Pivot With Purpose Season 4 Episode 10 Full Transcript

[00:00:00] Announcer: Pivot With Purpose, a podcast that highlights the unique stories of professionals that pivoted their careers to align with their work lives and personal lives more purposefully and with more joy.

[00:00:23] Announcer: Pivot what purpose is hosted by Meghan Houle, a globally accredited career and business coach and creator of the Meghan Houle Method. 

[00:00:32] Meghan Houle: Welcome back to the Pivot with Purpose podcast. I'm your host, Meghan Houle, and in this episode we talk to Brian O'Connor, co-founder and chief Innovation officer of the vegan and cruelty free vivid Hair dye company.

[00:00:48] Meghan Houle: Good Dye Young. 

[00:00:49] Announcer: Thank you for listening to Pivot With Purpose with host Meghan, who you can find out more information about each guest, including full transcripts at Pivot with purpose podcast.com. And if you'd like to share your own pivot with purpose. Click on the share button and add your story to the conversation.

[00:01:09] Announcer: Finally, be sure to subscribe and share your comments wherever you listen to your favorite podcast. Your support amplifies our voice. And now this week's episode,

[00:01:24] Meghan Houle: Brian is a staple in the styling scene in the South Entertainment capital N. With 20 years of cosmetology experience, his expertise in color and style has helped shaped good DA Young's products, and he is focused on quality ingredients and product performance, and sets a high standard for all of the brand offerings.

[00:01:46] Meghan Houle: Best known for his longtime personal and professional relationship with his business partner and client, Haley Williams, A pair. Brian has paved a colorful road for himself in the hair care industry, backed with 20 years of cosmetology experience and a high profile client roster, including Fallout Boy, jewel and Cheryl Crowe.

[00:02:09] Meghan Houle: In 2016, Brian co-founded Good Dye Young, a vegan and cruelty-free vivid hair company, and since then, has grown into an industry leading multi-million dollar company and top selling target brand that is breaking the boundaries of what inclusion community and vivid hair color means. Brian O'Connor, thank you for joining us on the Pivot With Purpose podcast today.

[00:02:32] Meghan Houle: I wish I lived closer, so I get stopped by the salon after this and get some highlights, vivid highlights. 

[00:02:36] Brian O’Connor: So do a little building on those poorest ends. Yes. 

[00:02:41] Meghan Houle: Well, I'll, I'll get to National soon. I'm adding it to my list of travels podcast. Please do. How are you doing 

[00:02:45] Brian O’Connor: today? I am doing wonderful. Oh, how are you?

[00:02:48] Brian O’Connor: Good to 

[00:02:49] Meghan Houle: hear. Same. You know, I'm so honored to have you on the podcast and for. The time out to tell your career pivot story, which I know has a lot of really cool angles and a few businesses in there. So, I know we have a lot of talk about, let's just dive right in. You ready to get this party? 

[00:03:04] Brian O’Connor: Let's go.

[00:03:04] Brian O’Connor: I'm ready. And the party started. Let's 

[00:03:05] Meghan Houle: do it. So you know, I intro you in, but I always love candidates to control of their story and narrative as well. Before we kick off, pivot. So to start off, tell us what are you up to these days? I know I let the cat out of the bag that you're based in Nashville, but Yeah.

[00:03:20] Meghan Houle: What are you doing on the daily work routine? What are you loving right now? Like give us a. Brian 

[00:03:25] Brian O’Connor: Life. Oh my gosh. Day-to-day life for Brian right now is every morning I wake up I own. My fiance is a horse trainer, and so we live on a 17 acre farm an hour south of Nashville, so I usually get up, help him feed, and kind of just make that part of his day a little bit easier.

[00:03:45] Brian O’Connor: For him because it's just himself. And we have currently 13 horses on our property. Gosh, that's so amazing. I'm coming right now. Come on. It is so peaceful. It's like a little piece of just like a breath of fresh air. It's worked, don't get me wrong. It is hard work. And so then I've been driving in Hayley and I opened Fruit Salon in Wedgewood Houston, area of Nashville.

[00:04:09] Brian O’Connor: It's just a little part of like downtown Nashville area, a suburb. And so we opened fruits in October towards the end of October. Ironically, Haley and I also happened to be on tour at that point, is for those who don't know my business partner, but also best friend, and she's the lead singer at the band, Paramore.

[00:04:29] Brian O’Connor: And so we opened a salon and we've been working on it for like two years. Like the pandemic really threw a wrench in everything. And we've had the salon open now. I was on tour with her as it opened, so I didn't even get to enjoy the first like month of it being open. I was on the road, but thankfully I have an incredible staff who kept it, I mean blazing and going, and they were a lifesaver.

[00:04:52] Brian O’Connor: And so now my days have been spent behind the chair, Tuesday through Thursday, taking clients, running a salon, a horse farm. And then Hailey and I have Good Day Young, which is. Our hair dye line, which is why we ended up opening a salon. And so we have that going. We've been going into a lot of great retailers.

[00:05:14] Brian O’Connor: We have some new retailers coming up for this year, which is really amazing and exciting. And then in between all of that, Paramore and Haley are dropping an album the top of February, and so I will then go back out on the road because I do all of Haley's looks, hair, makeup, cut, color, style, all of it. But I do her hair and makeup for every show, so, That is my life in a nutshell right now, that just a few little things.

[00:05:43] Brian O’Connor: That's the, that's the very like small, condensed version of that story. 

[00:05:48] Meghan Houle: We have like an a plus plus for that. And, hi Hailey, if you're listening, I love you. That is just so, so freaking cool. So tell us like early on Brian, like were you always in love with hair and color growing up? Did you know early on what, what you are doing today?

[00:06:03] Meghan Houle: What's your calling like? Where did this. 

[00:06:06] Brian O’Connor: Yeah, obsessed. And by the age of 12 you could ask anyone in my immediate family, including like aunt, I grew up in a very woman forward home, said I was really raised by my grandparents and then my mother was the oldest of three siblings, but. My grandfather and my grandmother divorced and he remarried, and that grandmother, my mom's stepmom had three aunts.

[00:06:32] Brian O’Connor: So it was kinda like the Brady Bunch. Okay. And so growing up, a lot of them were still teenagers when I was a kid. Yeah. And I was, I was enamored by, Them getting ready, the whole thing, the hair, the makeup, the outfit, all of it. Yeah. And so, so by the time I was 12, you could ask anyone in my family, and they knew that like, oh, he, he wants to do hair when he grows up.

[00:06:55] Brian O’Connor: My best friend, I grew up in Michigan. I was born in a small town called Tawas. City, Michigan. Awesome. In the middle of nowhere. Um, but my best friend growing up, her mother was a hair stylist and she was also a close family friend, and so she did everyone in like my household, their hair. And that really is what really, really pushed me because when I would spend time with my friend Melissa, we would sometimes be at her mother's salon that she owned her place of business and I became her second shadow.

[00:07:28] Brian O’Connor: So Cool. Yeah. Like with every client. And so by the time I was, yeah, 12 it was for sure. And I remember as a teenager, All I looked forward to was graduating high school because it was terrible. Kids are, yeah, like high school is just awkward and rude and mean to everyone, I feel like. Mm-hmm. In some form or another.

[00:07:49] Brian O’Connor: Yeah. And so I graduated and I ran straight to the nearest cosmetology school and I was graduating and had my license and was apprenticing by. 

[00:08:01] Meghan Houle: Wow, that's so amazing and so freaking cool. And it's just like growing up in the environments where that's around you and to have that inspiration and calling and like this beautiful family and network of support early on is so incredible.

[00:08:12] Meghan Houle: Yeah, at the age of 12, I was fired from doing my Barbie's hair because every single Barbie hair had been melted off with the crimper that I used to use, and they were completely bald Bryan. So I absolutely knew hair was not in my 

[00:08:26] Announcer: future. 

[00:08:29] Brian O’Connor: That's amazing because Hannah got, at one point, my mom said, because I too had Barbies.

[00:08:34] Brian O’Connor: I had Barbies and Ninja Turtles. So we had the full gammy going on here. Yeah, you 

[00:08:38] Meghan Houle: gotta like diversity, you 

[00:08:40] Brian O’Connor: know, but, but the Barbies, it came to a point where my mother was like, okay, if you cut any more hair, that is the last Barbie you will ever see in your life. I'm super and I would be like, I'd be like, but she's going out and she needed a bob.

[00:08:53] Brian O’Connor: What are you talking about? It's like this is every sophisticated woman ideal. Like what are you talking about? I love you so 

[00:09:00] Meghan Houle: much. And I also love it too, like I also had an Ang growing up, so going through the eighties, like the Madonna years and like all the eighties, like all the things, like it's super cool and getting ready, seeing her get ready for prom.

[00:09:13] Meghan Houle: It's just awesome to have like cool family around. Yeah. You learn from and you're inspired by and, and here you are. 

[00:09:18] Brian O’Connor: Love it. I mean, I remember even growing up and like with that, like aunts wouldn't so much let me, but I would get friends or Yeah, close friends or anyone who really would let me, I would do kitchen hair.

[00:09:30] Brian O’Connor: I mean from the, from the time of 12 until literally after I was licensed, then it wasn't really considered kitchen hair because I was licensed at that point. But anyone who would, yeah, anyone who would let me touch their hair, I would do prom up dues for a lot of my girlfriends, like in high school and anything that could get, and that was what was so funny, is I would rather do that than actually go to prom or a homecoming or a.

[00:09:56] Brian O’Connor: I had more fun getting my like girlfriends ready, my friends ready for it than like me actually going. Me and being social in a room full of like crowded people gives me such sweat anxiety. I've gotten better as I've gotten older, but when I was younger, I so painfully awkward and shy about it because I just didn't understand that it was actually anxiety.

[00:10:19] Brian O’Connor: I just thought there was something wrong with. 

[00:10:21] Meghan Houle: Yeah, same. I mean I, well, first of all, we, I would've been your best friend in high school. Okay. And now we're best friends now, so, sorry. Immediately. Yes. But it's me and Brian now. Well, how lucky for all those who know you to have you in their lives, and now you get to do all this fun stuff with people in person and Nashville after getting that apprenticeship, getting in at 19, like what were some of those other early career pivot highlights?

[00:10:44] Meghan Houle: Where else were you working early on? Any other fun? Backstories. 

[00:10:48] Brian O’Connor: Oh yeah. So, yeah, so I was in hair school. I decided like, um, I just took it upon myself that like, you know, I'm 18. Like I don't know why. I think maybe because I was always drawn to people who were older than me, and most would say that I'm more.

[00:11:08] Brian O’Connor: Like old soul, like anyone that I've drawn to has been always older, more mature, put together than I have. And so at 18 I was like, well, I have to move out because that's a part of adulting. Yeah. Like I'm 18, I need to move out of the house and I need to start my career and like. Do all these things. So I did exactly that.

[00:11:26] Brian O’Connor: And I remember at the time to support myself. I was going to hair school Monday through Friday from eight in the morning till four in the afternoon, and I would leave there and I had two part-time jobs. My first one was working for Starbucks as a barista. And I hate coffee. Don't ask me why I did that.

[00:11:46] Brian O’Connor: Not for me, not for me, but honestly the work atmosphere. And it was very easy to move up within the company and honestly, it was a great company to work for in that manner. And then, yeah, I then took on being front desk at a salon part-time as well. So I was doing all three of those during the week. I literally took no days off to myself from the age of, yeah, 18.

[00:12:09] Brian O’Connor: Well into my twenties probably. Yeah. But a lot of those pivotal points were in there was, I think that truly doing that. As weird as it sounds, although it wasn't targeted towards my career, I was working towards something for my career. Yeah, but it just taught me more how to be aware of my time, my scheduling, which is a big part of what I do now.

[00:12:29] Brian O’Connor: And then while I was doing that, I also at one point took a job of all places. This is gonna make me sound so old, but it really wasn't. It was in the early two thousands. So we're talking like 2000. Four fives and six. I worked at Glamor Shop in Opry Mills Mall. Yeah, in, in Nashville. 

[00:12:52] Meghan Houle: I mean, amazing. There's glam shots still around.

[00:12:55] Meghan Houle: It's just called something different now. It's a Insta 

[00:12:58] Brian O’Connor: story, and when I tell people that, I'm like, oh my God, how embarrassing. That's amazing. But honestly, it really honed in, you know, because when you go to cosmetology school, I just thought, and thank God I had people who had done here and done it, and. I was really inquisitive about asking like, okay, like what's a really good cosmetology school to go to to graduate to get your license?

[00:13:21] Brian O’Connor: Like I was a sponge, and so I was like, I want to soak up as much as I can. Yeah, yeah. And everyone was like, it doesn't matter because they're only gonna teach you what you need to know to pass your state board test. They're not gonna go above and beyond that. Mm-hmm. They're only charging you. Tuition to be there to do the bare minimum of what they need to to get you your license, to pass your test.

[00:13:47] Brian O’Connor: Yeah. So I was like, all right, I have to go out and I have to learn more. It is on me. So glamor shots helped that. The lighting, the doing makeup and hair, seeing how it worked with the lighting with the photographer. And then after that, I ended. Taking a front desk position at Rodney Mitchell Swan in Franklin, in the factory.

[00:14:10] Brian O’Connor: And that really I think was what helped me the most with my career, was assisting alongside some really talented and amazing hair stylists. Yeah. And I still believe to this day, like as long as I've been doing hair, I don't know everything about hair. And if I do, I need to find a new career path. I'm big on always.

[00:14:34] Brian O’Connor: Wanting to learn, wanting to educate myself and sometimes that are my peers, peers older than me who have been in their field longer than I have, but also makeup artists, hairstylists, cosmetologists, whatever you want to say. I find I learn more and I am more rejuvenated and revived. Younger people doing hair and the way that they approach it, because now there's so much access to your phone, Instagram, TikTok, whatever, you know, whatever outlet visually it may be.

[00:15:12] Brian O’Connor: And it's just, it's incredibly motivational to me to see somebody who has never. Spent any time, like maybe in a school setting for makeup or for hair, but they've really honed it in, in their craft and their art themselves. Yeah. And so seeing that in a salon environment, because every creative person, although you know, You're given these sort of key set of rules that they give you in school or any sort of training that you do.

[00:15:44] Brian O’Connor: Every creative person that I know takes those and then they mold that into their own. And so it's always, I found it so inspiring at the beginning of my career, and I still do, of just how much you can really, truly learn and catch on by just sitting, still shutting your mouth mm-hmm. And watching other people.

[00:16:05] Meghan Houle: Oh gosh, what great lessons, and I just love your, your thoughts on keep learning and learning through others. I feel like there are so many resources out there now. I laugh at my mom. She was like, I watched a YouTube channel how to cut my hair short. I'm like, mom, no. Let the scissors down. Yep. It's a little dangerous into some points, but for creative there, there's just so, so many outlets and you know, beyond what you do now, do you do.

[00:16:31] Meghan Houle: Training or education through your own platforms, Brian, or like any offerings you, so 

[00:16:36] Brian O’Connor: we do a lot through Good Dye Young. We have a, we try to keep everything, especially for hair color and kind of the, that DIY at home setting of doing hair color. Mm-hmm. I think what makes us really good is, I remember growing up and being so enamored by any product I could find anywhere could have been Rite Aid, Walgreens, to what professionals used in a.

[00:17:02] Brian O’Connor: And so I was always a Guinea pig. My hair was, you like, let me try it out first. Yeah. Oh yeah. My hair was every color, every, I mean, I never really had long hair growing up, but like, To me it was nothing to fry it off and buzz it off and start over like, right. So clean slate. Yep. It could. So now we have, we have our YouTube channel and we try to do as much, um, education that we can through TikTok, through even Instagram.

[00:17:33] Brian O’Connor: But we do a lot of videos that we keep on our YouTube channel that people can refer back to, to just really sort of take out the stigma behind, you know, vivid hair color in general. Vivids being jibe, rainbow, bright, vivid creative colors. Yeah. Pink yellows, blues. Because a lot of the times for most people, that means lightening your hair or bleaching your hair at home, right?

[00:17:55] Brian O’Connor: And so, yeah. You know it, we do a lot of education, I feel like, and I talk, I've talked about it a lot through Good Day, young about it. I also have done education before for other companies. When I first sorted out, before Haley and I had our own business, it's not, not that I hate it again, my anxiety, I've gotten better and better about like getting up and speaking in front of people.

[00:18:20] Brian O’Connor: And to me that was doing that sort of education was part of like trying to help. Shake off those nerves and to be mindful of speaking to someone and, and, and light and like, and you know, and using those words, those key words. I, you on the podcast too, give you a break, but really are like what I've learned by listening to people and.

[00:18:45] Brian O’Connor: By asking questions is that it almost makes you, when you do a lot of that, sometimes, like you are not sure that you know what you're talking about. So doing those things are really, like, to me, were really important. And so now we continue education here in the salon. Though fruits it's, it's something that I'm, I'm really big on whether that's for GDA Young, it doesn't have to be.

[00:19:05] Brian O’Connor: We use Goldwell hair color in the salon and we carry Kevin Murphy hair styling products and they are all really. Truly good professional quality, professional grade products. Although even Good Day Young is, but you can get it at Sally's, you can get it at Target, you can get it at Walmart, you can still take them home.

[00:19:27] Brian O’Connor: You get that professional quality, but we're also kind of holding your hand through all of it. So to me, education is really important and keeping. My staff, the creativeness, I want to learn from them more than anything. So half the time, I think when I feel like I'm, we're, we're setting up classes here, selfishly, I'm like, this is right.

[00:19:46] Brian O’Connor: You're like, what can I learn today? Yeah, what, what can I learn today about that? And so, So good. That's a lot of the environment here between the staff and the work environment and salon that we've been doing, but also even through our staff for Good Dye Young. I'm constantly learning of different ways from how the staff, some of which who, you know, there's only one other person in Good Dye Young that is actually a licensed cosmetologist besides myself, and so it's always fun to listen to how people.

[00:20:16] Brian O’Connor: Hair or a product as a consumer, as someone who is buying it. And so that always helped me in that sense of education of two, of like having like a, oh, okay, you said you used this, like this, so I need to think more in this head space for something next. Or how, because I sometimes just like anyone else can kind of get in that like, oh, well it was meant to be specifically used like this.

[00:20:41] Brian O’Connor: Yeah. Especially when I'm the one working. The chemist in the lab and like talking through it, but I'm like, I forget in real life settings, if I was picking up that product, but I would have no hand in making it. I would read all the directions and everything that they said don't do, I would do and I would try to do it right.

[00:21:01] Brian O’Connor: You're like, I'm just gonna try this. Yeah. I'm like, first of all, rules are made to be broken, otherwise you wouldn't gimme a. 

[00:21:08] Meghan Houle: Oh my gosh. Well, and what's so incredible about you, I can tell you are so not ego driven. Always be learning like what an incredible pillars that you have just internally as a bus, which, you know, I wanna dig more into, as I was mentioning before, teaser time for our little break question.

[00:21:23] Meghan Houle: So I always love to put everybody on the spot and ask you a yes or no question, and then we'll take a quick break. So, yes. Or. Do you remember the exact moment you wanted to go off and create your own business model and product offering? Yes. 

[00:21:39] Announcer: Okay. 

[00:21:40] Meghan Houle: So yes, and with that we will go to a quick break and we will pick it up when we get back.

[00:22:00] Announcer: All right, 

[00:22:00] Meghan Houle: Brian, so before the break you said Yes. Tell us about that moment and the energy behind making that decision. Was there something that happened and you're like, this is it off of my own. What did that look 

[00:22:10] Brian O’Connor: like for you? You know, I. I first remember it with Hailey, a lot of my pivotal moments, and I'm very thankful because our friendship was much more business forward facing in the beginning, and it grew into this really like, truly deep friendship.

[00:22:27] Brian O’Connor: But Hailey was the first one to like come to me, especially, uh, about Good Dye Young. Mm-hmm. I knew what I wanted for myself as far as like hair. I had dreams. One, let me preface this as like a gay boy from the middle of nowhere, Michigan. Just getting out and being able to be me in any capacity already felt like a, a, a challenge and a job in itself just to get to that point.

[00:22:55] Brian O’Connor: So anything past that and further was like mind blowing, as dumb as that sounds, and as little as that may seem, And so when I kind of met Haley and it was right at this key time, I think for her, the band and their music, it was right before Riot, their second album, which was their big single was Misery Business off of that, and they really kind of took off, got a lot of radio play.

[00:23:22] Brian O’Connor: MTV was playing them a lot, but I had just did this really big change for Haley with her hair. She had come back from, She had referenced Fruits magazine from Japan, which is a street wear magazine. Cool. Hence the name of the salon here. Awesome. And everyone started talking a lot more about her hair coinciding a lot with the music.

[00:23:46] Brian O’Connor: Every article even then was like the flamed haired singer of the, you know, like the bright haired. And so I was like, wow, this is so. Trickled down to a few years later and Haley's like, I really, I want to start a hair dye company, but I can't do this without you. Mm-hmm. Is this something. That you would want to do, and I'm obviously, my knee jerk reaction is, well, yeah, like what are you, like, what are you talking about?

[00:24:15] Brian O’Connor: Yeah, of course. Because that already in my head was already more than, than I could, I couldn't dream it. But for it to be verbalized out loud that this could be something that could happen was like, mm-hmm. Oh, this could really go somewhere. Yeah. Fast forward to seven years later, let me tell you, it is hard work.

[00:24:32] Brian O’Connor: We're still growing a business and I think this is gonna sound. I don't know how it may sound, but to explain to the person, retailer investors that you're talking to, it's all old gray-haired white men. And so, yeah. Huh. Trying to convince them that vivid hair color, like this isn't just a fad or a phase.

[00:24:56] Brian O’Connor: Right. Or Yeah. Trying to make it not just a fad or a phase, you know, it, it's been an obstacle for her and I, but I have not regretted an ounce of the time that I've put into it. And let me tell you, I've put a lot of time into it. Yeah. And from there, then her and I really talked more because I had worked in a.

[00:25:16] Brian O’Connor: Salon settings where I'd worked for friends who were opening up salons. Mm-hmm. So throughout my career I got to see it, but in a very much like closer viewpoint or vantage point than some would. Yeah. And I remember working for two friends who I watched them go through the whole process of opening up. A bigger salon, maybe they started in a very, you know, one or two chaired salon and they grew it into a, an eight chair salon or, and so I could see, and I was like, you know what, I'm a creative person, but I don't know how much of me can do the business forward facing aspect of a salon like that.

[00:25:55] Brian O’Connor: And let me be very frank also, and I can say this because I am. Hair stylists in general can just be the most dramatic people ever for 

[00:26:04] Meghan Houle: Absolute. And Meghan, who and I, and we're in good conversation for 

[00:26:07] Brian O’Connor: absolutely no good reason other than just being dramatic. It's fun. And so I was like, do, I'm gonna deal with a bunch of means?

[00:26:15] Brian O’Connor: Like, does that sound remotely fun? But Haley was like, I really think we should do it. And I was kind of more hesitant about opening a salon at first than she was, believe it or not. And this is what I do every, you know, I do every day. But, and boom, here we are now, you know, we have good Diane, and like I said, it is my baby.

[00:26:35] Brian O’Connor: It's like my first kid, my first love, because it was already to start with a hair dye company was already way more than I thought I was allowed to have it. That makes sense. Yeah. You know, I just, that's so exciting. Yeah. And so, yeah, to get to do that, to now being able to have fruits, which has been open, like I said, since the end of October, so we're almost, Not quite three full months and it's just been all ongoing.

[00:27:01] Brian O’Connor: But I mean, really a lot of that is because Hailey kind of, you know, I've been pushing myself a lot of the ways, but Hailey saying like, Hey, I wanna do this, but it doesn't feel right to do it without you. Like, I've learned so much about hair because of you. And like she was like, and I don't, I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else.

[00:27:20] Brian O’Connor: And, and honestly, it's not any of those things as great. Is, I would like to be in my craft or hope to be, continue to come and be better and and more detailed at it. None of it is something that I, I ever. Would like to have done it alone, you know? Right. And so having the nice have a partner. Absolutely.

[00:27:43] Brian O’Connor: And so that has made it a lot easier and I'm very fortunate and thankful in that way, but I'm still constantly learning and growing through all of it. Yeah. Good day. Young taught me one key thing, and that's Patie because I have zero. Zero patience also. Same. 

[00:27:59] Meghan Houle: Yeah. 

[00:28:00] Brian O’Connor: I just am like, yeah, Colton, my fiance, he's like, I can't mention something that I might think.

[00:28:06] Brian O’Connor: Remotely spark an idea of interest in you because he was like, as soon as I mention it, you're diving face first into it. You're like, and I'm like, yeah, and, and I was thinking about that and I was like, oh my gosh, he's so right. Like, why do I do that to myself? Like, why do I do that to, oh, you're so passive.

[00:28:23] Brian O’Connor: It's like, that's why, and I'm like, full speed ahead. Like, Nope, I'm not gonna stomp until I get it to where I want it to. 

[00:28:31] Meghan Houle: That's so freaking incredible. Well, Bryan, then you have the opposite people that have all these ideas and they sit in fear and uncertainty and they just freeze. Yep. I think the direction and the passion you have behind it, you know what you're good at.

[00:28:44] Meghan Houle: You know, you have that confidence. You're always wanting to be learning. It's huge. And so how did you and Hailey meet? Were you working in a salon and you guys just kind of came together? Yeah. And here you are today. What 

[00:28:54] Brian O’Connor: was that story like? So I met Hailey. I. I had just turned 20, she had turned 17. I was still apprenticing, actually, um, under Darla Walker at Ping Mullet Salon in Franklin, Tennessee.

[00:29:08] Brian O’Connor: And I feel like everything that I really, my work ethic, why I continue to push myself the way I do, is because of her. I really learned a lot. The craft and the business. She's very, very, very talented hairstylist, but also an amazing and exceptional business owner. And so at the time Haley came in, I was apprenticing, so I was the one doing the shampooing, grabbing towels, hair color, robes, you know, I was helping mix up toners if Darlene.

[00:29:42] Brian O’Connor: And all of this. And so I had met Haley, but it was only as an apprentice sort of position. Well, Darla went on maternity leave and Haley called and made an appointment and was like, I would like him. I'm familiar with him. And so from there, when she came in, that's when she came in and was like, all right, look, we've been working on our second album.

[00:30:01] Brian O’Connor: We're getting ready to do music, video, all the promotional photos and press stuff that's gonna go out. And we just got back from. Here's this Fruits magazine that is like a street wear fashion magazine. Literally, they go around the street and capture really creative, stylish, everyday people in their clothes.

[00:30:23] Brian O’Connor: Mm-hmm. And she was like, I really just wanna look like an anim, animate cartoon character of myself. How can we do that? Thus came, her and I really kind of talking out and working out what would become that misery business look. You know the, yeah, the bright orange bangs that was almost like kind of cut into a, like a fauxhawk, very thin emo girl hair long blonde strip.

[00:30:47] Brian O’Connor: Most of her head was like this red orange. And people started to talk about it, but really it started from there. That one single, that's thing. So awesome. And then the next thing that I did with her was on set. The first music video I ever did in my life was crush, crush, crush. For them, it was the middle of a dry lake and outside of la, like an hour in the desert.

[00:31:10] Brian O’Connor: I am being a young, naive kid from now, I mean, living in Tennessee was like, I'm going to la. It's in a dry desert. It's gonna be hot, it's gonna be amazing. This is so cool. I can't believe I'm doing it. We start filming or start or getting ready by four in the morning, and I was like, this was not what I thought this was gonna be.

[00:31:28] Brian O’Connor: Right. I was in a t-shirt, it was like two degrees outside. I'm freezing. It was freezing. We're doing hair. We're doing hair in the back of literally like a U-Haul because there was no. Place else to get ready. And I'm like, what was I thinking? I'm freezing. And then, yeah, so anyways, it's, it's not always glamor.

[00:31:49] Brian O’Connor: It's not people. 

[00:31:49] Meghan Houle: No, because you know, you see how I podcast, so it's just behind the scenes, what we do to get it done. 

[00:31:55] Brian O’Connor: Actually that day, a big fan storm happened, of course. So we ran, like, ran onto like the, their bus they had, there was a bus out there, but it was so bad that. Stan started filling up just outside of the windows on the inside of the bus because it was blowing so hard.

[00:32:13] Brian O’Connor: So it was coming through any crack that it could get in. Uh, it was fun. Good time. It's so crazy. 

[00:32:19] Meghan Houle: All these shoots were, you hear like these defying things, but you like never know what's going on behind the scenes and the magic of production and editing and it all works out. So that's, that's so cool. And gosh, what an amazing impression you.

[00:32:32] Meghan Houle: Made on Hailey and just like, again, like the energy and your passion just comes through. And I feel like for all the listeners that do tune in, there are so many people that are afraid to network or to really let their true color shine and stand in their confidence. And you never know who you're gonna meet every day by.

[00:32:48] Meghan Houle: Sharing who you are and your talent. So I love that story and it sounds like you guys are so on the right track. So tell us more about Good Day Young Fruits. What can somebody expect in the products? Are people able to come and book your salon appointments in Nashville? Talk about a couple of the sides of businesses and how people can work with you and, and find 

[00:33:06] Brian O’Connor: your products.

[00:33:06] Brian O’Connor: So Good Day Young is a vegan, cruelty free. We. All the clean standards that are like for Sephora and you know, retailers like that where they're much more pickier without, it's not organic, but it's as close as we can get to it. Yeah. You know, so that's a big part of it. But the really big ethos for Good Day Young is besides having like.

[00:33:31] Brian O’Connor: Exceptional, amazingly vivid colored hair that is hair healthy and us being conscious about it was how it brought Haley and I together. It was really something that, for me was really so simple and came almost too easy to do hair. It's still something that I like, scratch my head about, is it, it always seems to happen so easy for me, but I love how much it can make somebody feel so good about the.

[00:33:57] Brian O’Connor: Um, yeah, but the ethos behind that was how hair brought us together and what doing vivid hair color like that says, you know, society, whether it's school work or whatever has, hopefully we're getting through it, but placed all these like barriers and restrictions on it and it's distracting and you know, you're somehow less than if you walk around with bright.

[00:34:20] Brian O’Connor: Like that. I remember, you know, as a kid, that definitely the motto was like, oh, you're a punk. You're a he. Then you're, you know, mm-hmm. Sort of thing, which is not true to me. It was all about expressing myself. It was about like how I felt internally showing it outwardly. And so really that's the big ethos behind Gida Young, is this creative community that we wanna pull in people together, because it is what brought Haley and I together, and it's like, I always talked to her about comparing it to high school and you know, I remember used to walking in and like at lunch and there just feeling really cliquey.

[00:34:56] Brian O’Connor: But to me, all I've ever wanted it to be was like, Well, why can't the cheerleader sit with the goth and why can't the goth hang out with the jock and why can't they just all be friends because of one common denominator? They don't all have to love and like the same things, but they may be going through something that is a very similar, and so that was really big part of it and what it meant.

[00:35:20] Brian O’Connor: And so about bringing this creative community together through hair and it feeling like a. Cultivated place that everyone could be with a professional touch to it, which was my standpoint of like, how can we safely and comfortably hold someone's hand through doing this at home and feel and give them the confidence enough to do it?

[00:35:41] Brian O’Connor: Not only just to execute what it means to have hair like that, you know, bleaching putting the color on and having soy protein, coconut oil, all these good things that can go into the hair and do good things, but how can we also give them. Those sort of things that their soul might need through that process.

[00:36:00] Brian O’Connor: Really. And a lot of that is just the, like seeing a face that remotely resembles yours in any form or a fashion. Yeah. And going like, oh, there are other people like me. Well, imagine that. Oh no. Yeah. And we kind of trickled that over into fruits. Like I said, fruit is in Wedgewood Houston on Martin Street in Nashville, Tennessee.

[00:36:19] Brian O’Connor: We are a full functioning salon. We have seven. We have four besides myself, four amazing and talented stylists that are booking and taking clients. I am still booking and taking clients as well. Wow. So anyone can visit our website, fruits, hair lab, anyone can call and book an appointment. And really it's, again, it's just a safe, creative part of the way we want to be a part of the community here in Nashville.

[00:36:46] Brian O’Connor: There is, I know a lot of people think Nashville and immediately think like. Country music, main Street. Right? You know, country music, cowboy boots, you know Taylor Swift and. Probably, you know, a trailer and a goat with a picket fence somewhere. I don't know. You know, everyone always thought was like, I feel like they always think like it's the hills have eyes or something like, but no, I 

[00:37:10] Meghan Houle: think of like country row.

[00:37:12] Meghan Houle: If you talk to my husband, he'll just think about Tennessee Titans and football. So it really 

[00:37:16] Brian O’Connor: just depends. Yeah, what vibe I guess. But there are a lot of. Really great artists. Yeah. Fashion stylists are coming here more. There's a lot hard, yeah. So up and coming music here outside of just country and so we wanna, yep.

[00:37:33] Brian O’Connor: We wanna be a part of cultivating that, you know, with. Whether it's Good Dye Young or fruit, it's just a, a place that you can come get great hair, a great blowout, a great haircut, color makeup, or it is that you're looking for, but also a, a place when you sit down, hopefully you look around and you see someone who is like you, maybe in the, some of the same things that you are, or maybe it's not.

[00:37:59] Brian O’Connor: Maybe you're a queer, you know. LGBTQ part of the community, but like this is just a safe place for you to come in, sit down. Mm-hmm. Be you not be judged by being, you get whatever, you know, service for hair done that you want, and just like if you want to hang out, like come hang out. Like we just want it to be, you know, just that sort of safe haven of what beauty is to.

[00:38:29] Brian O’Connor: Certain like society does not mean that is the only type of beauty that is out there. And what makes you beautiful? So beautiful. You know? 

[00:38:38] Meghan Houle: Well, it's so beautifully said, but it's good to hear both sides of your businesses. I mean, of course being fruits like so we'll have to be visiting you in Nashville May.

[00:38:45] Meghan Houle: Maybe we need more fruits salons across the us. Okay. Yes. I would love to your And Haley's next project. Yes. I would love to. Well, before letting you go, how has having this business truly 

[00:38:56] Brian O’Connor: changed? Oh gosh, truly all of it has changed it, you know, some days I would say like I'm so stressed out, but it's truly for the better even now.

[00:39:05] Brian O’Connor: And I was having this kind of on New Year's with my fiance, Colton. We were having really like deep talks and it was just him and I at home together. And I looked at him and I was like, you know what? If this is as good as it gets right now, I am more than. With my life, of course, I'm a human being. I still have hopes and dreams and wishes that I would like to fulfill.

[00:39:29] Brian O’Connor: But being small town, gay boy, me, who was the product of an alcoholic mother, an absent father, like those were all things that in my head as a young child and younger adult, I told myself like sort of made me less. On a society, you know, field or playing, or even just mentally, internally, I, I very much verbalized, abused myself in that way, internally of like, and so now to be at this point, like my life is already more than I could have hoped for.

[00:40:03] Brian O’Connor: And if I walk out this door, hang up this phone from you, and I get hit by a car right now. Please know that like my life has been more fulfilled and more deserving than I thought it should have been. So I feel like, great, Ryan, you're so excited. I feel really great, you know, and I'm very thankful that anyone cares.

[00:40:24] Brian O’Connor: I, I'm thankful that you even remotely give a shit to put me on your podcast. Oh my 

[00:40:29] Meghan Houle: God. We care so much. I'm so grateful for you and like, who's this podcasting girl? Here we are. And again, now we're best to you. Yes. So I 

[00:40:36] Brian O’Connor: just love you, but. It is so great and it's made me, you know, it's made me more of an empathetic person.

[00:40:42] Brian O’Connor: Really? 

[00:40:43] Meghan Houle: Yes. Oh, we're doing so much good for so many people that need community now more than ever, especially through the pandemic. I know that when you launch your color. Yeah. And we're just creating these safe environments and we need more Brians in this world. So how can our listeners find you and engage with you before I 

[00:41:00] Brian O’Connor: let you go?

[00:41:01] Brian O’Connor: What's the best way? So you can follow me or Good Day Young on Instagram at Good Day Young or at Color? Me, Bryan, you can. Follow at Fruits Hair Lab, and we're on TikTok as well. I feel like I'm too old to have TikTok, so I just leave that for the businesses. And you can also, again, you can find Hair Fruits Lab in Nashville with a quick Google search.

[00:41:24] Brian O’Connor: It'll pop up and you can call and book an appointment if you'd like to see me or any one of the stylists. But yeah, follow us on all social media and we would love to see you. Love to hear from you. All of that. 

[00:41:37] Meghan Houle: Yeah. We'll get everyone engaged. And Brian, wow. I feel like I've learned so much about you. I think we need like other episodes.

[00:41:43] Meghan Houle: Yeah. Come on. 

[00:41:44] Brian O’Connor: Can the video together? I can dive 

[00:41:45] Meghan Houle: in further. Okay. Stay tuned. I know this is a shorter form of podcast, but as I was telling my producers, I'm like, we need to do this like podcast video tour. So stay tuned and you know you're gonna be doing my hair somehow, right? So you are next level creative.

[00:41:58] Meghan Houle: How lucky am I to have the opportunity to share your crib pivot? And passions behind bringing all of these businesses to life. So again, if you ever need a model, keep my number on speed dial hundred percent. If you come into Boston ever, please let me know and I promise I will give you a full city tour.

[00:42:14] Meghan Houle: So send my love to Haley. We're sending love and I'm excited to see what the future holds. And for all of our listeners tuning in, please make sure to head over to Brian lengths. Check out Good Dye Young Fruit Salon. If you're in Nashville, say hello to Brian and us on social. And make sure to share this episode with all your most creative and stylish friends.

[00:42:33] Meghan Houle: So thank you, Brian, pushing you all success in everything that you do. 

[00:42:36] Brian O’Connor: Thanks, Meghan. I appreciate it. 

[00:42:39] Meghan Houle: Thank you for tuning into another episode of P with Purpose. If you'd love this episode, please be sure to share it with your network. Leave us a review in a five star rating. If you are enjoying these pivot conversations and wanna keep the personal development going as an executive recruiter and master career in Clarity, coach, join my community and be the first to have access to all of my content to set you up for success in whatever stage you are in career-wise, and get some inspiration.

[00:43:08] Meghan Houle: Be the first to know about local and virtual events I'll be hosting as well, so maybe you can join me in person. Head over to www.Meghanhall.com/community or click the link in the show notes to get on 

[00:43:22] Announcer: the list. Pivot with purpose with host Meghan Houle, who is a fashion console production, and part of the FC Podcast Network.

[00:43:31] Announcer: It is produced and directed by Phil aka a Corin and a special thank you to Spencer Powell for our theme music. Learn more at pivot with purpose podcast.com and be sure to follow us. At Pivot with Purposes podcast.