Doing business with his mother: That’s the challenge of Gabriel Lebrun, co-owner of District KG in Quebec, who is opening a brand new barber shop.
Karine Delarosbil never thought she would one day work in the hairdressing industry with her son.
“If someone had told me that, I would probably have laughed,” says the woman, who gave up her hairdressing job when she became a widow at 29 and had two children to support. .
“It’s not that I didn’t like it. I have worked several jobs in my life. I was even a political attaché in the National Assembly,” she adds.
She worked notably for Gérard Deltell when he entered politics for the Democratic Action of Quebec (ADQ) and in communications for the municipality of Lac-Beauport.
“These are ejection seats. At some point I got tired of everyone running my life. I wanted freedom and decided to return to the world of hairdressing,” she explains.
Karine Delarosbil and her son Gabriel Lebrun are both owners of the District KG salon. The new premises were recently inaugurated. Photo Diane Tremblay
In the meantime, his son Gabriel became interested in hairdressing. At the age of just 15, he started as an apprentice at KRWN, where he gained his first experiences.
“School wasn’t for me. I find it very difficult to sit still and listen. I need things that move,” says Gabriel.
Combine your experiences
In 2019 the opportunity arose to purchase an existing salon on Chemin Royal in Beauport. The duo decided to combine their experiences and so the adventure began.
“It’s fun working with your mother. In general we get along very well. When we work with family, especially when we are partners, we have to choose between the two,” confides Gabriel.
“We’ve found the right balance and it’s going really well,” he adds.
“It’s rare that we talk business at family dinners,” Karine adds.
While the salon maintains the feel of a barbershop, it also welcomes female audiences. In addition to cutting and coloring, the salon also offers a “hair care bar,” which is offered based on an a la carte menu for more specific needs.
Gabriel believes that the fact that he went his own way was a good thing in his early days.
“I have had my own experiences. I would have learned a lot from my mother, but I wouldn’t have been able to develop anything else. »
The salon has been welcoming customers on Boulevard Lebourgneuf since last May. The inauguration of the new premises will take place on Wednesday evening.
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