Exactly! That kid's cut was a skin fade with a hard part. Took me twenty minutes to get the line that sharp. When it's that good, people notice for weeks. Mess it up and they'll talk just as long.

Wait, that journeyman was actually on the job site? I assumed it was just some story you heard later. That makes it way more real and scary.

Reaching out to past clients is the best move. I keep a short list of people I've worked with before and check in every few months. It's led to more than one small job that turned into something bigger later. Having those relationships already in place makes a huge difference when things fall through.