How 2 teenagers turned a haircut into a business

WEST HAVEN, Weber County — At 19 years old, Daniel Fuchs has already taken an unconventional path into entrepreneurship, turning a teenage interest into a business of his own.

Fuchs left school at 14 to pursue barbering, completing an apprenticeship at Taylor's Barber Co. in Roy before becoming professionally licensed at just 16.

After working at Empire in North Ogden, he began considering what it would take to open his own shop. Along the way, he discovered that barbering offered something beyond the opportunity to make a living.

"I always knew I had to make a way with my voice talking to people," Fuchs said. "I didn't even like cutting at first. I just wanted to have the opportunity to have 40 minutes to see where you're at and to build that connection."

That approach to building relationships would eventually lead him to Preston Byrd, an 18-year-old Salt Lake City native who had been selling vintage clothing for several years.

Their first interaction came after Fuchs spotted Byrd on TikTok and wasn't particularly impressed with his haircut.

"I saw him on my TikTok page, and I just really hated his haircut," Fuchs said. "Every day I would see it, so I DM'd him, 'You want to come in, make a video?'"

The two quickly became friends and realized they shared similar ambitions. During a trip to New York, they began discussing how they could combine their interests into a business.

For Byrd, who had primarily sold clothing online, the opportunity meant taking his business into a physical space while working alongside someone with a completely different skill set.

"Eventually, Danny and I started to hang out over the summer, and that's where we came up with the idea: How can we mix the clothes and barbering," Byrd said. "We signed the lease, we built the place in three weeks, opened, and we've been rolling ever since."

The result was Duality Style Lounge, which opened Aug. 22, located at 2108 S. 1100 West #3 in West Haven, shortly before both owners turned 19. The business brings barbering and vintage clothing together while creating a space for other young entrepreneurs to connect.

For Fuchs, the vision extends beyond the shop itself. He wants to use the business as a way to encourage other young people to pursue something meaningful and make a difference in their communities.

"Duality Style Lounge came together as a collective as teenagers that are young and hungry," Fuchs said. "I want to encourage and support my young guys to live a life that they're proud of. Not for money or monetary gain but something they can look back on and impact lives in a positive way."

Byrd said that support goes both ways, with the owners hoping to build relationships that benefit other young people trying to establish themselves.

"There's a lot of bounce back and a lot of support. We help them; they help us. It's all kind of a collective growth, I'd say, between young people," Byrd said.

What started with a haircut has grown into a business the two hope will create opportunities well beyond their own. For Fuchs and Byrd, Duality Style Lounge is an opportunity to build something they can be proud of while helping others do the same.