Stop Being a "Punk A$$ Chauncey": Hair Edition

One time I went out and my twist out was super popping!

One of the most "interesting" comments I hear from women of color when they compliment my hair is that "I wish I could go natural". GURL! Whet?!?! A loooooong string of questions pop in to my head. Why can't you? What's stopping you? What's wrong with wearing your hair in the texture that it grows out of your head? But I always smile and say "Awwww! You CAN!" When I hear women say things like this it makes me sad. Sad that people think that they are not going to be accepted for being who they are. Sad people don't want to wear their hair the way Jehovah made it. Sad that they accept the European standard of beauty when they are descendants of Africa. Sad that they would prefer to subject their body to harsh chemicals, chemical burns, heat burns, tension alopecia and everything else that comes along with not letting your hair just "be". Sad that they think their hair is nappy (in a negative way) and unmanageable in it's natural state. I want to scream STOP THIS!!!!! But I've been in therapy for about 5 years now and I am learning to be empathetic. I know that a drastic change in appearance takes a lot of mental preparation.

As a nerd, I gather data. About 85% of the natural consults I have are with women who want to wear textured styles but are scared of how their hair will turn out, wanting their hair to look like something they saw on the internet instead of figuring out what's best for their hair. I end up doing "hair counseling" instead of consulting. I am so happy that they are taking the first step. Even happier to help them. And elated when they report their hair "breakthroughs" to me.

Me, at work, with crazy hair
but still working.

Your hair is your hair. My hair is my hair. I have about 4 different textures of hair in my head. My hair tends to dry out. My hair flops forward into my face no matter how I style it. I stopped trying to do bantu knots, they just don't work for me. A lot of product in my hair ruins the style. I never used edge control, just Fancy Free products, a brush and a scarf. These are things I've learned about my hair over the past 7 years of not having relaxer. I have my hair routine down to a science. I rarely deviate from it because I've learned many a tough lesson.

My point is, Jehovah has designed everyone with intention and intrinsic beauty. Flaws and all, you are beautiful with short hair, long hair, straight hair, tightly coiled hair, etc. In 2017, if you are denied a job or an opportunity because of the way your hair is styled then maybe that thing you thought you wanted isn't for you. I just wouldn't encourage someone to go after that something that requires they look like something they aren't. In mind, they're gonna take whatever hairstyle you walk in there with and deal with it. You'd be surprised how complimentary people are of your natural styles. I've found that most have, what I call, "volume envy". They wish that they too could have big hair or switch their hairstyles up the way we can.

To anyone considering the transition to natural hair, my advice is to just do it. There is no time like the present. Think long, think wrong.

Shameless Plug Alert:

Fancy Free, LLC. is the manufacturer of quality products for hair and skin and natural hair consultant for women who would like assistance on their natural hair journey. Our motto is "Keeping you chemical free." Visit our website, www.fancyfreellc.com, to see a full range of our products and services. Sign up for our mailing list to receive natural hair tips and stay up to date on sales and the latest happenings with Fancy Free.

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Mentor Advise - Why Aren't You Taking Your Mentor's Advise?

Business owners are ambitious and hard-working people. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing a vision come to reality and getting paid from pursuing a passion. However, the road to success is full of challenges that may push the entrepreneur to the point of giving up or worse, doing something that is not in line with an established set of morals. It may seem like the someone in the practice of underhanded dealings is getting ahead faster and even more bountiful than someone who is not, but it never lasts. Those who violate a set code of business ethics always end up losing more than they gained. Here are some tips to prevent you from falling into that trap.

1. Trust the process.

Having a business mentor to bounce ideas off is very helpful. If your mentor confirms that you are on the right path with your actions, trust that you will have great success. Look at the challenges as learning opportunities. Usually, there is something that you need to learn before you see huge success.

2. There are no shortcuts to the top. You have to put in the work.

Ambitious people always want more and are open to different types of challenges. Success looks very different to different people. It is so easy to want what someone else has and more. The question is, are you willing to do what they did to get that? An opportunity to take part in unethical dealings may tempt someone to take a shortcut that presents as very lucrative. Don't fall prey to that trap. Stand firm in your own version of success and don't try to take shortcuts to get there.

3. Be someone who you want to do business with.

Let's be honest. If someone has a history of crooked dealings and wants to do business with you, most likely, you will decline their proposal. Sacrificing ethics usually means that someone is getting the short end of the stick. That may not register when you are benefiting from it but it's only a matter of time before the tables will turn. Will you still want to do business with someone who is getting over on you? Will your customers want to do business with you after you've short-changed them? Make business decisions that are in line with someone whom you would want to do business with.

4. Stay in touch with your accountability partners.

When no one is around, you feel like no one see's you in the act of making a poor judgement call. If you feel like something you're about to do isn't right, it usually isn't. It's natural to want to go against your gut feeling when you think you will profit in the end. Ask your accountability partner for insight before you make your final decision. Usually, they will confirm what you originally thought and talk some sense in to you.

5. All money isn't good money.

In 2008, the largest Ponzi scheme in the history of the United States all came falling down. Bernie Madoff promised investors an unheard of return on investment in an unheard of amount of time, conning investors out of $65 billion. It took a large team of people to pull a scheme of this proportion off. They all made lots of money over a short time. They also all went to jail. Every dollar earned goes farther than dollars "given".

When you aren't progressing as quickly as you think you should, don't take easy ways out that will violate business ethics. Trust the process and learn from it. There are no shortcuts to successful business. You have to put in the work to make it last. Behave like a business person that you would want to do business with. Have your accountability partners hold you accountable. Stay away from deals that are too good to believe because all money is not good money.

Fancy Free LLC. specializes in wealth building techniques with personal development coaching. Call us at (410) 929-0302 for your complimentary con sultation.