Tina Poe is the manager at Sport Clips in Fultondale.

Although she has worked in cosmetology for more than 10 years, she originally started college on a music scholarship.

“They wanted me to write music, and I wanted to perform,” she said. “I was looking for a career change, and I’d always been good at hair, so I got into cosmetology.” She worked at Family Styling Salon in Gardendale for eight and a half years, then moved on to Sport Clips, where she has worked for two years.

In addition to performing managerial tasks such as payroll, scheduling and personally  handling customer complaints (she says they are few and far between), Poe also does the shop’s “Five Point Play,” which is a five-step routine that starts with greeting a customer and ends with them walking out the door.

“We keep notes on people in the computer,” she said. “When someone comes in, we type in what kind of haircut they got and put any details, like what guard setting we used on the clippers.”

Sport Clips specializes in male clientele, and it goes much further than just being sports-themed.

“Women can go to any hairdresser and get special treatment, but there’s not much for men. We offer extra services like hot towels and shoulder massages,” said Poe. “We also sell products that are geared toward men.”

She said it can be challenging to learn each customer’s personality, as well as each of her employees’ personalities.

“I love people, and I love the girls I work with,” she said.