Mike Vostok, originally from Russia, moved to Brooklyn as a teenager, went to Baruch College to study finance and built his career until the financial crisis struck. 

During this uneasy time, Vostok did not know what was ahead, until he walked into a barber shop for a fresh new cut. 

“I saw these barbers, these guys literally giving haircuts to like really wealthy people and like C-level executives, and back in my financial days in order for you to secure a call or a meet up with a C-level type you have to jump a lot of hoops to get there,” he said. 

That’s when he took a career change into hair care. He slowly moved up the ladder, from giving free haircuts as an apprentice for eight months, to becoming a barber and finally opening a barber shop during the COVID-19 pandemic on 238 East 24 Street. 

Despite there being so much uncertainty during the pandemic, one thing remained constant: people needed haircuts. 

That’s how Wise Men Barbers was created. But the process to learn and create this business was not easy for Vostok, a lefty who had to learn how to cut hair with his right hand. 

Living in Hewlett Harbor, Long Island, Vostok commuted to the city about four times a week. 

“You see, when you’re on Long Island, it’s the same person, you get to cut the same people’s head,” he said. “That means you can’t learn anything new, but here in the city, you have eight million people walking by it, you get to learn from them.”

Vostok explained that his location was intentional, with three colleges surrounding him: Baruch, NYU College of Dentistry and the British International School of New York. He saw a trend of younger people getting haircuts more often than older gentlemen. 

“Now young people tend to get their haircuts more often than older,” he said. “So, what you do is subconsciously, you compete with your peers, that’s why you buy trendy clothes.” 

As the business continues to stay in demand, Vostok plans to expand one day. 

With the overload of running three businesses, the barbershop, an online channel to remember the dead and a following on social media for real estate, he feels peace when cutting hair.

“This is my mental getaway,” he said.