How one barber-turned-creator built an infrastructure network for the entire industry – from free education to global distribution.
David McMahon
Founder & Chief Executive
Age 30
From grassroots education to global distribution — built on real numbers, real impact, and real infrastructure.
800M+
Total Views
Education, product launches, and live commerce across platforms
26
Distributors
MAT-aligned partners powering regional fulfillment and inventory
2,000+
Active Barbers
Barbers and creators plugged into our ecosystem
Global
Reach
US, Latin America, and expanding international markets
Active distribution channels and partnerships across Latin American markets, with localized fulfillment infrastructure.
Official TikTok Live Creator Agency and Seller Agency alignment, enabling compliant commerce at scale.
Enterprise-grade routing intelligence, inventory sync, dashboards, and analytics for real-time operations.
David McMahon didn't enter the barber industry through a corporate route — he entered through the community.
He built HowToFade101 starting in 2018, a free education platform for barbers who were never given a fair shot. No paywalls. No courses. Just value and community.
As the community grew to hundreds of millions of views, David discovered the broken economics: creators underpaid, sellers unsupported, brands disconnected from the people doing the real work.
Instead of complaining, he built infrastructure and data.
At 30, he launched Barber Collectives — a digital-first distribution network powered by automation, logistics, and partnerships.
Today, Barber Collectives is:
A digital storefront network
A seller agency + creator network
A MAT-compliant distribution framework that supports brands AND barbers
This isn't a barber supply store.
This is the global infrastructure powering the next era of the barber economy.
"A vision built on ownership, not approval."
This image represents the transition from street-level barber culture to executive-level infrastructure — built on the belief that ownership matters more than approval.
Started with community, built with infrastructure
From creator to seller to CEO — every step earned, not given
A global barber economy where barbers, sellers, and brands grow together
To build a global barber economy where creators, sellers, and brands grow together — with shared data, fair margins, and real ownership.
We are designing the future barber economy — where no one grows alone.
Create financial independence for barbers and creators through fair compensation and transparent ownership models.
We protect brand pricing and policies while creating fair structures for creators and sellers.
Provide real wholesale access and competitive margins to empower sellers at every scale — within brand guidelines.
Deliver enterprise-level infrastructure — routing, analytics, inventory sync — to independent operators.
Build a compliant, scalable supply network that supports brands and empowers barbers across major markets.
Turn barbers into business owners and stakeholders — not just consumers of products.
From grassroots education to global enterprise infrastructure
David builds HowToFade101; thousands of barbers watch free tutorials. No paywalls, no courses — just community.
Global community; barbers from every country contribute and collaborate.
Hundreds of millions of views; one of TikTok's most recognized barber brands.
Major suppliers approach with low commissions and disrespectful terms. He realizes no one is truly fighting for barbers OR enforcing structure for brands.
David launches his own TikTok Shop seller account and, within months, outsells brands that once dismissed him.
He founds Barber Collectives — the first digital barber supply franchise-style network, built on infrastructure, data, and compliance, not hype.
A three-tier enterprise architecture designed for global scale
Central Infrastructure
Empowered Merchants
Fulfillment Partners
The barber industry wasn't broken by barbers — it was broken around them.
Creators were underpaid.
Sellers were unsupported.
Distributors were disconnected.
And the people doing the real work weren't the ones receiving the rewards.
We're rebuilding the entire system with technology, fairness, ownership, and global-scale infrastructure.
Five core values that guide every decision, investment, and partnership at Barber Collectives.
Every decision starts with: does this create real opportunity for barbers, creators, and sellers? If not, we don't do it.
We democratize opportunity through automation, distribution access, and technology — not exclusive cliques or back-room deals.
No hidden fees. No mystery margins. Clear reporting for creators, sellers, and brands. Trust is earned through visibility.
We treat brands, distributors, and creators as long-term partners. We protect pricing, respect MAT policies, and build programs where everyone wins.
Trends fade. Systems scale. We invest in long-term infrastructure — logistics, data, and technology that compound over time.
Powered by industry-leading platforms and trusted by global distribution partners.
All operations are policy-aligned with each platform • We help brands and creators remain compliant while scaling
We don't just sell products.
We protect barbers.
We empower creators.
We build owners.
David McMahon
Founder & Chief Executive
An annual letter on the barber economy, the infrastructure we're building, and the future we're creating together.
A letter on the challenges being solved, how the infrastructure supports creators, sellers, and brands — and the future of the barber economy.
Published annually • Unfiltered perspective • Direct from leadership