Editor’s note: This is Part 2 of a two-part Builders of North County series. Read Part 1 here.
Yet perhaps the most interesting thing happening inside the shop has little to do with hair.
It has everything to do with conversation. I mean, she deals with heads more often than not. Knuckleheads.
When I met Sara Llanes, owner of Knuckleheads Barber Shop in Oceanside, she was talking with Saul Ocampo, a former Marine drill instructor and longtime customer who has been sitting in her chair for more than 20 years. Their conversations have ranged from entrepreneurship and investing to hospitality, real estate and emerging business opportunities.
You see, she has built a real estate portfolio spanning decades and valued well into the millions — and she works as hard as, if not harder than, anyone in her shop.
At one point, those discussions helped inspire Ocampo’s own entrepreneurial journey into the mezcal business. How about that? A former Marine drill instructor sits in the chair of a master business barber, and she essentially incubates Ocampo Imports and its Mezcal Burero brand.
Now that’s dealing with heads.
That is because Knuckleheads functions as something larger than a barbershop.
It is a gathering place.
Sara told Saul he could do what she did: His family, rooted for four generations in Mochitlán, a vibrant town in Guerrero, Mexico, could produce mezcal — a spirit similar to tequila — and turn it into an award-winning brand that now thrives and continues to grow in Oceanside.
I asked Sara how she developed her own business, and she shared:
“I started saving for my first home at 15 years old. I saved until I was 22, and that’s when I bought my first home in 1997. Then at 25, I bought my first two-unit property, and a few years later I invested in more real estate.
“Today, I own five real estate properties all from working hard, staying disciplined, and staying focused. None of it was overnight. Small habits create big results.”
“Sí se puede” carries a deeper meaning in Spanish than simply “Yes, you can.”
It is a phrase about belief, strength, resilience and possibility, especially in our culture. It is motivational. It is a mindset.
She took a Marine veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom — a “knucklehead” and former drill instructor — and helped turn him into a first-class entrepreneur.
Knuckleheads is a networking hub. A community center. A modern town square.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Knuckleheads pitched a tent outside and relocated its chairs and equipment beneath our brilliant North County sun. They painted a mural on the white walls and lined up necks and hairlines with Suavecito Pomade.
Business owners exchange ideas. Marines discuss life after service. Young entrepreneurs seek advice. Relationships deepen.
Opportunities emerge — land of the free, home of the brave.
In many ways, Sara’s story mirrors the larger story of North County itself. She is, in fact, one of the piston engines making this economy fundamentally decent and profitable, anchored in the rich tapestry of all our histories.
For generations, Mexican and Mexican American families have helped build the workforce, business community and entrepreneurial backbone of Oceanside, Vista, Escondido, San Marcos and communities throughout the region. They have opened restaurants, construction companies, retail businesses, farms, professional practices and countless small enterprises that collectively power the local economy.
These Mexican American families are the bedrock of our society. Gente de la tierra. Constructores de comunidad. Mujeres y hombres de negocios bendecidos, respetados y llenos de espíritu. Muy, muy buena onda. ¿Me entiendes?
Their contributions are measured in more than dollars. They are measured in a legacy that predates California’s statehood and San Diego’s incorporation in 1850.
Antes de que California fuera California, era el Virreinato de Nueva España. The names have changed. Las banderas han cambiado. The borders have changed. Las fronteras han cambiado.
But the builders remain. We thrive. Los constructores permanecen.
People crossing frontiers. Gente buscando oportunidad. Families creating futures. Familias construyendo comunidad.
And that has been the story of North County for hundreds of years. Thousands. Millennia.
Their contributions are measured in neighborhoods strengthened, families supported and opportunities created. Imagine community as an asset, because in Oceanside — and throughout North County — it is central.
As Oceanside continues its remarkable transformation, entrepreneurs like Sara Llames remind us that economic development is not ultimately about buildings, investment capital or rising property values. It is about people. It is about embodying timeless values and principles.
Yes, people.
People who preserve traditions. People who create jobs. People who mentor others.
People who quietly strengthen the fabric of a community.
In an era increasingly defined by artificial intelligence and technological change, Sara’s story offers a useful reminder of a simple truth: Human relationships remain our most valuable form of capital.
At Knuckleheads, every haircut begins with a conversation.
Sometimes, it ends with a new opportunity. And that is how these sorts of deals get done.
Communities are an asset class unto themselves.
Welcome to our new age.
Which is really to say? Nothing is new under the tired sun.
