We recently connected with Taylor Mcbrien and have shared our conversation below.
Taylor, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s go back in time to when you were an intern or apprentice – what’s an interesting story you can share from that stage of your career?
In my early 20’s, I’d tried going to college. I did some prerequisite classes while I decided what I really wanted to do, but I realized early on the low return on investment that college was for me. I craved quick, experiential learning, now leaning into the idea of getting into a trade or getting into real estate.
When I was 19, I nannied for a woman who always told me she thought I was going to be a hairstylist. I had always snubbed the idea. Likely too many episodes of Tabatha’s Salon Takeover. I didn’t take it seriously as a career choice, or something I could actually make enough money on my own to be independent. My old boss and I reconnected 5 years later when I mentioned to her I was living in Lansing and considering going to Douglas J. She in that moment offered me a position as an apprentice in the salon she was anticipating to open in the coming months.
A few months passed, the salon had opened, and I was her shadow. I often watched her do color, men’s haircutting, a stacked bob. It was cool. The girls all had unique style, tattoos, very put together. I admired that. One day, a woman with long grey hair down to her belly button came into the salon just for a harcuit. She was the most ethereal being to me rocking long grey hair without an ounce of color on it. Her hair was so beautiful but my mentor described to me how her hair just sort of was hanging there. Little movement if at all, and lacking bits that were interesting. I disagreed… until I watched her carve the face frame into this woman’s hair like it was a sculpture in ancient Rome. I had an outer body experience in that moment. I felt the magic of being a hairstylist. The sense of community, connection through intimate vulnerability with your clients, and the art form that doing hair was.
That was the beginning of my love story.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
As I have learned & continued to practice my craft, I found myself specializing in what we call “lived-in hair.” It is a technique of highlighting and coloring the hair that enhances what is naturally growing out of the head instead of covering it. I’ve always been an against the grain sorta gal. I didn’t like the idea that men could age as silver foxes but women were under such harsh beauty standards. I’ve found lived – in hair coloring & grey blending to be my passion behind the chair. I want to empower people to express authentically as themselves whatever that may be. That can include doing something drastic, no where near your natural color that is edgy or covers your grey. Or it could mean blending & embracing your natural color and sparkles in a way that you still feel enhanced and beautiful in a way that is less maintenance. Whatever feels the best to you, I am here to help you feel the most confident in yourself.
I value integrity of the hair above everything else. I will always prioritize the clients wellness of their hair before I take on any project. I will thoroughly explain the investment, at home care products, maintenance schedules, & treatments so my clients can best take care of their hair. Everyone deserves beautiful, healthy hair.
Something that sets me apart is my space. The space I have curated I call Hart Form, is the most chill vibey spot to come connect, recharge, and leave feeling more confident than you arrived. I also love walking around my community & connecting with other artists. When I receive services, I use that as an opportunity to look for ways I can enhance my own service offer through the lens of a client. How can I make my people more comfortable and enhance their experience?
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
When I decided it was time to leave my last salon, it was through circumstances that most would deem unfavorable. I was not sure what I was going to do. I had zero money saved up for this transition. I knew it was happening but I didn’t know how. Sometimes you have to trust that gut instinct and take the path forward even if you only see one stepping stone in front of you and the rest of the path is unclear. I opened my salon within 3 weeks, In had an unknown investment of money my mother who had passed 3 days before my 18th birthday had made for me as a baby. I was able to use that to make initial investments to get my business up and running. I ended up opening the day after her birthday. I visited her headstone while my plumber was installing my shampoo the day before I opened Hart Form. Yes everything was that rushed!! When I opened I was so relieved and excited for this new journey.
Exactly one week after I opened, I was hit by a semi truck that blew a red light. I was nearly T-boned and dragged under the massive truck. Thankfully, by the grace of God, I was divinely protected and it only ripped off the front end of my new Jeep I had only had for 8 months and worked so hard for. My previous vehicle was a rusted out 2002 Ford Taurus so it was quite the upgrade. Although I was terrible sad about my car, I was so happy to be alive. Unfortunately the car was so new & so few miles, insurance did not total the car out and waited 6 months for that car to get fixed before I got it back – but that is another story.
The following week my grandma, my hero & shining light in my life whom I talked on the phone to nearly everyday, endured a stroke that affected her cognition in a way I could no longer communicate with her. I could not believe I was enduring so much in such a short span of time. In a matter of 5 weeks I was betrayed by friends & coworkers to the point I had to leave, opened my own business, got hit by a semi truck, and nearly lost my person. It was one of the hardest points of my life I’d ever experienced.
I tend to be an optimistic person if it wasn’t obvious by the fact I was delusional enough to open my own business in 3 weeks without a plan (I wouldn’t recommend this by the way). I trucked on through channeling my energy into taking care of my clients & following through on my mission to create safe space for people and make them feel beautiful. I was able to have 2 more months with my grandma before she passed and met Jesus. We got a bit more time together & have memories of gardening together with my Aunt & cousin Abbey. I am so grateful for the extra time we had together.
A week before she passed, I experienced the highest week of sales I had ever done in my 6 years as a licensed stylist. Looking back I have a bit of regret channelling so much grief into work and wish I would’ve spent as many moments as I could with her, however In hold dear the moments when I was building my business in those three weeks with her by my side.
We hunted for previously loved items in various vintage/resale shops in metro detroit, as well as her basement for family heirlooms that reside in my salon, Hart Form, now. One of my biggest values I hold as a person and business is thrifting & upcycling in hopes it reduces waste on this planet I so dearly love. I hold these memories of nights on the phone with my grandma, working through my fears of what I was about to do and her praying over me and voicing scripture to me I would recite to get me through the most challenging moments of this period and through the rest of my life.
People have always described me as resilient with the many other stories within my lifetime I coould share with you, but I think this one & this year takes the cake and will surely be a pillar of hope in my testimony of resilience. I want to remind everyone that through darkness, there is always light.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
When I was 19, I woman I nannied for, Liberty, told me God told her I was going to be a hairstylist. I didn’t believe her and was barely a believer at the time. I really had no interest in doing hair. It didn’t seem like a career I could actually cultivate a life of independence from. Five years later, I found myself seemingly trapped in the industry of serving and bartending. I’d attempted college only to drop out twice from two different schools. I had a hard time in the college setting – very much an experiential learner. At that point I said to myself, “It’s either real estate or hair.” I was interested in a quick trade outside of the restaurant industry I could make money at with only a year or two of training needed before I could start making money. This was my ticket out of the restaurant industry until I figured out what I ACTUALLY wanted to do.
I was living in Lansing at the time and the local school was Douglas J Aveda and I started seriously looking into it. One day, I was on facebook and found some old photos of Liberty’s son when he was a baby. I sent them to her through Facebook messenger and we began catching up. I expressed to her my plans of trying out hair school, and she turned around and offered me an apprenticeship opportunity in the salon she was about to open. Now remember, I am an experiential learner and truly didn’t have a fire or passion for doing hair. It was simply my ticket out. Fast foward some months into my apprenticeship, and a woman with long grey hair walked in. Her hair was rich in salt & pepper and wavy, sort of a witchy look. Liberty washed her hair, began to cut it and blew it out. While she did so, I witnessed the most vulnerable connection of humanity, discussing each others current life challenges & exchanging advice to get through. She carved a face frame into her hair dry and I thought that was the first time I was in awe of hairstyling. That moment I fell so in love with the ability to create such a drastic transformation on someone with a pair of scissors. I was officially in love.
It was from that moment that I realized the unique touchpoint to the community hairstylists have & that we truly had the power to make a standing difference in people’s lives, not only through our physical artistry, but on a deeper soul level. I’ve carried this with me using my platform as a hairstylist to hold space for others through hard times, while giving them an epiphany in their own self worth. In 2022, I used my touch point to the community to raise money for Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Metro Detroit. I designed and sold t-shirts through campaigning to clients in the salon I was working at, and through my social media platforms. I strive to hold this value & empower others to make a difference with theirs. I feel so lucky and grateful for the opportunity to be a hairstylist now.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.taylormackbeauty.com
- Instagram: taylormackbeauty
- Facebook: taylormackbeauty
- Other: Tiktok: @hartform
Image Credits
@shelbydubinphotography
www.shelbydubinphotography.com