Shaun “Lucky” Corbett, a 40-year old ex-felon turned barber and entrepreneur from Charlotte, North Carolina, has opened his very own barbershop called Da Lucky Spot Barbershop. Located inside of a Walmart store, Shaun has made history as the first Black entrepreneur to ever do this.
From selling drugs to turning his life around
At the young age of just 12-years old, Shaun wasn’t really sure what to do with his life so he decided to make a living by selling drugs. Since then, he has had a long record of criminal charges. When he finally realized that he didn’t want to throw his life away, finding an honest job became a challenge as a former felon until he got a job at a local grocery store.
Wanting really to turn his life around, Shaun enrolled in a barber school in 2005. He subsequently worked at a pizzeria to cover his $10,000 tuition. He almost quit when his old friends made fun of him and were calling him “pizza boy”, but he kept going.
The following year, Shaun became a full-time barber with his own chair. In 2010, he saved up enough money and managed to buy the shop where he worked and converted it into his first Lucky Spot shop on North Tyrone Street.
More than just an entrepreneur
Da Lucky Spot was more than just another barbershop. It became a space for community programs. In that shop, Corbett handed out turkeys to needy families every Thanksgiving, gave coats to homeless people every winter, and hosted after-school tutoring sessions for the kids.
The shop also became the founding location of his highly-acclaimed Cops & Barbers program, which aims to build trust between police and the communities they serve. He also started a scholarship program that sends young men to barber school.
Shaun’s efforts to serve the community eventually caught the attention of Michelle Belaire, the Senior Director of Community Relations at Walmart. Shaun expressed his sincere interest in opening his own shop inside Walmart, and negotiations eventually led to a signed agreement with the retail giant.
Giving back always pays off
In September, people from the local community gathered to celebrate the grand opening of Da Lucky Spot Barbershop, and Walmart presented him with a $25,000 check that would go to his non-profit program to help more young men go to barber school.
Shaun said during his speech for the grand opening, “Every time that you see that name and that logo inside of Walmart, you’re going to know what it stands for.”
This article was originally published by BlackBusiness.com.
