"Delete All Dis Ish, Piggy!"

If you're just joining me on this journey, I am the founder of Fancy Free Hair & Skin, a personal care manufacturing company. I did not set out to start a business. It happened accidentally. I don't know much about marketing product. I am an expert at developing and manufacturing products because I spent 7 years running a laboratory.

Now that we've got that out of the way, I am always looking at my products, website, social media, pictures, etc. trying to figure out how they can be improved. Last year, I felt like I hit a plateau but wasn't sure what I could do to take my business to the next level. So, I decided to hire a new marketing company to give me a fresh perspective on the things I look at everyday.

The graphic designer I use for my labels and other marketing material has been with me since the beginning. THEE VERY BEGINNING. She was the one who sent me a message saying "Girl. You are too fancy for this janky label you have. Let me fix it." The rest is history. My product labels have gone through a few

adjustments over the past 3 years but no real overhaul. Last year, I finally decided to create individual labels for the 5 different scents of shea for hair and skin instead of continuing to use one standard label with separate scent labels. Sounds simple, right? That's because "you did not do your math" *Erykah Badu vc*. Let us add up the cost for ONE product's labeling:

• (2 labels per jar + 2 different sizes) x 5 different scents = 20 rolls of labels
• Each roll of labels (minimum 250 labels) costs about $80 per roll with my customer loyalty discount
• That's 20 x $80 to upgrade my labels for ONE product. 
• $1600 for just the labels

The labels for one product. I have 9 different products. My graphic designer and I went back and forth about a few things with the labels for this one product. So when I required new labels for another product, I was kind of over it. Plus I was on a time crunch because I had made promises on when the new packaging would be available. 

Fast forward, I meet with the marketing company to really dive deep into what Fancy Free Hair & Skin is all about and who I am as a founder. One of the first things they comment on is my packaging and labeling. AAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!! I got that anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach because.... well, see the calculations above. By the end of the "deep dive" session, we had shifted our focus to other aspect of Fancy Free that could be improved and did not mention the labels again. Then I started working on labels for the Clay Wash and Castor Oil blend (Available sometime this summer. Continue reading if you want to know about what's taking so long). The marketing company asked to see the labels that my graphic designer came up with, the designer who has been with me since day one. The one who I trusted with a major part of my branding. I gave her the go ahead to use more color and to keep in mind that I approve changing the label design to be more "Fancy". The labels she designed for my new products were in line with all of my other product labels. I understood that she wanted them to be cohesive with my existing products but my marketing company had something different in mind. Whole time, I'm confused and unsure, so guess what I did. Nothing. I put the new product release on the shelf and started working on shampoo bar, soap, shampoo and body wash. SMH. 

About two weeks after "Label Gate", I go to the grand opening of the Made In Baltimore Pop-Up Store, since my products are being sold there. Fancy Free was set up in a display in the middle of the table with about eight other handmade personal care products. My sister, who is my creative director, and I were looking at my products among the others like "Something isn't right here." I didn't like the way my products looked next to others. I felt like mine looked amateur. I felt like Fancy Free products didn't measure up. Which I know isn't true but just looking at them next to other products made me feel that way. It hit me like a ton of bricks. The marketing company was right. I need to do something about these labels. *hears money flushing down the toilet*

Moral: Sometimes you have to throw everything away and start over.

I know this. I do it all the time during product development. I would make a change in the formula, just to see how it would turn out. The results....TRASH! As duly noted in my lab notebook. 

This same theory applies to my labeling. While my current labeling isn't "trash", I realized that they need to be improved in order to give my brand the image it needs to take Fancy Free Hair & Skin to the next level. And while it will cost me money to make changes, it will cost me more in the future if I leave them as they are. After all, marketing and branding are not my ministry, this is why I paid the marketing company to fix my life. Seems counterproductive to hire an expert and then not take the expert's advice. 

I spent 2018 putting systems in place, hire and training staff, and building relationships so that I could spend 2019 growing my business. This realization can definitely be filed in the "growing pains" category but Fancy Free and I will be better for it.
Ok. Now that I've told the story. Let me swallow my pride and order these new labels.

Shameless Plug Alert:

Fancy Free Hair & Skin manufactures quality products for hair and skin, as well as provides natural hair consults for women who would like assistance on their natural hair journey. Our motto is "Keeping you fancy and free of chemicals." Visit our website, www.fancyfreehairandskin.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.

Visit www.fancyfreehairandskin.com to subscribe to our mailing list. Become Fancy's Friend to receive a code for 10% off your next purchase.

They MADE That Girl Get A Relaxer

The Fancy Free brand is all about hair and skin products that are free of harsh chemicals but also being Fancy and Free, as a person. That means embracing who you are, especially your natural hair texture. I have no problems with weave and wigs because hair can also be an accessory worn to express how you're feeling that day. But to chemically modify the texture of your hair to make it do something it wasn't designed goes against what I stand for. Again, I do not judge anyone who CHOOSES to do that. After all, it's your hair. However, to tell threaten someone's livelihood because they will not relax their hair is despicable, in my humble opinion me.

So, there's this article that everyone keeps tagging me in. About a young girl competing in the America's Next Top Model franchise in the Carribean, Carribean's Next Top Model, who essentially had to decide between relaxing her hair or being eliminated from the competition. Watch the video: 

What. In. The. World. I have so much to say that I'm speechless. So let me count the ways...

1. FIRST OF ALL, YOU UGLY! I'm sorry but what?!?! Girl, a RELAXER!?!? What happened to a press and curl? I don't need a relaxer to wear my hair straight. What rock have you been living under that you don't know that you don't know that?
2. Where is your heart? This girl is crying over her hair. Not cuz she doesn't want a cut or a certain style but because she doesn't want to expose her hair and skin to harsh chemicals. She. Is. Crying. Real. Tears. What kind of monster are you?
3. As a brown woman in the Carribean, I'm sure you have experienced racism and colorism in your lifetime. Do you remember that? How did that make you feel? Not good, I bet. Hair texture shaming is the same as that. We are JUST becoming comfortable in our own skin and embracing our natural, unadulterated beauty since the beginning of the transatlantic slave trade. Even if YOU are not comfortable with the natural texture of your hair, do not enforce your beliefs on me, especially if they expose me to harsh chemicals. ESPECIALLY since I can wear my hair straight WITHOUT doing that.
4. Unprofessional?!?! Let me tell you something. You are asked this girl to go against everything she believes in. Giving her an ultimatum between standing up for what she believes in and her career. She did not raise her voice. She simply expressed her strong beliefs and stood up for herself. 
5. Naughty?!?! This young lady is a grown woman. Not a child. Speaking up for herself is not considered misbehaving. It's a human right. So, not only are you forcing her to submit to YOUR standard of beauty, but you also want her to succumb to misogynistic/sexist rules of society. Women are supposed to be silent and do as told? Even if it's wrong? Even if they don't agree. Ridiculous. She spoke in calm respectful tones. At least from what I saw from the clip. She was in well within her rights to react the way she did.

I could go on and on but Imma stop at 5 cuz that's when people stop reading anyway. LOL! This whole scene makes me more sad than angry. Just like I feel sad for blatantly racist and hateful people. Our differences in view and beliefs is what makes this world a colorful and enjoyable place. We see thing differently. We operate differently, in different spaces that feel comfortable for us as individuals. Forcing someone to do something that is against their beliefs is just wrong.

For women reading this who prefer to wear their hair straight, hear me loud and clear, YOU DO NOT NEED A RELAXER TO WEAR YOUR HAIR STRAIGHT!  And if your hairstylist tries to tell you that you NEED a relaxer, I'd suggest you get a new stylist. Modern styling tools and hair products straighten hair beautifully without exposing you to chemicals that can eat through an aluminum can.

Ok. That concludes my rant for the day. Remember, that you are a friend of Fancy and she wants you to live Fancy and Free of harsh chemicals. LOL!

Shameless Plug Alert:

Fancy Free Hair & Skin manufactures quality products for hair and skin, as well as provides natural hair consults for women who would like assistance on their natural hair journey. Our motto is "Keeping you fancy and free of chemicals." Visit our website, www.fancyfreehairandskin.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.

Subscribe and become Fancy's Friend to receive a code for 10% off your next purchase. 

I Draw The Line At.....Edge Control

Fancy Free Hair & Skin started as as consultant company back in 2013. It was called Fancy Free
Natural Hair Consults. My accountant told me that I needed to start a home based business and I was getting sooooo many questions about my hair routine and the products I was using that I decided that I would sit down with these ladies for a nominal fee of $20. That fee included one hour of one on one conversation with me, a sample of the product I was making for myself and a personalized hair care plan developed to help them reach their hair goals.
NOTE: Yes, the price has gone up but only to pay for the cost of the nutritional supplements I now include in the Natural Hair Consultation package.

A lot of my consult clients would contact me about purchasing more of the product I had given them. I'd just give them recipe - which I have tweeked since then. Fast forward to 2015, my goodt goodt girlfriend tried my product and simply said "Sell this". I trust her judgment and since I already had a few people asking for it, I started to sell it. The rest is history, well....more like, history in the making.

Since then, I've launched the Exclusives line of Shea Pomade for Hair & Skin, lipbalm, Fancy Free Milk for Hair & Skin, Alumium Free Roll-On Deodorant, and, everyone's favorite, Aluminum Free Solid Deodorant. I launched these products based on customer feedback and inquiries. However, I do not make products that I don't use on myself or that my family wouldn't use. I have at least one more product in the pipeline within the next year and it's NOT edge control.

In the beginning of my transition to natural hair, I did try to find the perfect product to lay my edges down nice and smooth but none that I ever tried were a lasting solution. My edges would end up looking just how they looked without edge control, just greasier. After spending about $150 over the years trying different products, I asked myself "Why am I doing this?". I didn't have a real answer, so I quit trying to control my edges.



As it becomes apparent that I can develop any product I want to, more and more customers are asking me about edge control, usually natural newbies. My answer is "Not gonna happen." Here's why.....

1. I don't want to be controlled and neither do my edges. I've always needed to operate in a space that gave me creative freedom to accomplish my goals/tasks/assignments in a way that feels good to me. When it comes to my hair, I had a much better relationship with my natural texture when I decided to let it show me what it wanted to do instead of trying to force it to do something it's not designed to do. I feel the same about edges. Let them be free to do what they want. Otherwise, they will always go against you.
2. People are losing their edges as a result of trying to control them. Most African-American women and girls suffer from traction alopecia (lost edges) because they are trying to get a look that's just not meant to be.....smooth, straight edges. Pony tails pulled tight. Braids snatched. Weaves tight. 
3. As I dive deeper into educating myself on the history of caring for kinky textured hair, product development and beauty standards, I have begun to find words like "smooth" and "control" appalling considering that my kinky hair is not ever going to be smooth. At least not in it's natural state. I pride myself on my wild hair. I will brush my edges when I pull my hair up but I never go out of the way to have them "laid" because...well, see number 1.
4. I don't encourage the use of edge control. I don't support what edge "control" represents. (Yes. I could be reading into it too much but there is so much subliminal messaging and brain washing with the beauty industry, I'm going to stick with my story) And most importantly, I don't use edge control. Therefore, I will not be developing edge control or carrying any "edge control" like products.

https://dd2d9j2i66w9u.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/
sites/2/2018/01/10020238/Baby-Hairs.jpg

This is my personal preference. I do think that toothbrush styled, swirly edges are pretty. I just know that for me, it's a waste of time. So, I don't do it. The funniest thing about this topic is, most people who have asked me about edge control in the past almost always come back to tell me that they understand why I don't use it. LOL! Right! Cuz it doesn't work. So why bother?

The name of my business, Fancy Free, represents both me and my products. I am fancy and free. A free spirit. I have a hard time conforming to norms that aren't true to who I am. I feel like Jehovah made us all perfectly beautiful and it is my mission to help everyone see their natural beauty and the beauty of individuality. What works for the goose doesn't always work for the gander. That's why it's for the goose. Let your hair be fancy and free. You'll be surprised how much stress is alleviated from your life once you're not trying to "control" it and make it do something it not designed to do.

Shameless Plug Alert:

Fancy Free Hair & Skin manufactures quality products for hair and skin, as well as provides natural hair consults for women who would like assistance on their natural hair journey. Our motto is "Keeping you fancy and free of chemicals." Visit our website, www.fancyfreehairandskin.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.

Subscribe and become Fancy's Friend to receive a code for 10% off your next purchase. 

We're Off To See Wakanda

If you haven't seen or heard about Marvel's Black Panther yet, I want you to log off this blog, leave the rock you've been living under, and go to the nearest movie theatre to see it. Seriously. However, if you know what I'm talking about, then you can relate. My husband and I did it up in full, Coming to America, ethnic thot, trap royalty regalia for the private screening we attended. Then I went back for a matinee just to make sure I didn't miss anything. I'll probably volunteer to go, yet again, with some school kids too. After it's all said and done, seeing this movie 5-6 times won't be too many times in my book.

Red, black and green
sneakers cuz....

Peep the hair bling though.

This movie most certainly lived up to all of it's hype. Not only was it a great movie as far as story line, cinematics, and special effects were concerned, it was full of beautiful images of Africa for those of African descent. It made me proud to have these images of my people in media.

However, I would be remiss if I didn't point out all of the black girl magic displayed in this movie. The motto of black women in America has always seemed to be "F@#k it. I'll do it." Constantly saving everyone from themselves. Or at least trying to. We always seem to be the best at decision making in tough situations. Oh, how black girls were magic in Black Panther, let me count the ways....

1. First up, Nakia. The newly crowned king of Wakanda's love interest. Yes, she was sent as a spy but she was not just observing, she was saving the people. Although we did not get much detail about her "mission", it looked as though she had inserted herself into the human trafficking operation and was freeing the helpless. That is, until her needy ex-boyfriend came to get her. LOL! And even after she was offered the throne, she declined. Essentially saying, yeah, this is nice but I have things to do. Nakia was beautiful, fearless and honorable. Just doing it. 
2. Then we have Okoye. The general of Wakanda's royal army. Leading a band of bad-ass bald women warriors. She was wise and intuitive. Always calm, she never appeared to make decisions out of emotion. Always calculating and loyal. Even to the point of being willing to off her own man in order to save the people. 
3. The one who stood out to me the most was Shuri, the genius princess of Wakanda. There were so many things about Shuri that I could relate to. Obviously, she was brilliant. But she was funny and relatable. Not your typical princess, she clearly wasn't fond of rules but would follow them when absolutely necessary. She was always tinkering with and finding ways to improve a process. That's what I'm talking about! WORK! 

                      

Nakia!

Okoye!

My girl, Shuri!

Yes. There were other women in this movie with stand up rolls but these three were my favorite. 🤷🤷 They worked together to save Wakanda but they also helped the king see that the Wakandan way is not the best way for the sake of humanity and progress. So they helped to save the rest of the world too.

Seeing this imagery on the big screen, not only made me proud of my heritage but it was also confirmation that I am on the right path. I am free to do as I please, to develop new products, to improve what I have but also to help other's while I'm doing it. I'm so excited about the growth of Fancy Free Hair & Skin and the plans I have to save the Qmunity while I do it. I am so thankful for this blessing of an opportunity to help others. Yes, you can give someone a job but to help them believe in themselves enough to create opportunities for others is the real blessing.

Shameless Plug Alert:

Fancy Free Hair & Skin manufactures quality products for hair and skin, as well as provides natural hair consults for women who would like assistance on their natural hair journey. Our motto is "Keeping you chemical free." Visit our website, www.fancyfreehairandskin.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.

Subscribe and become Fancy's Friend to receive a code for 20% off your next purchase. 

Brain Washed

Disclaimer: I don't watch television. I used to. I want to. I love to be entertained. I just find myself

Amara La Negra

trying to do so much in one day that I look up and it's time to go to sleep. I don't want to be one of those people who says "I don't have time to watch tv." or "I'm too focused to watch tv." I just run out of time at the end of the day. I DO scan social media and have group text with my friends who watch tv.

Love and Hip Hop Miami has me intrigued. Once I'm done with all of my goals for January, I will definitely be sitting down to indulge in that. First of all, the cast has established music artists. Trick Daddy is one of my favorites. While I don't listen to much latin music, Amara La Negra caught my attention. She is beautiful and strong. I know she's strong because she has been in the music industry for many years and remained true to herself. A thick, brown beauty with a flourishing afro. She is popping. But that doesn't stop a producer from trying to tell her that she needs to change her look. Ummm...exsqueeze me? I was so proud of her for standing up for herself. 

You see, I used to be one of those people who thought that you needed straight hair for formal events or when you got "dressed up". Big hair don't care until you're in a gown. Then it's fried, died and laid to the side. LOL! Praise Jehovah for an awakening. Don't get me wrong. If' that's what you prefer, then that's what you prefer. But it's definitely not a requirement. Who decided that edges had to be smooth and pulled tight? Who says that I won't look classy with the same bush I wear everyday? I feel like make up and the wardrobe makes the look, hair is the compliment. Again. My personal preference. 

And the hair accessories really took my

look to the next level. 😍

When planning my wedding vow renewal, my sister's were asking me how I was going to wear my hair after I found my dress and offered suggestions. All of which included straight hair. I told them I was not straightening my hair for this. One of my sister's response was "I don't think a natural style will go with that dress" *clutches pearls* Bish whet!?!? I caught myself and responded in love. This is my day. I am who I am. I like natural styles. I am the natural hair "guru". What I look like wearing straight hair on this special day. I am supposed to be setting an example and paving the way. I will be wearing my hair in a style that does not require straightening, weave or wig. It's what I like. I wore my "natural style" with my elegant gown and looked beautiful. No stressing over maintaining straight hair while on vacation. Hmph! 

For so many years, African American women have been subjected to all kinds of torture trying to make their hair do something it's not designed to do. Leading to scalp sores, damaged hair, baldness, and other issues in extreme cases. For years, we were told that locs were "unprofessional" and got foul looks for wearing our hair in styles that enhances the natural curls instead of trying to tame them. There have been so many news worthy stories of school and policy changes as young girls and women are not only opting out of straight hair and tightly pulled ponytails but we are letting our afros flourish. It's 2018, an afro does not indicate militancy. (I'm sure a lot of the policies about hair were based on the hair style of choice back in the Civil Rights movement and the emergence of Black Power. We see you) We are woke and more powerful now than ever before. We will sue the pants off of any corporation if we find out that we were denied an opportunity because of our hairstyle.

Personal preference is just that. Personal preference. But once you start trying to impose your opinion on me, we have a problem. Let me be me. Whether it's curly, kinky, wavy or straight. Short or long hair doesn't make me more or less feminine, professional or classy. Jehovah made me in his image. I choose to honor Him by not subjecting my hair toxic chemicals and damaging hairstyling techniques. You choose to honor Him in ways that suit you. Different strokes for different folks. But leave me out of your choices and preferences. Now....if you ask my opinion, that's a different story. LOL!

It makes me sad when people think that they HAVE to be something they're not. Elegance does not require straight hair, Mr. Young Hollywood. Elegance comes from within. Like style and grace. An Afro can be just as elegant as a long, flowing hair or a beautifully coiffed up-do. Leave us out of your closed minded view of what is beautiful. Hmph!

Shameless Plug Alert:

Fancy Free Hair & Skin manufactures quality products for hair and skin, as well as provides natural hair consults for women who would like assistance on their natural hair journey. Our motto is "Keeping you chemical free." Visit our website, www.fancyfreehairandskin.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.

Subscribe and become Fancy's Friend 

My Struggles With Colored Hair

This one time, I was out with my husband and saw this girl with a beautiful blond bush. He said, "DO IT! I'll pay for it." I don't think he considered how much hair color costs. Like good hair color, done

a by a color specialist. It can cost a grip. Plus I had vowed to never color my hair again after getting highlights back in 2006 and experiencing thee worst dry and damaged hair. LOL! My hairstylist, who transitioned my relaxed hair to natural and does my maintenance, would say "I will make you some clip ins. I am not dealing with your hair and color."

However, some things had changed since my stylist first told me she was never coloring my hair. I was getting bored with my dusty brown, yet healthy, hair and she had since become an Aveda instructor and THEE go-to color specialist

in her salon and, quite possibly, the entire city of Baltimore. We talked about color again and she didn't suggest clip ins, so I made my appointment and went for it, with my husband's credit card in tow. Five hours and $500 later, I had reddish hair with honey blond highlights. My curl pattern was still intact. I was in love. My husband was in love too. My summer hair was EVERYTHING!

Charda, my stylist, recommended some shampoo and conditioner for my color treated hair, but when I looked at the price, I said to myself "Ummmm...let me try this here Shea Moisture for color treated hair." BIG. MISTAKE. My hair felt so dry and brittle. It began reverting (when your twist out doesn't hold the curl pattern any longer) almost immediately after taking my twists out when I could usually get a week or two out of the style. For my hair, this was sign of damage. I was distraught. So I called Charda. I went in for a "treatment" - my words, not hers

- and my hair was back to feeling soft and nourished for a while. I sucked it up and bought the shampoo and conditioner she had recommended, then found a Shea Moisture conditioner that worked better for my color treated hair than the regular one I was using.

Moral: Listen to your stylist! Use the products they recommend.

I colored my hair in July 2016. It's been over a year and the color is almost grown out. I don't think I'll lighten my hair again any time soon. If I'm feeling like I need color, I'll get a dark rinse to coat my hair and make it shiney. Light hair is pretty to look at but bleaching it to lighten (No matter what the stylist or the product packaging says, lightening your hair requires some kind of bleach which is damaging) make dry hair even more dry. And with this thick, kinky hair, I just don't want to deal with it being dry and feeling unmanageable. Dry hair leads to breakage and all the extraneous trips to the salon for "treatments" to treat the dry hair add up. Salon trips in 2016 could be squeezed in the budget but in 2017....ain't NO wiggle room in this full-time entrepreneur's hair budget. LOL!

If you're thinking about coloring your hair:

1. GO TO A PROFESSIONAL! I cannot say that enough. Someone who is, not only licensed, but who also stays current on the most effective products and techniques. Charda applied a technique for coloring my thick and kinky hair to prevent damage. 
2. Think about the costs beyond the initial applications. Just like transitioning from having a relaxer to natural, the way you maintain your hair and the products you use should change because your hair has been changed and is changing. If you don't want to invest in the products and increased visits to the salon, be prepared for your hair to dry out and break off, requiring you to cut it because, I don't care what anyone tells you, you have to cut damaged hair off.
3. Pay attention to your hair afterward. Your hair is a part of your body. It tells you when something isn't right. Fairy knots mean it's time for a trim. Not holding a style or other curl means you need a "treatment". 

I'm just keeping it real with you. I still use my Fancy Free products for moisturizing and styling but the way I shampoo'd my hair had to change. Read my updated Fancy Hair blog for the list of products I am using now.

Shameless Plug Alert:

Fancy Free Hair & Skin manufactures quality products for hair and skin, as well as provides natural hair consults for women who would like assistance on their natural hair journey. Our motto is "Keeping you chemical free." Visit our website, www.fancyfreehairandskin.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.

Subscribe and become Fancy's Friend

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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Started From The Bottom, Now We're....Still Kinda At The Bottom

I started selling Fancy Free Pomade for Hair & Skin in March 2015, it was on a whim. No business plan. No real plan for it at all. My goodt goodt girlfriend knows her stuff, after using it once, she said "Sell this." So I started selling it. That first year was a world wind of packaging, designing labels, solidifying vendors....or at least trying to solidify vendors, but that's another story. You know, just trying to figure it all out without having the slightest clue of what I was doing. What I did know was that I had something good. I had a great product with a great concept and as soon as people tried it, they were hooked.

When I saw what I looked at my profits from 2015, I thought "We might be on to something." If I had the right guidance, if I had the right influence, if I had someone to show me, step by step, how to run my business, this could really be big. But I had none of that. I didn't even have a real website. LOL! I talked to a few people but no one who could commit to really mentoring me the way I needed. I am a scientist, not a business woman. I was floating by in the first half of 2016. Taking my sweet time to get my website together. I mean, I was selling on Etsy and eBay, good enough. I had this HUGE project that I was working on at work. I had a baby in my belly. I had a lot on my plate. Then I got a call to for Shark Tank casting. Whaaaaaatttt??????? OMG! I was so nervous. I had to record a video. I didn't know what to say. My website wasn't finished. I didn't have a business plan. My numbers were pretty puny compared to the type of numbers I had seen from other businesses pitching on the show. But I went for it. Kicked in to high gear. Rushed to have a special box designed to send samples to California. I was not polished. I was all over the place. I had no experience shipping in warm temperatures, so I'm sure the product was melted when it was delivered. Fancy Free was not selected for the second phase of testing. But I did not get discouraged. I used that experience as a lesson. I took that lesson and got to work.

Fast forward to June 2016, a second Shark Tank casting. No call back. Then in August 2017, an application to pitch to Betamore at Beta City. Yes! Finally, I think this is going to be the one. I go to the workshop they have on creating a pitch. The presenter offered some great insight, maybe you don't need an investor, if you're profitable and small, your efforts can probably be "bootstrapped". No. It's not as secure as having a millionaire back your efforts. Yes. It will take longer. But why give away equity in your company when it's very possible that you can achieve your goals without having to. Needless to say, I did not get selected to pitch my business to an investor at Beta City but I was selected to become a member of iFundWomen's Maryland cohort.

iFundWomen is a platform for women entrepreneurs to encourage and support each other through raising capital to start or grow their businesses. Founded by Karen Cahn during the 2016 Presidential Election, iFundWomen has since raised $700,000 for 120 entrepreneurs. The mission of iFundWomen is to close the funding and confidence gap for female entrepreneurs by working with early stage companies on coaching, brand positioning, and sales strategies, to get them off the ground, and onto "Main Street". 

Living in the city, I see all of the disparities of Baltimore. My husband and I chose to purchase a house in the city because we know the solid community is the only thing that can reverse the effects of school to prison pipeline, drug addiction, absentee parents and other challenges our people are experiencing. We decided that we wanted to set an example and be the change in our city that we want to see. Our goal is to play a major role in rebuilding our city and the sense of community that we once held so near and dear to our hearts. With help for iFundWomen supporters, I will be able to do just that. 

I have a really hard time asking for help publicly, especially monetary help, but I realized that my project was bigger than me so I got over myself. I am offering rewards for every giving level. This is where building community begins. If you offer a helping hand, I am in a better position to help someone else because you helped me.

Summer Hair Struggles

Color and highlights still popping

My Fancy hair has been growing like weeds. The wet twist out, using Fancy Free Pomade for Hair & Skin, is my signature hairstyle. But this summer is different. I have been struggling with my hair. Let me count the ways....

1. I have hair color. 
2. I have less time to deal with my hair than ever before.
3. It's been so hot and humid.
4. I don't have real motivation to look "fly"
5. My husband always has to have input on my hair.

The Bleached Hair Struggle

I have kinky hair. Kinky hair has a propensity to require more moisture than heavier hair. Lighten it and you've added another level of dryness to your already dry hair. Of course, my hairstylist is one of the best colorist in the city. She uses quality product and techniques to prevent damage. She also recommended products for me to use at home. However, after a year, I'm finding that the dryness is effecting how long my wet twist outs maintain the curl pattern. So, I'm spending more money going in for conditioning treatments which can get expensive. Ugh!

All I got in me is 2 braids

The Ain't Nobody Got Time Fah Dat Struggle

I thought I'd have more time to do what I wanted to do when I left healthcare. WRONG!! I forgot about the whole active little one year old part. I also didn't factor in that my business would be growing. I mean....of course, it's going to grow, I work on growing it daily but I just didn't think about it. Setting aside dedicated hair time has become more and more difficult.

Started with a braid out now we're here.

The Humidity Is A Hater Struggle

On top of making sure my hair is moisturized because of the color, I'm dealing with the hot, steamy, east coast summer climate. I'll be damned if I sacrifice 2-3 hours fooling with my hair for it to only look like something for 4-5 days because of humidity. I need to get 1.5 weeks out of it, at the very least. And forget an up-do

The I Ain't Got Nowhere To Be Struggle

Storyville Time

Let's face it. My reality is I'm whipping it up in the kitchen, playing with my son, laundry, errands, computer work, phone calls, etc. I leave home to drop my boy off at daycare and go to the grocery store. Who am I looking cute for? I know I should look cute for my husband but we've been together since 2003, he knows I'm fly when I need to be. I make sure my workout gear is cute. However, I can't commit to cute hair too.

$186 Vacation Hair

The My Husband Is Picky About My Hair Struggle
When I decided to grow my relaxer out, it was a family decision. It's our hair. My husband doesn't like weave or individual braids/plaits. He deals with my quirks so I oblige him when it comes to my hair. He liked my waist length vacation cornrows but they only last 3 weeks, are expensive, and take a lot of time - See Struggle #2. I twisted my hair in small two-strand twists that I could style as if it is braids. He said it looks cute but I can tell he's not impressed. He prefers faux locs. Heavy, expensive, take forever to install faux locs. I just can't commit.  

Fancy "FREE" Twists

So, what's the moral? Even the Natural Hair Consultant has hair struggles. You are not alone. As we grow and evolve, so does our hair routine. Right now I'm trying different conditioning treatments for colored hair, water, and Fancy Free Milk for Hair & Skin as a moisturizer I can use frequently. 

Fall will come. My color will grow out. I will hire a few more employees. My son will start school. And all will be right with Fancy's world and hair....until it's not. LOL!

Shameless Plug Alert:

Fancy Free, LLC. is the manufacturer of quality products for hair and skin. 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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The Shea-M of It All

As a newly minted naturalista, I spent a lot of time AND money trying out different hair products. I could never find anything that got it quite right which is why I started making my own. However, Shea Moisture quickly became one of my staple products for shampooing and conditioning. So much so that I often recommend it to my Natural Hair Consult clients. It's relatively inexpensive and chemical free, right in line with the Fancy Free motto - Fancy and Free of Chemicals. The fact that it's owned by a black family was a plus. An awesome plus. A big plus. However, in 2015, a larger company, Bain Capital, became an investor to the family owned and run Shea Moisture. With big investors come new "visions" for the company. We know that. It never fails. BUT when loyal customers, black women, voiced their concerns about what the new investors meant for the company and products, Shea Moisture executives reassured us that nothing about Shea Moisture's core values would change. In fact, partnering with an investor allowed Shea Moisture to free up resources that gave them more freedom and capitol to invest in the community. So they said. The reality is, to grow as a company, you need more money to expand. Dassit. Dassall.

Now, when I saw the name "Bain", y'all know what I thought of, right? Bane, the villain in that last Batman movie. I'm just saying. And the fact that Mitt Romney is part owner of the company, a rich, white man.... I'm just trying to figure out how this conversation even started. Anyway, my experience in the corporate world is that no one cares about the people, only the bottom line. So let's see how this plays a role in this Shea Moisture ad fiasco.

Black women spend an average of $7.5 billion dollars every year on beauty products. Let that sink in. Seven. Point. Five. But what do people with money want? MORE MONEY!!! If we have loyalty from our black women, how do we expand our territory? Market to them. I'm sure that's how the board meeting went. And then the marketing team came up with that "interesting" campaign for hair products. And WE WENT AWF! Like, seriously. We get it. You want to expand, so you switch up your target audience but at what cost?

I started selling Fancy Free for Hair & Skin in March 2015 but I had been making it for myself since 2012. By summer 2015, I had an official logo, the Fancy Girl. A black girl, with big hair. She looks like me. She looks like my friends. She looks like a lot of the people who buy my products. My vision for Fancy Free is big.....YUGE - Donald Trump. In the beginning, I had some suggest I remove my beloved Fancy Girl to make it less ethnic. And it's true, when I'm out vending, some non-African Americans look at my banner and keep walking because they thinking it's not for them. However, the ones that try it, love it. They were not deterred by the brand of products that looks like it's not for them. They just wanted quality product. White isn't always right. African Americans rush to buy items that we never meant for us. Like, seriously, any shapely woman knows not to even try to fit into a pair of True Religion jeans. THEY WEREN'T MADE FOR US!!! Some designers have blatantly stated that they don't want black people wearing their clothes. They don't market to us. But we still buy for whatever reason.

I wish that the Shea Moisture executives had put their foot down at that meeting. I wish we didn't know that Shea Moisture thought that black women, who spend $7.5 billion dollars on beauty products, just wasn't enough for them. However, because we told them how we felt, they learned a valuable lesson and will tweak their approach. But....the damage is already done. I will still buy but only when I catch a B1G1 sale to combine with my coupons and can get it for next to nothing.

Shameless Plug Alert:

Fancy Free, LLC. is the manufacturer of quality products for hair and skin. Our motto is "Keeping you chemical free." Visit our website, www.fancyfreellc.com, to see a full range of our products and services. Sine 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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Desires of the Heart

Soooooo, I used to have time to blog regularly. Then I started a business. Then I had a baby. Then I went back to work. Then business started picking up. Life became crazy but the whole time, I was working on myself. Not just growing my business but growing as a person. Improving how I manage my time. Improving my relationships. Loving myself more. Not being so hard on myself. Reading more. Meditating. Eating better. I also began to grow out of things. Outgrow relationships. Outgrow activities. You get the point.

Fast forward to today. I have finally fully retired from healthcare to pursue my passion. And, also, allowing what has been chasing me my entire life to catch up to me. You see, I grew up in a salon. I feel like every woman in my family has a cosmetology license, including my mother. I even worked in a salon while in grad school and apprenticed under my mother but never took the exam. What some may see is a woman who started small, business picked up, opportunities are presenting, so I decided to go for it. What people don't know is that this was written. Business is picking up, so I need more space to manufacture. What will that space look like? Eventually, it will be a beauty salon. That's the 2 year plan. All that running from cosmetology has come full circle. LOL!

In college, even though my career path was not clear, I knew I did not want to work beyond the age of 35. At the time, I thought I would work a little bit and then my husband would take care of me. LOL! I mean, my mother is a stay at home mom, why can't I be one too? No one knew this. I never shared it with my husband. Why? Well, life happens. Reality hits you. I assumed that we could not sustain our lifestyle on one salary, so my intention was to stay in healthcare until I was retirement age. While I had reached my career goals by the age of 30, I thought I'd develop new ones for healthcare related advancement in my career. Nope. That's not what happened. Once I mastered my job function, I was looking for a new challenge. This was right around the time when I began my journey in multilevel marketing.

Say what you want about multilevel marketing, but for me, it was an eye opener. I was open minded
and I realized how powerful I really am. I learned about myself. I realized that sitting in a windowless office, tucked away in the corner of a blood bank was not what Jehovah intended for me. I thought that multilevel marketing would be my ticket to a Fancy Free life but it didn't work out that way. Turned out that Fancy Free was my ticket. It had been right under my nose for about 2 years. I started selling the hair product. More and more women were scheduling natural hair consults. Fancy Free business was picking up. 500% growth in my second year of business. Those numbers happened during a year where I was working on a HUGE project at work, pregnant, oh yeah, and had a baby. This all got me thinking. If I grew this much with wishy washy, inconsistent marketing, imagine what I could do if I focused all of my energy on Fancy Free. Endless possibilities. No limits.

So there it was, staring me in my face, my destiny. But how was I going to transition? Our household

budget included my, now half time, salary. Simple. Get out of debt. If we paid off all of our credit cards, we could afford to live off of my husband's salary. Simple. Not easy though. LOL! So we got to work. Scaled back on splurging. We were chopping that debt down, big time. The whole time, my work environment was becoming more miserable. Once my focus shifted from being a Specialist in Blood Bank to growing as a CEO, I no longer wanted to spend time blood banking. I wanted to be building Fancy Free. So EVERYTHING irritated me. It was time to go.

Once we set a date, that's when the magic began. You see, when you begin to walk in your purpose,
the flood gates open and everything works toward helping you receive the desires of your heart. Things lined up in a way that I couldn't have even imagined for myself. I never told my husband I wanted to retire by 35. I kept it close to my heart. Between Jehovah and I. But I was open and flexible. The silence while meditating let Him speak to me. I just listened. Now, here I am at 36 years old and retired. Only one year behind schedule. I mean, the Jews wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, so 1 year isn't so bad.

No, all of our debt isn't completely paid off but we're on our way. No, I don't have a building yet. But the reality is, all of your ducks are never going to line up the way you want them to before you take the "jump". Jehovah wants you to rely on Him and not your own understanding. When we humble ourselves, accept that there a lot of things that we just don't know, and actively seek guidance, things happen, BIG things happen.

What are the desires of your heart? Go after them with all you've got. There is nothing you can't do once you've made up your mind.

Shameless plug alert:
Fancy Free, LLC. is the manufacturer of quality products for hair and skin. Our motto is "Keeping you chemical free." Visit our website, www.fancyfreellc.com, to see a full range of our products and services. Sine 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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