Montreal man goes from being racially profiled to having HGTV show [Video]

Mactar Mbaye has made a career of flipping houses.

His passion for the job and his large social media presence were part of what got the attention of HGTV producers who were casting for the show Hoarder House Flippers.

But his route to his dream job was a circuitous one, saying an ugly incident of racial profiling helped him find his voice and motivated him to be a positive role model.

In February 2016, Mbaye says he was in a Tim Horton’s in Laval, north of Montreal, interviewing a woman for a job opening at his company, when they were interrupted by police.

“Someone had called the police and said I was a pimp trying to recruit a woman into prostitution,” he said.

The police ran his name and Mbaye was cleared, but he said it was a humiliating experience.

“I was really shocked because I didn’t understand. How can I be perceived as a as a pimp? Because I was well …