Rising Stars: Meet Doug O’Connell

Today we’d like to introduce you to Doug O’Connell.

Doug, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
The way I got into the beauty industry was I was really interested in doing makeup! I tried out makeup and came to find out that it wasn’t what I wanted to do and I really disliked it! I then decided to go to cosmetology school in 2012 which I attended Fullerton College and loved every step of the program! I was so interested and focused it’s all I thought about was HAIR! I remember I would do all my friend’s and neighbor’s hair in my dad’s garage and take before and after pictures to see my progress in my craft! Right after I graduated and recieved a cosmetology license I was hired as an assistant at a salon in Brea, CA and was an assistant for about a year and a half. I assisted the owner of the salon and really learned so much every time I was behind the chair!

I also go to experience doing photoshoots and having some of my work featured in magazines! I then became an independent stylist and started building my own clientele. Thank god for Instagram because that is how I built the clientele I have today. When I first became a renter, I really tried to figure out how I could gain clients and keep them! That’s when I dove deep into Instagram and figured out ways to promote my business and get busy! It worked. I worked at that salon for about 4 years and then moved onto a different salon in Fullerton, CA. I have been a stylist for almost 11 years now and really have started to work my way into other gigs outside of the salon. I did the Emmys in 2022 for some of the queens of RuPaul’s drag race! I currently work at my dream salon The Nest in Brea, CA.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a horrible rough road for me but I have experienced obstacles that really changed the way I look at myself and my career. I can always think of this one story… I was probably in the hair industry for about 3/4 years and I got invited to do hair with some other stylist at a photoshoot. We all had our own models and could do whatever hairstyle we wanted and it was then photographed and the makeup was done by one of the head makeup artists in oc at the time. I remember I did a slicked bun and then flat-ironed the ends up to kinda look like a leaf type of thing. Totally out of my comfort zone but I did it. Long story short the head makeup lady hates my look and make me take it down and told me I would never go anywhere in the hair industry and that I would just be sweeping hair for the rest of my life. That’s changed me. And no joke Kim Kardashian again had the same style I did in one of her shoots 2 years later so that made me feel amazing!

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a professional hairstylist. I specialize in balayage and blonde looks. I do everything from extensions, haircuts, all hair color, styling, and red carpet events. I think the thing that sets me apart from other stylists would be the way I blend my color and style hair. My proudest moment so far is doing Jasmine Kennedies hair for the Emmys she was on RuPaul’s drag race!

Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Instagram. Tiktok.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Instagram.com/dougoconnell13
• Twitter: Twitter.com/dougoconnell13

Image Credits
Angela Orozco