Meet Zachary Mcdonald

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Zachary Mcdonald a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Zachary, we are so appreciative of you taking the time to open up about the extremely important, albeit personal, topic of mental health. Can you talk to us about your journey and how you were able to overcome the challenges related to mental issues? For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.

So this question really hits right into my soul. This year I lost my partner unexpectedly, it rocked my whole entire world. It’s been only a month and I’m still going through the grief and loss of him. It’s honestly been one of the hardest times I’ve ever had to endure. I’ve dealt with A LOT of loss throughout my life thus far, family members, friends, my dad. But this was something I’ve never felt before, losing someone you were intimate with, built a life with at such a young age. To end so suddenly, it’s something you can’t explain to someone. It’s an experience I wouldn’t wish on anyone.

I’ve struggled with mental health issues my whole entire life. I was diagnosed with ADHD in 2nd grade, diagnosed with depression + anxiety at age 17. Depression has been an ongoing struggle up until a couple years ago I started seeing a therapist and she helped get to the root of my triggers, how to pay attention to triggers which would cause an “episode” and telling me to refer to a worksheet that’s called urge surfing.

Urge surfing is a technique for managing your unwanted behaviors. Rather than giving in to an urge, you will ride it out, like a surfer riding a wave. After a short time, the urge will pass on its own.

I refer back to this worksheet often when I need a reminder. This one piece has helped me out in many situations and moments.
But I gotta be honest the loss of Joseph it came into play every day. I feel sadness every single day I wake up. I feel a heaviness in my soul kinda like a missing piece. But I allow myself to feel these feelings because they are valid and it may be something I feel for a very very long time.

But I have to say having a support system has been thee Biggest Blessing I never knew I needed. The amount of support I have received during this tough time has been unbelievable and to be honest overwhelming at times. I don’t think I would be here still if it wasn’t for my support system.

So to sum this up ride the urge way, feel all the feelings you feel because they’re valid and lean into those that are reaching out to you. If I’ve learned anything from this, life is truly too short and we only get one. Check in with yourself and don’t ever feel like you’re alone.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

My name is Zachary McDonald. I was born May 26, 1992 in Clinton Township Michigan. I grew up in Sterling Heights Michigan until seventh grade. I move to Warren Michigan for two years and then I moved to Roseville Michigan for four years. After high school, my mom and I moved to my current city, which is Davison Michigan where we have been for the last 13 years.

So a fun fact about me before I went to cosmetology school, I was actually a dental assistant for a couple of years, but didn’t really love it so I decided cosmetology school it was. I got into cosmetology school because when I was younger, I would always box all my friends hair I would curl their hair I would do their make up you name it we were doing it. I have a photo of me playing with my dad‘s hair back when I was probably like Three or four years old so one could say we’ve been doing here since a toddler, honey. So diving into my niches, I love all things related to color blondes, brunettes, vivids you name it. I’m trying to do it. I also am in love with K-tip extensions.

So let’s fast forward to 2025 this year has started out pretty pretty tough on January 17. I lost my partner unexpectedly and if I’m being honest with you, it’s been pretty hard. I’ve dealt with a lot of loss in my life, but this one has definitely felt different. I’ve lost family members. I’ve lost my dad, but I’ve come to realize losing an a partner or somebody you’re intimate with. It’s a whole different kind of loss and feeling that you can’t really explain to somebody unless they have also went through the same thing as you.

but the universe works in strange ways, and I had just came back home from taking a trip to see actually some of my friends that I met through Instagram, I was on my way home from the airport with my mom and I was speaking on how I was unhappy with how my current owner of the Salon work at has been treating myself and other fellow stylist and how I was just been unhappy there for a bit. She then mention to me that my stepdad had heard that one of the ladies in the downtown area of my city was selling her salon and asked me if I was interested in owning a salon so of course I said yes I feel like that has always been an end. Goal of mine is to have my own space so as of March 1, 2025, I will be a first time salon owner. This to me is the universe giving me something positive to focus my time and my energy into after such darkness over the last month.

So be on the lookout for The Mane Craft Salon! I’m so excited for this next adventure and I can’t wait to share with everybody!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back qualities that I think I had that helped me were how honest transparent I am with everybody there’s no need to hide anything from people for me. Honesty is always gonna be the best policy. It makes people trust you instantly because there is no second-guessing like you beating around the bush just tell them, this will look bad on you. I think this would look better on you or your hair cannot do that because it may fall off or it will fall off. Bottom line be transparent as possible and stay true to yourself.

My best advice for people who are early in their hairstylist journey, is to take as many classes as you can, and invest in your education, never stop practicing your craft that’s why mannequin heads exist. They’re the only client they don’t have any feelings and they’re gonna talk shit to you.

If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?

My particular challenge that I am going through at the moment is going through the loss of my partner Joseph losing him has been one of the hardest things mentally and emotionally that I’ve ever had to go through. It’s been challenging because I feel like I lost a piece of my personality when he left. I just feel like I have an emptiness in my soul now since he’s gone, he was my best friend, the person that knew everything about me and still loved everything about me and I know that the feelings are mutual for him to me. I’m trying to find a balance of being happy and trying not to feel guilty for being Happy Because I know that life continues on and that I know I also will have good days and I will have bad days or I will have a few good days and maybe one bad day. I guess the biggest challenge I’m facing right now with this is giving myself grace.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: TheeZacharyGeorge

Image Credits

Stephanie VanWagner