Founders: Brian O'Connor and Hayley Williams
Founded: May 2016
Leadership:
2023 Full Year Expected Revenue Range: $10 to $20MM
Categories: Haircare
Distribution Channel: Mass, Prestige, Amazon, Salon
Funding Rounds: Friends and family
Please share the inspiration for your brand and how it meets a need in the beauty industry.
We wanted to talk about how expressing yourself through hair dye actually impacts people's lives, their creativity, and their mental health.
What are some of your key business initiatives for 2023?
Good Dye Young is launching into its fourth major national retailer. Ulta Beauty joins the brand's distribution in Target, Walmart, and Amazon. The vegan offerings—ranging from the best-selling Hair Lightening Kit, Semi-Perm, and DYEPosit hues—fall into Ulta's Conscious Beauty category. The brand has witnessed a 67% year-over-year compound annual growth rate since its inception in 2016 and has grown from just 11 SKUs to 78 SKUs across categories, with more in the works.
What are you most proud of having accomplished?
Allowing people to feel a sense of community, love, and acceptance.
What has been the biggest surprise since the brand was founded?
Launching into Target and Walmart.
What aspect of your brand DNA fuels your competitive advantage?
Catering to those that feel they aren't seen.
Please share your insight on the future of the beauty industry.
Those without a voice currently will begin to find their own outlets and communities.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
Whatever you do, don’t give up. There is always a way to fix whatever problem you’re having.
Paying it forward, what advice would you give to someone contemplating launching a beauty brand?
I hope anyone out there can know that anything they want to do for their career, it doesn't just have to be a job; you can turn it into a career and a business. You can go as far as you want with it. You can take it as far as you're willing to go.
If you could change one thing in the beauty industry, what would it be?
The negatives of social media are really obvious. It’s harming how we view ourselves and how we compare ourselves. I think it really affects young people's development. I think we should try to keep it positive. We should try to listen and have open eyes and ears, open hearts. So that way we can have an actual relationship with our community.
