‘I absolutely love this job’: Meet the former teacher turned barber filling a gap in Milford

MILFORD, Ill. (WCIA) — Whether it’s every few weeks or every few months, a haircut is a necessity for most people. In Our Town Milford, there hasn’t been a barbershop available for the last several years. Now, there’s the perfect man for the job filling the void.

When you drive down Jones Street in Milford, you’ll see a lot of cute neighborhood houses. But, Ryan Brittenham’s house has something unique attached to it — a barbershop.

It’s a business he never imagined himself starting, after beginning his career teaching Physical Education in Bement before moving to Milford. He taught P.E. classes in Iroquois County for seven years before deciding it was time for a change.

“I said to my wife, what about barbering?” Brittenham explained.

After going to Phipp’s Academy of Barbering in Bradley, he and his family constructed the barbershop in his garage and got to work. “B-Ham’s Barbershop” has been open for the last two years.

“The support from the town has been awesome,” Brittenham said. “I’ve been fairly busy from the beginning, it’s been really good.”

Plus, he gets to keep building connections with his former students. That was his favorite part of being a teacher.

“That’s what kind of makes everything go round, relationships,” the barber said.

“I live right down the road, I could just walk here. I give him $20 and he cuts my hair,” Peyton Cluver, one of his customers, said.

With every snip of the scissors and buzz of the slippers, Brittenham is happy to be the one filling the gap.

“I absolutely love this job. It’s been a blessing that’s for sure,” he joyfully said.

He typically does about 15 haircuts a day. Some days are walk-in only and others are booked full with appointments. To connect with Brittenham, head over to his Facebook or Instagram pages.

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