One of the most difficult things I had to realize in my life was my true passion; what drives me, what I love to do. Even though the feeling was there so early in life, at some point I lost it. When I say vision, I mean being able to see myself living out my dreams.
As a kid I used to see myself working in a salon that I owned, and my FINE husband bringing me lunch, in a bomb car! I could feel that we were a power couple just by the way he walked into 1 of our many businesses; the salon was mine, lol. When I daydreamed about my future, this is one of the many visions I would have.
At some point the vision became blurry and college became a reality. For a few redundant reasons, going to college was the safer choice than cosmetology school. So many people around me at the time suggested that I go to school and use hair a side hustle. As if to say, the chances of me being successful at owning my own salon were low. But that was never my fear, originally. Listening to those who had the most influence on me at the time, I went to college in 2003.
When something is for you, no matter what route you take to get it, it is for you!
It is now 2018, I am finishing up my Bachelor’s Degree in General Studies with a Minor in Business. I am a licensed hair braider and Loctician, working out of my own salon studio suite. Through several wrong turns and dead ends, my journey has led me here. I have a small social media following, a growing business doing exactly what I love to do.
The journey was not easy. It required me to lose myself, to find myself. It just so happened that beauty played a major role in me realizing who I am and my genuine passion. Apart of that process was inner beauty, but let’s face it, we see outer beauty first. So accepting my natural beauty was the 1st step in accepting all of me. Ya’ll know what that led to, the infamous “Big Chop”. I’ll talk about that experience in a later blog along with my brief “Loose Natural Journey”, lol. Needless to say, Locs are more “my” thing, than Afros.
Throughout the years I have cared for locs and did braided hair styles, but I had never took it serious. I never saw it as a lifestyle either. When I made the decision to loc my own hair, I did a ton of research. I read blogs (Curlynugrowth), I binged watched YouTube videos (keishacharmaine), and I even purchased a few books on pdf from amazon. What I didn’t know would birth from these two ladies, was my vision. Their passion for locs inspired me. Kiesha a model and Jocelyn an educator, help me see my vision again.
After speaking with a client about “walking in our purpose” (my clients and I have real conversations), I got a text from the owner of Curly Beauty Supply Co. She was having an All Things Natural: Sip and Learn event and wanted me to speak about locs. Me? Public speaking? I was so afraid, but felt a tug on the inside say, YES! This was my confirmation that, all my dreams are unfolding. The event was EVERYTHING! I’ll be sure to add a link to the video once it’s available. I was able to promote my brand while networking and building connections.
While my journey continues, my main goal is to gain as much knowledge so that I can continue to live out my vision through my "Genuine Passion for All Things Loc’d Hair" .
Branding myself and my business helps me inspire and connect to those interested in my passion as I was in both Jocelyn and Keisha, who were great inspirations along with Nerissa Nefeteri of nenefemhealth.com, and Mecca of dovelovehanddesigns. They are all women of color, with locs, entrepreneurs, branding themselves, living out their true passions and proposes. Each has inspired me in some way through out my journey, and I can only hope to do the same for someone else.
When genuine passion moves you, you aspire to inspire.
Jenuine Locs
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