A story of passion
Passing the torch to the hairdressers of tomorrow
Written by Place de la Cité | January 7, 2022
In this series, our contributor Julie Blondin goes out to meet the entrepreneurs who make up the soul of Place de la Cité. Between laughter and confidences, they open up to share their story and that of their business with us. We invite you to dive into their world too, one conversation at a time.
When chance works in your favor
For some entrepreneurs, their career path seems to be mapped out in advance. For many others, like Martin, it is chance that has led them to where they are today.
How did you become an entrepreneur?
“I never dreamed of being a hairdresser when I was young,” Martin admits right away. As a child, he had a friend whose aunt was a hairdresser and who owned a lovely house. The image made such an impression on Martin that, later, when he gave up studying architecture, he turned to hairdressing. Even though he knew nothing about it at the start, he quickly realized that he was in his element. “I went out and collected pretty much every trophy there was to collect at hairdressing school,” explains the calm and collected entrepreneur. Martin explains to us that in hairdressing, the start of entrepreneurship begins as soon as you leave school: each hairdressing chair is a small business in itself. More specifically, it was the purchase of the Place de la Cité franchise in 2008 that marked the start of Martin and his partner as entrepreneurs.
What makes you stand out?
According to Martin, what sets his company apart is the fact that it “takes hairdressers to the next level and offers the training they request free of charge”. At Salon Darbourg, hairdressers are supported in their professional development and even encouraged. “We help them, we walk with them: as we did with me 30 years ago when I left school.” It’s Martin’s way of giving back to others and passing on his passion for the profession.
Caring for others: a mission in life
Martin’s employees and customers are practically part of his family. He tells us how valuable his work colleagues are to him.
What are your most popular products?
“One company we favor is Redken,” says Martin. The entrepreneur particularly appreciates this brand for the quality of its hair dyes and styling products, but also, and above all, for the quality of the training it offers. Other brands of styling products are also good in Martin’s opinion, but he appreciates the innovative and ‘human’ side of Redken.
What is it that still keeps you so passionate?
“It’s still, as it has been from the start, the desire to succeed,” Martin tells us. But it’s not just success that motivates him. There’s also the passion for training and having a great team that grows and develops alongside him. The clientele is also part of the passion for Martin and his partner. He explains: “These are people we see at least 10 times a year: we see them more often than members of our family.” Seeing them regularly and chatting with them about this and that, Martin admits that he becomes attached to each of his customers. And secrets are easily shared with him: “We know just about all of [the customers’] secrets,” he exclaims with a laugh.
Sharing your passion
Martin recognizes that being an entrepreneur is not always easy: the challenges are numerous. Despite everything, he would not change anything about his career path.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced?
The biggest challenge today, according to Martin, is “getting people to choose the profession”. Finding hairdressers who want to get into the business is not easy. “We offer hairdressing techniques, that’s easy. But finding people and saying ‘come and train with me to be a hairdresser, you’ll have a great life’, that’s a challenge,” says Martin, with a hint of sadness. When he started out as an entrepreneur, all he had to do was post a job and there would be several candidates applying. Today, this is no longer the case, and you have to be creative to attract hairdressers. “You have to find a way to make the profession interesting and a profession with a future,” adds Martin. As for him, his passion for the profession is clear: “I have never lacked anything in 30 years, I have always been happy with my profession, and I am able to share it.”
What advice would you give to a future entrepreneur?
“If he has any doubts, he should give it a go, go for it!” exclaims Martin. And it’s fair to say that he himself followed this advice. He adds: “There’s nothing to lose, everything to gain.” Martin compares entrepreneurship to a rucksack: if you don’t try it, you’ll never know if you’re up to the challenge or not. So, future entrepreneurs, follow Martin’s advice and dare to try!
