Founder and CEO of The Cut Buddy, Joshua Esnard, is described as a hardworking, determined individual by everyone who knows him. As the only CEO of a hair care company that has seen and tried every hairstyle himself, Esnard is a trusted expert in the industry, and his impressive career is a ringing testament to the claim. The reigning Cut Buddy Pro has spent over a decade perfecting his ideas for successful haircuts at home and sharing his techniques with the world.

Joshua Esnard’s story can only be described as the typical American dream. Immigrating as a young child from the small Caribbean island of St. Lucia, he grew from humble beginnings to become a successful entrepreneur. Within the first two years of business operations, Esnard’s company grossed over one million dollars in product sales across the globe. This led to widespread notoriety in the hair care industry, and Esnard quickly became a highly sought-after individual from those pursuing business and entrepreneurial expertise.

A Humble Beginning

While he became widely known for his appearance with The Cut Buddy on Season 9 of Shark Tank in 2017, the entrepreneurial story of the company’s CEO begins much earlier. At just thirteen years old, Joshua Esnard began toying with an idea that would later provide him with his big break. It was the year 2000, and the young Esnard was tired of struggling to cut his hair at home. He knew that there had to be others who, like himself, were struggling with home haircuts resulting in uneven lines and patchy spots. Seeking a solution for those who couldn’t get to the barbershop every time they needed a haircut, Esnard decided he wanted to make a change. And thus, the idea for The Cut Buddy was born!

The next step was to begin working on a prototype, and that’s exactly what the young inventor did! He wanted his product to be easily accessible for everyone, which required many sequences of trial and error with his templates. During this time, Esnard also graduated from Ithaca High School in 2004 and Florida State University in 2008, from which he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Finance. It wasn’t until 2015 that Esnard was finally satisfied with his product, creating the first official Cut Buddy shaping tool. He sold the device out of his garage for two years before taking the product to Shark Tank.

Professional Experience Leads to Industry Expertise

Esnard’s relevant experience doesn’t stop with the invention of the Cut Buddy – he’s held many important leadership roles that provided him with opportunities for professional growth.

Esnard accepted a Coordinator for Professional Development and Training position at Broward College in 2010. In this role, Esnard led educational seminars and workshops, spoke at large programs and events, and designed marketing materials, among other obligations. During this time, Esnard graduated from the selective President Leadership Academy and was named an “Emerging Leader” by the Broward College President. Esnard held this position until 2016 when he decided to focus on his work with The Cut Buddy.

In 2015, Esnard began sharing his knowledge with an even larger audience. He took his expertise to the road, traveling around the Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina area to speak on his inspiring experience as an entrepreneurial expert, motivational speaker, business strategist, and inventor. Today Esnard still spends much of his time helping others achieve their goals through his public speaking engagements.

On the business side of things, Esnard shares the strategies that helped him become successful in fulfilling his dream. He touches on critical business functions such as invention and patent processes, updated marketing strategies, market research and development, strategic production and distribution, team-building techniques, intellectual property enforcement, and more. As a motivational speaker, Esnard shares his immigrant success story, detailing his experience as a child who always persevered, showed intense determination, and sacrificed greatly along the way. Joshua Esnard’s entertaining personality will motivate any audience!

Expanding the Empire

Cut Buddy’s success in 2017 only motivated Esnard to work harder, resulting in an impressive product expansion. His team worked together to design a new line of hair care products that make at-home haircuts even simpler. The new line was even more inclusive than before, catering to a wide range of hair types. Whether you had a full head of hair or you were lacking in the follicle department, Esnard made sure he had a product for you.

Cut Buddy’s product offerings now include an all-inclusive trimming and clipper kit, the iconic Bald Buddy, and a new-and-improved Cut Buddy design. These products are now available for purchase at numerous major retailers across the country.

Notable Features and Appearances

Esnard has since been featured in many articles from notable sources, including Forbes, Black Enterprise, and Good Housekeeping. Forbes published their feature on Esnard in 2017, in which they interviewed Esnard and reported on his success after his appearance on Shark Tank. Black Enterprise’s 2020 piece on Esnard highlighted the Cut Buddy’s relevance in the newfound reality of a COVID-19-infected world, while Good Housekeeping’s article in 2022 opted to focus on celebrating Esnard’s success as a small business owner from a diverse background.

In 2021, Esnard spoke at a TEDx event hosted by TEDxRaleigh. His speech, “Turning A Complaint Into Millions,” chronicled the tale of what ultimately began as a simple story – the journey of a kid who had a problem, and decided to solve it.

Esnard received a 7 Under 30 Award from Florida State University in 2017, after securing his deal with Daymond on Shark Tank. In his acceptance speech, Esnard advocated for the importance of taking chances and not being afraid of failure.

Follow Esnard’s Journey

It’s been a busy few years for Joshua Esnard, Founder and CEO! If you want to follow along with Esnard as he continues his entrepreneurial journey, you can find him on many social media platforms. Esnard has profiles on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn, where he frequently shares updates on his latest professional and personal endeavors.