We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dre Donoghue a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Dre, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
I’m not sure that it is ever possible to fully overcome imposter syndrome unless you truly don’t care a bit about what others think of you(which I still do). But, I have learned throughout my career as a hairstylist and educator that having a strong foundation can carry you through almost any situation.
20 yrs ago I left all I had known in my tiny Midwest town to move to NYC to apprentice at the renowned Bumble and bumble salon. At the time Bumble was everything in the industry. The salon saw the “coolest” and most “low key” celebs, a team of editorial artists that lead some of the best shows during fashion week, and the most advanced education university in the industry. That was what opened my brain and drew me to study my craft there specifically. My apprenticeship was intense and lasted years.
I became a stylist in the Meatpacking location, worked every season of fashion week, and taught at the university. I worked for the company a total of 8 yrs and most of that was spent traveling across the country to teach.
Education was always what I was most passionate about and when I started to teach I was around 26 yrs old. That meant I was regularly teaching hairstylist much older than myself. I was super intimidated. I had to stand up in front of a (usually) very “cool” salon and show everyone something they didn’t know how to do. Turns out it was all about an approach they hadn’t experienced or done in that certain way. Every time I approached a stylist, especially if they were older than me I expected they already knew what I was going to show them.
Nope! Turns out that has hardly ever happenes, in the 18 years I’ve been as an educator. What I now know is that everyone has a different perceptive and that’s how we get to learn from each other. And of course having a super strong foundation and knowing what the hell you are doing helps and is very important. But all the times I walked in to a salon to teach a class or been on stage feeling nervous that they wouldn’t “get anything out of it” has truly never happened. And that blows my mind. But I now don’t doubt myself anymore. For me anyway it has come from experience and reminding myself that I am consistently growing and I can share that openly with others.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Hi I’m Dre, I do hair. I been doing hair for 20 years. I only cut hair and style hair. No color or chemical services for me. Mostly because I don’t have the patience for it. I also educate other stylists around the country under an agency called The Left Brain Group.
I moved to Asheville NC from Brooklyn 7 years ago to live in the mountains and have a baby. My partner Chuck and I have a studio called Greenhouse. It’s a tiny stone cottage where we have a small staff of tattoo artists and hairstylists. We host fun community based pop ups and parties and various artists show in our space. It’s very intimate and special.
I’m currently working on launching a bridal/event beauty agency called Heartbreaker.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Be humble.
2. Take criticism. Don’t fight back if someone is showing you something different from what you’re used to. Grow from it.
3. Take risks. If you know you can do something do it. Make sure someone sees it but also do be obnoxious about it.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
Having the ideal client is one of the most important things currently in my career right now. I am careful to attract the right clientele. It’s very important that I have clients that match my energy. Not meaning high or low. Meaning peaceful, thoughtful, happy. Not combative or nasty. Don’t have time and never will.
Contact Info:
- Website: Greenhouseavl.com
- Instagram: Greenhouseavl
