Meet the Founder

My name is Smayan Sanjeev.

I am a junior at Livingston High School, a varsity basketball player, and a barber.

This project began in the most natural way possible: behind the chair. I noticed that as soon as the clippers turned on, the stories started flowing. I quickly realized that the conversations I was having with senior residents were just as meaningful as the haircuts I was giving. Stories from the Chair was born out of a desire to share those voices, celebrate resilience, and ensure our community's history is never forgotten.

Mission

A student-led initiative combining personal grooming with the preservation of local history.

Every haircut is an invitation to connect. At Stories from the Chair, we visit local senior living communities to provide free barbering services. But the haircut is just the beginning.

Our true mission is to create a dedicated space for conversation, connection, and storytelling. By sitting with our elders, listening to their journeys, and recording their wisdom, we aim to bridge generational gaps and restore dignity through genuine human presence.

What We Do

• Provide haircuts in senior living communities

• Record and preserve life stories (with permission)

• Share selected stories through a podcast-style archive

Impact

• 2 Partner Communities

• Weekly Consistent Visits

• 12+ Stories Preserved

Through regular, ongoing partnerships with senior residences, this initiative transforms a routine grooming service into a consistent source of companionship and a growing archive of lived history.

Fresh Perspective, Every Month: A new anonymous elder wisdom profile is published on the 1st of every single month. Check back soon for our next featured story!

Featured Stories

September 2026: Vision and Constructing the Big Picture

Story at a Glance

• Anonymous Persona: The Blueprint Draftsman

• Lived History Background: Spent over three decades drawing structural architectural blueprints and layout designs.

• The Core Life Lesson: You cannot build a solid structure without drawing the foundational lines first; plan your vision before you build.

Setting the Scene

Before sitting down, this resident spent a few long moments curiously examining the tools laid out on my workstation. He picked up my comb, holding it up to the light to inspect the perfectly uniform spacing of its teeth, a quiet smile forming on his face. He told me it reminded him of his old metric scale rulers. As the haircut began, he watched the mirrored reflection of the clippers. Not to check the length, but to trace the clean geometric sections and weight lines I was creating- explaining that blending a clean fade requires the exact same structural planning as drafting a blueprint.

Wisdom Shared

Smayan: When you were looking at a completely blank blueprint sheet, how did you keep from getting overwhelmed by how massive the final building was going to be?

The Resident: You don't try to draw the roof first, son. You start with the grid lines. Every skyscraper in the world begins with basic, boring measurements. Young people today want to look at the finished tower without putting in the hours drafting the foundation. They get overwhelmed because they see the whole mountain instead of just drawing the next line. If you want a big life, you have to be willing to sit down and sketch out the small, quiet details of your daily plan first. Vision without a blueprint is just a daydream.

Smayan's Reflection

The new school year has officially kicked into high gear , this conversation gave me a lot of clarity. With the upcoming AAU season starting up, research for future college visits looming ahead, and balancing a heavy junior year course load, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the future. This draftsman reminded me to stop staring at the final mountain. Instead, I need to take a step back, look at my week as a blank canvas, and intentionally organize my time line-by-line rather than stressing about the end result.

August, 2026- Resilience and Navigating Maps

Story at a Glance

• Anonymous Persona: The Transit Logistics Pioneer

• Lived History Background: Managed regional train scheduling and route dispatch adjustments for decades.

• The Core Life Lesson: Detours and unexpected delays are not failures; they are just new tracks to explore.

Setting the Scene

This resident had a sharp, mathematical mind and spoke with quick, energetic hand gestures. They spent their career coordinating moving parts across massive distances, and they explained to me that life schedules are bound to derail- the trick is knowing how to switch tracks without panicking.

Wisdom Shared

Smayan: How did you manage the stress when train lines broke down and thousands of commuters were stranded?

The Resident: Panic solves absolutely nothing. In logistics, a delay is just a puzzle waiting for a variable to change. If a track is closed, screaming at the map won't clear the rails. You immediately look for the alternate route. Young people treat an unexpected detour like the end of the world. If you don't get into your dream school, or you get injured, you aren't stuck- you are just being rerouted to a path you didn't plan for.

Smayan's Reflection

As summer winds down and the very demanding senior High School year approaches, this was the perfect message to hear. It reminded me that challenges or sudden setbacks aren't roadblocks stopping my journey; they are simply the moments where I have to pull the lever, pivot, and explore a brand new track.

July 2026: Curiosity and Creative Lifelines

Story at a Glance

• Anonymous Persona: The Community Artist

• Lived History Background: Taught local painting classes and designed neighborhood murals.

• The Core Life Lesson: Keeping a youthful mind means approaching every routine task with creative curiosity.

"Art isn't just paint on canvas. It’s the care you put into the ordinary things you do every single day."

Setting the Scene

Even in the retirement community, this resident’s room was bursting with vibrant colors and sketched drafts. As I carefully blended their hair, they explained that a barber cape is just another type of canvas, and a pair of clippers can be handled with the exact same precision as a fine paintbrush.

Wisdom Shared

Smayan: How do you keep finding inspiration and staying so creative after decades of making art?

The Resident: By realizing that everything is art if you pay close enough attention. The way you sweep the floor, the path a runner chooses through a park, or the way you angle those shears right now. When you stop looking at your daily chores as boring routines and start looking at them as crafts to master, your mind stays forever young. Boredom happens when you stop asking questions.

Smayan's Reflection

This conversation changed how I view my daily habits. It made me see that running repetitive sports drills or setting up the layout for this website doesn't have to feel like standard homework. If I treat them as a craft to polish, the work becomes exciting and full of purpose.

June 2026: Quiet Confidence and Anchor Points

Story at a Glance

• Anonymous Persona: The High School Guidance Counselor

• Lived History Background: Supported thousands of teenagers navigating life over a 30-year career.

• The Core Life Lesson: Listening intently is far more powerful than having all the answers.

"You don't need to be the loudest voice in the room to be the one holding the walls up."

Setting the Scene

This resident had an incredibly calming, steady aura. They didn't speak much at first, choosing instead to observe the room and enjoy the steady rhythm of the haircut. When they did speak, every word felt deliberate, carrying the weight of someone who spent a lifetime shielding others from panic.

Wisdom Shared

Smayan: What is the secret to helping people when they are overwhelmed and feeling completely lost?

The Resident: Most people think counseling is about handing out a perfect map or magic advice. It isn't. When a kid is drowning in stress, they don't need a lecture; they just need an anchor point. They need to know someone can sit in the room with them, look at the chaos, and remain completely calm. Quiet presence is an anchor. Never underestimate the power of simply showing up and listening without judgment.

Smayan's Reflection

This hit right at the end of the school year when exam stress was high for everyone around me. It made me realize that my project, Stories from the Chair, isn't just about giving a clean haircut. It's about providing that quiet anchor point for the elders I sit with every week.

May 2026: Patience and the Long Game

Story at a Glance

• Anonymous Persona: The Newark Watchmaker

• Lived History Background: Spent four decades repairing intricate mechanical timepieces.

• The Core Life Lesson: Great things take time to build; rushing always ruins the fine details.

"A watch doesn't rush to get to midnight. It takes every single second exactly as it comes."

Setting the Scene

This resident sat incredibly still in the chair, a habit born from decades of staring through a tiny magnifying lens at miniature gears. While keeping an eye on the precision of my trim, they shared a profound lesson about why our generation is in far too much of a hurry.

Wisdom Shared

Smayan: What is the biggest thing you learned from spending a lifetime fixing tiny, ticking gears?

The Resident: People today want instant results. They want the career, the skill, and the success overnight. But a watch operates on micro-movements. If you rush a gear or force a spring into place because you are impatient, you bend the metal and ruin the entire mechanism. Life works the exact same way. The most beautiful things- relationships, master crafts, deep wisdom- are built slowly, tick by tick.

Smayan's Reflection

This was a huge reality check for me. Whether practicing a specific crossover move on the court or studying for a massive exam, I often want immediate results. This watchmaker reminded me to trust the daily grind and respect the slow process of building a skill over time.

April 2026: Adaptability and New Beginnings

Story at a Glance

• Anonymous Persona: The Immigrant Nursery Operator

• Lived History Background: Arrived in America in the 1980s; transitioned from teaching to agriculture.

• The Core Life Lesson: When life changes your original plans, adapt instead of showing stubborn resistance.

"You can't force a tomato plant to grow in a frost. When the climate changes, you change your tools."

Setting the Scene

This resident has gentle, deeply lined eyes and spoke with a soft accent. They kept adjusting their hands, used to checking soil and handling delicate seedlings. They explained to me how moving across the world taught them that survival is all about learning to bloom in whatever soil you land in.

Wisdom Shared

Smayan: Was it terrifying to leave your old career behind and start completely over in a brand new country?

The Resident: "Of course. I spent years training to be a school teacher, and suddenly I was lifting heavy bags of mulch in a freezing greenhouse. But stubbornness breeds breaking. If a storm hits a tree, the stiff branches snap while the flexible ones bend and survive. I had to learn to look at my life not as a broken plan, but as a brand new field ready for different seeds."

Smayan's Reflection

As a high school student, it is easy to stress out when a grade doesn't go my way or a game plan falls apart completely. This conversation showed me that being adaptable isn't a sign of weakness- it’s the ultimate form of strength and mental grit.

March 2026: Teamwork and the Ego-Free Workplace

Story at a Glance

• Anonymous Persona: The Factory Floor Manager

• Lived History Background: Managed a northern New Jersey manufacturing assembly line for 35 years.

• The Core Life Lesson: True leadership means making sure everyone around you succeeds, not just yourself.

"An engine doesn't care who turns the key. It just needs every single gear to do its job without fighting the next one."

Setting the Scene

The shop radio was playing low, and this resident sat down with the steady posture of someone used to running a massive room. As soon as the clippers started humming, he began talking about how a factory floor functions like a clock. If one piece tries to shine brighter than the rest, the whole system grinds to a halt.

Wisdom Shared

Smayan: When you were managing hundreds of people on an assembly line, how did you get everyone to work together without constantly clashing?

The Resident: Ego is the biggest wrench you can throw into a machine, son. Everyone wants to be the MVP who takes the credit. But on a factory floor, if the person boxing the product thinks they are too good for the person sorting the parts, the shipment falls behind. I learned early on that a real leader spends less time shouting orders and more time clearing obstacles so their team can do their jobs smoothly.

Smayan's Reflection

Hearing this really hit home for me as a basketball player. It is easy to focus on your own stat sheet or scoring points. He reminded me that the best teammate is the one who sets the perfect screen or makes the extra pass, lifting the whole squad up rather than chasing personal spotlight.

February 2026: Perspective and Looking Under the Hood

 Story at a Glance

• Anonymous Persona: The Master Mechanic

• Lived History Background: Spent 42 years working as an auto mechanic before moving to New Jersey.

• The Core Life Lesson: Address small warning signs early before they grow into massive, unfixable problems.

"Ignoring a weird rattling noise in your car won't make it go away. It just ensures that when the engine finally breaks, it will cost you twice as much to fix it."

Setting the Scene

This resident had strong hands and spoke with a direct, practical tone that comes from a lifetime of diagnosing problems. As the trim began, he shared a powerful analogy explaining why human beings tend to treat their personal lives exactly like a neglected car engine.

Wisdom Shared

Smayan: What is the biggest mistake you saw people make with their cars over your 42-year career?

The Master Mechanic: People are terrified of what they might find under the hood, so they ignore the check engine light. They hope the problem will magically fix itself. But life doesn't work that way. Whether it is an oil leak, a strained relationship, or a bad habit, you have to face the root cause early. Open the hood, look at the damage, and deal with it right away.

Smayan's Reflection

Talking with this resident really made me look closely at my own life as a student and an athlete. It is incredibly easy to ignore a small injury, skip a tough study session, or put off an uncomfortable conversation. This conversation taught me that true discipline means popping the hood and facing your issues before they turn into major breakdowns.

January 2026: Intention and Cutting Away the Excess

Story at a Glance

• Anonymous Persona: The Lifelong Tailor

• Lived History Background: Spent 38 years running a custom clothing alterations shop.

• The Core Life Lesson: Measure your options carefully before making a choice; you can always take more off, but you cannot add fabric back.

"Measure twice, cut once. In tailoring, a rushed snip ruins the suit. In life, rushed choices leave you with regrets you can’t easily patch up."

Setting the Scene

Our first conversation of the year took place with a resident who had sharp eyes for detail and a precise, steady manner. While carefully blending his hair, he watched the clippers in the mirror and laughed, pointing out that barbering and tailoring are the only two crafts where mistakes cannot be put back on the canvas.

Wisdom Shared

Smayan: What is the most valuable lesson you learned from decades of measuring and cutting fabrics for people?

The Lifelong Tailor: You must have patience with the preparation. Young people are always in a rush to make their cut- to choose a path, buy a thing, or speak their mind. But once the fabric is sliced, the damage is done. You have to learn to sit still, double-check your boundaries, and think through the consequences. Protect your canvas by being intentional with your actions.

Smayan's Reflection

This was the perfect way to kick off the new year. As a high school student balancing sports and classes, I often find myself rushing through assignments or making quick split-second decisions on the basketball court without thinking. This conversation taught me to slow down my pacing, map out my goals with care, and approach my daily schedule with deliberate intention.

Get in touch

Thank you for your interest in Stories from the chair. Whether you manage a local senior community, have a family member who would love a fresh haircut, or just want to learn more about our project, I would love to connect with you.

You can reach me directly at:

👉 smayan.sanjeev8@gmail.com