Diaspora : Sofie "StayGold" Pok: Cambodian-American Master Barber Shattering the Grooming Game

Sofie « StayGold » Pok, Cambodian-American master barber based in California, embodies rebellion sculpted with scissors. From her immigrant roots to global fame, she redefines barbering with surgical precision, breaking the codes of a testosterone-fueled industry while mentoring a hungry generation.

Sofie Pok, the "StayGold" barber revolutionizing the masculine world of modern barbering

Cambodian roots and California rise

Born from a Cambodian heritage, Sofie settles in California to train as a hairdresser before diving into barbering in 2011 in Santa Ana. Tired of traditional salons, she fuses cosmetology and barber techniques, excelling in flawless fades and long cuts that hypnotize. Her Instagram feed (@staygold31, 500,000 followers) overflows with looks for Usher, Post Malone, or Nas, crowned by awards like "Barber of the Year" at the American Influencer Awards and "Female Barber of the Year" at Barbercon.

The STMNT and Headcase empire: global education

Co-founder of STMNT Grooming Goods with grooming pioneers, Sofie leads the global education team, delivering workshops and tutorials that rack up millions of views. BaBylissPRO educator, she travels the world for addictive masterclasses; meanwhile, as co-owner of Headcase Barbershop, she builds a female stronghold. Her partnerships with American Salon or Evo, boosted by TikTok (275,000 followers), make her a digital icon.

Intimate revelations: the Beauty Hub Magazine interview

In a bombshell interview for Beauty Hub Magazine, Sofie « StayGold » Pok opens up unfiltered about her disruptive journey. Daughter of Cambodian immigrants who fled the Khmer Rouge genocide, she grows up in Long Beach, shaped by an entrepreneurial mother who instills resilience and independence. "I started cutting my brothers' hair at 12 with a stolen electric razor," she confesses, laughing about her clandestine beginnings in the family bathroom.

This raw energy propels her: refusing salaried jobs, she opens her first shop at 22, navigating racial and sexist prejudices—"An Asian woman in a barbershop? They laughed."

Today, she claims: "Barbering is 90% mental, 10% technique. I teach my students to survive in this shark-infested business." The interview digs into her "Stay Gold" mantra: staying authentic amid fame. She admits post-award doubts ("Barbercon changed me, but not for the better—too much pressure"), and her fight for barbers' mental health, often ignored.

STMNT partnerships? "Not just bling, it's the real deal: I co-created clippers that last 10 years." On women in barbering: "We're 5% of the game, but we cut better—period." Phnom Penh calls to her: "I want a Headcase there, training Cambodian women who kill it."

Borderless pioneer: the "StayGold" future

"The future of barbering has no gender," she hammers home, mentoring emerging artists with high-tech clippers and signature techniques.

From L.A. to the global stage, Sofie transforms the trade into badass, accessible, inclusive art. By 2026, she's no longer just a barber: she's the golden revolution lighting up the industry.