Joseph Aubert – Contributor

At 19, Mathieu Daoudi is running his own barbershop on Queen Street. A few years ago, he was just another high school student giving free cuts to his friends after watching YouTube videos in his room in Thetford Mines.

Daoudi owns Le Shortcut Barbershop, a small but busy shop right in the heart of Lennoxville. Black walls, a few neon lights, bumping music and a PlayStation in the waiting area give the shop a modern, street-culture energy that feels more like a hangout than an errand.

Photo courtesy of Le Shortcut Barbershop

Learning by doing

Daoudi started cutting hair when he was just 15. He had no formal training, but a lot of curiosity and a few friends willing to let him practice. “It was just for fun at first,” he said. “I watched a few tutorials and tried it out. Then my friends kept asking me for cuts.”

When he moved to Lennoxville to attend Champlain College, Mathieu brought his clippers with him. Between classes, he cut hair in dorm rooms and basements, charging classmates just enough to cover supplies. It didn’t feel like work. Soon, he joined Le Shortcut, where he continued building his clientele.

“I felt like what I was learning at the shop was giving me a real sense of purpose, something I had never felt at school,” he said.

A difficult choice

That feeling pushed him to take a risk. Daoudi decided to leave college and cut hair full-time in order to master his craft. It wasn’t a decision everyone supported. “My family, some of my friends didn’t understand,” he said. “But I decided to look ahead and not look back.”

Working at Le Shortcut, then under different ownership, Daoudi learned the trade from watching and doing, one haircut at a time. The job offered something school didn’t — a sense of progress he could see every day. “It’s very hands-on, you get better with every cut,” he said.

From apprentice to owner

A year later, in the spring of 2025, the chance came to take over the business. Daoudi was 18. The offer was exciting, but it came with responsibility, staff, bills, renovations, long hours and doubters.

“It was a lot at first,” he said. “I was learning how to manage people, how to balance everything.” Since then, he has renovated the shop and expanded their service offerings, including full hair and beard care, hot towel and VIP treatments, kids cuts and more. He also brought in an esthetician for ladies’ care, offering lash, nails and brow services, to name a few. The shop now employs four barbers and has capacity for more.

A different kind of education

For Daoudi, the barbershop has become a classroom of its own. He’s learned about customer service, finance, hiring and marketing, all through trial and error. “It’s not something you learn overnight,” he said. “Every mistake teaches you something.”

He says entrepreneurship has forced him to grow up fast, but he doesn’t regret the path he chose. “I think the biggest thing I’ve learned is to go for it,” he said. “If you want it to work, you have to go all out.”

Daoudi isn’t slowing down. He hopes to expand Le Shortcut, though the focus remains on keeping operations running smoothly. For now, the 19-year-old barber is content to keep refining his craft and build on the reputation he’s worked hard to earn.