Daily Inspiration: Meet Brendan Hayes

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brendan Hayes. 

Hi Brendan, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My story begins in East Tennessee. I was brought into this world by two very young parents. I love them both so dearly, and each contributed tremendously to where I am today. My family is the kind where four-wheelers, tractors, dirtbikes, music, mountains, and curiosity were all cultured in some shape, way, or form. Being born into an extremely intune music family, I always felt the wool of the black sheep because I loved theater. I loved acting in plays and never really understood the thrill of living outside the stage. I played sports and was elite in the textbooks. I really had it figured out young. In the 4th Grade, I refused to take a career test because I already knew my two jobs: Be on Broadway & be President of the United States. I got into a bit of trouble, but those two goals drove me to where I am today. I struggled to find out how to get out of my little corner of the world. I didn’t do so until I went to college at The University of Tennessee. Here, I studied Advertising with Graphic Design and Business Administration while also working in the theater and enrolling in courses every other semester. I managed to secure an internship in NYC during the Summer of 2018 at Y&R. I went into the city without thinking of my dreams, but I managed to get there soundly. I had the Summer that you typically read about in magazines and utilized my time wisely. After work, I would attend acting open houses at Lee Strasburg and The Neighborhood Playhouse. At the end of Summer, I returned to UT and got cast in a play at The Clarence Brown. My first job after college was a professional Actor. After this, I packed my bags and $600 back up to NYC to pursue Broadway theater. I did everything I could to get on as many sets and take as many classes as possible and finally caught my first break in November of 2019 in the TV Show Dickinson. Shortly after COVID hit. I relocated to Nashville and signed with AMAX where my modeling career officially began. Since then, I have done work for numerous brands around town, LA, Chicago, and New York. I am currently repped by AMAX and OneManagement. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I don’t know if there is a smooth road for those choosing to have a career in Arts. Not only is there a battle going on in yourself, but also all around you. You question whether or not you are doing the right thing all the time. You find odd jobs to pay bills and hustle, but watch those close to you stack money at their day jobs. It is a tough road, but the solace I have found was in a Marcus Aurelius quote, “The Tree wakes up every day and never complains about being a tree. It does its job”. I may not have the exact words, but that idea shaped my process tremendously. A tree does what it was put on earth for and never complains. As an artist, it is to provide what life cannot. Those internal battles are your instincts telling you to grab a brush, a pen, an instrument, or whatever else and describe the world. 

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am most known for modeling right now, but I am a creator of many hats. I find pure joy out of acting, music, and writing as well. Currently, I am most proud of my hustle in order to do all of those things for a living. I am recently proud of Nelson Holliman and I’s work on a Dickies & 7-11 social media collab. 

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc.?
I love reading. I would probably start with a blog post called, “7 Books more Valuable than an MBA”. You have to master your own life as a creative and as a creative, you are a business. This collection helps you get out of your own way and understand the business side of what you are trying to achieve. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.onemanagement.com/Chicago/Men/Main/Brendan-Hayes
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/brendanperiod
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/brendanperiod