This barbershop owner bought his first house at 23, and now helps others become real estate gurus

Morris Smith is an HBCU graduate. He grew up in the Ridgecrest neighborhood of Montgomery, Alabama, in a single-parent household with his two siblings. According to him, his parents were not business-oriented people. However, he got interested in entrepreneurship after witnessing the business success of his grandfather and cousin. His cousin owned a construction company and Smith would volunteer when he could.

“I’ve always had that entrepreneurial spirit and drive in me,” he told the Black Walls Times. He carried this spirit and drive to college, where he pursued a degree in Business Management. While in Stillman College, Smith was cutting hair for people without a fee. It was something he enjoyed doing. Aside from cutting hair, he also had other side hustles like promoting parties, selling clothes and CDs for money.

With his side hustle mentality, Smith decided to venture into real estate by investing in distressed properties after receiving his real estate license in his early 20s. Now his goal is to teach others how to invest in the sector and generate additional income.

“I want people to be able to invest in real estate with a strategy. A strategy that fits their situation, or just financial literacy as a whole. I want to be able to educate people and show people ways to invest and show them that you don’t need a lot of money to start,” Smith told MNQ Magazine.

To this end, he established Beyond The Clippers to “inspire, motivate and teach people how to gain financial freedom through real estate investing.” The Atlanta-based firm offers services such as one-on-one coaching, a mentorship program, and project management. He also posts weekly videos capturing what he does and how people can join him.

“I find investment properties and also manage the project if it needs renovation. I can coach you through the whole process from start to finish,” Smith told The Black Wall Street Times. “We actually show them the process of investing, literally hands-on,” he added.

Smith, who bought his first house at 23, now has several properties under his belt and he now wants to extend his services nationwide for other entrepreneurs to benefit from the real estate sector.

Smith maintains there is no excuse to not invest in real estate. “That’s why you put someone in place you can trust,” said Smith, who is also a barbershop owner. “I wanted to show people the other side and show people that even as a blue-collar worker you can change your financial goals no matter what type of work you’re doing.”