Today we’d like to introduce you to Anthony Mankoski.
Hi Anthony, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
If you would have asked me 20 years ago if I thought I end up being a barter I would have said something along the lines of that’s great, but I really don’t think there’s very much money. That section of the haircutting industry has changed considerably in recent years.
The funny thing is, I actually started cutting hair when I was 14 years old. I grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania, and at the time I was involved in the local music scene. Image was a big part of that world, and before long I was cutting my own hair, then my friends’ hair, and eventually anyone who would let me. Doing outlandish things like dying hair leopard print and making giant colorful Mohawks and the likeI enjoyed it, but I never imagined that the thing I was doing on a porch with my friends would eventually become my career.
I officially began cutting hair professionally in 2006 at 19 years old. My education at the Toni & Guy Hairdressing Academy in Erie was a major influence. At the time, it was something of a hidden gem, providing an exceptional education that combined creativity with structured technical training. It taught me that great haircutting wasn’t just about making someone look good when they left the chair—it was about understanding shape, movement, balance, and how hair naturally behaves.
Like many new professionals, my first job was at a chain salon. It gave me the opportunity to begin working with clients, but I quickly realized it wasn’t the environment I wanted for my career. I wanted to pursue haircutting as a craft, not simply a service performed as quickly as possible.
That realization led me back to Toni & Guy, where I enrolled in their teacher training program. I wasn’t interested in teaching at the time—I wanted to deepen my understanding of the art and science of haircutting. The program challenged me to study techniques on a much deeper level, refining not only how I cut hair, but why certain approaches worked. That experience shaped the foundation of the barber and stylist I would become and reinforced a mindset of continuous learning that has guided my career ever since.
After continuing to develop my skills, I eventually found myself working at one of the finest salons in Erie. Looking back now, I truly believe it was one of the best environments I could have started in, not just in Erie, but anywhere. I was surrounded by people who cared about quality, professionalism, and doing things the right way. Although, I didn’t realize it at the time this wasn’t just a nice place for Erie, this would be a nice place anywhere.
That early experience also shaped the way I viewed men’s grooming. In many salon environments, men’s services were often treated as secondary, something quick or convenient rather than a true craft. I always saw it differently. From the beginning, I treated men’s hair with the same level of attention, creativity, and respect as any other service.
I understood that men valued the experience just as much as anyone else. They wanted someone who listened, someone who cared, and someone who took pride in delivering a result that worked for their lifestyle. I approached every client the way I would want to be treated myself, and that philosophy has stayed with me throughout my career.
At 23 years old, I moved to Pittsburgh with my partner and two young children and continued building my career. I spent years working in some of the most respected salons and grooming environments in the area, constantly refining my craft and developing my own approach.
Over time, I realized that the part of the industry I loved most was the technical side of haircutting….the problem solving, the structure, and creating something that truly worked for the individual person.
In 2015, I had the opportunity to test myself on a much larger stage. After a nationwide search and audition process, I was selected by Goldwell Haircolor (one of the leading global professional brands) to their first ever national team devoted to specializing in justhaircutting. Goldwell was searching for the best haircutters in the country. I as well as many others submitted an application. I ended up being invited to 1 of the 4 live auditions and was selected to a small team of some of the very best haircutters scattered throughout the nation.
That experience was a major moment in my career. Deep down, I had always believed I had the ability to compete at the highest level of haircutting. I say that with humility because confidence in your craft and arrogance are two very different things. I knew I always had more to learn, but I also knew the standards I held myself to were different.
During one of the training sessions, we reached the haircutting portion and I found myself finishing each section while many of the other participants were still working through the process, asking questions, and troubleshooting. I was sitting there waiting for the next step, and I had one of those moments where I realized the belief I had always carried about my craft was real.
That experience gave me the confidence to fully embrace haircutting as a true craft.
My path after that was not a straight line. I worked in high end salons, spent time educating other stylists, managed businesses, and did many things on the side and in addition to hair including even working with the carpenters union. Each chapter taught me something different. Construction taught me discipline and attention to detail. The salon world taught me technical excellence and communication. Every experience shaped the way I approach my work today.
One of the biggest turning points in my career came when I joined The Duquesne Club in 2020. Coming from a blue-collar background in Erie, I never would have imagined that I would one day be the barber responsible for the grooming experience at one of Pittsburgh’s most historic private clubs.
That experience changed my understanding of service. I learned that a great haircut is only part of the experience. The details matter. Relationships matter. The way someone feels when they leave your chair matters.
During that time, I also began working part-time at MSTR Grooming. MSTR is the top hipster barber shop in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood, and is responsible for basically kicking off what I refer to as “the barber boom” here in the Pittsburgh market
For several years, I balanced both environments while trying to figure out what the next chapter of my career would look like.
While I was working at the club, I kept telling people, “One day I’m going to open my own place right around the corner from here.”
Eventually, I realized I needed to create the environment where I could do my best work. I made the decision to leave The Duquesne Club without having every detail figured out. I reached out to Mark at Marks Barber Styling in Gateway Center and asked if I could rent a space and see if my clients would follow me.
It was a leap of faith.
But they did.
Enough people followed me that I realized there was an opportunity to build something of my own. That decision eventually led to Penn Barber Company inside the Omni William Penn Hotel.
Looking back, I feel like I have truly come full circle.
The kid from Erie who started cutting hair for his friends on the porch is still doing the same thing today. The difference is the porch is now the Omni William Penn, and the people in the chair include executives, entrepreneurs, travelers, professional athletes, and various people from all over the world.
Penn Barber Company is really the result of two decades behind the chair….learning, refining, failing, rebuilding, evolving, and figuring out what great grooming is supposed to feel like.
The goal was never just to open another barbershop. It was to take everything I learned about craftsmanship, service, and people and create the kind of grooming experience I always believed was possible.
I think the biggest difference is simple. I built the place I would want to go to myself.
And honestly, I feel like we’re just getting started.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. Looking back, I think many of the challenges I faced are what shaped me and ultimately made me better at what I do.
When I moved to Pittsburgh at 23 years old, I was starting over in a new city with two young children. My partner and I were building a life here without a support system nearby, and learning how to balance building a career, providing for my family, and being present at home was one of the biggest challenges I faced.
Professionally, finding my place in Pittsburgh was also a journey. I came to the city knowing I had a strong foundation and a passion for the craft, but I didn’t yet know where to find the people and environments that truly valued precision haircutting at the highest level. I spent a long time searching, interviewing, and trying to understand where I could continue to grow.
Eventually, I found my way into some of the best environments this city had to offer, including Nadia Salon, where I spent several years refining my craft and building relationships. Later, after stepping away from the salon industry for a short period of time, I explored other paths, including construction and management. Those experiences taught me a lot about myself, but I always continued cutting hair on the side because it was the one thing I always came back to.
In 2020, after being laid off from a construction project, I saw an opportunity to return to what I had always been best at. When I saw an opening for a barber at The Duquesne Club, it felt like the right opportunity at the right time. It allowed me to return to haircutting at a high level while working in an environment that was completely different from traditional salon life.
At the same time, I also began working at MSTR Grooming in Lawrenceville, which gave me the opportunity to experience two very different sides of the industry and continue pushing myself.
Those years required a tremendous amount of work, long hours, and dedication, but they reinforced something I had always known: haircutting was where I belonged.
After four years at The Duquesne Club, I made the decision to take another leap and move toward creating something of my own.
I rented a small space at Mark Barber Styling in Gateway Center while I continued planning the next chapter. It was another moment where I had to trust myself before having every answer. The relationships I had built throughout my career followed me, and that gave me the confidence to continue moving forward and eventually create Penn Barber Company.
The path has had many ups and downs and taken plenty of unexpected turns, but each chapter taught me something different. Every challenge, setback, and rebuild helped shape not only the professional I have become, but also the type of experience I wanted to create for my clients.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Penn Barber Company is a private, single-chair men’s grooming studio located inside the historic Omni William Penn Hotel in Downtown Pittsburgh. It was built around a simple idea: men deserve the same level of thought, attention, and craftsmanship that has always been expected in other areas of luxury service.
After more than two decades behind the chair, I wanted to create a space that brought together everything I had learned throughout my career, the technical precision of high-end salons, the hospitality of private clubs, and the authenticity of traditional barbering.
What sets Penn Barber apart is the approach. We are not focused on chasing trends or creating a haircut that only looks good when someone leaves the chair. Every haircut is built around structure, balance, and longevity. The goal is to create something that works with the individual’s hair, lifestyle, and personal style so that it continues to perform long after they leave.
Men’s grooming has always been my specialty, and it is something I have taken seriously since the beginning of my career. For years, men’s services were often treated as secondary in many salon environments. I always saw them differently. I believed men deserved the same level of service, creativity, and attention to detail as any other client.
The experience itself is also a major part of what we do. Operating as a single-chair studio allows the environment to be private, focused, and personal. It is calm and serene, with few distractions and appointments are not rushed. The entire experience is built around one client at a time.
I am most proud that Penn Barber represents something I have spent my entire career working toward. It is not just a collection of services, it is a reflection of my personal standards and the type of experience I always wanted to create for myself as a client.
The people who sit in my chair come from all different backgrounds: Pittsburgh professionals, executives, entrepreneurs, travelers, and visitors from around the world. The common thread is that they value quality, consistency, and an experience that feels intentional.
At the end of the day, Penn Barber is about thoughtful grooming designed to perform. It is about doing the work right, respecting the craft, and creating a place where people know they are going to receive a level of service they can trust.
What matters most to you? Why?
What matters most to me is doing things the right way. I’ve always believed that the details matter, and that whatever you put your name on should be something you’re proud of.
That applies to everything in my life — my craft, my relationships, my family, and the businesses I’ve built along the way. I’ve never been someone who wanted to just go through the motions. If I’m going to do something, I want to understand it, get better at it, and give it the respect it deserves.
My family has always been the biggest driving force behind everything I’ve done. I became a father at a young age, and a lot of the decisions I’ve made throughout my career have been about creating a better life for the people who depend on me. There were plenty of times when things were uncertain, but that responsibility pushed me to keep moving forward and keep finding a way.
I’ve always had a deep respect for craftsmanship. Whether it’s haircutting, building something with my hands, or creating a business from the ground up, I appreciate the process of learning, improving, and mastering a skill. Haircutting has given me a career, but it has also given me the ability to connect with people from all walks of life.
I’ve never believed that what I do is “just a haircut.” The person sitting in my chair is trusting me with how they show up in the world. That’s a responsibility I don’t take lightly. I want every client to feel like they were heard, respected, and taken care of.
At this point in my career, what matters most is continuing to build something meaningful while staying true to the standards that have guided me from the beginning. I want Penn Barber Company to be something my family can be proud of, my clients can trust, and something that shows what can happen when you take your craft seriously and refuse to settle.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://pennbarber.com
- Instagram: pennbarberco
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-the-barber-mankoski-222629133/
