Man Overcomes Addiction, Homelessness, Opens 'Little Barbershop of Horrors'

April 25, 2022

A man in Victoria, BC, has opened his own barbershop called Little Barbershop of Horrors, named after the musical he loved as a kid.

Daryl Bidner

Daryl Bidner dropped out of high school, struggled with addiction, and eventually experienced homelessness.

He tried to get healthy for years but nothing seemed to work. Then, one night, on a whim, he decided to get a tattoo.

"I came home and didn't use that night," Daryl told CTV News. "I felt great. I was stoked to look in the mirror and look at my new tattoo."

Daryl started getting new ink every couple days. By the time he got his 40th tattoo, he stopped using drugs completely.

"Some people need (Narcotics Anonymous), some people need (Alcoholics Anonymous)," Daryl says. "Tattoos seemed to work for me."

Then he was able to motivate himself to go back to school.

"I'd never had much education," Darryl said, describing how intimidating it was enrolling in barbering school after failing to finish high school.

"I knew if I didn't put in the work, I'm not going to be in the place I want to be."

His hard work paid off. He now owns his own barbershop and has been drug free for five years. When it came to naming the business, he said he wanted to be different.

So he named it Little Barbershop of Horrors, and on the big screen TV on the wall he plays the 1986 movie Little Shop of Horrors.

For Daryl, becoming a barber has been a life-changing experience.

"Becoming a barber changed my life completely. It's the best thing I've ever done," he said.

"I'm trying to keep growing. Trying to be the best person I can be."

Watch the video below.