutz.
Medina said he's wanted to pursue this vocation since the age of 12, but his parents weren’t fully on board with their son not completing a high school degree. He convinced them to let him attend RISE Academy through Tyler ISD, where he earned a barber license at the end of the 2023 fall semester.
After obtaining the license and expanding his clientele through social media, Medina proved that fresh fades can bring a new perspective.
"I've been doing it for four years now," Medina said. "I had to learn by myself through YouTube."
Medina founded his brand 903 Cutz and currently operates in the backyard of his parent’s home. He said his brand represents much more than just him.
"I don't want to call it mine, but call it ours pretty much," Medina said. "Basically, for me and my dad and even my brothers."
Tony Medina's father Placido Medina said his son inspired him to pick up the trimmers as well and expand this into a family business.
"To be honest, he's pretty much the rubber band keeping us all together," Placido Medina said. "It's becoming a family thing because I got my other two kids who are starting to do the same thing."
Tony Medina said his family and he have had a dream to open their barbershop within the next three to four years. In just over one year, that dream is coming true. Soon they will open a new location just off of Gentry Parkway in Tyler.
"It just all happened," Tony Medina said. "I mean we saw the location, and I fell in love with it and the area. A lot of people coming in and out, so it kind of just inspired me to just go for it."
Tony Medina said this isn’t possible without the support of his parents. As he has invested 80% of the funds while his dad covered the other 20% and paperwork. He said his family's support has helped pave the way to his dream that started when he was 14.
"We just now started getting all that LLC stuff, and everything's all straight," Placido Medina said. "He's had that vision for a while trying to open up a shop, and for me and my wife to see a 14-year-old do something like that it's something different."
The Medina family doesn't plan to stop there as they continue to branch out on social media, and if business is looking good they want to expand to a second location.
"I was just always trying to do better for my family and I was always just trying to push myself to my limits," Tony Medina said. "Because you know people have limits. You've got to push yourself over the limit."
In the next two months, the Medina family will be hosting their grand opening at 1211 West Gentry Parkway.
To book an appointment, contact them through the number on their social media pages like Facebook & Instagram.