In March, I had the opportunity to attend multiple events during SXSW in Austin, Texas. One of the events was a networking and business festival called Create & Cultivate: Future Summit. Their Final keynotes were cofounders of hair dye company Good Dye Young, Hayley Williams and Brian OโConnor.
The Event
I went with a group of friends, and we were really excited to see what the event had to offer. The event was free with RSVP. After we picked up our wristbands from the check in counter, We had about 2 hours to kill before Williams and OโConnor were going to be interviews, so we did some browsing around. The event had a lot of really cool sponsors and samples. I enjoyed complimentary non-alcoholic wine, water, snacks, and fun photo ops!
After doing a loop around outside, we got in line to head inside to grab seats for Good Dye Youngโs interview.
Good Dye Young Interview
Host: “And I am so excited for our final keynote of Future Summit! One is a two time Grammy winning powerhouse, who redefined modern rock and became a global icon for her fearless self expression. The other is the master stylist and creative architect behind two decades of those instantly recognizable looks. together they didn’t just influence culture, they built a company… Please welcome the cofounders of Good Dye Young, Brian O’Connor and Hayley Williams!” O’Connor and Williams walked on stage as the crowd applauded excitedly, myself included! Once they all were seated, the host began the interview.
When asked if he ever thought when he first started mixing colors for hair that this would turn into a global company, O’Connor answered simply and honestly, “Absolutely not.” He went on to say that he definitely dreamed about it, but didn’t really put so much thought into it in the beginning. “I was too young” O’Connor continued, “I was 19 when I was mixing Misery Business hair for Hayley and at the time, I was just a creative person. Like, I was just like, “This is a really cool person, they want to find their identity. They have something to say right now. How can I help them find that?” I did not know that this is where it could end up!”
The three went on to talk about how important it is to take your creativity seriously and the potential there is in having a creative business model.
With Good Dye Young being in their 10th year as a company, Williams said her and O’Connor decided to start “merging the world of Good Dye Young with the musical world”. ” It’s time.” Williams continued. “It’s been so incredible because I’ve watched this new life get breathed into the company… When we did the color Ego for my album, Brian was like “we need to do this with other artists”. We’ve just done another one with Rico Nasty!” Williams went on to express her joy that they “get to now go to other artists or influencers or whoever really” that they feel would represent their brand appropriately, as well as the beauty of making those connections and collaborations with others.
The Good Dye Young cofounders also spoke on how their partnership came from years of friendship. Before either of them even considered going into the hair dye business, it started as an interest in and passion for self expression that they both shared. They then took steps make sure they were creating something that aligned with what they and their community were really looking for, while also keeping quality and pricing in mind. Williams also noted that the brand itself is “really personal” to her and O’Connor, and that they strive to make sure they are making it the best it can be.
The host asked Williams why she thinks it’s important to stand and speak up for what you believe in:
“I understand why people get nervous to post about these things, but to be honest, we don’t give it a second thought. The community that we’ve built, there’s a responsibility to show up and say “There’s a lot out there that feels scary. There’s a lot that won’t make you feel safe or protected, but we’re gonna do the best that we can to create a space that feels creative and feels like it lifts you up.” It uplifts you! It would be the opposite of that to not speak up for the marginalized and for people who are really, like, being attacked in our country.”
“”No” can be just as lucrative as “yes”. In fact, it’s maybe more clarifying”
For the last few minutes of the interview, the host asked a few rapid fire questions.
Host: “A trend in beauty you are loving?”
O’Connor: “Personally, i’ve seen a lot of emo hair, like the hair cut, and I’m here for it!”
Williams: “I’m really enjoying sort of how the rave scene… the style, the fashion, the attitude, the hair. I was just like “Yeah, this is great!””
Host: (To O’Connor) “Favorite hair color on Hayley you’ve ever done?”
O’Connor: “It’s one of my favorites because of Still Into You. The split, the pink and the orange, because I was not for it at first.”
Williams: “Yeah, he didn’t like that idea!”
O’Connor: “I was like, “Alright we’ll do it, you’re gonna regret it.” And then I was like, “Oh bitch, we did this””
Host: “One word describing the next era of Good Dye Young.”
Williams and O’Connor both agreed on “innovation”.
The host thanked the cofounders and the audience applauded loudly as the interview came to its end.
The Experience
I really enjoyed the event as a whole! There were a lot of good takeaways and knowledge that I learned from the speakers. I thought it was very cool that they had those sponsors and vendors at the event as well. And I canโt lie; middle school me was honestly fangirling so hard inside at being in the same room as Hayley Williams! I also felt honored to be able to hear what she and the other speakers during the event had shared with all of us in a sense of business andย entrepreneurship, while staying true to yourself. I will definitely be on the look out for more events like this one!