Yoann — known to everyone as Yayocuts — is one of those. Not because he was lost, but because he kept moving. At 31, he already carries more than thirteen years shaped by perseverance and decisions made without a safety net. A path no one drew for him. He created it — blade in hand.

Born in Côte d’Ivoire, with roots in Guinea, his childhood was upended by civil war, which forced the family to leave. Exile became reality — a few years in Montpellier, France, then a new departure: Québec. A future to rebuild from nothing, on two pillars: studies and sport. Through CÉGEP, then university — a bachelor’s in psychology, education and guidance. A serious, deeply human path that, on paper, had nothing to do with cutting hair. Alongside it, he played basketball — not a hobby, a discipline.

A simple gesture that changed everything

In Alma, then Québec City, inside the world of basketball, Yoann started cutting hair. Not to build a career — to meet a real need: teammates who couldn’t always drive back to Montréal for a cut. So he helped. No shop, no training, no gear. But from the start, one thing set him apart: seriousness. He tests on himself before touching anyone else, behind one rule:

Very quickly, he understood that cutting hair touches something deeper — identity, image, confidence.

When passion outgrows the plan

With practice, what began as a favor became an appointment, then a habit, then a passion. His studies spoke of people — of listening, of understanding — and without realizing it, he was already applying those principles in the chair, turning an ordinary day into a moment someone leaves feeling better. He worked in salons — notably at Medex in Québec City — sharpening technique, gaining precision. There, he was no longer filling a gap. He was building.

Owning his road

Back in Montréal, the question became unavoidable: keep to the safe road, or fully own what was burning in him. Yoann chose to own it — no comfort, no shortcuts. He started in his mother’s salon. Then turned a room in an apartment into a studio. He moved in stages, with patience and strategy. Until the day he opened his own shop.

To inspire, above all

Over time, the work drew attention. He cuts international artists and athletes. He’s building a team. He still plays basketball — because it’s part of him. What Yoann really wants isn’t just to succeed. It’s to inspire — to show that paths aren’t always linear. That you can change, discover, take a turn, and that isn’t failure. It’s listening.