Purpose Project

S1E12: Follow Your Dreams with Brittany Neu

• Leslie Pagel • Season 1 • Episode 12

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In this episode of Purpose Project, Leslie Pagel interviews Brittany Neu, who shares her inspiring journey of living out her life's purpose. Brittany's purpose was sparked by her early experiences with her grandfather and aunt in the hair industry. Despite facing challenges like moving to a new state and starting cosmetology school, she persevered. Brittany discusses her path from beauty school to owning her salon, highlighting the determination, hard work, and relationship-building required to succeed in the industry. She also delves into the financial uncertainties and emotional aspects of the profession, emphasizing the importance of aligning one's job with their passion. Brittany's story is a powerful reminder of the rewards of pursuing one's dreams despite hardships and underscores that happiness in a career is more valuable than financial gain.
00:00 Introduction to Purpose Project
00:32 Meet Brittany Neu
01:25 Brittany's Early Life and Inspirations
02:45 Journey to Becoming a Hairdresser
05:15 Cosmetology School Challenges
07:48 Building a Career 
11:17 The Joys of Being a Hairdresser
14:52 Moments of Doubt and Financial Struggles
18:09 The Emotional Connection with Clients
19:42 Finding Joy and Purpose in Work
22:27 Advice for Pursuing Your Dreams
25:30 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Purpose Project is a research study on the topic of life's purpose. You can follow along in the making of Purpose Project:
Instagram: @purpose.project
LinkedIn: @purposeproject-media
TikTok: @purpose.project

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Leslie:

When I first had the idea of starting Purpose Project, I of course shared it with my hairdresser and in this conversation where I'm sharing with her, this idea of doing a podcast that explores the topic of life's purpose and in hearing her story about her life's purpose. I knew that I wanted her to be on the show. Hi, my name is Leslie Pagel and welcome to Purpose Project. On the show, we have Brittany Neu, who shares this uplifting story about following your dreams. Let's take a listen. Brittany, thank you so much for being here on Purpose Project. I have been looking forward to this conversation for months. Yes,

Brittany:

I've been excited for it. Have you? I've been nervous. I have. I've seen it on my books, but I've been nervous. Yeah.

Leslie:

Well, that's natural taking you out of your comfort zone. That's for sure. To tell your story. Yeah. Well, I'm even more honored that you're here the fact that you're here to tell your story, makes me feel very honored. Good. So thank you for that. I'm here for you. I can't wait to dive into your purpose and, share that with those that are listening. But before we do that, tell us a little bit about yourself. Who is Brittany? All right

Brittany:

my name is Brittany. I grew up in Michigan. Um, I'm married to my husband David for almost 11 years. And we have three kiddos. Our oldest is Selah, she's 10. Hallie is 8 and Brent is 6. Nice!

Leslie:

So, wife, a mother. Hairdresser. Hairdresser. Been doing hair for 16 years. Wow. 16 years. I know.

Brittany:

Isn't that crazy? Yeah.

Leslie:

I've known you forever. I know. I've known you for a little bit longer than that. Yeah. Yeah. Oh my gosh. Time flies by so fast. That's crazy. I know. I can't believe how old

Brittany:

your girls are.

Leslie:

Well, you know, speaking of them, that is why Purpose Project got started because we're going to be empty nesters and I was looking for something to do and it was like, I don't I'm going to do a podcast about people's purpose in life. That's a hard one. It's a hard question. Yeah. Yes.

Brittany:

And to figure out their purpose. That's great.

Leslie:

Yeah. I remember sitting in your chair, you were doing my hair and telling you about this. And I remember asking you, do you have a purpose? And I remember what you said. Do you remember to be a hairdresser? Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I've always known. Yes. So tell me was there a defining moment that happened in your life? How did it come to be?

Brittany:

I don't know. So I was really little and my grandpa always did hair. He was a barber. And then my aunt was a hairdresser and she would do our hair down in her basement. And I remember always looking at her like wall of products and being like, these are expensive and yeah, this is cool. And we never got to have any. of those products, but we got to get our hair cut and it was, it was fun. I loved it. I always, of course, wanted more the highlights, the perms, the all of it, but we couldn't afford it. And so we got our two haircuts a year and I always was like, I think I want to do hair and I want people to be able to afford it and they can enjoy it. So.

Leslie:

Okay. So, it sounds like in your childhood you were around people that were hairdressers. Is that the proper? Yeah. Okay.

Brittany:

Hairdressers,

Leslie:

cosmetologists. Okay. Barbers. Yeah. The hair world. But you were, yeah. You were around people that did it for a living. Yes. And in getting your hair done. Yeah. noticed the possibility and you liked trying new things, with your hair. Yeah, I mean,

Brittany:

I didn't do a crazy things. It was more the natural things, but, we didn't get to do it all the time, it was like one time thing. Because it was, it's expensive, it's expensive to get your hair done,

Leslie:

so, um, was that a part of it though? The, realization that it felt like a privilege, a big deal to be getting your hair done. Absolutely, I would say yes. Why is that?

Brittany:

Cause it was something special. And you know how good you feel after you get your hair done? I wanted to make people feel good. and my aunt wasn't the only person I went to. We got to go to other people too. that, like great clips and stuff. Things, but, and they, you would have some nice people and not some nice people. And I, I don't know. I just always wanted to people to enjoy coming in and seeing me and hanging out. that's what I love.

Leslie:

So it sounds like you knew this all along. Yeah. It was a part of growing up. You just realized this is what I want to do. Yeah.

Brittany:

Um, but I was scared because I wasn't good at my own hair. Okay. I didn't know how to braid. I mean,

Leslie:

how old were you when you were noticing this? Oh, probably 12. Okay. Yeah. Did you work at it then? Did you say, I'm going to learn how to braid or

Brittany:

no, I never really practiced on anybody until I started. When I was 17 at beauty school. Okay. So and started learning about it and you sit in a classroom for six weeks and they throw you out on the floor. Really? Yeah. Go

Leslie:

for it. But what even took you to beauty school? Cause I'm hearing, I knew I wanted to be this, but I was scared because I didn't think I, I could do my own hair better yet someone else's. How did you make this step to go to cosmetology school? I want

Brittany:

to say, so we moved to Indiana when I was 15. And we went to a, I went to a small school all growing up. And then I got thrown into a huge school. It was a huge change. So I really had to get out of my comfort box to be able to have conversations, to talk to people even. And that probably pushed me and then of course I did not enjoy high school at all. And so I graduated early so I could go straight into beauty school. Okay. Okay.

Leslie:

Do you think if you hadn't moved, things would be different? Oh, absolutely.

Brittany:

Really? I'd be a different person, I think. I'd be a different person. Hairdresser, I think I'd be way more quiet. Um, yeah, it, it pushes you out of your comfort zone. It was probably the hardest, one of the hardest things. From, but you, you would have still been a hairdresser. I, I would think so. I looked at other things in case I couldn't carry a conversation. I looked at doing x ray tech or things that only had to go to school for like two years, cause I hated school. but I thought, Hey, I'm, I'm young. I'm going to graduate high school early and I'm going to try beauty school. And if it doesn't work out, then we'll try x ray tech. Yeah. It was hard. It was hard to start out, but I love it though. I

Leslie:

love that you had the self awareness. Yeah. You understood that there was fear there. You've recognized the fear, but you went and did it anyway. Yeah. You have to try. You don't know if you don't try. So you went to cosmetology school. Tell us how you're feeling through that.

Brittany:

it was a newer school, so there was only like six kids in the class, which was really cool because we got a lot of, One on one attention and they were learning and we were learning. So great time. they teach you a lot of old school stuff, so it still doesn't feel like when you graduate beauty school after 10 months, you still don't know like the modern way to do hair because it's so old fashioned. So I went to be an assistant at an Aveda salon and I was somebody's assistant for 10 months. And. That's where you learn everything. So, um, that was really great. And that gave me the confidence ish to, I did leave after about a year there and another salon called me and I worked out in Greenfield for a little bit and Going from Noblesville to Greenfield, it's just a different clientele of people. Okay. And then you start to realize that too, like the different conversations that you start to have. Yeah. And you're like, okay, really this is at my place? So the conversation's different too. It is. And it's different people, right? And so it's like, well, I can't really relate to the pig farmers. In Greenfield, and they don't come to the salon as much, and it was just a slower pace. So, then my dad said to start down in Greenwood, and I did. I had three other jobs, to be able to afford to pay rent, because I didn't have a clientele still. I was an assistant. For so long, but I was ready to get behind the chair, and I had enough confidence at that point. Started up and you're probably one of my first. I was, I mean, I had no clue. You got to fake it till you make it.

Leslie:

Well, and all these years later. Yeah, I know. Yeah. Yeah. It's been great. So tell, tell us about what you were, I mean, go back in time to when you were in cosmetology school, you were taking the steps to pursue this, purpose of yours of doing hair, how are you feeling while you're getting started?

Brittany:

Um, I think the whole scary part is I can learn all these skills and you could do the best haircut, but really what it also comes down to, I think is the conversation you have with people and the relationship that you have with them and making them feel good and comfortable and whatnot. So do they teach that in beauty

Leslie:

school?

Brittany:

No, not at all. Yeah. I don't even know how I got to that. I guess more doing just like friends hair and like the kids that I all watched growing up,, just doing their families and being comfortable with them. And, starting with those relationships and then building to strangers.

Leslie:

Well, and you were saying how you're feeling as you're starting to learn. How did you feel? Oh, intimidated.

Brittany:

I mean, you don't, I mean, I knew nothing, nothing at all. Like I could not even braid. And you still did it anyway. Yeah. Yeah. Yep. And they didn't teach you that, but they taught you, they started baby steps and you learn like chemistry and stuff. And okay. I like chemistry. And you learn that in high school. So they start there. And then when you get the mannequin head and, I mean, you don't know, you don't know what you're doing. I melted some, a comb in somebody's hair and they were mortified, you know, like, I like plastic melted in their hair. Like you have to cut that out. That's sad that I did that. It's scary, but you make mistakes and people know coming to a beauty school that,

Leslie:

that that's part

Brittany:

of it as part of it. I was young and. Yeah, I mean, yeah, you make mistakes, but you just got to keep, that's how you learn. I mean, that's the only way you can learn.

Leslie:

Yeah. So, so you're in Greenwood, so you went, go through cosmetology school. You're an assistant for, it sounds like a year or so about up on the north side of Noblesville. You recognize that clientele changes and you're like, I need to find my people. Yeah. And so you get a job in Greenwood, get a job. How long ago was this 16 years, 16 years ago, maybe

Brittany:

15.

Leslie:

Okay.

Brittany:

Yeah.

Leslie:

and so take us through 15, 16 years ago to now. How has it been? How's that journey been?

Brittany:

Oh, I love it. It's literally my pride and joy. It's my happy place. I love going to work. Everybody. that comes to see me. I just, they just all make my day and they all touch my heart in different places. And, um, starting out, it was very slow. To a point and you have a lot of turnover at the beginning. I was lucky enough to start in a salon that every, all the stylists had a full clientele. So they would throw me their, overflow. And then I made a bunch of baskets, um, um, with candy and coupons and stuff. And I would deliver them to the doctor's offices and the schools and I don't know, wherever I could think of. To try to get clients to come in. And did someone give you that idea or you're just, they tell you that in school, okay. You know how to build a business. You get maybe one or two off of, you know, a lot. Yeah. Cause a lot of people have, their own stylist are ready. So you're just hoping to find someone who's looking for somebody. And I was new, which is sometimes scary when I don't have all the experience under my belt. But yeah, it slowly just builds. It takes gosh, three to five years

Leslie:

to finally build

Brittany:

up your clientele. You're

Leslie:

building your business.

Brittany:

Yes. And the nice thing is doing booth rent, you get to make your own schedule and buy what you want, use what you want. Do what you want, really. You're your own business owner, really. Yes. And that is really nice. cause some things work and some things don't. And you get to choose what products. And then with the kids, that, the schedule making is really nice. And you can move people around that way. And go to their things. Yeah.

Leslie:

I love it. I saw your face light up and I asked the question, for someone whose purpose is like yours, where it's, every day is every day the same. No, no, not even a little bit.

Brittany:

Um, you know, you get to walk through people or with people through life and they're, they open up to you and you get to. Speak to them and comfort them or be excited with them or go to their wedding or their first baby. You might be the first person cause they don't want to put color on their hair. So they tell you, but nobody else knows. Like, it's just really cool. The stories you get to hear and the way people open up to you. Sometimes they come for you for comfort. I don't know. You're more

Leslie:

than a hairdresser. Yes. That's what I'm hearing. I feel

Brittany:

like I. Not that I am anywhere near a therapist, but, um, people do open up to me probably more than even a therapist does. They do to a therapist when they have, those sessions.

Leslie:

Yeah. Do you think that a going back to your childhood you wanted to do hair, but did you think that was also a, did you realize that this piece that seems to fill you up so much today? Was also a part of it.

Brittany:

I don't think at that young of an age that I would know that. I thought it was just cool to, you know, put tinfoil in your hair and roll hair up on rods and feel beautiful. And so I don't think that I thought of that at all, but the relationships that you have, and I don't know the way you can speak into people's lives. Just makes the job, in my opinion. Yeah. I mean, you know, I can do hair with my eyes closed. And I'm not the best hair cutter or colorer but, I really think, like, having that relationship, With people is what, I think makes it I'm.

Leslie:

I don't know. Yeah, did you ever have moments of doubt?

Brittany:

Yeah, so a lot even even still I mean I have a full clientele I can't accept new clients But you'll have weeks where everybody starts canceling, you know People are sick or and you're just like, oh my gosh, did I do something? Oh my goodness in my You take it personally. I shouldn't. You shouldn't. But sometimes you think, oh my gosh, did I buy the wrong thing? Did I do the wrong formulation? Did they sit long enough? You know, you just run through all that stuff in your mind of like, I had a really slow week or month. And, um, when you work off, I mean, you don't get paid if you don't work. I mean, it just, it just affects you more than one way. Yeah. Yeah. But. It's just part of the job too. You just

Leslie:

gotta be smart. So it sounds like the, any doubt that you have had has been more from the financial side of things.

Brittany:

I would say financial, but also it was like, well, did I do something wrong? People were too scared to tell me. Like, I don't want people to be scared to tell me I want to fix it. Um, but it's, it's usually not even that it's they're sick or their kids are sick or they don't have the finances or whatnot. So I guess any doubt is. Just making people upset, I guess. But, they always come back. They do. Yeah. I love it. So they always circle back around or they wanna try somebody else and that's fine. You can't, you can't take it personal. Especially in the hairdressing job. But you just wanna make sure you do it all right. I don't, I don't want to be wrong.

Leslie:

Yeah. Yeah. So your job, the way you make a living is through your pursuit of purpose, which isn't always the case for people I've learned, what are some of the. Challenges that come with that, if any.

Brittany:

Um, I don't think I could honestly, confidently say I could support myself in my career. Okay. Just because it's so up and down between the product prices and people canceling. If maybe if I like took people's credit cards and charged them like for that, but. Like I said at the beginning, like when I, I don't want to financially hurt somebody because they couldn't make their point. Like things happen, they do, but it does then hit me financially. So you have to have a good cushion to build up for those weeks or months or say COVID when we got shut down for seven months or seven weeks. If I don't work, I don't make anything. So that would be the struggle, I think., so I am thankful for my husband and his job for allowing me to be able to do what I absolutely love.

Leslie:

Cause I can't imagine. So having the support there. Yes. And in your case, it's financial support. It is.

Brittany:

Yeah. It is. If I worked full time, maybe, I don't know. I mean, booth rent, I mean, it's expensive. Products, it's expensive. And then when people cancel on you, it just, it hits you hard. Yeah.

Leslie:

Yeah. So don't cancel on your, your hairdresser.

Brittany:

If you can. If you can.

Leslie:

If, yeah. Try not to. Try not to.

Brittany:

Things happen. Of course things happen, but.

Leslie:

Yeah. It does. So the challenging side of your situation is more on the financial side of things. Any other challenges?

Brittany:

Um, I would say some people, I mean, when you meet, they just, you can't make them happy. There's some people you can't make happy. And there's some picky people, which I love. Cause then you know when they leave that they love what you did because they're so picky. They're like, all right, that's fine. It's good. I'm like, great! Um, I mean, you just meet so many different kinds of people, and again, you can't take it personally. I mean, you can, you can open up to them. I do, I'm spiritual, so I do talk about God, and I love that about our job, that we are able to bring that in, the Bible and faith and, um, sometimes that comforts people. Sometimes they like to ask more questions about that. And. I mean, I am an open book. I will tell anybody anything they want to know. And, um, I have nothing to hide. And so if they think how I would want to handle something, I can tell them or teach them what I know. Not that I'm no, again, no therapist. But, um, or things that comfort me and reach out to them that way. Yeah, I was, and it's hard sometimes. I mean, I feel like I do feel, I love my clients so much that sometimes I do take the heavy weight home. I was wondering. You know, and sometimes my mind will run and worry about them all night. Or all week. Or whatever, and I'll pray for them and reach out to them and ask if I can do anything or bring them anything. So it runs deeper than just cutting their hair. It's those relationships and friendships, I think. I just love and care for people, though, I hope, and show God's love and be a light, I guess, in other people's life.

Leslie:

Do you have to do anything to pump yourself up in the morning to go to work? No, I, once I'm at work, I'm so happy. Well, you said it's your happy place. It really

Brittany:

is. I like to have a cup of coffee. Um, just to wake me up a little bit because I'm not a morning person, but I do start at 8 o'clock in the morning and I'll, I'll take them as early as like 7. 30. I've had people call me in the middle of the night. Like, they need their hair done at 4 a. m. because, you know. It's, it's, whoever did it has messed it up and they need it fixed before they go into work. So I've run in. So you're there for them. I will. I'll run in and fix it for them. Even though they've cheated on me and gone somewhere else, they come back and we'll fix

Leslie:

it. But that's alright. So. Okay. So no need to pump up your, you look forward to it. I do. 15 years later, 16 years later. Okay. You still have that joy and spark in your every day, which is, I mean, I feel so blessed. Yeah. And that's what we all want, right? Yeah. We all want to be doing things that are so in alignment with what we've discovered to be our purpose. Yes. And you found that and it hasn't worn off. It does. Yeah. No, I love it.

Brittany:

I just think it's aspirational. I'm very blessed. I was talking to our trainer about it too. And he feels the same way. Like a lot of people don't love their job and you spend so much time doing so much time. And I don't know that that's hard. That's so sad. It is very sad.

Leslie:

It is a lot of time. It's part of why Purpose Project exists to, to help people. Discover their purpose. I found that, not everyone even has found it. You're very fortunate at a young age. I do. I feel so blessed. To have that clarity. Yeah. but then once we find it, there's a lot of things that hold us back and money's one of them. uncertainty, skills is another. You've talked about all of those things.

Brittany:

Yeah, for sure. Um, even my husband, I think he wanted to be like a marine biologist. And I mean, in Indiana, that's hard to do, but what if it wasn't hard to do and he did follow that dream? Right. Like, I don't know. You could just have a whole different life. Like, what if I didn't take the risk and you know, I could, I could be not as happy. Exactly. Yeah. And love my job. I just can't imagine. I love my job. Uh huh. I absolutely follow your dreams. Yeah, let's do it. Even if it's hard, just push through it. It's worth it. It is so worth it. Even if you're not making a ton of money,

Leslie:

money doesn't make you happy. Exactly. It doesn't buy happiness at all. It really does. When you look in your future ahead, what, what do you see?

Brittany:

I love that my job's so flexible, I guess. That's what I see that it's flexible that I can. I can go on vacation when I want. I can go to my kids things. My clients are pretty flexible with me, knowing that I have three kids. I can move around certain things. And working part time, I try to be pretty flexible with them when I gotta bounce things around, or they have to bounce things around. But then I am full, too, with the three kids schedules. But, um the future. I don't right now. I'm probably in my prime. I would say with my full clientele. Um, I mean, as I get older, I'm sure it will dwindle or people will leave or people will come and,. I don't know. I hope I don't have to leave my salon. I love all the girls I'm with. There's no drama. That's huge

Leslie:

um, so, but you, it sounds like you, You always see yourself doing hair for as long as you can. Oh

Brittany:

yeah. Yeah. I would love to. Yeah. And sometimes I think about like what my aunt does. She works at like a retirement home. And she'll sit and do perms and roller sets all day with the old retired people. And I would even do that someday, but then I have a stylist next to me who's, you know, in her eighties and she's still, Doing hair in the salon, one day a week and I would do that too. I hope my hands can keep up. I guess that's another like Scary thing is it is hard on your body. So to take that time off to fix your hands or whatever. Yeah, to take care of yourself so you can keep doing it. Yeah, but then you might lose people because you're off for six weeks. It's a huge financial hit. So those things are scary. Everything will happen the way it's supposed to.

Leslie:

Yeah. I imagine there are people listening to this that have a similar purpose and might not, it could be to be a hairdresser, but it might be to be a teacher or whatever. Yeah. What advice do you have for them?

Brittany:

I mean, if that's your purpose, if that is the skill God gave you, like go use it. Follow your dreams. Just do it. I mean, you have to do it. It's totally worth it. It's so worth it. I don't know how else to say it. Yeah. It's worth it. Just do it. Just do it. Go for it. If that's what your passion is, like, I don't know. Do as much research. Work your hardest at it. Um, no matter what you got to do, like I, I worked those three jobs. I worked at a gas station, like it was not fun, but it was hard work. So I could pay my booth rent. You know, I had three clients. I came in for once a month, but I still had to pay my booth rent. And, um, I taught swim lessons and worked at the gas station and did hair for years. So I, it's not always glamorous and it's not. Fun. And it doesn't happen overnight. Absolutely not. You've got to work at it. You do. And you got to improve yourself and you like, that's how you, that's how you learn. You got to make your mistakes. You do it while you're young. If you can, if you try, don't fall off.

Leslie:

Yes. Yeah. Do it. So we've talked about a lot. Thank you so much for sharing your story. Is there anything left unsaid in terms of pursuing purpose and what you've learned?

Brittany:

I would just say, do it. I follow your dreams, whatever skill you absolutely love, like do your best at it, research it, try your hardest. In my experience, you'll be happy. Yeah. You'll be so happy. You'll love to go to, I don't even feel like I go to work. I feel, I literally feel like I go hang out with my friends every time.

Leslie:

One, who doesn't want to feel that way? Yeah. You know, at work. Yeah.

Brittany:

And it's like 10 o'clock at night and I still don't even feel like. You're working. No. Like I just got done hanging out and I'm pretty tired.

Leslie:

Yeah. It's great. Thank you so much, Brittany, for being here and for sharing your story and the joy and what we get from pursuing our purpose and, and just doing it.

Brittany:

Just do it. Try your hardest.

Leslie:

Thank you. Season one of Purpose Project has been a conversation with individuals who have clarity in their life's purpose and they're actively pursuing it. I have been learning a lot through these conversations and one of the things that has become really clear to me is that each of us. Is responsible for our own life purpose. It's not up to our employer, to our family and our friends. It is up to us each individually. And this conversation with Brittany really amplified that for me. That if we have a dream that we want to pursue or that feeling in our gut, it's up to us to just go for it. Yes. Our family, our friends, our employers might need to support us, but it is up to us to just go do it. Brittany, thank you for being on the show and thanks to all of you for tuning in. I hope you have a wonderful day. Purpose Project is brought to you for education and for entertainment purposes. This podcast is not intended to replace the advice that you would receive from a licensed therapist or doctor or any other qualified professional.

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