Essence Farmer; The Advocate, Educator, and Cultural Icon in Natural Hair"

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Essence Farmer, a pioneering force in the natural hair industry, shares her extraordinary journey from braiding hair in her parents' laundry room to becoming a prominent figure who reshaped industry regulations. At just 23, she bravely confronted the Arizona State Board of Cosmetology, winning a landmark legal battle that opened doors for countless natural hair stylists. Essence's story is a testament to youthful determination, fueled by family support and a relentless pursuit of her passion for natural hair care, even when it meant stepping away from a conventional career path in nursing.

Throughout our conversation, Essence takes us through her balancing act of pursuing nursing, managing a hair clientele, and eventually taking the bold step to follow her true calling in hairstyling. With unwavering encouragement from her father, she navigated the fear and challenges of entrepreneurship, leading to the opening of her own storefront. Her journey highlights the courage required to overcome self-doubt and embrace the uncertainty of following one's heart, ultimately finding recognition in esteemed platforms like Essence Magazine and the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Essence's impact extends beyond styling; she has evolved into an educator, fostering a new generation of hairstylists through Rare Essence Academy. Her commitment to accessible education, alongside her reflections on cultural significance and personal growth, offers invaluable insights. She underscores the importance of affirming one's worth and the power of uniqueness, encouraging everyone to embrace their authentic selves while striving for excellence. This episode is a celebration of Essence's lasting legacy and her inspiring role in transforming the beauty industry.

To connect with Essence, follow the links below:
Website
Youtube
Podcast
@essencechina
@rareessenceacademy

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the natural hair industryEssence Farmer.
At just 23 years old, essencetook on the Arizona State Board
of Cosmetology in a legal battlethat changed the game for
natural hair stylists.
She fought against outdatedregulations that excluded

(00:20):
natural hair care fromtraditional cosmetology
standards and won her victory,not only opened doors for her
own business, rare essencestudio, but set a precedent that
empowered countless stylists tofollow their dreams without
unnecessary barriers.
Essence didn't stop there.
She's the founder of rareessence academy, where she's

(00:43):
redefining education in naturalhair care, teaching braiding,
locking and twisting techniquesand equipping stylists with the
tools they need to thrive.
Her work has been featured inEssence Magazine and even
recognized by the NationalMuseum of African American
History and Culture.
Essence Farmer is a visionary,a trailblazer and an advocate

(01:04):
for empowerment, and her storyis nothing short of
extraordinary.
Welcome to the Hair what I'mSaying podcast.
I'm your host, kenetra Stewart,and today we're in Phoenix,
arizona, with the amazingEssence Farmer.
Welcome to the show.
How are you?
Thank you, I'm amazing, thankyou.
Yes you are amazing that you arethis extensive background of
you being this powerhouse and atsuch a young age Like I am

(01:29):
honored to have you on the show.
Wow, no, thank you, it's mypleasure.
Thank you, can you share a bit?

Speaker 2 (01:40):
about your background and what first inspired your
passion for natural hair care.
I think what inspired me wasjust going to get our hair done,
Me and my sister.
We would go and get our hairdone and that braider would be
braiding forever and I guess Ijust was observant, I didn't
realize, I was inspired at themoment, but I would go home and
I would be braiding hair andjust like feeling it.
And over time my youngerbrother he grew his hair out
because crisscross was the thing.

(02:01):
Oh yeah.

Speaker 1 (02:01):
And he was like.

Speaker 2 (02:02):
I want my hair like that.

Speaker 1 (02:03):
And so I'm like okay, cool.

Speaker 2 (02:05):
So I just really started braiding and I just
developed a love for it and itreally just took off from there
just playing with my brother'shair.

Speaker 1 (02:12):
How old were you?
Oh my goodness, Twelve, twelve,yeah, twelve, thirteen, and in
that moment did you feel likethis is something I want to do,
you know, as a career, or youjust playing?

Speaker 2 (02:26):
around.
I mean, I didn't.
I never seen it as a careerpath because I don't think that
it was really validated insociety and culture.
Even now, I think a lot ofpeople feel like I need to go
get a real job and realize thatthere is great opportunity in it
, and so, no, it was always ahustle for me to be honest with
you.
It's just like oh this issomething I can do with my hands

(02:47):
until I get a real job.

Speaker 1 (02:50):
Did you have other dreams or aspirations outside of
that, even though at the age of12, that's pretty young?
But did you say like, oh, I'mgoing to be a doctor, a lawyer?
You know the typical stuff welearn in school.

Speaker 2 (03:00):
Yeah, for sure, Like in school.
Yeah for sure.
Like when I got further intohigh school, I thought I wanted
to be a neonatologist.

Speaker 1 (03:04):
I wanted to go into medical field.
Oh my gosh.
Yes, that is a remarkablecareer, yeah, so what sparked
that?
I know that's off the topic,but I'm just curious.
I just like to know if westarted off with hair.
I just want to dabble a littledeeper, like beyond.
You know what we thought wewere going to be.

Speaker 2 (03:23):
Yeah, well, I definitely thought I was going
to be medical.
My mother was an RN and so,seeing that influence in the
house, I always was likeinterested in, like caring for
people in a particular way.
I love babies and so.

Speaker 1 (03:35):
I was like okay neonatologist sounds good yeah.
I had a client who was one and Iwas.
I just she never even told meeither.
Her mom told me I was.
I just she never even told meeither.
Her mom told me I was like whyyou didn't tell me this?
Like this is a huge career, youknow a very critical career as
well, like emotionally, all ofthat.
I was like and you never toldme that we don't talk about your

(03:56):
job and you know how it isbehind the chair with the
clients.
They tell us everything.
Yeah, and she didn't tell methat at all.
So I was just.
I was like you are extremelyhumble, right, how did you get
started in the hair industry andwhat led you to specialize in
braiding and natural styles?
Like once you know, at thattime with your brother you
mentioned I was just doingsomething.

(04:16):
It was just a hustle.

Speaker 2 (04:22):
But at what point did you decide like this is what
I'm going to do?
Honestly, it was a journey, likeeverything kind of just
unfolded in time, right.
So I went from braiding mybrother's hair to my mother's
friend saying, hey, I seen thatyour daughter's braiding, you
know, elliot's hair, so can shedo my son's hair?
And that was a challenge for mebecause he was biracial and so
that texture is different togrip, and so it brought on a

(04:43):
challenge to where I'm like,okay, I gotta get this.
And so I got more determinationover time and after that she
paid me and I was like, okay,make the money, make that first
dollar.

Speaker 1 (04:57):
You're like, oh, I can, I can make some money,
right, yeah?

Speaker 2 (05:00):
that's when it really started to like click, but it
still wasn't something I decidedto do until much later.
But I pretty much like starteddoing hair out of my parents'
laundry room.
And that became my salon and Ihad high school friends coming
and getting their hair done, soyou weren't high school during
this time.

Speaker 1 (05:17):
Oh, this is all high school, yeah, okay.

Speaker 2 (05:19):
So I had a full-on clientele, like my laundry room
was set up like a salon suiteand we talking the 90s right.
Oh my goodness, it was a realthing, like I literally have a
YouTube video that really shows,because my brother was
recording this and so I havelike content.

Speaker 1 (05:33):
What your brother recorded this for you.
Yes, that's so amazing so yeah,it took time.

Speaker 2 (05:40):
I ended up moving to Maryland, and when I moved to
Maryland I left all of myclientele.
I was 20 years old at the time.
And I was like okay, cool, I'mabout to go to school for real,
for real, figure out what mycareer path is going to be.
And when I moved to Maryland, Iliterally thought I wasn't
going to touch hair anymore,until I'm like why am I not

(06:00):
using this gift when I could bemaking some side money while I'm
out here?
Like, just because I upped andleft my clientele doesn't mean
that I need to stop.

Speaker 1 (06:06):
Right.

Speaker 2 (06:07):
And so I was still just doing it on the side and I
went to school.
As I was telling you earlier, Iwent to Hampton University for
a semester.

Speaker 1 (06:14):
Yes.

Speaker 2 (06:15):
And while I was down there, I just any, many, many
mode a major Did you?

Speaker 1 (06:20):
Because I was just like I don't know why I'm here.
Why am I here?
I understand that I relate tothat.

Speaker 2 (06:25):
No, why no purpose?
And I had already went tocommunity college for a few
years and I had all thesecredits.
And so I'm like, okay, wherecan all these credits go the
soonest and quickest that I cangraduate?

Speaker 1 (06:37):
And so I was like air traffic controller.

Speaker 2 (06:39):
They make $90,000 a year.
So that make $90,000 a year.

Speaker 1 (06:42):
So you that's what you decided to do.

Speaker 2 (06:44):
Yeah.
So I'm down at Hamptonuniversity.
I'm like, okay, I'm gonna makeall my credits go to this path,
so I'm going to, um, get theseclasses that go towards this.
At the end of the semester Iwas like, okay, I done got a
loan and this is my first loanI've ever gotten in my life.
And my father programmed in ourmind like if we can't pay cash
for it, we can't afford it.
Therefore, any type of credit isnot good right and so because

(07:07):
of that, I'm like I know this isfor my education, but I don't
feel right getting a loan.
And then, probably because Iknew I wasn't aligned right okay
, that makes sense.
And so after that semester Ijust was like this, ain't it
like I gotta figure out what Iwant to do and put my energy and
effort into that?
And so then I fell back todoing hair.

(07:28):
So I moved back to Maryland andI'm doing hair full time and I
still didn't know if this waswhat I was going to do for
forever.
I have an encounter.
With God Literally shifted mywhole life, told me to go back
to Arizona.
I moved back out here afterthree years of being away.

Speaker 1 (07:48):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (07:49):
And this is where it really got serious.
What ended up happening was I'min the house with my mother now
.

Speaker 1 (07:55):
And she's like what are you?

Speaker 2 (07:56):
going to do with your life Absolutely, and I'm like I
don't know, like I'm literallyfollowing instructions right now
.

Speaker 1 (08:02):
That's a good answer.

Speaker 2 (08:04):
But she's really just trying to make sure that I get
my footing.
Like you're back in my house,you know, I know you left the
house one time, but when youleave again you better have
yourself together, right.
And so she's a nurse and sothat was kind of where I'm like
okay, well, I'll continue goingdown this path.
So she was like RN, somethingto get you started.

(08:24):
In the meantime, I'm hearinginstructions, divinely, yes.
And I'm hearing call the stateboard.
So I called the state board ofcosmetology.
Okay, and when I called them,I'm pretty much telling them my
history, like I've been doingnatural hair for X amount of
years.
Like what 10 at this time?
Yeah, it was a good amount oftime and I was like what do I

(08:48):
need to do in order to be legalin the state of Arizona to do
hair?
Because at this time now I'mlike I know I want to rebuild my
clientele and I don't want tobe relegated to braiding hair
out of my parents home or in myapartment, like I want to be
official and they essentiallytold you have to have a license
in order to do any type of hair.
And I found an issue with itbecause I felt like you guys are

(09:12):
not teaching nor enhancing whatI already know.

Speaker 1 (09:14):
That's right.

Speaker 2 (09:16):
Nowhere, especially at this time.
Nowhere.
You're teaching me everythingthat I'm not going to do Now.
I know that there's a big riffin the industry with this
conversation, because it's justlike if you're going to be doing
hair, you need to know how todo it proper.
There's sanitation, there's allof these things, and I'm all
for that.

Speaker 1 (09:34):
Right.

Speaker 2 (09:34):
Right, but I was not for me going to school for a
year and a half, paying$10,000-plus to go through all
of this training, when thatsanitation part.
If they would have had a limitto licensing for me, I would
have been all for it it wasn'tgoing to take you a week for
sanitation.
Like get out of here.

Speaker 1 (09:52):
It's there you can get that done in one day.

Speaker 2 (09:54):
So all of that was just like going against all of
the core of who I am.
So I got off the phone.
I'm like they said I got toschool, you know, in order for
this to happen.
So I'm, I'm calculating in mymind how, how long this is gonna
take me and going through thiswhole process so I end up saying
, all right, god, now what?
Right he was like look for alaw firm oh my gosh, at the age

(10:19):
of 23 that's 23 and I'm hearingthese divine instructions.
Listen, I'm trying to tellpeople like this was not of my
idea.
Okay, gotcha now being inMaryland you didn't have to have
a license out there.
So the seed was planted that ifit's different in Maryland, it
can be different in Arizona.
I don't know how, but beingthere showed me the difference,

(10:42):
and so, looking for a law firm,I'm like, all right, well, at
least I can do is try, right,right.
So I'm AOLing because you knowthis dial-up speed.

Speaker 1 (10:51):
Oh, my girls.

Speaker 2 (10:53):
This is my high speed .

Speaker 1 (10:57):
The patience you had.
Oh, my gosh Girl, I forgot allabout AOL Dialing up.
Listening to the little tone inthe background, oh, dear God,
Making sure nobody's on thephone, Because you know you
couldn't be on the phone too.
You know you've been dialing up.
Yeah, Okay, Come on girl, Keepon going.

Speaker 2 (11:13):
So I find a few law firms, I call them and by like
the third law firm that I cameacross, they were like we'll
meet with you and I'm like,really, because I pretty much
told him like this is what I'mdoing, this is what I think is
unfair, is there?
And this guy came to my houseand sat with me and listened to
my story and something in thatmoment, let me know, there's

(11:34):
something there yeah, right,because he wouldn't waste his
time come to find out.
This is the institute forjustice right.

Speaker 1 (11:42):
This is the, the organization that you didn't
know at that time, I didn't youjust calling law firms.

Speaker 2 (11:49):
Eeny meeny miny moe-ing Yo eeny meeny miny moe
works Literally yeah.
So come to find out they hadjust opened an office here in
Phoenix Within months of mecontacting them.
Secondly, they had set theprecedence in another state.
They had already fought and wonoh my goodness, this type of

(12:13):
case.
So they were ready, ready.
So that's why he was like cometo your house, like let's go.
Yeah, so we meet.
And by December 8th I had movedback in August, by December 8th
we I had moved back in August.
By December 8th we had filedEssence Farmer versus the State
Board of Cosmetology.

Speaker 1 (12:30):
Oh, my gosh.
Like even hearing that I'm likegosh that sounds.
So it's just such a power moveof like all the good rebellion
you know, and just paving theway for all the future women
that want to be like you.
Were you thinking about that atthat time?
Like I'm about to like createhistory?

(12:51):
Were you thinking?
Not in the least?

Speaker 2 (12:53):
yeah no, I literally was thinking I just want to do
hair and I don't know why thislaw is such, but I don't think
it's fair.
And if something can be done,cool.
But I'm following instructions.
I'm not seeing all of thethings that can come after that.
I'm just in the moment and notonly am I just in the moment, it
be, it is like a firestorm of.

(13:15):
I'm on the cover of the ArizonaRepublic business section.
I'm on the cover of theGlendale section.
A news team from DC comes likea nationwide you know what I
mean channel, comes to interviewme in my apartment.

Speaker 1 (13:29):
Were you ready.

Speaker 2 (13:30):
No, because I didn't even.
I'm like, I'm just trying to,I'm literally just trying to
braid hair.
Yeah, I don't even understandhow big this is.
I'm just like so it was crazy.

Speaker 1 (13:40):
Oh my goodness.
So whenever these newsreporters start reaching out to
you and come to you to talk toyou about your story, could you
just easily tell it?
You know, or you was just likemom I don't know what I got
myself into like.
I know it's a good thing, but Ican't handle the overwhelming,
like these kids.
You.

Speaker 2 (13:58):
I'm a real calm person, okay, when it comes to
stuff like that.
So I'm just like I'm just gonnaanswer your questions because I
think it's ridiculous, you know, um, and so, yeah, they would
ask me questions, and that wasthat was what happened.
So what happened was JanetNapolitano, who was the governor
at the time, because it was somuch publicity, she heard about
it and thought it was crazy andwas just like, okay, I'm gonna

(14:21):
sign off and I'm gonna amend,amend the law.
We never went to court, oh, mygoodness.
So we're talking about fromDecember to about April-ish is
when this you know, it wasmultiple news interviews that I
had and articles that I had, andso it was big yes, and she

(14:43):
essentially signed off that thisexempted all braiders,
locticians, natural hairstylistsin the state of Arizona from
having to obtain, like, acosmetology license in order to
service clients.
That's right.
And so it was crazy, because atthat moment, that's when I
realized like, okay, I keeptrying to like run away from

(15:06):
here, but clearly, it changed alot.

Speaker 1 (15:09):
Yeah, it's for you.
Chose me, it did, it did yeahbecause, when I think about me
as a kid, I always wanted to dohair.
It didn't choose me, I chose it.
So it's like everything wasjust reeling you back in, like
get over here, over here.
Like we need you to make thischange, like we need to see you
do this for us.
And maybe God just knew youwere the person that was just

(15:31):
going to stick with it, bedisciplined, stay focused and
make sure it get done.
Yeah, you know, girl.

Speaker 2 (15:38):
Such a great story and all this time I went to
nursing school, so I got.
I didn't.

Speaker 1 (15:48):
Oh my gosh.
So you were in nursing schoolwhile you were fighting while
all this is going on.

Speaker 2 (15:52):
I'm still in my mom's house and she still.
She sees it, but she don't seeit, if that makes sense right.

Speaker 1 (15:57):
So what you mean?

Speaker 2 (15:58):
she see what you're doing, but she is not actively
like she doesn't see the visionor the future of it.
She's just like, OK, mydaughter's fighting this law
Like it's all like crazy to her.

Speaker 1 (16:09):
Oh my God, so in what way Crazy.
Like explain what you mean,like what did she feel, like you
?

Speaker 2 (16:15):
doing a lot.
I think she still was like OK,I see that you're doing this,
but I don't see the end of thisthing.
But I know that nursing issecure.
I know that nursing is secure.
I know that this is a job thatyou can have for the rest of
your life, because it was securefor her right.
And so while I'm fighting thislaw, she still didn't see what
could happen after that.
Nor did I, if I'm honest yeah,right because it kept coming

(16:38):
back.
I know that's what I wassupposed to do, but I didn't
know how to do it yeah, for sureand so my lawyer during the
course of this time was likewell, what's your salon going to
be named?
And I'm like bruh.

Speaker 1 (16:48):
I ain't thought about nothing, I'm just trying to get
this one little thing.

Speaker 2 (16:52):
Seriously, oh my gosh .
So I finally come up with thename for the salon and he now
wants to get me incorporated.
I'm like so it was like God wasusing him to usher this along.
Oh my God.
So he brings me the paperwork,I go ahead and incorporate the
name during this whole time,still in nursing school, are you

(17:14):
thinking?

Speaker 1 (17:15):
in that moment.
Am I about to let this go, oram I just going to coast this
through and just see how far wego with it, but still keep this
nursing for the stability andthe security?

Speaker 2 (17:26):
I think it was multiple things.
I think that I was happy that Ialmost could hide behind the
barrier of this law not beingpassed, because then it was
going to require me to step outon faith.
And so there was a lot of fearwith opening a business and
really just like having freedomto do what I truly wanted to do,

(17:49):
because there was still a lotof mental blocks of I'm too
young, I've never been inbusiness before, and so there
was a part of me that wanted tohold on to some of that
stability of I can do this.
But what ended up happening wasI finished nursing school, but
while I'm in nursing schoolschool, I'm rebuilding my
clientele because I have myapartment now because when I got

(18:09):
back home, my mother was likenot only did she not see it, she
told me that I couldn't do hairout of the house anymore.
Oh okay.
So she was like, listen yougotta figure that out.
You was a teenager, yeah so Iget my apartment, I'm going to
school from eight to two nursingschool come home.
And I would braid in myapartment because I'm going to
school from 8 to 2, nursingschool Come home.
And I would braid in myapartment because I got a

(18:29):
one-bedroom with a den and I setit up like a salon, yeah, and I
would braid from like 3 toabout 9, 10 o'clock and then I
would go to my night job.
I worked at a group home but Iwas sleeping.

Speaker 1 (18:39):
I'm going to be honest, oh my gosh.
Thank God you had the graveyardshift.

Speaker 2 (18:43):
Okay, and I would do.
I would work there, I wouldwake up at 6 am, clock out and
then I would go do it all overagain.
So I did that for a year.

Speaker 1 (18:53):
So what about nursing ?
At this time?
You just kind of let it go.
There was no nursing.

Speaker 2 (18:57):
This was nursing school that I was in.

Speaker 1 (18:58):
So that group home, the group home that, that a
group home that was like thatwas a school.

Speaker 2 (19:03):
No, no, no.
So I went to school from 8 to 2in the morning.

Speaker 1 (19:06):
And then break from 3 to 9 to 10.
And then go to your graveyardshift yes, and then, as soon as
I got off, go home shower, getready go to school.

Speaker 2 (19:15):
I did that for a year , so by the time I graduate
nursing school.
So you graduated.

Speaker 1 (19:20):
I graduated nursing school Girl.
I was not expecting that.
I was not expecting thatbecause I'm like you were doing
so much.
Yeah, you know, and I don'tknow how you like balance all
that, even mentally you know,yeah, and nursing school is not
easy, but I had to finish when.

Speaker 2 (19:37):
I started right.
So this was an LPM program.
Okay, so I finish, I get mylicense.
My clientele is popping.
At this point, I ended upquitting my night job and now
I'm applying to be a nurse.
Yes, so I started working as anurse and I worked for four
months.
I was at a lockdown facilityfor youth and I'm passing meds

(20:01):
and it's depressing and I don'tfeel aligned and I'm just like
this is not it.
I'm going home and I'm passingmeds and it's depressing, I
don't feel aligned and I'm justlike this is not it.
I'm going home and I'm braiding.
My clients are like when you goopen your salon, and I'm like
what are you talking about?
Like, get out of my business.

Speaker 1 (20:13):
Right, because you so set on, you know, the nursing
program.

Speaker 2 (20:18):
I'm set on that, but I'm also.
I don't know how to open asalon.
Also, I don't know how to opena salon.
You ask me about stuff.
I don't even know how I'm goingto do it Right.
And so those things werehappening, clients saying little
things, and I'm just like, okay, this is continuing to tell me.
So one day I just decided toquit my nursing job because I'm
like, worst come to worst, I canalways come back to this job

(20:39):
you can, but I got all of mytime.
I don't have to go to nursingschool, no more, yeah, and I can
full-fledged build my clienteleout, and then we can see.
And so what ended up happeningwas my father.
He was like my father was anentrepreneur.

Speaker 1 (20:53):
Oh, wow, so this was for him.
Did he see the vision?
Oh, did he see it?
Oh that's such a blessing.

Speaker 2 (21:01):
Beyond.
Like my father told me I wouldhave a school before I had a
salon, and my father wasspeaking life into me as a
teenager when he seen I saved$6,000.

Speaker 1 (21:10):
Shout out to your father oh my.
The support is so needed.
Whenever you are taking likeentrepreneurship back, then it's
super risky.

Speaker 2 (21:19):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (21:20):
Because there's not, especially with black people,
it's just not a lot ofgenerational entrepreneurs in
our bloodline, yeah, and so I'mjust glad you had that support,
that motivation, you know, thatkind of kept you on that path
somewhere, you know, but alsowith your mom helping you get
stability.
So if this don't work out, Icould just go back to nursing,
it's okay.

(21:40):
So I just love the planning ofall of this, even though it was
kind of like a little unorthodox, but it it had, you know, it
worked out, you know, yeah.
So tell me about your dad.

Speaker 2 (21:51):
Tell me about your dad oh, yeah, yeah, no, my
father, when I saved sixthousand dollars I might have
been like 17.
He's like where you get allthis money from?
I'm like, daddy, what are youtalking about?
You told me to go up on myprices, like when I was charging
five and $10, he was just likeno, I mean, it was the 90s and I
was a teenager and I didn'tknow.

(22:11):
I didn't know what I had Right.
He was like you need to go upon your prices and I was so
fearful at the time because I'mjust like my clients can't
afford this.
I'm counting aid money Right.
Counting aid money right, yeah.
And so when I went up on myprices and I saved this money
and my father seen it, he reallystarted to see like you, you
gotta do this this is it righthere, it's in your hands.

(22:31):
I love that.
So he was always speaking lifeand bringing that balance in.
Where I'm trying to run off andgo do something else, he's just
trying to help me see it, andso I quit my nursing job.
What's your mom say?
She ain.
Say she didn't really saynothing.
Okay, good, I think she seenthat I was rebuilding my
clientele, and so she just waslike well, you out of my house.

(22:52):
Now too.
You know what I mean.

Speaker 1 (22:55):
Like we just got to get that main part out.
Long as you out of here and youdoing something, yeah, for sure
.

Speaker 2 (23:01):
So she didn't really have much to say.
But my father, I was frustratedone day because I was driving
down the street and I see abraid salon open and it bothered
me because people are movingout on the thing that I
initiated, but I'm stillbraiding hair out of my
apartment.
Absolutely, that's valid, andso I'm not mad at them, but I'm

(23:24):
just like what am I doing?

Speaker 1 (23:25):
Maybe mad at yourself a little.
That's what.
Yeah, that's what made it real.

Speaker 2 (23:29):
It was just like, girl, you changed the law.
This is not for you to bebreaking out of your apartment
Like take the next step.
So I told my father and he waslike, well, just go, look for a
building.
Oh my God.

Speaker 1 (23:41):
He's just so supportive, you know, and he
made it so simple.

Speaker 2 (23:45):
It's just like you're tripping about the next step.
It's not that hard.
Go look for a building.
It don't cost no money.
It just takes some time just togo look and call a number and
ask some questions, because whathappens is, I feel, that we
talk ourselves out of thingsjust because we don't have the
intel, we don't have theinformation, you don't even know
.
Yeah, for sure.

(24:05):
That's what really, when Irealized, like oh, I've chosen,
this was the law got passed, andthen I knew I wasn't aligned
with what I was doing and I justknew that I had to take these
steps, but by this time I'malready incorporated yeah,
because of that lawyer helpingyou out.

Speaker 1 (24:21):
Yeah, dang, it's just like the story.
Like you think, people areplanning all of this.
You know, I didn't expect foryour story to be like.
No, my brother was the you know, my first client and I was just
doing something.
I was like this girl was bornto do all of this and you were.
But I'm just saying I wasthinking like you knew that at

(24:42):
that time.

Speaker 2 (24:43):
No, oh my gosh.

Speaker 1 (24:45):
Such a great story.
Sorry if I threw you off onyour question.
No, this is good.
I am enjoying this Like I amintrigued, I am interested.
This is just man.
It's just I don't know.
I know I'm a little rebelliouswhen it comes to things that I
want that I think are fair, butI just don't know if I could

(25:06):
have done it at 23.
Like maybe later in life, once Ihad the confidence and also the
experience.
You had the practicalexperience but not like the
business management experience.
Yeah, I don't even know if youknew anything about the law back
then, you know.
So I just wonder, wondered like, could I have done something
like that at my little age of 23?

(25:26):
Like, what was I doing at 23?
I'm like I don't think I couldhave done it.
So it's also the age and alsothe resilience and just not
backing down like no matter whowas just like yeah like what are
you doing?
you're doing too much.
It's not even that deep.
Just go to school and do thehours and move on.
You know, because usuallythat's what most would do Like I
just need to get this license.

Speaker 2 (25:47):
And you see it all the time.

Speaker 1 (25:48):
You know, I've interviewed a braider who did it
and then, like a month laterthey got rid of the law and I
was like sheesh.
I was like did they offer yourmoney back?
She was like, no.
She was like but they gave memy money back for state board,
for going down there to take thestate board test.
I was like what $25?

Speaker 2 (26:08):
Yeah right, they can keep that Right.
I just yeah.
I mean, there was fearlessness,but there was also like youthful
ignorance too if that makessense it was like I'm a
rebellious person, like I liketo push, because I'm like this
is not fair and I feel likethere's something that can be
done about it.
I think that's just ingrainedin me, but at the same time I

(26:29):
didn't have necessarily thefullness of courage to step out
and begin to do this, becausewhen it came to me opening a
storefront, I was verycomfortable at home.
I know how to pay my rent athome, you know I have clientele,
but to at home, you know I haveclientele, but to move from
that step of my apartment to astorefront was a very major
hurdle for me absolutely, andthat took a great deal of

(26:50):
courage, but also the supportright my father and my mother
absolutely for sure.

Speaker 1 (26:57):
Your photo went viral and became a defining moment in
the braiding world.
My clients asking me, waybefore I even knew you.
They were asking me to createthat inspiration.
Walk us through the journey ofthat inspiration behind that
photo.
Was that a vision alreadycreated or you was just

(27:18):
freestyling and did you evenknow the impact it would have
later?

Speaker 2 (27:21):
Yeah Well, much like my story, it it was a freestyle.
I'm a free person so the biggiesmalls was just a concept or,
uh, just a particular type ofbraiding technique that I like
to do, and so that's pretty muchwhat she had.
Along the sides of her hairwere the big and small, the
contrast of the big and smallbraids, and, yes, it was just

(27:45):
like okay, this is a cute style.
This was my first photo shoot.
I had never done like aprofessional photo shoot before
I had worked with a photographerout of New York, and so when he
came to Phoenix and we're doingthis shoot, I originally had
her hair styled differently.
It was like more of a Frenchroll type of look.

Speaker 1 (28:05):
Gotcha and a natural updo French roll type.

Speaker 2 (28:09):
Yeah, so it was all the same style, braided on the
sides everything but the middlesection was different.
Okay, gotcha, and so he tookthe pictures and I'm thinking
we're done.
He was like, okay, switch it up.
I'm like switch it up, there'snothing I can switch up, sir.
Yes, there's nothing I canswitch up, sir.
Yes.
I literally had to go in mymind to say, okay, how can I

(28:29):
make this?

Speaker 1 (28:30):
different without taking more than 10 minutes, you
know and so I took out lessthan 10 minutes that mohawk.

Speaker 2 (28:35):
I'm 15 minutes, just that, just that section.
Yeah, so it was so neat.

Speaker 1 (28:41):
You know, it just looked like you took your time
and you put effort into it.

Speaker 2 (28:45):
It was on the fly.
Oh my goodness, no lie, it wasliterally on the fly, because
I'm like I don't know when I'mpaying him for his time, right
he?

Speaker 1 (28:53):
ain't going to be here all day and he don't even
live in Arizona.
So we got to be on time.

Speaker 2 (28:57):
Yes.
So when I took it out, I'mliterally like, okay, it's
hanging down in the middle, whatam I going to do?
There's nothing much.
I felt like I could do otherthan do the roles.
So I just did the roles.
He took the pictures.
Never in a million years that,I think, it would be what it
became, because I wasn't eventrying to photograph that.

Speaker 1 (29:19):
I didn't even know that that was going to be the it
picture.
Everything is happening for you.
I'm just being me and doing meand for some reason it's working
well.
Oh my gosh, I can't believethat.
I thought that was well plannedout too.
I was like this girl, like Ineed to get on my planning, like
she made me feel like I am likenot doing it right and I'm
learning your story and I'm likethis is great, like I'm glad to

(29:42):
hear it flowing in this way,because I feel like a lot of us,
as entrepreneurs, we arefiguring it out as we go.

Speaker 2 (29:48):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (29:49):
The good thing is you did have your dad, you know, to
kind of create the foundationfor you, you know.
But we are figuring a lot ofthings out as we go, like we're
learning on the journey you knowso that's why I was like this
girl.
She need to be teaching how todo it not just practically, but
also in a mindset way too.

Speaker 2 (30:09):
Yeah, for sure.
Yeah, I think the mindset isreally just believing in
yourself.
Absolutely, you know and goingthat path of least resistance.
Like I said, hair chose me, I'mjust being drawn this way, so
I'm like all right, cool, andevery time I do something it's
working out, so I just keepmoving forward, gotcha, yeah
okay, what was it like seeingyour work inspire stylists and

(30:30):
spark trends across the naturalhair industry?
uh, it was a mixed feelinginitially.
It was mixed because viral wasnot a thing for real.
For real, were you thinkinglike instagram had just started?

Speaker 1 (30:45):
yeah, you went viral before we knew.
Viral was viral exactly sothere's mixed feelings.

Speaker 2 (30:52):
It's like, oh okay, this hairstyle is clearly dope,
other people like it, um, butnow it's proliferating without
my signature and or theacknowledgement of who did it.

Speaker 1 (31:02):
That's why I couldn't ever like I couldn't place it
nowhere.
It was just like bam and it waslike who in the world done this
?

Speaker 2 (31:10):
Right.

Speaker 1 (31:10):
It was like no credentials, Like it was hard to
find it Exactly.

Speaker 2 (31:13):
So now, when it was published in Essence, I did get
the.
You know what do you call it.

Speaker 1 (31:20):
Like the credits, the recognition.
Yeah, thank you.
Yeah, like the credits and allthat.

Speaker 2 (31:22):
Yeah, thank you.
Yeah, so I did get therecognition there, but that was
the only place.
But when it hit the internet,there's no watermark, there's no
logo.

Speaker 1 (31:32):
There's not me smiling next to her, or anything
like that.
Even a photographer too.
Yeah, right, yeah.

Speaker 2 (31:34):
So I'm tight if I'm honest.

Speaker 1 (31:36):
Yeah, absolutely, I'm just like dang.

Speaker 2 (31:37):
Not only because it was on flyers, it's on business
cards it's on billboards.
It's in other countries it wasliterally everywhere.

Speaker 1 (31:48):
I mean you couldn't go, especially if you are a
black natural hairstylist.
You couldn't go nowhere withoutseeing that photo and people
were marketing that style likeit was their work, as if it was
theirs.
They were yeah To the pointwhere the model herself was in

(32:10):
paris seeing it on a book on inthe front of a salon.
This girl went global.
Wait a minute, you went global.

Speaker 2 (32:15):
Oh my gosh she goes into the salon and they telling
her that they did it and she'slike I'm the model.
Oh my goodness.

Speaker 1 (32:24):
Yes, it was crazy.
People were really takingcredit if they could get away
with it.
And she's like I'm the model.

Speaker 2 (32:26):
Oh my goodness, it was crazy.
People were really takingcredit if they could get away.

Speaker 1 (32:28):
So when she told them she was a model, what did they
say?

Speaker 2 (32:31):
they probably just looked at her like oh okay, I
mean I don't remember the wholereaction, but yeah y'all have
been like look at my side, lookat all of this.

Speaker 1 (32:39):
That's me up there.
Yeah, for real.
Yep Girl, I'm just learning somuch about you.
I'm like, golly, it's likesitting in front of Michelle
Obama, a black naturalhairstylist, and for you I bet
you don't even feel that way,absolutely not.
But everyone on the outsidelooking in, as a black natural

(33:01):
hairstylist, I'm telling youthat's what you are for real.
When Tyler told me about you, Iwas like, oh, I hope to God this
girl is available.
I want people to know her on myplatform too.
So being featured in EssenceMagazine is such a huge
accomplishment.
Can you tell us how thatopportunity came about?

Speaker 2 (33:21):
Yeah, so when I initially did the photo shoot it
was to get published.
But it was to get published inlike black hair sophisticates oh
, I remember that.
Yeah, because you it's a hairmagazine, you submit your photos
to get published, whereasessence you don't just submit
your photos to get published.

Speaker 1 (33:37):
It don't happen like that it's not even a hair
magazine exactly so.

Speaker 2 (33:43):
The photographer is in New York and this is what he
does.
He, you know, he shops hisimages.
I don't know exactly whathappened.
All I know is that months later, um, he hits me up.
He was like, hey, essencepicture work up.
And I'm like, okay, he said itso casually.
I'm just like I don't even knowwhat that means but okay, oh my
gosh yeah and then I had afriend hit me up and they're

(34:03):
like girl, did you see thisessence uh issue?
And I'm like no, she was likeyou are all in that magazine.
I'm like what, not only was, uh, my hairstyle in there, because
it was a whole column, but Iwas actually because I was one
of the models, just because youknow, we had a whole lot of
pictures.
You were in there.
I was in there the salon wasmentioned.
All of that you right above it,and it was next to one of my

(34:25):
mentor salons.
I'm not sure if you know whoAnu Prestoni is of Kammett Kinks
in New York.

Speaker 1 (34:30):
And.

Speaker 2 (34:30):
I'm just like.
The honor to be next to thatlegacy was just mind-blowing to
me, so I was just like okay, didyou start?

Speaker 1 (34:40):
feeling like this is a big deal.
Definitely yeah, for sure I wasgoing to say when did that
start resonating with you?
Like you are making extrememovements, yeah, you know, at
that time I'm like, did itfinally sit in Like dang, like
I'm doing a lot and I'm doingsome great things here?

Speaker 2 (34:58):
Yeah, it definitely hit, but it still was just like
when you're you, it's hard toreally see it as other people
see it too, because it's likeyou're you, you know.
But when it hit, not only didit hit that July issue that year
, then they did a hot hair issuein October of that year and my
hairstyle was on the cover ofthat Essence magazine as well,

(35:20):
as there were more features inthere and I'm like I don't even
know what is going on, but I'mgrateful.

Speaker 1 (35:26):
Oh, at this time, how was your mom feeling?
I know your dad was proudbecause he's an entrepreneur,
yeah, and you can relate to himhere with that.

Speaker 2 (35:35):
But what about your mom?
She's the proudest in the world.
Yeah, right, Because that's howyou should be right the?

Speaker 1 (35:41):
ones that's all resistant about it at first,
they end up being the mosthappiest in the end, right, yeah
, absolutely, because your dadcould see the vision you know.
But for her it's like it tooksome seeing to like really
believe, like no, this is a bigthing, this is a big deal you
know, yeah, this is like five orsix years into me owning the

(36:02):
law.

Speaker 2 (36:02):
She didn't open a salon.
She's successful Now.
She in Essence Magazine.
You can't deny, you can't notsee that you know what about
your brother?
My brother was in Korea.
Like he was like there, but hejust like he's so far away.
Yeah, he was proud.

Speaker 1 (36:17):
He was proud, yeah, especially you being his first
client.
So I'm like, how does yourbrother feel about it?

Speaker 2 (36:22):
Yeah, he's like just make sure you tell my part of
the story, because if it wasn't,for me being a guinea pig, wait
a minute, don't you forgetabout the little people.

Speaker 1 (36:32):
Oh my gosh, I love that.
So did you have a message thatyou wanted to convey to Essence
Magazine, or you was just like Iwant to get published, you know
?
Or was there like a messagethat you wanted to send out
there to people who would beinspired by?

Speaker 2 (36:48):
your work.
Ask me that one more time.
I want to make sure Iunderstand it.

Speaker 1 (36:51):
So I guess you know, like, whenever you, I know, like
the photo shoot and everythingthat happened, it was like
spontaneous, everything wasspontaneous.
So sometimes some people willcreate these intricate
hairstyles to like, I guess,transcribe like what they're
feeling, like some emotion thatwas attached to it, like were

(37:12):
you trying to create a messageout there for you know, women
like us that are in the naturalhair, black natural hair
community as hairstylists andprofessionals, that particular
hairstyle, yeah, Itself.

Speaker 2 (37:22):
I just honestly thought it was elegant, I
thought it was royal.

Speaker 1 (37:25):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (37:26):
You know, when I think of Rare Essence or the
name of my company, like itliterally has to do with the
word essence speaks to the core,the intrinsic nature of
something that if it didn't havethat thing it would not be what
it is right, absolutely yes,and so when I think about
natural hair, and I think aboutus wearing it authentically and
naturally as it is, and thenalso with the intentionality of

(37:49):
these hairstyles.
It's art, it's self-appreciation, it's all of those things,
acceptance.
And so, for me, anything that Ido, I'm going to put my all
into it, because I see it as acanvas right, absolutely.
And so just to be able toexpress yourself in the fullness
yeah yeah, you did that.

Speaker 1 (38:12):
So we we covered about the Arizona State Board of
Cosmetology.
But one question I do want toask you is had the verdict taken
a different turn?
Were you prepared to continueeducating?
I mean advocating for what wasnecessary for your claim to be
heard.

Speaker 2 (38:27):
I think I would have continued to follow my
instructions, because I was onlymoving based off the
instructions if that makes sense, and yeah, I don't know where I
would be, but I know I wouldhave continued to move forward
in whatever I needed to do.

Speaker 1 (38:41):
Yeah, ten toes down on they neck because it didn't
make sense.
You know you go through thatentire program.
That's a lot of time, a lot ofenergy, a lot of money and you
weren't going to learn anything,yeah.

Speaker 2 (38:51):
Now, if you were to ask me, would I have went to
school?

Speaker 1 (38:54):
no, no, I don't think .
Oh, I didn't need to ask youthat.
I know you like just learningyou.
I didn't even need to ask youthat question.
I know you wouldn't have wentto school because, it's a very
logical reason to not go Right.
You know so.
I didn't need to ask you thatJust learning who you are, I
could tell like that personalitywould have been like I ain't
doing that, I'm not doing that.
I ain't doing that.
You know so.

(39:15):
I didn't need to ask you thatyour iconic braids photo was
featured in the National Museumof African American History and
Culture.
Such an incredible honor.
What did that moment mean toyou?
And how does it feel to knowyour work is all these different
?
You know people in and out ofthat museum every day, like they

(39:37):
get a piece of you Like girl.
Come on, tell me.
How does that feel?

Speaker 2 (39:42):
Well, I had to see it to really feel it um you know,
okay, I've seen it.
You know, I knew about it, Iwas aware of it, but it took for
me to go to DC and actually seeit and see my hairstyle and all
that.
I just was blown away.
It's the cover of the essence,the hot hair issue where my
hairstyle on the cover and toknow that it's in a museum.

Speaker 1 (40:06):
The African American Museum too.
It's newly built.

Speaker 2 (40:09):
It's not even old, the museum of all museums for
black people and my hairstyle islike cemented.

Speaker 1 (40:17):
They built that museum when I was living over
there.
Are you serious, they did yeah.
So, that's why I'm like mindblown.
I'm like what in the world thisgirl is like okay.
Yeah, grateful, yeah, yes, likehow do you feel Like, how did
that even happen?
I don't know, it's just, girl,wait a minute.

(40:39):
I'm saying this.
You need to know something.
You didn't even so how did youfind out?
How did you find out?
How did?

Speaker 2 (40:45):
you find out Whether some people in the industry that
either had seen it like itwasn't like, they reached out or
anything like that.
Because it's Essence Magazine,that's right.
I just so happened to have myhair style on the cover, you
know.
And so through the grapevine, Iguess I would say I can't even
remember how I knew.
I just was like you gotta bekidding me, I see.

(41:07):
And then somebody actually went, took a picture of it and I was
like I gotta go, I'm just lost.

Speaker 1 (41:15):
For words I'm like I know, you probably like.

Speaker 2 (41:21):
You are so like today's going.

Speaker 1 (41:22):
You're just like it is girl you're so natural you
are so like today's girl, You'rejust like oh yeah, and then
that I just I'm like all of thiswas intentional and I can't get
over that because I'm like danghair wanted you.
Like it was like it grabbed youand it had you in a headlock.
Yeah, you ain't going nowhereand I want you to stay on this

(41:46):
journey.
I just love that and I don'tknow how I would feel like
somebody tell me you know yourwork is in an African-American
and I didn't know.
I'm thinking like somebodyreached out and was like you
have to know about this younglady and she is making these
great moves and she deserves tohave her work featured in the
museum.
And and you, like no people,just told me, like your work.

(42:09):
I don't know, I don't even knowwhat to say.
I'm like you know how manyimportant people have walked in
that museum and you are a pieceof that history.
Yeah, like that, I don't evenknow.

(42:30):
Like girl, I just, I just, Idon't even I don't have the
words.
So being included in a museumsolidified your influence, not
just in the beauty industry butas part of the cultural legacy
of african-american hairartistry.
How did that recognition impactyour journey and how you?

(42:51):
I'm getting emotional because Iam oh my goodness, girl, you
doing a lot.
It's like I.
Just you need to see this, likewhat you're doing for us I
can't even get myself undercontrol.
We might have to cut some ofthis, but I just you need to see
this, like what you're doingfor us.

(43:12):
I can't even get myself undercontrol.
We might have to cut some ofthis, but you need to see like
what you're doing for usinternally you know, and it's a
lot you know, because you don'tknow individual story, what they
go through in order to do whatthey're doing, and so, like,
you're paving the way for a lotof us, and you need to know what
they're doing, and so, like,you're paving the way for a lot
of us.

Speaker 2 (43:24):
Wow.

Speaker 1 (43:25):
And you need to know that.

Speaker 2 (43:27):
Thank you.

Speaker 1 (43:28):
And I know my question got all thrown out
because I'm getting allemotional- and stuff.

Speaker 2 (43:33):
You're good.

Speaker 1 (43:34):
You're good.
But yeah, you just need to knowthat.
You know, like, for the oneswho like really believe in this,
who really love it, the peoplethat don't take it serious, you
know they look at us like, oh,we're just having fun.
They don't know what we gothrough in order to you know,
they just see the practical sideyeah you know, so, um for you
to just do what you're doing,like it's just a great movement,

(43:55):
you know, so yeah.
I just gotta let you know that.
But I was just saying, like howdid that recognition impact
your journey and how you seeyour work today?
You know, like seeing it thenand then today, you know how did
it impact your journey alongthe way after that.

Speaker 2 (44:17):
If I'm honest, I think that you know I look at
you, know what I've been able toaccomplish and I'm beyond super
grateful, I think, because ofwho not who I am but even just
the things that I've had to walkthrough in terms of like
healing, and those things I'vehad to learn how to be present
and to actually see it and toactually celebrate it Right, as
opposed to just zooming throughit or just like on to the next,

(44:39):
because I have very much beenthat person.
It's like, okay, on to the next, on to the next.

Speaker 1 (44:42):
I have very much been that person it's like okay, on
to the next, on to the next.

Speaker 2 (44:44):
And so it took for me to get further on in my journey
, to sit with the things that Ihave walked through you know the
ups and the downs, the good andthe bad and I'm grateful
because, honestly, I just seemyself as a vessel.
I'm just being used.

Speaker 1 (44:59):
Yes, you know what I mean For sure.

Speaker 2 (45:01):
It's like a surrogate You're carrying something that
you have to deliver.
Yeah, I didn't choose it, itchose.
You know what I?
Mean yeah, like it literallychose me and so honestly, I just
give all honor to God because,like, I didn't write this story.
Yeah for sure.
I'm just acting.
You know what I'm saying?
Cut.

Speaker 1 (45:18):
Action, and that's what make it even more unique,
you know because and I thinkthat's why I am so moved because
you didn't intentionally doanything.
It was literally God's work,and that's what's making me so
emotional like to be witnessingand talking to somebody that God
did use as a vessel in order topave the way for black natural

(45:38):
hairstylists.
Yeah, and that's why I am soemotional, because I'm not
thinking any of this is done inthat way.
Yeah, I was like she ispractical and logical, as you
know, the complete opposite.
Yeah, my business partner.

Speaker 2 (45:55):
She's that person.
She knows my schedule, she'sorganized.
I'm like girl, I don't, I don't, I don't know how to be that
person.
Yeah, me, yeah.

Speaker 1 (46:03):
And I feel like a lot of us are like that.
The more entrepreneurs Iinterview, I'm learning like, oh
dang, that's what we all havein common and we have to have
that person, you know, that canstep in and help us with those
things, to keep us on track andbeing more logical, analytical
and all those things.
Yes, all righty.

(46:23):
So your all righty.
So you're uh, no, that's.
That's not the question I wantto ask you.
I'm sorry.
You, good um you.
We want to talk about youracademy.
You founded Rare EssenceAcademy in 2013.
What inspired you to transitioninto education?

Speaker 2 (46:40):
again.
It's one of those stories.
Really, I did not want to teach.
I did not want to teach notbecause I didn't want to share
my secrets.
I didn't think I had it in me,because that's a skill set yeah,
yeah.
Yes, just because you do hairwell does not mean that you can
convey and translate how youthink to get somebody else's

(47:02):
hands to do it, how you think toget somebody else's hands to do
it.
And so my hair blow, myhairstyle blowing up brought a
lot of recognition for thepeople who knew who did it,
whether they got the essencemagazine.
So my salon is blowing up.
People are calling from allover the nation because
everybody's requesting thishairstyle and they want to know
how do you, how do I recreatethis?

(47:22):
Yes, and so I'm starting torecognize there's this demand
for people to learn, because I'ma type of hairstylist.
I can see a hairstyle and I candeconstruct it just by looking
at it.

Speaker 1 (47:33):
Right.

Speaker 2 (47:33):
Whereas other people may not have that skill set
Right Yep, and so I'm just likein my mind it's easy, like if
you're a hairstylist, you shouldknow how to deconstruct it.
If you're a hairstylist, youshould know how to deconstruct
it, right, I'm not realizingthat's just a certain skill set.
So, as I'm getting these callsnow, I already told you.
My father told me I was goingto have a school before I ever
had a salon.
He did, yeah, so I thought hewas crazy, if I'm honest.

(47:55):
But now that this is like it'spulling me and I'm fighting it
with all I have, because I'mafraid that if people come and
they spend their money to takethis class, more than likely
they done flew out here.
They got a hotel, they got toget a car and all this level of

(48:15):
investment.
What if they don't get it?
Oh, what if I can't give it orthey can't receive it?
Right, I was so fearful and so,um, all all of this really is
again, it's it's it's vesselwork, it's what you were called
to do.
And so one morning I woke up andI literally was having this

(48:35):
conversation with God and Iliterally had to say yes.

Speaker 1 (48:39):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (48:40):
And so, with me saying yes, that same day I go
to the salon and there's a ladygetting her hair done by another
stylist in the salon and shewas like God kept me up all
night about you and she'sliterally.
She was like she wrote all this, all this stuff down.
She was like you're going to betraveling, you're going to be
teaching, you're going to be in.
I'm like, girl, if you were youat my house this morning,

(49:12):
because literally she'sconfirming what I've just said,
yes to wow.
And so from that point, I knewlike okay, I have to take these
steps.
And so I just started promoting, I teach classes, and at the
time, I had two locations and Iwas going to turn one of the
locations into a school.
Yes, but I end up not goingthat route because I started to
promote it on Instagram.
This is 2013, 2014.
Now people are asking from allover how can I learn?
And that's when I end up goingonline.

Speaker 1 (49:33):
Oh, doing the virtual learning, so you did that back
then in 2013,.
Virtual online classes.

Speaker 2 (49:38):
Not at that point.
We didn't do virtual until 15.
Okay, got you.

Speaker 1 (49:46):
Okay, yeah, because that makes it a lot more
convenient for the people whocan't even afford the travel.
You know, yeah, and virtuallearning it has helped me a lot
too in my skill set.
You know, because it was hardtrying to, you know, continue
your education when these peoplewho are doing these amazing you
know styles or whatever theyare educating on it's really
hard to get to these people.
you know styles or whatever theyare educating on, it's really
hard to get to these people youknow, so I really appreciate the

(50:08):
virtual online aspect and youknow people like you who are
educators in the industry thatare giving back to like share
this, a way where it can beconvenient for people who just
cannot, you know, travel, affordto travel but, still be
committed and dedicated tolearning that skill set you know
, so I'm so happy this virtualthing is becoming a thing yeah,

(50:30):
agreed, and I think the otherpart of that other than me being
called to do it my personal.

Speaker 2 (50:36):
why is that?
We don't have like a nationwidestandard for natural hair
stylings and skills andtechniques and all that, and
what I mean by that is like wedon't have schools in every city
, every state.
So where there's this standardthat people can go and learn
this stuff, and there'ssometimes like this idea like oh
OK, you black, you know how todo hair.

(50:57):
And it's like not everybody doand everybody that has a passion
doesn't necessarily know how todo it, but they want to learn a
passion doesn't necessarilyknow how to do it, but they want
to learn and so the way thatI've been designed like I just
know how to help people theirmind to get it.
So it translates from theirmind to their fingers.
Because a lot of times when itcomes to teaching somebody how
to braid or how to twist or howto be creative within their

(51:19):
skillset.
Yeah, it's a lot of mentalblocks.
Yes, it's more mental than itis mechanical.
That's right, and so what wefind is that we got to speak to
their heart and their mindbefore we can get it into their
hands and so that's, that's it's.
It's a lot of negativeself-talk.

Speaker 1 (51:35):
I can't do it, or you know these excuses, my fingers
are too fat or just crazy thingsthat we can allow to be in our
mind that stop us from reallyachieving or having those
results that we want yeah, didyou think that you were gonna
have to go deep within the mindwhen you first started?
You thought this was just gonnabe all practical.
Not at all.

Speaker 2 (51:52):
Yeah, I definitely thought it was gonna be all
practical until we startedtraveling and because we only
had two days to get it rightwe're going and we're only with
these people for two days andthey paid their money.
They have to get it and aswe're in it.
We're like, oh, this is so muchdeeper this is deeper than that
.
Yeah, this is so much deeperthan hair, and we wish we had
more time with them, but more soon the personal development

(52:16):
side of things, because there'sa statement that I use, um, and
I've coined your business canonly grow to the extent that you
do as a person.
That's right, and so if we workon what we're doing in our mind
and in our heart, it's going tonaturally translate into what
we do in our businesses.

Speaker 1 (52:32):
That's right, absolutely For sure.
Are there any upcoming projectsor initiatives you're excited
about that you'd like to share?

Speaker 2 (52:41):
Yeah Well, I mean, I'm transitioning in my career
and just my own personal, likedesires and things I want to do,
and my greatest thing is tohelp people with their mindset
and believing in themselves,like God has just given me this
gift, to see people and to seewhat they carry and to help them
develop that and so that's whatI'm doing, more on the personal

(53:03):
side coaching and speaking, ohyeah.
And then also we're looking toofficially open the school.
We just graduated a class lastnight.

Speaker 1 (53:13):
Congratulations.

Speaker 2 (53:15):
Thank you, that's amazing.
Thank you, I love that, yeah,so we officially did our 12-week
program where we go overbraiding, locking, twisting,
hair care, hair science, thewhole game, hair science, all of
it, all of it.
Textbooks, workbooks, practicalwork, touching heads, and so
that was just a great programand we had people come from

(53:37):
different cities literally pausetheir life to come and learn,
and so we're going to continuefor 12 weeks.

Speaker 1 (53:44):
They are so committed .
I, oh yeah, that that's becauseI'm sometimes I get a little
worried about the future of thebeauty industry, you know,
because social media can likeyou know the things that are out
there and some of the clientswith their feedback and they're
talking about theunprofessionalism that they're
experiencing in the industry andI'm like I'm worried, worried

(54:04):
what's going to happen to us.
So, to know that some peopleare so committed to this art and
they actually came here andstayed and took a lot of time
out of their schedule in orderto become graduates of your
academy, that, let me know thefuture is going to be okay.

Speaker 2 (54:22):
We got a few, we got to clean up, but the future of
the industry is in good.

Speaker 1 (54:24):
Okay, we got a little , got a few, we got to clean up,
but the future of the industryis in good hands to be that
committed you know, yeah, yeah,we gotta pour it out we sure do.
What advice would you give toaspiring natural hairstylists
who want to follow a similarpath to yours?

Speaker 2 (54:40):
yeah, I believe one being patient with your process,
because I think one of thegreatest things that when they
hear my story, they see themilestones but they don't see
the space in between.
Right?

Speaker 1 (54:55):
And so, while I, touched hair at 12,.

Speaker 2 (54:57):
I didn't open the salon till 25.
And then I didn't get into amagazine until 31.
And and so I, sometimes we wantto be somewhere that we're not
necessarily no, I'm not going tosay qualified, but just
prepared to be Right.
And I think that with theadvent of social media, it
causes us to compare and to seeall of these things that other

(55:18):
people are doing.
Oh, I should have a productline already, or I should have,
and it's just like slow down,like literally almost.
It's almost best to cuteverything off and to literally
find out what the pace is foryour race and allow those things
to happen.
I think that if I would havehad social media, I could have
been tempted you know what Imean to go and do something else

(55:39):
or to expedite a process thatwasn't necessary.
But when you're in your, yourprocess, in terms of the rhythm
of it, it will come when itneeds to come and you'll be like
I don't even know how thishappened, it just happened.

Speaker 1 (55:52):
Yeah, absolutely, and I'm glad you brought that up.
We were actually talking aboutthat last night, like the
negative impacts that socialmedia can put on us, because
we're thinking, because, likeyou said, comparing, we are
supposed to already be there too.
And everyone's journey is sounique, everyone's situation is
just so unique.
But social media will have thisunintentional, just influence

(56:18):
on you to make you feel like I'mnot doing enough, I'm not
showing up enough.
I'm not posting enough oh if Iwas posting enough then I would
have that right now.
So I'm glad you actuallydropped that gem and that nugget
in there, because it keepscoming up in the podcast for
this season.
When I'm interviewingentrepreneurs, they keep saying
this and I want people to keephearing this so they can know

(56:41):
it's not you, it's just probablynot your time.
That's it.
That's it.
Yeah, that's it.

Speaker 2 (56:47):
Nothing happens overnight.
I think the other thing, too,too, is that as stylists, we're
natural creatives.
Yeah, and with us being naturalcreatives, there can be so many
things vying for our attentionand and so it's hard to lock in.
Yes, and one of the things thatI feel like has been a blessing
to me is that I stayed in thelane, I focused and I did not

(57:08):
allow my attention to bediverted, because I would not
have had the traction that I'vehad.
It's pick it and write it right, um, and not just write it, but
write it intentionally, likegive it all that it that it
requires, master this thing,yeah.
And so, when it comes to usbeing creators and we have a lot
of other things that we coulddo, like I like writing poetry,

(57:29):
I like playing my bass, I likeyou know rapping You're an
artist.
Are those things paying me?
You know what I mean?
And if they can?
But I have to pick one, and Ichose hair and I believe that,
as we're faithful over the firstthing, there will be time and
room for an expression ofanother thing as we move forward
.
So I was a hairstylist first,then I became a salon owner and

(57:51):
then I became and the salonownership is leadership so
that's just what it is, yeah, soit's leader.
And then, then I was able to tounlock the gift of teaching.
I didn't know I could teach,yeah, but all of these things
began to have an expressionbecause I was faithful over the
first thing.

Speaker 1 (58:09):
You did.
What a lot of us have a hardtime doing is staying focused
One thing at a time, because Ifeel like a lot of artists, we
have like a multitude of talentsand we want to do them all, but
it's really hard to focus oneverything because it's not
something, it's not going togrow at the rate that it could,

(58:30):
it cannot elevate when yourattention is just here and then
here and then here, and you willexperience burnout too, you
know For sure.
Then you mad at everything.

Speaker 2 (58:40):
You're like I don't want to do none of this, no more
.

Speaker 1 (58:42):
I'm over it, I quit, you know, and even for myself I
had to learn that later in life,like you, have to pick one
thing.

Speaker 2 (58:50):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (58:50):
You know, nurture that, grow it, and if that one
thing is still calling you, onceyou've mastered this, move on.
But, you cannot elevate, youcannot grow and you can't even
become the expert.
Come on, until you focus onthis one thing.

Speaker 2 (59:05):
That's it.
Yeah, I think the problem ispeople hear multiple streams.

Speaker 1 (59:09):
Multiple streams of income.
You need multiple streams ofincome.
If you want to be rich, youneed multiple streams of income.
That is true.
Why didn't I think of that?
That's the problem.

Speaker 2 (59:21):
So we hear that.
But then we hear master andfocus and it's like, okay, how
do I do both?
Yeah, no, multiple streams,come as you.
Master, that's right.
Master the one thing, and thenfrom that it's like, okay, now
you can have a salon, now youcan have products, now you can
have.
But you got to be first good atdoing hair.
If that's what you want to do,that's right.
Or if you want to do a productline, do a product line, yeah

(59:43):
but master that first, then youget that.

Speaker 1 (59:46):
you got the rhythm and the groove of how that flow
and go.
Now you tap into this other oneand eventually you're going to
have those multiple streams ofincome.
But the way social mediapromote it's like you got to do
it all at the same time.

Speaker 2 (59:56):
You ain't got it all at the same time.
If you got 100%, what you goingto do?
30, 30, 30?

Speaker 1 (01:00:02):
And you can't.
Like you said, none of them aregoing to be able to advance.

Speaker 2 (01:00:05):
They're not going to grow, yeah, so.

Speaker 1 (01:00:13):
If you could tell your younger self one thing at
the start of this journey whatwould it be your younger self
back then, 12-year-old Essence,braiding her brother's hair and
you see yourself today like whatwould it be.

Speaker 2 (01:00:28):
I'm proud of you.
Yes, for sure, sure, I thinkI'm proud of you.
Says you're enough.
Yes, it says you don't have tolook outside of yourself, so to
speak yeah be with what somebodyelse wants you to be, or
literally find out what feelslike literally aligned with you,
yeah, and ride that lane.

(01:00:49):
And I think you know it's apotential that I could have done
more or got somewhere faster ifI wasn't like, oh, let me go
and do this thing, or oh, let medo that thing, and so, um, you
got this and you're enough.
And literally knowing like what, what really aligns Absolutely.

Speaker 1 (01:01:06):
I love how you put those two together.
Like I'm proud of you saying, Iam enough.
You know, I don't know ifpeople look at I'm proud of you
in that way.
You know that those words, aslimited, as small as they are,
that's a lot, that's a it's abig force to like put those two
and align them together, causethat's literally what it is, you

(01:01:27):
know.
So for you to get your mind isjust.
I love it like I love how youalso have recognized that you
have that gift as well and youare, you know, exchanging that
with the women that you aremeeting so that they can, you
know, hear those things, so thatthey can be on their healing
journey, like you mentioned yeahyou know it's.
You have to be healed,especially when you're working

(01:01:47):
with hair.
Yeah, you know it's.
You have to be healed,especially when you're working
with hair.
Yeah, you know, you're havingconversations, translating, you
know things back and forth.
You know, depending on whateverthey're going through, whatever
you are experiencing, you knowwe do help in that way, even
though we don't get paid to be,you know therapists, but we do
help them out in so many waysoutside of exterior, it's

(01:02:08):
interior as well, absolutely.
You know, and a lot of it comesfrom interior, because after a
while these people start bookingyou.
They're not even booking hair,no more.

Speaker 2 (01:02:15):
Oh for sure.
Yeah, they're booking you,Without a doubt.

Speaker 1 (01:02:18):
Mm-hmm for sure.
How can our listeners connectwith you, learn more about your
academy or book services?

Speaker 2 (01:02:25):
Yeah, well, we are Rare Essence Academy on every
platform YouTube, Instagram,facebook and then my personal
brand is Essence.

Speaker 1 (01:02:36):
China.
Okay, mm-hmm.

Speaker 2 (01:02:37):
Alright, that's it.

Speaker 1 (01:02:39):
Well, this has been one of the most moving
interviews I've ever done.
I've never got emotion, Ifanything.
We like laughing in those ways,so this is one of the most
moving, one of the most powerful, even inspirational, interviews
I've ever done.
I'm extremely, again, honoredto have you on the show and I
thank you for carving some timeout to share with us, because I

(01:03:02):
know you're busy and this wasnot even really planned.

Speaker 2 (01:03:06):
Look, here we go again.

Speaker 1 (01:03:07):
This was not planned, but it worked out.
It always works out.
Yeah, so I just appreciate youknow you blessing us with your
presence on the show.

Speaker 2 (01:03:15):
Without a doubt Can I add one more thing?
Girl, whatever you want to add,you don't even have to put this
in the podcast, but I just wantto share this.
So, though, I named RareEssence back when my lawyer
asked me to incorporate 2020years ago yes, um, I didn't get
the acronym, I didn't know theunderstanding of rare until
about six years ago, and I justwanted to share that.

(01:03:36):
And so, please, the r standsfor getting a revelation, and
that revelation is who am Iright?
We have to know who we are tohave an idea of how we're
supposed to navigate this world.
Right, right, the only way weget a revelation of who we are
is to get a revelation of whoGod is, who sent us here, and so
there has to be a seek in orderto find out who you are.

(01:03:59):
And then A stands for having anauthentic assignment, when we
understand that we're not justhere by happenstance.
We have an assignment, we havework to do.
That's right.
And not only.
It's not just a frivolous work.
It's a work that hasauthenticity connected to it.

(01:04:21):
You have to do it in the waythat he's called you to do it,
that's why you can have Orderknows footsteps right.
You can have a hairstylist nextdoor, or in the suite next door
or in a salon up the street.
What attracts them to you, itis your rareness, it is your
unique uniqueness, it's yourauthenticity, right.
And so sometimes we findourselves trying to conform, or

(01:04:43):
oh, it looked like it worked forthem, so I'm gonna try to be
that.
No, find out what makes youquirky, that's what makes you
you, that it factor, and that'sthe thing that, literally, is
going to hyper attract.
And a lot of times we findourselves watering ourselves
down and we're not concentratedenough, whether it's focused or
full of the essence of who we'vebeen created to be absolutely

(01:05:03):
and so there has to be anauthenticity that we deliver
with.
and the second and the second Ris for readiness.
Readiness speaks to preparation.
Just because Michael Jordancould play ball did not get him
to where he's at today.
He had to practice, he had toequip himself, and so you can be

(01:05:24):
naturally gifted as ahairstylist or whatever.

Speaker 1 (01:05:26):
the field that you're in.

Speaker 2 (01:05:30):
You can be naturally that, but don't be lazy with it.
Prepare yourself, butpreparation also speaks to what
are you allowing to come intoyour heart, what are you
allowing to come into your mind,because these things can be
empowering or disempowering.
Our readiness has to do withtaking inventory of our
environment.
Who's speaking into our lives,right?

(01:05:52):
And so there's anintentionality that we have to
have if we're going to stand outas rare.
The reality is that we're allrare.
That's right, but not all of usare aware.

Speaker 1 (01:06:07):
Ooh, baby, we have a church.
It's so true, though.
So, oh my gosh, come on.

Speaker 2 (01:06:14):
I'm gonna come on.
No, but no, it's, it's real.
We are all rare, but we're notall aware, and the awareness is
that you are enough.
You just have to find out whatthat is, that makes you you, and
that is literally yoursuperpower yes, right, so get
ready and the last letter, e,stands for serve with excellence

(01:06:39):
.
Our community deservesexcellence but we can only give
people that which we're willingto give ourselves.
If your salon has a certainupkeep, more than likely your
home has the same level ofupkeep.

Speaker 1 (01:06:55):
It's the same mind.
It's the same person.

Speaker 2 (01:06:58):
So if we can start analyzing who we are in our own
personal lives and we work onbeing excellent there, we'll be
able to serve with excellenceeffortlessly because it is who
we are we deserve excellence andwe can serve excellence that's
right so just be being awarethat we're rare that's girl.

Speaker 1 (01:07:16):
I love that.
When did you did you learn that?
Whenever you came up with youracronyms and the meaning behind
your acronyms?
You learned that then, or thisis as your journey was just
unfolding it was a divinedownload.

Speaker 2 (01:07:29):
I think that, um, oh my gosh, I didn't one.
I feel like God chose all thesethings and then he gives me the
knowledge of it after the fact.
I didn't say, oh well, let mefigure out what rare is gonna be
it.
Literally, I was driving oneday and it came to me what it?
Was, and then it was furtherdeveloped as I started to
understand it got you and so umso yeah, but this is not.

(01:07:54):
This is not just for hair, thisis just in life in life um, and
when we get off, I'll do a poemfor you.

Speaker 1 (01:08:00):
I'm a poet, so I'll do why you want to do it on the
mic.
Give us some poetry, okay, comeon.
Come on.
No, no, not when we get off.
I want my listeners need tohear this.
Yeah, no, come on, yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:08:15):
Hopefully I know about heart.
Let me just pull it up, just incase.
I miss a line or two.

Speaker 1 (01:08:20):
Okay, yeah, we want it all, so pull it up.

Speaker 2 (01:08:23):
This is my philosophy for life, so let me pull up my
notes really quick, okay.

Speaker 1 (01:08:31):
Yeah, because this need to be recorded.
She's like we need this girl?

Speaker 2 (01:08:36):
No, Let me see, I'm trying to pull it up by a
keyword.
Okay, why is this?
See, this ain't nothing but theenemy.

Speaker 1 (01:08:49):
Yep, because you listen you done gave a key word.
Okay, why is this?
This ain't nothing but theenemy.
Yep, Because you listen.
You done gave a testimony here.
You done moved somebody, he madgirl Like, how dare she come?

Speaker 2 (01:09:01):
in here and do that.
We know your God told youdifferent, that you were created
for greatness.
But we got plans for you too.
So forget what you heard andfollow this herd.
Go to school, get in debt, geta job, pay us back with your
life, your dignity and respect.
Now sit down with the littlelife you have left, because we

(01:09:23):
no longer have need of you.
Oh, and them dreams you had?
Yeah, you could forget them too, replacing with an addiction
for material and digital thingsthat bind you to our system.
Because if we ever allow you tothink for yourself, you'll no
longer be blind agents producingour wealth while we rob you of
health, disconnecting you fromself.

(01:09:45):
Further solidifying you willnever awaken to the very purpose
of your existence.
Connecting you from selffurther solidifying you will
never awaken to the very purposeof your existence.
Yeah, we know your God told youdifferent, that you were rare,
powerful and created forgreatness, but greatness don't
sit well in our faces nor in ourmatrix.
We're the only ones that canget the praises.

(01:10:05):
So tone down your ingenuity,your spirituality and your
creativity.
Matter of fact, we demand thatyou cancel your God energy.
We need you seeking validationto confirm your validity, bowed

(01:10:27):
heads operating in comparison,competition, insecurity, false
humility, capitalizing off yourtendency to want to fit in, it's
deception at its finest.
You can't even win when we'vetricked you to look outside the
bag for the bag.
When truth is Kenetra, you arethe bag, exploiting human
capital so easy.
When there's no ID on the toetag, who are you?

(01:10:48):
Well, you are who we tell youto be.
When you're ignorant of youridentity.
See, can you see?
What they didn't tell us is wewere created for greatness, and
the moment we realize ourpurpose, we'll realize we don't
need their permission to begreat, just a submission to our
source.
A redirection of our coursewill bring about our metamorph.

(01:11:09):
It is something that thisgeneration desperately needs,
because your transformation isnot just about you.
It's about all those who willsucceed by following in your
footsteps to finally get free.
So reclaim your essence.
Remember you are marked forgreatness.

(01:11:31):
Never let them finesse you intothinking anything different.
Oh, it's about transformation.

Speaker 1 (01:11:47):
That was beautiful.
Thank you, that was beautiful.
Thank you, that was beautiful.
Because that's how it is.
You know, and until you tapinto that, you're never.
And I always say you know, likeeven to my kids, I always tell
them like you are here for areason and to not figure out
what that reason is, I almostfeel like it's a slap in God's

(01:12:09):
face for you to just coastthrough life and not figure it
out.

Speaker 2 (01:12:13):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:12:13):
For you to not really walk in your purpose.
I feel it's almost kind ofdisrespectful, because we are
rare, yeah, and like when youwere saying that, I'm like, yes,
yes, I could never formulatethose words because I can't
write poetry, but that's in mysubconscious, you know.
Just my thoughts, you know.
And just having to learn my ownjourney, you know, growing up

(01:12:35):
as a child, conforming, you know, or feeling silly for doing
something that was not,quote-unquote, normal to them,
you know and it was just acharacteristic or whatever, but
learning like god, that was thatone thing that could have
helped me do this and this andthat and that, and I didn't feel
comfortable in that moment.
But now that I do, you know, I'mlike I'm unlocking so much now

(01:12:59):
and figuring so much out.
This was such I'm so glad wedidn't record twice in one day
because I was trying to do youand omar no, I wouldn't have
been ready for him because now Igot to go sit and I gotta.
You know, really I can't waitto watch this over again yeah
this is like the best interviewever, thank you yeah I never

(01:13:23):
thought I would get him.
I was like, if anything, theguests will get emotional.

Speaker 2 (01:13:25):
I'm never getting emotional.

Speaker 1 (01:13:31):
Oh girl, I don't even know how to thank you for
coming on the show.
I don't, I don't even know whatto do.
I'm just filled with so muchgratitude that you did this and
I cannot wait to just share thiswith my people in my industry,

(01:13:51):
my listeners, my family.
Like I have a niece that'sgoing to cosmetology school.
I'm like I cannot wait for herto hear this, because it's going
to be such a good foundationfor her journey to like listen
to this.
Yeah, you know so I love it.
Thank you.

Speaker 2 (01:14:07):
Thank you, I'm super grateful.
Yeah, you know, so I love it,thank you.
Thank you, I'm super grateful.

Speaker 1 (01:14:12):
Thank you so much for joining me today, Essence
Farmer, I have to say I didn'tmean to get emotional, but your
story of being a vessel for Godand allowing yourself to be used
in such an extraordinary waytruly moved me.
Your journey is so inspiringand I couldn't help but feel
overwhelmed by the beauty ofyour faith and purpose To

(01:14:33):
everyone listening.
I hope you found as muchinspiration in this conversation
as I did.
If you enjoyed this episode,don't forget to subscribe, rate
and leave a review it reallyhelps and, of course, share this
episode with someone who coulduse a little inspiration today.
Thank you again, Essence, foryour time and your wisdom and

(01:14:54):
your light.
Until next time, take care, bekind to yourself and y'all keep
shining.