12 Months An Entrepreneur

Standard
"This Meeting
Could've Been an Email"
Face

Today marks one full year since I said my goodbyes to everything I had known as a career from 2004-2017. When I graduate from University of Maryland's Department of Medical and Research Technology in 2004, I was set on my career path. I would work in a blood bank, become a Specialist in Blood Bank, manage a blood bank and then, eventually, become a director of a laboratory. Boy, was I wrong. You see, about 2 years in to my Blood Bank management position, my director went on vacation and left me in charge of the entire lab. That changed my entire perspective on what I wanted to do with my life and it was not that. Endless meetings, constant phone calls, 750 emails/day, deescalating trivial personnel issues. No. Absolutely not. I decided to focus on being the best blood bank manager and teach future medical laboratory science. That was good for me.

The 5Linx Gang Sign

Then in 2013, something happened. I got bored. A friend of mine had been asking me to come look at his "business opportunity". (Y'all know what that's code for. LOL!) He had always been pretty business savvy and appeared to be financially successful, so I looked at it, it made sense to me at the time, so I got involved. That one decision to participate in one of those "Pyramid Schemes" changed my perspective on life. $100,000 annual salary was no longer enough if I could make that in a month from home. ( Yes. I know. That is extreme but I saw people doing it.) I began immersing myself in personal development and learning beginner marketing skills. I was changing for the better. My eyes had been opened and I wanted a better quality of life. I did not want to spend my summer days in my corner office with no windows staring at a computer screen, only to come home as the sun was setting so I couldn't enjoy our unheated pool like I wanted to. I no longer wanted to be obligated to take phone calls at all times of the night. I no longer wanted to deal with mediocrity for the sake of status quo only to have to write a thesis to justify why I deserve a 2.5% salary increase when cost of living is increasing 3%, easy.

We were a dynamic duo
in direct sales.

I set out to build my direct sales business, at first, as something to do but then to change my quality of life. But, things happened. My husband and I started having arguments over it and then some major changes in the company's compensation plan left the opportunity less profitable than it had been in the past. The beauty in the situation was that I had grown as a person and I had also learned that I could, in fact, run a successful business.

While building my network marketing team, I had started selling a product that I had been making for myself and family for about two years. I never thought of selling my own products as a business until someone close to me put it plain and simple,"This is good. Sell this." So I started selling it. Hahahahahhaha!!!

I started small. My packaging was deli cold food storage containers. I printed on surplus paper labels I could find in my office supply cabinet. I designed the labels myself. I did not have a website. After about a month, I graduated to an Etsy page and 4 months later I had a real website. That first year was funny. I made so many improvements and spent most of my money on getting things in order. I think I did alright for myself because the second year in business, my profits increase by 500%. That means, I made 5 times what I made in the first year.

The FIRST Fancy Free Samples. TRASH! 🤣

To put that into perspective for you, in the first year, I became pregnant. While pregnant, working full time and building a network marketing business, I was selling my product, Fancy Free Shea Pomade for Hair & Skin. The second year, I was working full time, had a baby and was selling my products. When I looked at the numbers with my husband, I thought to myself "If I accomplished this with all that I had going on, imagine if I gave Fancy Free Hair & Skin my full attention." At that point, I had negotiated a half time situation at work but working half time was becoming more of a hassle than anything. So, I learned more about money, by listening to financial experts like Suze Orman and Tony Robbins, and figured out a way for us to be able to live off of one income, my husband's income. This way, I could quit my job and not worry about losing the house and having food. LOL!

March 30, 2017. Last day of work.

And on March 30, 2017, I left healthcare for good.

Here we are, one year later and I'm still standing. Fancy Free Hair & Skin grew an additional 300% in it's third year, with most of the growth occurring when I dived in head first as a full time entrepreneur. Since leaving my job, I was able to:

• Develop and successfully launch 6 completely new products
• Improve my website
• Raise $8,110 through iFundWomen crowdfunding fundraiser
• Revamp my brand and market position strategy
• Hire support staff and contracted staff
• Write a business plan
• Apply for endless competitions and grants
• Network and collaborate with some amazing women in the business world

But my personal life is also so much better. Let me count the ways....

1. I am happier
   Yes, entrepreneurship is an emotional roller coaster. BUT I now have control over my destiny and my income. It's like controlled chaos, if that makes sense. I can choose who is in my space. Being able to protect your energy is a huge source of power and happiness.
2. I am a better wife because I'm happier
   I no longer come home with lingering stress and irritations from dealing with the woahs of a stagnant work environment. I actually listen to my husband when he's talking instead of waiting for my turn to vent. And, most importantly, I am not as tired at "night".😜
3. I have can spend more focused time with my son
   No stressing when daycare is closed or he needs to stay home when he's sick. While I am more productive when he's not here, I have the ability to shuffle my workload so that I can give him the undivided attention he needs, deserves...and demands. He don't play that multitasking stuff and has been known to smack phones out of hands.
4. I am healthier
   My days are no longer at the mercy of meetings and anticipated start times. While, keeping myself on a schedule is a work in progress, I do not have to forego my morning self care routine (fitness, meditation and personal development) if I oversleep, I just simple get started a little later than normal. Because of that, my mental and physical health has improved.
5. I have lost weight
   I no longer sit at a desk for the majority of my 8 hour work day. I am moving around. I drink more water. I eat healthier because there is no vending machine or random candy jar (I know everyone has a colleague at the office with the candy jar). I have been able to lose my baby fat and keep it off.

Retiring from what I knew to venture into the unknown has been more of a blessing than I could ever have imagined. If your side business is growing and quitting your job has been in the back of your mind, make a plan and do it! JUST DO IT! The timing will never be right. Your situation will never be perfect. You have to just take the leap when your spirit says "It's time." This road is a rough one but if you have the mental stamina and a BOMB support team, like I do, you and your business will be better for it.

The Fancy Free Team
Supportive parents, in-laws, aunties, uncles, friends, family and framily not shown.
Photographer: Kyle Pompey
Janky Editing: Yours Truly

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 10% off your next purchase. 

***How I Do It All

Disclaimer: Do not try to sue me for medical malpractice after you've read this blog. Every procedure that I did not follow was done so in order to save the life of a person in need.

Now that that's out of the way....

Celebrating with my Day Ones. Note Husband and kid in the back.
#Balance

I recorded a podcast on The Boonie Breakdown last week. Boonie, the host, asked me "How do you find balance?" She wanted to know how I make it all work. How I continue to grow my business, spend time with my family and find time for self care. Up until today, my response to that is always "There is no balance. When you need to focus on something, you have to tilt the scale. It will not be balanced. That's just life. Trying to find balance is a real source of stress for people. It's like a unicorn. It doesn't exist." But in retrospect, that's just not true. I schedule and stick to my schedule. I don't work after certain hours. To make sure I take care of myself, I don't check email until I've completed my morning meditation and workout and I document it on my Instastory for accountability. For the most part, I stick to my routine and have systems in place to eliminate distractions so that I am making the best use of my time. i.e. No notifications on my phone at all. No text notifications. No social media notifications. No email notifications. I check it when I come to a stopping point. Yes, some days I skip my morning work out session to get some work done. Yes, I may let some work sit until the next day so that I can spend time with my son or go on a date with my husband. But today, I realized that my career in healthcare trained me for this entrepreneur life and iainteemknowit.

Can't keep deodorant in stock.

I have someone in my close circle who is just beginning their entrepreneurship journey and has asked me multiple times "How do you do it all? You always seem so happy and not stressed out." I've been telling them "I just do the best I can. That's all I can do. If I've done my best, there's nothing to stress about." Of course I have days when I know I didn't do my best but I don't dwell on it. I forgive myself and use my poor performance as fuel to do better the next day. And there are days when I'm giving it all I've got and nothing seems to be going my way. That's just life. However, I am always making an effort to constantly improve and that is totally different than being hard on yourself. But I never thought about HOW I got that mindset. How did I learn to do that? Like to read it? Here it go...

I worked in the blood bank for all of the 14 years of my career in healthcare. I have seen a lot of tragic situations working in Baltimore City hospitals and in the infamous NIH Research Hospital. There are three types of patients who can possibly bleed to death if they don't get the right type of blood and get it quickly. Gun shot and stab wound victims, certain types of surgery patients, and mothers giving birth. I worked at night for the first 4 years of my career. Two days out of my five day work week, I worked alone. One night, I was working alone and there was a mother of four who had delivered her fifth child. She started to bleed. They asked for 4 units of blood, then another 4. I could hear the panic in the nurse's voice when she was calling me to ask for the third set of 4, making it a total of 12 units of blood they'd be transfusing. That night, in a 250 bed hospital, I knew I only had one patient to tend to, the bleeding mother. I would not have time to deal with any other patients that night. So, I called in one of my co-workers for

My Old Life

back up. We ordered more blood products. We prepped the next batch of blood to go out as soon as they took one batch. We did everything in our power to give the patient care team what they asked for and QUICKLY - including bypass some steps in the procedure. At the end of the night, we had given that lady 21 units of blood, 4 units of platelets and 10 units of plasma. To put things into perspective, a standard transfusion is 2 units of blood, 1 platelet and 2 units of plasma. Transfusing 10 units of blood replaces all of the blood in an average adult body. The women eventually stopped bleeding, recovered and went home to take care of her five children. We did our best. We helped save a mother's life. We felt accomplished and high-fived each other at the end of our shift.

What's the point of that story? I had to remain calm so that I could communicate with the patient care team effectively, make sure I was giving them the correct blood, and properly document where every unit of blood went (cuz you do NOT want to have to be the one explaining to the FDA where you THINK a missing unit of blood went). Imagine if you are the nurse, standing in front of a bleeding patient, a bleeding mother of five, calling for help and the person on the other end of the line is just as frantic as you are. That's not helpful. I spoke with urgency and clarity but never frantic. Praise Jehovah that she survived. There were some nights when the patients did not survive. But EVERY night I "did my best" and that's all I had control over. Imagine how stressed out I would be if I owned every patient death as if it were my fault? Death comes with the territory in healthcare. No one wants blood on their hand - pun intended - but, all you can do is the best you can do and that's it. 

If you give it all you've got and everything comes together perfectly, that's amazing! But if things are spiraling out of control and the tunnel is pitch black, no light in sight, all you have control over is yourself. No matter how bad a situation looks, it always works out in the end. Always give your best performance and be open to whatever the outcome may be. Sometimes it might not be what you had in mind but it's usually for the best.

So there it is, almost 30,000 hours of experience in a blood bank being put in hundreds of situations where I had to be the calm in the eye of the storm, doing my best work to keep someone alive. Even though I knew that they could possibly die anyway EVEN if I "do my best". That's deep. It makes any other thing you go through in life seem trivial. Just thinking "If I panic, someone could die" got me sitting here taking slow breaths. My experience as a Specialist in Blood Banking has trained me to "do my best" and let the chips fall where they may. Who would've ever thought about it that way? LOL! See, this is why it's so important to embrace your journey. Life has so much to teach you if you pay attention.

When you do your best and still lose.

When talking about the 3 stars in the title of  her hit song "Flawless", Beyonce refers to the time the group Girls Tyme had practiced and given the best performance of their lives on Star Search and still lost. She said, “The reality is: sometimes you lose. And you’re never too good to lose. You’re never too big to lose. You’re never too smart to lose. It happens.” She knows that sometimes, you do your best and it's not enough. You don't stop being the best you can be and you don't beat yourself up. You just keep going. Being thankful for opportunity to learn what worked and what didn't. Accept it with grace and enjoy the journey to your best life.

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.

The Gift and The Curse

I am married to a doctor. He's a pediatrician. One of the best pediatricians in the Baltimore/DC Metropolitan area (Not up for debate. LOL!). And I'm not saying that because he is my husband. (Wives are very honest critics.) I'm saying it based on feedback from his students, colleagues, higher ups, and most importantly, his patients.

When my husband and I got married, I never thought about what it would be like to have a pediatrician in the house with me when were eventually blessed with children. Most people assume that it's the best thing ever. But sometimes, it can be a real pain in the behind. Husband's are annoying, in general. Parenting adds tension to any marriage. So, just keep those things in mind as I run down the facts about having a child with a pediatrician. This is from a woman's point of view. I say that because there are some things about raising a child that a man just does not understand.

The Gift

The medical care side of raising a kid is amazing. There are so many things that I don't have to think about because my husband just takes care of it. He makes all of our doctor's appointments. He asks all of the right questions. He answers all of the weird questions on that child progress questionnaire. We do not have to visit the doctor's office for non-routine visits. He has a good relationship with our pediatrician. If we need a prescription, he calls her, she calls it in. Because there is an obvious conflict of interest, ethics prevent him from being the official pediatrician to his own child. Like, I cannot make an appointment for our son to be seen by him at his practice. However, if I pop in to bring lunch, one of his colleagues are happy to "take a peak" at our son if we need it.
He is right there with me to answer questions about something that looks "weird". He reassures when our son is "fine". And takes action when our son is not fine. He knows the milestones we should be hitting and when. He also knows the things we should and shouldn't be doing to help our son meet those milestones. He gets hundreds of different perspectives on child rearing from the wide range of types of parents he interacts with, so he gets a myriad of holistic approaches to typical "baby" issues like: how to combat hitting and tantrums, language, solid foods, eczema solutions, potty training techniques, etc.
It's really nice to have a baby father who is so involved and proactive about these things. But sometimes....it can get out of hand.

The Curse
This is the first child for my husband as well. So he is having to eat some of the words of advice that he has given to parents over the 10 years he practiced without having kids of his own. Some things taught in school just don't have any practical place in child rearing.

Exhibit A: On Day 2 of parenthood, we were still in the hospital. We called ourselves "getting use to having a baby", so we decided not to send baby boy to the nursery over night. It was hell. Baby boy was waking up every hour, then just looking at me when I put him to the breast. My husband immediately called the nurse asking for formula (because that's what they do at his hospital), against my preference to strictly breastfeed. His doctor logic was that the baby boy was hungry. I didn't have enough colostrum (even though we had wet and poopy diapers that indicate the baby is eating) and I wouldn't be able to make it if I wasn't getting any sleep. But EYE knew that the baby just wanted to be with me because he could smell me. We had been together for 39 weeks. He didn't know any better. Thank God for the old school Mother/Baby nurses on the unit at GBMC. They denied the formula request, took the baby to the nursery, and told us to get some rest. We slept for 4 hours straight. LOL!
Exhibit B: He was super strict on not letting baby boy sleep in the bed with us and the ABC's of sleeping. Baby should sleep Alone - A, on their Back - B, and in their Crib - C or bassinet. Well, our baby ended up having a flat head so we had to alternate rigging a rolled up blanket so he could sleep on his sides and round his flat head out. LOL! And then those nights that I'd fall asleep nursing....the panic when he'd wake up to a baby in the bed was HILARIOUS! But then he'd fuss at me. Sir, I am a new mother, a wife, a blood bank manager and running a business. I'm TIDE! Sorry, I fell asleep while nursing at midnight. But you were right there. You could've taken baby boy to his bed but you didn't because

you were, what? That's right. SLEEPING!
Exhibit C: A couple months in to parenting, we are getting the hang of nursing. I guess he was observing our
nursing routine and offers (unsolicited advice) that our son was not nursing long enough. He suggested that I hold off for a little while before nursing when baby boy starts the hungry cry. "That way, he will nurse for longer." My reply was simple. "ARE YOU CRAZY?!?!?! We are talking about a human baby here. Not a dog or a puppy. When he wants to eat, I will nurse him."
Exhibit D: Baby Boy is about 9 months old and he did not gain the desired weight over a 2 month period. He proceeds to make me feel like I'm not feeding my child enough and that he was under weight. EVEN THOUGH there was no indicators that our son was hungry or malnourished. He was proceeded to press me to pump 30 oz. of breast milk per day! Ummm...whet?!?! How am I suppose to do that when I am barely pumping 15 oz. per day? Dis skressful, mane.
Exhibit E: Our son has an isolated speech delay. That means that autism and hearing loss have been ruled out and he still isn't talking. Our son is very intelligent. He imitates when he wants to actions. And since I work from home, there were multiple doctor appointments made for me to take baby boy to. Hundreds spent on unproductive, private speech therapy sessions. The whole time, I'm thinking that our son is fine, just stubborn. Sure enough, 2 months before his 2nd birthday, baby boy is starting to use words, sing his ABCs and imitate us more. Although he's not up to the milestone of 50 words, he's fine. Like I said he was in the first place.

My husband sees at least 100 different kids each week. From 5 days old all the way up to 24 years old. So, it's easy to compare his own kid to these kids and their levels of development. As we approach two full years of parenting, I hear Doctor Dad saying "All kids are different." a lot more often than I'm hearing him say "He's supposed to be _______ by now."

Yes. I know. #FirstWorldProblems However, I just wanted to put it out that that having a pediatrician baby father can be just as stressful as a non-healthcare baby father.  I guess parenthood is stressful in general. 🤦 Some times I just wanted to do what I wanted to do with my baby without hearing anyone's mouth, ya know.

My Fancy Life ain't been no crystal stair. 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 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. 

Reading Is Fundamental

Sounds so cliche, but it's so true. We first heard it in elementary school. As we grew up, we find that reading is just as fundamental at work as it is trying to assemble a file cabinet from Ikea. NOW we have to read the ingredients of our food and personal care products. It started with the food. Apparently, it's perfectly legal to put a derivative of plastic in food (aka margarine) and feed it to unsuspecting Americans so that it can be produced cheaply and sit longer on the shelf before we eat it. Personally, if it doesn't mold, I don't want to eat it. But you can't stop at the food. You have to read what's in your personal hygiene products too. WHY?

Well, let's think about this now. There are medications that are administered through the skin. That means, that compounds that make contact with your skin penetrate it and make it to your blood stream. That's deep. If I can put a Nicotine patch on my arm and it helps curve my smoking addiction. That means that the medication on the patch gets to my blood stream, through my skin. The same thing with the  birth control patch. Then there are poisons and highly addictive drugs that are administered by putting it on the skin. No pills, no snorting, no smoking, no eating. Just by putting it on your skin. With that being said, this is why it's just as important to read the labels on your body as what you're putting in your body.

I'm going to stick to personal care ingredients because I get sick thinking about all of the crap food companies are allowed to put in our food. Ok. Here are a few:

• Formaldehyde: Formaldehyde is intentionally added to some products, such as keratin hair straighteners. Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives (FRPs) such as quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, polyoxymethylene urea, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, bromopol and glyoxal are also widely used in personal care products including nail polish, eye shadow, mascara, nail treatment, shampoo and blush for the prevention of bacterial growth. FRPs are designed to release formaldehyde slowly and constantly over time to act as a preservative. IARC, the National Toxicology Program (NTP) and California EPA’s Proposition 65 (Prop 65) classify formaldehyde as a human carcinogen. EPA identifies formaldehyde as a probable human carcinogen. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) also raises concern that exposure to formaldehyde leads to irritation of the eyes, nose, throat and respiratory system. Standards for cosmetics in Japan prohibit formaldehyde use in cosmetics,and the European Commission restricts formaldehyde in cosmetics to no more than five percent concentration in the finished product.

• Phenacetin: Phenacetin was used as pain and fever reducer until banned in the US by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1983 due to its carcinogenicity. Although it is no longer used as a drug, it is still occasionally used in personal care products as a stabilizer in products such as facial hair bleach, hair color and women’s depilatories. IARC and Prop 65 identify phenacetin as a human carcinogen. NTP lists that phenacetin and analgesic mixtures containing phenacetin are reasonably anticipated to be human carcinogens. Phenacetin can also cause renal damage and anemia. Exposure to phenacetin has been linked malignant mammary tumors.

• Coal Tar: Coal tar is a known carcinogen and a by-product from coal processing. It is used in cosmetics containing hair dyes, shampoos, dandruff/scalp treatment and redness/rosacea treatment. IARC, NTP and EPA classify coal tar as a known human carcinogen. Coal tar was one of the first occupational exposures linked to cancer; when scrotal cancer among young chimney sweeps was associated with exposure. It is also associated with cancers of the lung, bladder, kidney, and digestive tract. Environmental Canada classifies that coal tar pitch is persistent and inherently toxic to aquatic organisms. European Commission prohibits coal tar use in cosmetics. Coal tars are complex mixtures that can contain other known carcinogens, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), such as benzo[a]pyrene. PAHs damage DNA, and exposure to PAHs can lead to tumors on lungs, bladder and skin; and PAHs can also cause non-cancer toxicities like reproductive and developmental toxicity.

• Benzene: Benzene is derived from coal tar, and exposure routes of benzene are inhalation and ingestion. Benzene is used in the production of plastics and detergents and occasionally in hair conditioner and styling lotion. IARC and NTP classify benzene as a known human carcinogen. Prop 65 identifies benzene as a concern for both cancer and developmental toxicity, and benzene can lead to mammary tumors in female mice. EPA identifies benzene as a known human respiratory toxicant. Benzene is considered a  priority pollutant of wastewater by EPA, which means environmental releases of benzene are regulated. The Endocrine Disruption Exchange considers benzene as an endocrine disruptor. Occupational exposure to benzene is linked to leukemia; and benzene can target organs including eyes, skin, respiratory system, blood, central nervous system and bone marrow. The European Commission prohibits benzene use in cosmetics, and it is restricted in the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Altantic (OSPAR).

• Mineral Oils: Mineral oils are derived from crude oil; and mildly refined mineral oils always contain significant amounts of PAHs. Mineral oils are common in a wide array of personal care products, including eye shadow, moisturizer, lip gloss, lipstick, conditioner, hair color and bleaching, facial treatment, styling gel/lotion, blush and concealer.  IARC, NTP and Prop 65 classify untreated and mildly treated mineral oils as a known human carcinogen. NIOSH raises concerns that mineral oils can target organs including eyes, skin, and respiratory system though inhalation, or skin and eye contact.
  

• Ethylene Oxide: Ethylene oxide is a possible impurity in personal care products as a byproduct of the process of ethoxylation, which is used to buffer the harsh effects of some sudsing agents; Ethylene oxide is most widely used to sterilize medical instruments. It can be found in tobacco smoke, automobile exhausts, and foods.There is strong evidence that ethylene oxide can lead lymphatic and hematopoietic cancers; and some studies found increased incidence of breast cancer in exposed workers. Prop 65 identifies ethylene oxide as a concern for both cancer and developmental toxicity in both females and males. The Endocrine Disruption Exchange lists ethylene oxide as an endocrine disruptor. NIOSH concludes that ethylene oxide leads peritoneal cancer and leukemia; exposure to ethylene oxide through inhalation, ingestion, and skin and eye contact can disrupt respiratory system, central nervous system, and reproductive system. The European Commission prohibits ethylene oxide use in cosmetics.

• Heavy Metals: Heavy Metals like hexavalent chromium, and cadmium serve as colorants in eye shadow and lip gloss.  Other metals such as arsenic are impurities in cosmetic ingredients including facial lotion, shampoo, and foundation as a result of arsenic contamination in ingredients such as D&C Red 6, aluminum starch octenylsuccinate, hydrogenated cottonseed oil, and polyvinyl acetate. And let's not forget Aluminum chloride being used as an antiperspirant being directly linked to causing cancer. IARC, the National Toxicology Program and California’s Prop 65 identify cadmium and its compounds, arsenic, and chromium as human carcinogens; in addition, chromium can also lead to developmental problems in both females and males.

• Cadmium: In addition to its carcinogenic properties, cadmium targets the cardiovascular, renal, neurological, reproductive and respiratory systems through inhalation and ingestion. Standards for cosmetics in Japan and European Commission prohibit use of cadmium compounds in cosmetics.

• Arsenic (Also allowed in American chicken feed. Like I said, don't get me started on the crap they put in our food): The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concludes that there is sufficient evidence that arsenic is a carcinogen; and arsenic can also lead hyperpigmentation, keratosis and possible vascular complications. EPA lists arsenic as a priority pollutant and regulates arsenic emissions; The Endocrine Disruption Exchange suggests that arsenic can cause endocrine disruption. NIOSH demonstrates that exposure to arsenic leads to lung and lymphatic cancer; because it can target organs including liver, kidneys, skin, lungs and lymphatic system through inhalation, skin absorption, skin and eye contact, and ingestion. The European Commission prohibits arsenic in cosmetics.

• Chromium: The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) lists chromium as a carcinogen and mutagen. NIOSH indicates that exposure to chromium leads to lung cancer; and the metal targets organs including blood, respiratory system, liver and kidneys. It can cause  increased blood leukocytes, eye injury, and skin ulcers through inhalation, ingestion, and skin and eye contact. EPA considers chromium to be both bioaccumulative and ecotoxic. The European Commission prohibits chromium use in cosmetics.

• Silica: Silica occurs in two different forms: crystalline or amorphous; quartz is the common mineral in crystalline silica. If you breathe crystalline silica in is an airborne contaminant that can penetrate the lung when it is inhaled. Crystalline silica is widely used in lipsticks, lip gloss, eye shadow, eye liner, foundation, sunscreen, lotion and shampoo. NTP and IARC both list crystalline silica of respirable size as a known human carcinogen, and Prop 65 classifies silica, crystalline (airborne particles of respirable size) as a carcinogen. NIOSH raises concerns about lung cancer in animals exposed to crystalline silica; and this chemical can target eyes and the respiratory system through inhalation, and skin and eye contact.

The FDA has a job to protect us but ultimately, we have to protect ourselves. We haven't even touched phthalates and parabens. The cosmetics industry is not as heavily regulated as someone may think, which is why it's legal for me to make cosmetics in my kitchen and sell them to you. However, because I am a science geek, my products are properly labeled with all ingredients listed. I choose ingredients that come from a plant source because I care. I take advantage of the anti-microbial benefits of my ingredients instead of using harmful additives to prolong the shelf life of Fancy Free Hair & Skin products. Think about it, would you want to eat something that was still "fresh" after sitting for 3 years? If bacteria, mold, and bugs don't want to eat it, you shouldn't eat it. Same for cosmetics and other things you put on our skin and hair.

The foundation of what I do is because I want people to live a healthier life, whether you buy Fancy Free Hair & Skin products or not.

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.

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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.

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The Best Products to Promote Hair Growth

Long locs of love. That's what you want. That's what a lot of women are seeking when they are
caring for their hair. Hair care companies know this and they market their products to you based on this. I'm sorry but I have bad news. I hate to break it to you but products do not make your hair grow longer. That's right! They are LYING TO YOU just to make a couple dollars. Aren't you so glad you found me?

As a scientist, I know the biology behind it. Growing up in a salon and having many years of natural hair care experience, I can tell you with all honesty that everyone's hair grows. The length it grows is determined by genetics. The hair follicle is genetically programmed to grow to a certain length before it sheds from the follicle or hair root. Most people shed 50-80 strands of hair per day. Yes. Biotin and other supplements do promote hair growth. TOTAL BODY hair growth. You may see more/thicker hair but if you're not taking care of it and yourself properly, the length will stay the same.

So why isn't you're hair getting longer? In my experience, people who feel like their hair isn't growing are probably experience breakage before it grows to it's maximum length. So, I have a few tips to maximize hair growth that doesn't include buying products....unless you'd like to buy Fancy Free products. I'm totally fine with that. LOL!

5 Tips To Grow Your Hair
1. Drink water

Dry hair is brittle. Brittle hair is more likely to break before it reaches maximum length. Yes, you can apply moisturizing products but water is the best moisturizer. Let it come from the inside. Take your weight and divide it in half. That's how many ounces of water you should be drinking daily. For example: If you weigh 150 lbs., you should drink 75 ounces of water each day. If drinking that much water is overwhelming, try drinking the bulk of it in the morning as soon as you wake up and sipping through out the day. I have taken to drinking flavored sparkling water to break up the monotony. Drink your water however you like but drink it. Your body and hair love it.

2. Take a multi-vitamin and eat right.

My morning routine along with the capsules

There may be nutrients that you aren't getting from your diet. Take a daily multi-vitamin. I have one that I prefer. The whole family takes it. Avoid processed foods. They are full of preservatives and lab experiments. If it doesn't grow from the earth or come from a butcher, avoid eating it. Jehovah has place everything we need on this earth. Processed foods tend to be high in calories and low in the nutrients that we need for our bodies to function properly. I try to get well rounded meals by using the
following guidelines:

• 4 servings of protein
• 4 servings of green vegetables
• 4 servings of fruit
• 3 servings of unprocessed carbs (sweet potato, corn, carrots, etc.)
• 1 serving of oil or grain (I use 2 tablespoons of flax seed meal in my morning smoothie to cover this)

Now, I'm not strict with this. I do have the occasional slice of cake or piece of candy but this is my guideline.

3. Let your scalp breathe.
Just like every living thing needs water to survive, it also needs oxygen. Shampooing your hair regularly cleanses the scalp of residue from products and sweat allowing oxygen into your hair follicles. If you like to wear weave, make sure you are getting to that scalp with a witch hazel swab or something. Avoid shampoos that dry the hair out because, remember, dry hair tends to break due to damage more often than moisturized hair. I recommend Apple Cider Vinegar rinse (Click HERE for ACV Rinse instructions) for the scalp, followed by a sulfate free shampoo (if you must shampoo), and/or a conditioner (Conditioners can be used in place of shampoo. They have cleansing properties without the drying effects). Make sure you read the ingredients of your shampoo before your buy it. Some products will claim "Sulfate free" on the front but the ingredients include a derivative of sulphate in them.

4. Keep your hair moisturized.
Yes. You are drinking half of your body weight in water daily. Now, we have to address the products. If you are using products that are oil based, like Fancy Free Shea Pomade, and other shea butter products or oils, these should only be applied to wet or damp hair. Why? Well, they are designed to seal moisture - aka water - into hair. When oil based products are applied to dry hair, it's just oil sitting on top of dry hair. Water based products, like Fancy Free Milk, have water in them and can be applied to dry hair as a moisturizer. Again, pay attention to the ingredients on products that you're buying. Ingredients like mineral oil and petrolatum are not designed to moisturize and can actually leave your hair feeling more dry than it did before you used it.

5. Use "low manipulation" styling techniques.
KEEP YOUR HANDS OUT OF YOUR HAIR!!!  I can't say this enough. Have a professional install your weave. Find a style and products that work for your hair so you don't have to re-twist or roller set your hair more than 2 times a week. Only detangle damp or wet hair. If you want super long hair, let your hair loc. Have you ever noticed that people with locs have the longest hair? That's because locs are low manipulations. You're only twisting the newest hair, at the roots. And those 50-80 strands that shed everyday? Well, they're literally loc'd in. So the hair appears to grow longer because those strands that would normally come out in the comb or brush are still attached.

All hair textures can grow long. I've seen it. I am a witness. It just takes learning your hair and sticking to your routine. One bad heat styling experience can ruin all of your hard work. It's like losing weight. You can diet and exercise but if you don't make the required lifestyle changes, the weight will begin to creep back on. Nourish your hair and it will grow long and flowing, no matter how kinky the coils are.

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.

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I'm TIRED of being humble...

Lol! Really, Ray J? Who says that? In real life? And means it? It was pretty funny when he said

it though.

I went to University of Maryland - College Park, which means that when I was in my 20s, I partied in DC. My husband was attending Howard University when we started dating, so we went out in DC while we were dating. I. Hated. Going. Out. In. DC. Mainly because the crowds seemed sooooo pretentious to me back then. I felt like giving your resume was standard practice when you met someone. Ugh! STFU! I DO NOT CARE what you do for a living. We are at the club, not a networking event. Your job title is not WHO you are. It's what you do. STOP THIS! On God, I don't even know what my real friends do for a living. Like, people who have been in my life for 30 years, I don't know the details of their job function unless we have worked together. You know why? Because that's not why we're friends.

My husband is pretty popular. Very popular. I like to think that I am more low key than he is. I try to stay out of the way, travel, and have fun with my same 10 friends - cuz no new friends. LOL! I love y'all though. I never really cared to know and be known by EVERYONE. So obviously, when the pretty girl, that no one has ever seen before, is all of the sudden engaged to Mr. Howard University (That's what I called my husband even though he did not garner the official title), people had questions. He is loved by everyone, so without knowing anything about me or our relationship, they assumed I was a "gold digger" only dating him because he was about to be a doctor. 

FIRST OF ALL! 🤣🤣🤣🤣 That's always funny. Anyway, my point is people would ask me what I did for a living. And I'd be kind of offended. Like why do you need to know that? Are you trying to count MY money? I'm a waitress. I'm a stripper. I'm an illegal arms dealer. I'm a paper clip bender. Didn't you see me on House Hunters? Seriously, what does it matter? I'm not asking you for money and since no one really knows what a medical laboratory scientist is or does anyway, INCLUDING doctors who rely on medical laboratories to make some pretty important decisions regarding their patients, I made a game out of not telling people what I really did for a living. Mainly because yelling "I'M A BOSS!" when you're not a rapper is frowned upon.
But here's the conflict....

Now that I am a business owner, I need to promote myself and my business whenever I have a chance and it makes me uncomfortable because I have always avoided talking about my profession in social settings. How do you create a conversation around who you are and not what you do for a living? What do I do? I create. I save. I lead. I encourage. I connect. I help. I do all of these things because that's who I am. I am a creator. Creating products for "us" because "the man" markets products with unhealthy ingredients that counter my customer's hair and skin goals. I save edges and elbows. I am a leader. Leading by action to show people that they can live in their purpose too. I am a helper. I help people tackle their dry hair and skin. I help people avoid cancer and body odor by manufacturing an aluminum free deodorant that actually works and doesn't break them out. I help other small business owners create product lines of their own through product development and manufacturing quality products for them. I connect people with my network so they can build relationships in line with their own goals.

Part of who I am is being "regular". I don't like to make a big deal about what I have and projects that I'm working on because I've conditioned myself to not want people to think I'm bragging. Yes. I know. How people interpret what I say is a reflection of them, not me. But, like I said, I've conditioned myself over the years to play what I've accomplished down. My husband calls it humble. I just say I'm out here living in my purpose, doing what I'm supposed to do, it's not a big deal. Or is it? 🤔 I always kick myself when someone compliments my hair and/or skin and I can't find a way to tell them about my products.

Things I work on in therapy: having empathy and ways to get over myself so I can promote myself. The truth is that I am an introvert and my previous life as a managing scientist did not require networking or much self promotion. So, talking period, let alone, talking about myself does not come naturally for me. Cuz closed mouths don't get fed and Fancy got a family to feed.

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