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The Sound of a Successful Side Gig

The Sound of a Successful Side Gig

The Toyota Camry inspires a drive like no other. Sporty stance, exceptional handling, and available 301 HP injects excitement and power into each drive, so you get the most out of every road. In partnership with Toyota Canada, we connected with inspiring Canadians who have unexpectedly captivating hobbies, illuminating the incredible synergies between career and hobby, and how they can inform and elevate one another.

Meet Bojan Vejin, barber & music producer.

The son of a jazz musician and dancer, Bojan Vejin grew up immersed in the arts. Even though he fled Bosnia at the age of eight and sought refuge in Canada, he never left that creative world behind. Little did he know he would continue down a successful path of artistic expression, one that would lead him jet setting across oceans once again.

Vejin taught himself how to cut hair when he was a teenager, becoming so good that his Toronto high school gave him space to set up shop. He enjoyed the social aspects that came with cutting hair: talking, connecting with people and growing his network. At the same time, he was delving deeply into other creative fields including music.

Barbering gave him the flexibility to take on music opportunities when they came up. Vejin was soon travelling to Montreal, New York City and New Orleans for DJ gigs, and began producing music for high-profile artists. "I wanted to know a decent amount of skills in order to be able to run a record label one day," he explains. In 2011, he founded his own label, Mad Kids Records.

Vejin admits he sometimes doesn't sleep much, but he has no intention of giving up music or barbering. "I still have a big love and respect for both. It's really been a part of my chemistry," he says. "They truly do blend, to this day."

After opening a show for an up-and-coming star, he invited the rapper to drop by his Toronto barbershop, which led to a spate of publicity and new connections. "I started bringing in names that were just about to blow up on the international scene," he says. Soon, the shop's fortunes soared.

"The next thing you know, my world is different."Bojan Vejin

It wasn't long before his extensive network paid off. A Milan barber just happened to call the Toronto shop Vejin had just left, looking for a job in Canada. Vejin and his Italian counterpart basically switched jobs, and Vejin soon found himself trimming highly affluent clients.

Once he felt he'd accomplished all he could in Milan, it was off to London. There, the money he earned cutting hair and producing music didn't go very far.

“It was a serious hustle, to be in London like that. Man, it’s an expensive city,” he says. But a chance meeting at an event led to an introduction to a frontman of a popular English rock band, who invited Vejin to contribute to his side project.

Vejin returned to Canada three years ago and now calls Montreal home. As well as producing music and working at Crisp Barber Shop, he’s half of the Afro house music duo 99 Wolves. If there’s one thing Vejin does well, it’s juggling several successful projects at a time.

Find a hobby that unexpectedly captivates you, just like the 2019 Toyota Camry.

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