May 11, 2025 • 60 mins
Watch on YouTube!
When Raeshetta Thompson discovered her first sign of hair loss at age 12, she couldn't have known it would become the foundation for her life's purpose. After hiding her alopecia for nearly 30 years while building a successful career as a hairstylist, Raeshetta finally embraced her natural self and discovered a world of women who needed exactly what she could offer.
This conversation takes us through her emotional journey from feeling "cursed" to recognizing her experience as a blessing that allows her to serve others with profound empathy. Rayshetta shares the vulnerable moments that defined her path: hiding under wigs even while sleeping, refusing to let her romantic partner see her without hair, and finally cutting it all off in a moment of spiritual clarity that changed everything. Her story illustrates how self-acceptance becomes a powerful force not just for personal healing, but for creating ripple effects throughout a community.
The Hair Rich Club, Raeshetta's mobile salon, offers more than just quality hair services; it provides dignity, privacy, and understanding for women experiencing hair loss. She explains that having alopecia while working as a hairstylist gave her a unique perspective on beauty that transcends conventional standards. Through her business, she's creating safe spaces where women can feel seen and supported rather than judged or pitied.
Perhaps most fascinating is Raeshetta's holistic approach to hair health. As a certified trichologist, she shares how changing her diet helped regrow hair in places that had been bald for decades. This conversation reminds us that true beauty isn't about perfection but authenticity, and sometimes our greatest challenges become our greatest gifts when we have the courage to embrace them fully.
Stay connected with Raeshetta by following the links below:
Enroll in Raeshetta's Wig Class/Schedule an Appointment
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Today's guest is not just styling hair.
She's rewriting the narrativearound hair loss, confidence and
what it truly means to wearyour crown.
Rachetta Thompson has beenliving with alopecia since she
was 12 years old, and while mostwould assume a hairstylist
losing her own hair would hangup her shears, she did the exact
opposite.
She built a business rooted incompassion, privacy and real
(00:26):
beauty.
After nearly 25 years in theindustry, rayshetta went from
Ohio to Dallas to launch her ownmobile salon, the Hair Rich
Club, a sanctuary for womenexperiencing hair loss to feel
seen, styled and supported.
In this episode, we talk abouther journey from hiding under
wigs to walking in fullself-love, how she turned pain
(00:46):
into purpose and why what'sinside your heart always matters
more than what's on your head.
So grab your coffee, yourbonnet or your favorite head
wrap, because we're about to getinto it.
Welcome to the Hair what I'mSaying podcast.
I'm your host, kenetra Stewart.
Today we have a very specialguest joining us, sharing her
alopecia journey since age 12.
Welcome to the show, rachelleThompson.
(01:07):
How are you?
I'm doing good.
How are you?
I'm doing good, girl.
I'm just so excited to have youon the show.
I'm so you know I was girlwhenever you responded to my DM,
I was excited.
I was like I got to get thisgirl on the show.
Like once I saw your story, Iwas like she is a powerhouse to
me, you know, especially youknow to be battling something at
(01:28):
such a young and vulnerable age.
I was like I know this girl islike the epitome of what
everyone on this podcast needsto hear.
I know she's going to offersome healing, some good therapy,
you know, for anyone that'salso experiencing the same thing
.
And so I was like I got to geton the show.
So thank you for accepting theinvite.
(01:49):
Oh no, thank you for asking meto come.
As you know, you see me on thenews and I did the interviews on
the news, but this is a littlebit different, just kind of it's
more personal to me, me beingable to, like come here and
speak to you and just be able to, like you say, talk to the
ladies right who may beexperiencing this as well.
(02:10):
So thank you for asking me tocome, of course, girl.
Well, we're gonna get rightinto the first question.
If you're ready, I'm ready,ready, okay.
So can you take us back to whenyou first noticed your hair was
falling out at age 12.
What was that like emotionallyat such a young age?
Well, it's really weird because, um, I don't know if you
remember the hair product 9-1-1.
(02:31):
I do you remember that now?
Yes, it's like that littleclear solution.
Yeah, right at Walmart girl, weused to use that right, and I
had nice thick, beautiful hairat that time.
But that's when I kind of hadstarted doing my own hair.
My mom really didn't know howto do hair really, so I was like
doing my own hair.
And one day I was doing my hairand I felt like a spot where it
(02:55):
was like no hair at.
So I had told my mom I'm likemom, I think I got a bald spot.
And she looked and she was like, yeah, it's clean right there,
but we didn't know, you knowwhat it was or whatnot.
And it started to spread and itstarted out like just a little
spot.
And then it started to spreadand eventually it got to like
the size of a quarter and I waslike mom, like it's getting
(03:18):
bigger, you know.
And she was like, okay, well,I'm going to take you to the
doctor, see what it is.
So we go to the doctor.
I'm 12 years old, so I mean, wereally still don't know.
Internet wasn't something thatwas popular, right?
So they say, oh, she hasalopecia.
We don't know what that is, wejust know.
Okay, I got a bald spot.
They said it's alopecia.
(03:51):
Before I knew it, it started tospread to the point you could
put your hand in the back of myhead and literally all the hair
was gone.
Oh, wow.
So I had started doing thingslike, um, and this was before my
hair career, right.
So I'm like 12 going into 13.
Now I'm getting into middleschool and I'm trying to figure
out on my own because, like Isaid, my mom didn't know how to
do hair right.
So it's like, okay, how can Icamouflage this?
So I started wearing braids andyou know, kind of pull the
front up and let the back kindof hang down.
(04:12):
You know it could cover thepart that was missing.
Yeah, okay, and um, it wouldcome and it would grow and then
it would fall back out and itwas just.
It was weird because again, wedidn't know right, like what
that looked like.
What was that disease or thatsituation, like what actually
was it?
So I was just like kind oftrying to camouflage it.
(04:34):
In high school.
It kind of became one of thosethings where I really became
self conscious of it, because ofcourse you know kids is, you
know you liking boys and youknow now you ball head, right,
yeah, you know.
And then on top of that myedges were always thin, so then
that was the other thing.
So now you trying to cover andit was just a lot.
(04:54):
It was a lot, um, and I don'tknow like I was wearing brace
pretty much majority of the time.
I mean, you remember themicrowave ponytails?
Yeah, girl, you roll them up,put a little spritz on them,
roll them up, put in themicrowave, then you come out
with instant curls.
Oh, yeah, so I had enough hairwhere I could still camouflage.
Like I said, it'll grow andthen it'll fall back out.
(05:17):
So in the meantime I was justfiguring out ways to camouflage
it.
Whether it would be likeputting a relaxer in and pull it
all up, because maybe the spotwasn't as noticeable in the back
at that time, right, and it wasfunny because, um, my little
sister actually went through ittoo and still not really knowing
(05:37):
.
But it's just like, okay, herhair is falling out.
So at this time now I'm like incosmetology.
Yeah, so I'm learning, you knowhow to braid and stuff, so I
was actually kind of helping herthrough the process.
You know, I can remember times,literally a few years ago, of me
saying I'll never do that, I'llnever show people my hair, and
(06:11):
people didn't even know youcovered it up so well, so you
didn't really experience anybullying, not really.
Like I said, my sides werealways thin, so my sides were
pretty much always gone, even aslike a little little girl.
And, of course, knowing,knowing what I know now,
alopecia is just a technicalterm for hair loss, right.
(06:32):
So, not realizing it, I alwayshad it, you know, even before
you know this age of 12.
But at the age of 12 was whenit became a thing like now.
I got a spot somewhere thatwasn't familiar, right, you know
, because my sides were alwaysthin.
My mom kind of blamed herselffor that.
She was like I should havenever put that relaxer in your
(06:52):
hair, right?
Oh man, I already knew that wascoming.
Yeah, right, I'm like Mom, itwasn't your fault.
I tell her now I'm, this wasjust what God wanted me to have,
you know, and take the burdenoff of her, you know, make you
know, cause I know she felt bad,like, especially when she's
(07:13):
seen.
I didn't share that video withyou, but I got a video that I
had posted when I first had cutmy hair.
Oh, my goodness, and I was kindof like it was funny because
the journey of me cutting myhair wasn't something that I
really wanted, like I said Inever, was going to share it
with nobody, and I was workingthis job that I absolutely hated
in Dallas and I was about to doa fast and I was like God, I
(07:35):
want to do something amazing.
And it was like the voice wasso clear, girl, and he was like
I need you to be moretransparent with your viewers,
absolutely.
You see, I had to look at thecamera and say that and I was
like, and I was, I literallylooked up at the sky and I was
like that's not what I meant,like because that's not what I
(07:56):
want to do, right, yeah, forsure.
And he was like no, that's whatI need you to do.
But look what's happening eversince you to do.
But look what's happening eversince.
It's been crazy because so sooriginally, when I first cut my
hair, it was like um, it musthave been the end of september
going into october.
(08:16):
So originally I just did likethis hair replacement unit on
myself because I was alreadydoing hair replacement, right,
so that was easy.
And I was like, just you know,I shaved the top completely off
I still had to hear around thesides and stuff and it was time
for me to redo my hair again andI was just like, why are you so
afraid to like, just do it, doit.
(08:39):
Yeah, and girl, I did a videoand when I watched that video
still today I still cry.
Yeah, I did a video.
And when I watched that video,still today I still cry.
Yeah, I bet I do, because I'mlike man, just to be here is
like it's just amazing to meBecause, like I said, they say
that's why they say never, saynever.
And now I used to be like I'mnever going to do that, I'm
never, you're going to never seeme out with a bald head.
(09:00):
Yeah, and look at me sittinghere now.
That's gross.
Like.
That's like so much acceptancefrom within to to finally, you
know, be that open andvulnerable and transparent, that
that was just like a, atransition to self-acceptance on
a whole, nother level.
You know, I'm saying it was foryou to just be like forget it,
(09:24):
I'm gonna do it, when you alwayssaid that you would never do
that.
I'm talking about 30 some yearsof just hiding.
Right, like I mean, I've always.
I've been in the beauty industrysince I was 18.
Right, so, you know, and it was.
It was difficult because myclients have gorgeous hair, I
(09:45):
can always grow hair and Iremember times when I would be
sitting in a bed and I would belike picking at my hair and I'd
be like God, why did you do thisto me?
You know I was very upset, yeah.
So how did it affect yourrelationship with God?
At all, or just kind of, yougot some tissue, because I don't
want to start crying.
Oh, I don't know if you havetissue.
(10:06):
Y'all got a bathroom in here,we do.
Can I get some tissue?
Yes, go ahead, go ahead.
And he might have some Kleenexout there too.
Okay, I don't want to be on thephone.
Oh Lord, here we go.
(10:28):
Y'all don't want to get too.
Okay, so, okay, so yeah, we'regonna share, okay, okay, because
I'm like here we go, here we go, all right.
So what was the question thatyou asked?
Did it affect your relationshipwith God in some ways, yeah,
absolutely Absolutely.
(10:49):
Just because the word that Iused to use was cursed.
I felt like I was cursedBecause I was just like why me,
right, you know what I mean Likewhy me?
And because I was such a goodhairstylist and I had clients
(11:10):
with hair loss and I could gettheir hair to grow.
But I was just like why won'tmine grow?
You know what I mean?
And it was just, yeah, I wasvery upset, very, very upset,
and I used to say that I might,I was cursed, kind of like you
see people with leprosy and yousee them spots on the element.
(11:30):
Yeah, I felt cursed, I did, butnow say I'm blessed.
I say that I was blessed withit because I know that it's a
gift.
I know that it's hard.
It's a lot of women who aresuffering in silence, right,
tons and tons of women, all, allbackgrounds, all nationalities,
(11:52):
you know, and they can't talkabout it.
Um, because a lot of peoplethey just, you know they may,
unless you have, like thisdeadly illness, you know, and I
say that where they say like ifyou don't't have cancer or lupus
or something, people just lookat it like, oh, you just don't
have any hair, right, and thenyou get the jokes of, well, at
(12:16):
least I got hair.
And then you have to say, well,I didn't choose this, right, it
chose me, it did.
So now I'm not angry with god,no more, thank god, right, yeah,
because I probably wouldn'thave gotten the gates, girl,
because how I was feeling,because I was like, why did you
do this to me, right, you know?
Um, but whoo, yeah, yeah was,I'm so glad you're on the other
(12:42):
side, girl, I mean, and the coolthing is because I make wigs,
so I still wear them, you know,but I never thought that it
would be a time like I wasdating this guy that I date, and
I remember he said he was like,well, how you think we gonna
move forward to the next levelif you won't show me your hair?
(13:04):
And I looked him dead in hisface and I told him I said, well
, I guess we won't.
Oh, no, and I was, and y'alldidn't move forward.
No, we still, we still dateokay, well, yeah, we haven't
moved to the next level yet, butthat's like that's our next
thing.
But yeah, I was just like I hadtold him.
I was like I guess we won't.
And he, he was like he said man, that really crushed me, like,
(13:27):
because he said it just made merealize that you weren't
comfortable enough with me.
But I also had to tell him.
I said I wish you hadn't tookthat as that I said, because it
wasn't that I wasn't comfortablewith myself, right, you know, I
saw it was yeah, that's all itwas.
I said it wasn't.
It never was about you, it wasalways about me.
(13:47):
It was about me feelingcomfortable enough, me
understanding that I'm enough,no matter with hair or without
hair.
You know I said so never.
It never was you.
You always made me feelcomfortable enough to be who I
am.
But I had to know that,absolutely.
You know, yeah, I'm glad itworked out, I'm glad he was
(14:08):
patient and understanding too,baby, yeah, and also, it was
never about him.
You know, even when I waslistening to you, I'm like it
has nothing to do with him, ithas everything to do with you.
You know, just finally beingcomfortable, like you said, with
just showing up as you, as you,your authentic self, you know,
(14:29):
and we can just thank God formercy and grace, you know,
during the times where you werestruggling, and I just feel like
, because God knew your heartand he knew that, even though
you were upset, it's not who yougenuinely you know that's not
who you genuinely are, you know.
And so he knew that this thingwas just blocking you from being
(14:49):
able to have that relationshipwith you, and he saw what it was
like on the other side, for youtoo.
So I feel like that's mercy,that's grace, and man, I just
love God for his patience.
You hear me, and I feel like Idefinitely had to go through it
because it made me morerelatable.
When I was in Ohio, I had a hairreplacement clinic there.
I love that.
(15:10):
So to talk to the ladies, andsome of them would come in and
they didn't even want to show metheir hair.
Now, mind you, we're in aconsultation and this is what
they're here for, and they'llsay some of them, before they
take their hair pieces off,they'd be like, well, brace
yourself.
And I'd be like, girl, youcan't show me nothing I ain't
seen.
Show me nothing I ain't neverseen or experienced.
Yeah, and I'm like, and I knowlike something that people would
(15:34):
say oh, it's just hair.
It's easy to say that when it'snot you, absolutely, a thousand
percent, when it's not your life, your experience and your
journey, especially when you arebeing slowly introduced to the
possibility of losing it, versuslike, oh, you woke up and it
was all off.
You have no choice but to like,get it together, you know,
(15:55):
figure it out.
But it was like a slowtransition into like hope and
then no hope, because it's likeone minute is coming and then
one minute is leaving.
So it's like on one end of thespectrum I'm feeling hopeful and
then it leaves and now I'mfeeling hopeless.
You know so, to me that's likeplaying and toying with emotions
, you know.
At the same time, you know,versus with cancer, as soon as
(16:17):
the radiation start.
You know that's when youtypically start losing your hair
.
It's expected.
You just woke up and was losinghair.
Yes, yes, that's not the samething.
And you know, like I'm not, youknow saying their experience is
not, you know, worth hearing.
I'm not saying they are tryingto downplay it, I'm just saying
(16:37):
the experience is different butalso the same in a very unique
way, you know.
But that's a lot.
You, you know to be trying tohave hope on one end and not on
the other, and then just a slowtransition and don't even know
why.
At least you have a wife.
You got cancer.
You know exactly, absolutely,what was the exact diagnosis.
(16:59):
Was it like alopecia areata?
Yes, areata, okay, alopeciaareata, which was the reason why
it would fall out and it wouldcome back?
Yeah, because that's alsostress induced, yeah, you know.
So, you know, depending on, youknow, um, it's funny because
sometimes I will still get spotslike back here in the back,
(17:19):
like I recently had one,probably.
It's probably been like over ayear ago where I noticed it was
like clean and then it came back.
You know so, yeah, so itdefinitely is still there.
But it's so weird too, becauseit's like I'm now I'm going down
this whole rabbit hole, right.
So now I've been doing thingslike because, honestly, so now
(17:41):
my hair does still grow, yes,but I like, usually because it's
spotted, I'll like shave it off.
So, like before I came, I hadcut my hair does still grow, yes
, but I like, usually, becauseit's spotted, I'll like shave it
off.
So, like before I came, I hadcut my hair.
My dad was like, why youcutting it off?
It's growing.
I said, dad, because I'm notwalking around like that, you
don't want it, you know growingin certain spots and it's not
growing in others fully, right,then it looks unkempt, yeah, you
know.
So it's best to just shave it.
I'm looking like a bald man,right?
(18:03):
Well, you don't look far from aman, honey, far from a man.
But you know they don't care.
The look, the appearance is ofa man, right.
So I was like, well, I keep itcut down.
So what I've been doing sinceDecember and I kind of got a
little bit off track when I cameto Temple because that was like
a transition that wasunexpected, right, because that
was like a transition that wasunexpected, right.
(18:23):
So, but what I was doing, whatI've been doing and I'm back on
that Me and my dad was kind ofbattling with that a little bit
Because I've been eating fruits,vegetables, drinking water,
reducing or just totally takingout meat, dairy, processed foods
(18:45):
, and my hair is growing inplaces that it has not ever
grown in, like literally 30years.
Diet is important.
Diet is very important.
So what I'm seeing is and it'sfunny because I've taken
trichology classes, I'm acertified trichologist too as
well, right, well, it's justfunny because when the alopecia
started to come, I just wantedto know.
(19:06):
I wanted to know I'm like why,you know what causes it.
So I had to, like you know, Ihad to get more training.
So I was like, ok, I tooktraining with UTI and I was like
, ok, because I need to know.
But it's really funny becauseout of all that training now I'm
starting to think some of thatstuff you already knew, huh,
yeah, and some of it's notnecessarily law, you know.
(19:29):
Yes, science to a certain point,but when you start healing the
body you can change a lot ofthings.
Yeah, you know, those are facts, facts.
So, like the other day, beforeI cut my hair, like I told you,
my side's always been prettymuch sparse and thin, like right
here, like I had hair righthere.
Yeah, so it'll cover.
So that's how I was able toalways like, if I relax and I
(19:52):
can pull up in a ponytail, butin the middle it was always
clean and gone.
And this was before thealopecia started in the back.
Well, girl, his hair growing inthere now, good.
So I looked the other day and Iwas like his hair growing in
there, that's amazing.
Like you're treating your ownalopecia, you know, just
changing your diet, drinkingmore water.
(20:12):
Yes, you know, I always say toowhen I see hairstylists using
fruits and vegetables on thescalp and hair.
I'm always saying, like, whyaren't you encouraging to take
it from within?
It's more beneficial and you'llget it and receive it quicker
because you're treating it verytopically.
If you're doing it on the scale, people don't realize eating
(20:33):
all that fast food, the friedfood.
Lord, you're talking to me, I'mso sorry, and you got gorgeous
hair, yeah, but I didn't imaginehow much more it would be even
more prettier.
You get what I'm saying, becausewhat we take in has a lot to
what we like.
We're like plants, absolutelywe are.
And that's how I used toexplain with my clients when
(20:56):
they would come in and these arethings that I've seen just from
being behind the chair.
And when they started doingthose things and they'd be like
ray, my scalp ain't dry, no more.
I'm like because you'redrinking water, you know, you,
you, you stand away from thefried foods and people.
You know we don't.
We want to think that we can doas we please, but god did not
(21:17):
put us here for no, he put ushere for a special purpose.
You and he gave us the thingsthat we need from the earth.
That's right.
You know he gave us.
He gave us fruits andvegetables and that's what he
wants us to take in.
But you know we live in Americaand we could just do what we
want.
So you know we do what we wantand it does take a lot of
(21:40):
discipline.
It sure does.
It takes a very strong mindsetbecause, like I said, um, I felt
my dad.
He eats pretty good, you know,he really doesn't eat bad, but I
, I have to stress to him, I'mlike I can't eat that.
Well, it's salmon you can.
I said I can't eat that.
I said no, no, no meat, noseafood.
Yeah, and am I still strugglingwith it?
(22:02):
Absolutely like, like you said,it takes discipline, girl.
I went to Subway today and Iwanted to get a tuna fish
sandwich so bad.
And I was standing in line andit was just spirit.
It was like stay on track.
You see your hair starting tocome in, stay on track.
So I was like let me just getthe veggie salad.
(22:23):
The girl was like you don'twant any meat and I was like
just vegetables and let me justget the.
I'm so depressed about it but Ihad to get out of my mind too,
right, because when I startedeating the girl was so good,
right, and I was just like, okay, this is it, this is it.
Yeah, it's a lifestyle.
You know that's life.
(22:44):
It's a lifestyle, you know it,and that's that's life.
We, we all.
It's a struggle to choose thethings that are best for us.
If you want that end and goal,you know, whatever that goal is,
obviously it's a gain for you,right, in some kind of way.
You have to go through thosethings that you just don't want.
It's almost like working out.
I hate working out, but I knowI have a goal and you look good.
Thank you, ma'am.
Thank you, but I have a goaland you look good.
(23:04):
Thank you, ma'am, thank you,but I have a goal and I'm like,
if you want, you know to.
You know, if you want to behealthy you know, because I
suffer from, you know, a littleillness, maybe like a year and a
half ago I'm like, if you wantto be healthy, you know you have
to.
You know, build your heart rateback up and stuff like that.
You have to work out, you justhave to.
It's just what comes with it.
(23:25):
It is, you know, but it's likeit's the thing that I don't want
to do, but it's also the thingthat's good for me and that's
how it is in general with life.
A lot of stuff to me it's likeit's not ideal, but I know it's
the best thing for me.
And you see results.
And you see results Absolutely,absolutely.
(23:46):
And then it's hard to go back tothe thing that you were
comfortable with doing, eventhough you know it could create
some setbacks.
Or it's not very.
Some things aren't detrimentalbut some are, you know.
But when you can tackle thethings that aren't very
detrimental, then the thingsthat are, that's too easy.
You know, yeah, just giving upthis little bitty, something, so
it's, it's hard to be steeredaway.
You know, on whatever journeyyou're on, you know if you're
(24:08):
giving up that small littlething, that doesn't make a bad,
huge impact.
You know it just really helpsfor the thing that challenges
you to want to go back on to theother side.
Absolutely, I've said that allto say that.
You know.
But yeah, girl, that was good,I'm like dang say that.
But yeah, girl, that was good,I'm like dang, that was one
(24:28):
question.
I'm sorry you getting all of itBecause you got to think I mean
, outside of doing the newsinterviews, I haven't openly
really talked about it.
You know, girl, I'm happy, I'mloving it, I'm learning, I love
it.
Girl, what was it like workingin salons, styling beautiful
(24:51):
hair every day while quietlygoing through your own hair loss
journey?
Just a wish, really.
It was a wish because, like Isaid, all my clients have
beautiful hair.
You know, it's funny becausethey say ray got growing hands
in the back of my head, I'll belike my hair.
I remember this girl.
She said, uh, she was like ray,your eyelashes is so pretty.
(25:12):
I said, girl, y'all worriedabout eyelashes, I'm trying to
get some hair.
I know, you know, like thethings that people adore, come
on, girl, you know that sometake for granted, right?
You know, you see girls withpretty hair and they be like.
You know, they might not evendo nothing to it.
You be like girl if I had thathair.
And they'd be like girl if Icut this hair off right now, you
(25:35):
know, and stuff.
You'd be like.
But then if somebody on theother side, they'd be like if I
just could have that, you know.
But I think now where I'm at,because I'm here now, right, and
it's just so weird because nowwhen I see people, people
actually gravitate to me more,mm-hmm, you know, it's just like
(25:56):
I'm telling you.
It's so empowering.
Yeah, we went to the VA a coupleof weeks ago and it was a lady
I didn't know, but she hadalopecia Mm-hmm and she was
covered.
So her hair was.
She had her hair and stuffMm-hmm and she was like like so
my dad knew her, we go over andtalk to her.
And she was like, oh my gosh,she was like you are gorgeous.
(26:17):
And I was like you are girl,thank you.
I was like thank you.
And she was like she was likeshe kind of.
She was like I got alopecia.
Oh, she was whispering, yeah,and I was like I said it's okay,
and she was, I just wish that Icould do that.
And I was like you can, you can.
I was like it was a process,but you can, and she just you
could just see it in her faceLike how, how inspired she was,
(26:42):
you know, like man, like if Icould just do that, yeah, but
I'll be looking at myself in themirror, girl, and I just be
like like I'll be like I don'tknow, this little bald head
doing something to me, like itis, I mean, it makes people want
to know.
You know they, they want youknow, people are always wanting
to be around good aura and alsoa person, you see, that's
(27:04):
self-accepting on so many levelsbecause it's, it's admirable.
You know, there there are a lotof people you know, including
myself.
Some things I don't accept, youknow, about myself too, but you
know to see that it's like it'sa yearning, you know, and it's
like she's doing it, you know.
You know, maybe I could be likeher one day.
You know, I met a girl I didn'twant to meet in passing, at the
(27:29):
uh cable place when I first gotto temple, passing at the uh
cable place, when I first got totemple, and I didn't know that
the lady had alopecia.
She had a hood on and I didn'tI have, I'm just out living my
life, right, so I go in, my headis out, and she was like hey,
sis, and I kind of looked at herbecause I'm like I don't know.
She was like hey, sis, and thenshe kind of like did this thing
(27:52):
, like, and like she put herlittle, her hood back to show me
, like that, her hair.
She was bald too and I was like, hey, sis, like you know, it's
like an unspoken community.
Yeah, I was like, ok, yeah,yeah, I remember when I had
locks, I used to get that likefrom the lock women.
Yeah, it was just like this, Idon't know, like you said, like
(28:13):
this unspoken, you knowcommunication, like I see you.
You know, I don't know whatthat is, you know, but it's like
somebody that's doing somethinga little different.
Yours is, on a whole notherlevel of difference, but with
the locks, you know, a lot ofwomen weren't open to wearing
locks and natural hair or any ofthat, right?
So when you see someone doingthis, like I see you, you know,
(28:36):
yeah, girl, I'm glad that we'rehere with the natural hair and
stuff like that, me too, youknow, for so many reasons, right
, yeah, all right, you mentionedthat 2023 was when you finally
started exposing yourself to theworld.
What happened that made you sayI'm ready now?
It was just really thatconversation with God when I did
(29:00):
that fast and he was just likeit's time.
I love the fast, you know, likesome people fast food, some
people fast TV or whatever thecase may be, but yours was like
whoo, it was girl, it was major.
And so then, when I originallycut my hair and remember, I told
(29:21):
you I didn't really stillexpose it, right.
So I did this video and, girl,I cried like a baby on that
video, omg.
And it was like you stilltrying to do what you want to do
and that's not what I told youto do.
Oh, my God, we like look.
I told you now, yeah, yeah, no,for real.
And it was just like, and I wasjust like, and I remember
(29:41):
looking in the mirror, so, mindyou, I'm sitting there with this
bald top now, because I don'tshave the top out to put the
piece on.
And then it's just like OK, sowhat you going to do, put the
piece back on.
It's just like okay, so whatyou gonna do?
Put the piece back on.
So I'm sitting there literallylooking like george jefferson
girl, stop, no, seriously.
And I was just like ray, stopit.
Yeah, like, just cut it, justcut it, yeah.
(30:02):
And I was just like forget it,I just cut it.
And now, mind you, I'm in arelationship, right, yeah.
So I'm upstairs and I'm cuttingmy hair and I'm just cutting it
off.
You didn't let nobody know, hedidn't, he didn't even know,
because he would always give memy privacy when I'm doing my
hair anyways.
You know what I mean.
So I cut it off.
And I remember he came upstairsand he went in the bedroom and
(30:25):
I was like I was in the bathroom, I was like, hey, I got
something to show you.
And he was like what?
And I came out and, girl, heabout fell out.
He was like I'm so to show you.
And he was like what?
And I came out and, girl, heabout fell out.
He was like I'm so glad you didit.
And it was crazy, because thisis something I definitely want
to say for anybody who hasalopecia it is about you, and a
(30:46):
lot of times we are our ownenemy, because all what I
thought people was going tothink and all what I thought
people was going to say, it wasnone of that Like I thought I
didn't.
I was.
So I'm battling in my head as Icut my hair off.
Now I'm upstairs, so I'm like,I'm telling myself I'm like he's
(31:07):
going to like it or yank, Idon't care if he like it.
Well, what if he?
What if he don't like it?
And what if he like it?
Well, what if he?
What if he don't like it?
And what if he leave you?
And then I'm like what did youdo?
Like?
So I'm like literally so manyemotions, right, yeah, and I'm
like you know what I'm like ohwell, it is what it is what it
is, that's right.
I'm glad you.
Just your brain was doing thatto you.
(31:28):
You know, your brain was takingyou on this emotional roller
coaster, trying to convince youall the reasons why you
shouldn't do it.
I was about to go in there andput the wig back on.
Yeah, I was like just gonna putthe wig on, I mean, he's gonna
know anyway.
Like, yeah, because I wassleeping in wigs.
You know, I was literally, Imean, and if I wasn't sleeping
in a wig, I had a bonnet onright because, like I said, my
(31:50):
hair was still growing but itwas spotty, yeah, you know.
And, um, when I showed him myhair, he was just like he jumped
up and he was hugging on me andkissing on me.
He was like I'm so glad you didit.
And then when I I put a post upand I was with my bald head and
girl, it was so many people thatwas commenting and I started
(32:12):
getting all these inboxes fromall these ladies and I was like,
oh, my goodness, yeah, and Iwas like, all that time you was,
you was worried, which, like Isaid, it's about you first for
sure.
But what we think in our headthat people may say, it's really
you know, you probably will.
I'm sure you're going to getsome of those people right who
(32:34):
may say but after I came out Iwas like people can't use
against you what you alreadyaccept about yourself.
That part, yeah, that's, that'sright.
Those effects, like what areyou?
It almost remind me of eightball.
I mean eight ball, eight milewith eminem.
You know when he got up there.
I don't know if you ever seenthat movie, eminem.
You know when he got up there.
(32:55):
I don't know if you ever seenthat movie.
I did, I love it, right, and heget up there and he's, you know
, rap battling the guy and hejust pretty much rapped about
himself.
Like I already know this.
What you're about to say aboutme no-transcript in any case,
(33:41):
right, I mean, when people weregetting covid, they were losing
their hair.
Yeah, that's the first thing.
Yeah, you know I'm sayingbecause the body doesn't respond
, it doesn't need hair tosurvive, it don't.
So it'll.
That'll be the first thingthat'll go usually, or that's
when you'll start experiencingit.
You know the shedding it's likeoh, my hair is shedding.
Well, there's something goingon in the body, you know.
(34:04):
So, yeah, it's usually thatfirst indicator.
You know, hair is a dry snitchto let you know something is
going on internally.
I love that A dry snitch.
Oh, yeah, the girl be drysnitching.
You hear me, just you.
So we already talked about theemotions that you faced when you
were cutting your hair, whenyou had to face yourself in the
(34:24):
mirror without the wig, so we'lljust move to the next question.
Okay, what inspired you to startthe Hair Rich Club and how did
the idea of a mobile salon comeabout?
Well, the Hair Rich Club wasactually started in 2016.
Oh, wow, yeah, I started inOhio, because that was the name
to my hair replacement clinic.
Okay, when I moved to Texas, Iwas kind of like battling with
(34:49):
myself.
I really didn't want to do hairanymore.
Yeah, girl, and I was kind ofjust, really kind of running,
battling with myself.
I really didn't want to do hairanymore.
Yeah, girl, and I was like Iwas kind of just like really
kind of running from my gift andI was already a wig maker, but
I didn't want to like do hair.
So I was doing wigs and I hadcreated this online platform, so
I had women's like buying wigsfrom me and stuff, but my
(35:09):
business had started to slowdown and I kind of had tried to
do a shop thing, girl.
I went to a salon for three daysand I was like, yeah, this
ain't it why?
Because I knew that's not whatI wanted.
I didn't want to be like, Ididn't want to be a hairdresser
anymore.
I wanted to, like, specializein my craft and I wanted to do
hair replacement the things thatyou know for people who have
(35:32):
alopecia.
I wanted to service the womenthe things that you know for
people who have alopecia.
I wanted to service the womenwho really needed me.
A bigger purpose yeah, notsaying that women who just want
to get their hair done didn'tneed me, but you know it's a
yearning when you don't havehair, you want it and you want
it to look a certain way, youwant to feel a certain way.
(35:53):
So that's kind of how the mobilebeauty bus came about, because
I needed to create a space.
And then I was like, well, if Igot to get a space, then what
does that look like?
And it was like I had thoughtabout doing a bus before and
then I was having a conversationwith my dad and he was like,
well, it's a lot of things youneed to think about.
You know what if it break downand blah, blah, blah.
So it kind of like strayed meaway, and then it came back full
(36:15):
circle and I was like you knowwhat?
I'm just do it.
I'm gonna do a salon on wheelsand that's exactly what I did.
I love that idea and I've seensome you know barbers, stylists
doing you know mobile beautybusinesses, and I remember at
one point I even checked it outI don't know why I didn't go
(36:35):
through with it though I don'tknow but when I saw you had one,
I was like girl, do it, doeverything, girl.
It was a lot of work.
It definitely.
If I probably had a new, allwhat it was going to take to do
it, I probably would have notdone it.
So I guess that's why Goddidn't let me know all what it
would have took Right.
Would I do it again?
Absolutely, I want to getanother bus.
(36:57):
That's my goal is to get me anewer bus that can be just, you
know, newer, nicer for my client.
Like an upgrade.
Yeah, just an upgrade, right,what all did you go through?
Why do you say that it was just?
It was so when I got my bus.
Well, first of all, I end up.
We went to Oklahoma and we gotthe bus and I didn't realize all
(37:17):
the work that I was just goingto have to put in the bus, like
renovating, yes, oh, gotcha, ok,and being like it was just
things that I didn't know, likeI didn't know that I was gone,
which there are other ways thatyou can power it, right, but I
(37:38):
didn't know.
So I have a generator, but Ididn't know that I was going.
So I'm thinking, when I boughtthe bus, he had a little
generator on there, but I'mtrying to power a whole salon,
right, yeah, so you need us, oh,yeah.
So then the electrician comesand he was like, well, that
little thing is not going towork.
And I'm like, well, what do Ineed?
And then he shows me this oneand it's like $3,700.
And I was like, oh, lord, jesus, help me.
I was like that wasn't in thebudget, you know, but it was
like God was still providing forme to be able to do it and it
(37:59):
was just like we're going tomake this happen.
You get what I'm saying but,like I said, if I probably had a
new that I was going to gothrough all of that, I probably
wouldn't have did it, which isprobably why I didn't know,
because, like I said, now whereI'm at, I would definitely do it
again.
Yeah, like, in the very nearfuture I plan to do it again.
So that is one of the thingsthat's on my list is just to get
(38:21):
like an upgraded bus, because Ilove it, the clients love it,
but I also go to people's homes,yeah, so, like the mobility,
you know the logistics of it isso ideal for a client, yes, they
love it, so it just makes iteasy.
Um, but then the other thingthat I recently experienced is
because, um, when I was inDallas, we didn't have this.
(38:44):
In Ohio they have mobilestylists, like they just go to
people's homes.
So then I said, because myultimate goal is to create a
team, but everybody can't have abus, right, right, right, so
we'll still just offer theservice, but we'll go to
people's homes and provide themwith the service.
Oh, I love that.
So that's the other piece ofthat.
(39:06):
Okay, that's a nice goal.
Because I was like maybe it wasabout the bus.
You know like, yeah, the bus iscool, but I really think I need
it because, you know, when youwork in a salon, it's just
certain things that we do, right, it's certain things that we do
and it's just a part of oursalon culture, that's right.
So when you go to a house, inour brains it's like, oh, it's a
(39:27):
kitchen beautician yeah Right,yeah right, yeah, but not really
.
When you think about it now,what we are is really
convenience, and convenience isa luxury.
Yes, it is, you know.
So when I got to dallas and Iseen these big companies that
had these mobile beauty brandsand I was like they really going
to these, and we was going intopeople's houses and I ain't
(39:48):
talking about just any house,these hundred thousand million
dollar houses, and the ladies isin there and and hold on, and
they was coming washed already.
Girl, oh, wow, so some of theconversation that we have in our
community when it comes to hairI was like these ladies ain't
even worried about that.
They they coming out wash withtheir robes on, ready to get
(40:09):
their hair blow dry, and I waslike, so it really opened my
mind up and I was like you cando this mobile business and it
can be similar to this, thisbusiness model, but for women
who suffer with alopecia, womenwho wear custom units.
And I was like, okay, god, Isee what you do.
(40:29):
I see what you do.
I love how you're learningthrough the process too, and
like you're taking the gems andbuilding off of what you're
learning, instead of looking atit like it could have been a
possible setback mentally, likea mind block, like I don't even
want to try that out because Iknow people aren't open to that.
Just because a small few aren'tdoes not mean you're not going
to service people who areAbsolutely.
(40:51):
You not mean you're not goingto service people who are
Absolutely.
You know what I'm saying,because some people are looking
for convenience more than do.
You got a shampoo bowl, youknow.
I just need you to be able topull up, do my hair and not go
back in the house.
No, you know, absolutely,absolutely.
How does privacy impact healingand confidence for your clients?
Oh, I think it's huge Because,of course, you know, when you
(41:12):
have hair loss, it's aconversation that most people
just don't really know how tohave.
You know you get strange lookswhen you go in the salon and
people look at her hair, youknow.
So privacy is very important,people, even if it's in your
home or it's on the beauty buswhere you could just be service
and you just know that it's justyou and your service provider,
(41:35):
people really, really like that.
I just went and did some customunits for a lady and I actually
went into her home and did thembecause she wasn't able enough,
because you got to like get upon the steps to come in a beauty
bus.
So she was like, well, if youdon't mind, could you come to my
house?
And I was like absolutely.
And so she was like, well, ifyou don't mind, could you come
to my house?
And I was like absolutely.
And she just said that that,right, there was priceless for
her, you know, her being able toget her service done, look good
(41:59):
and feel good in the comfort ofher own home.
She was like very thankful.
And I was like, ok.
So, and that, just again, thatjust opened my brain up to say,
you know, maybe it never wasabout just having a beauty bus,
it was just making it convenientoverall, you know.
So, yeah, I'm glad for that,yeah, and also that level of
(42:19):
privacy, because some people arenot ready, yet you know to take
off the wig and you know beexposed to so many people around
and wondering, like, what arethey going to think?
You know so the privacy is soimportant for you know, clients,
you know that's experiencinghair loss, you know.
So I think creating that idea Imean not that idea, but
(42:43):
creating that business model,for you know your clients and
also you have the personalexperience.
So it's not like you can, youcan relate to them personally,
like I know what you're goingthrough, you know so I think
that's why it's also working outfor you, because you are able
to tap into the mind of a personthat's experiencing hair loss
(43:05):
and be like, what, what would Iwant if it was me going and I'm
not ready yet, you know.
So I think that's why thebusiness is doing so great,
because you can emotionallyconnect with these women.
That's very true.
I could never connect, you know, in that way with them.
I could have empathy, but Icouldn't sympathize because I
don't have the experience.
(43:26):
So I think I think it's amazingthat you are taking what you and
then you are on the other side,so these girls get the
experience.
You know, not only am Ireceiving this luxury level of
hair experience, but then I'mbooking with somebody who know
what I'm going through.
That's on a whole nother level.
Yeah, you know, it's soimpactful, you know, because
(43:49):
that's who I would want toservice me, versus, you know, a
licensed cosmetologist.
I'm like no, I'd rather go tosomeone who can relate to me,
that can have so much empathythat even when I'm doubting
myself, she's on the other side.
She know what to say to me.
You know, in order to get mewhere I need to be, in order to
(44:09):
get me where I need to be, whereshe at.
It's important.
Yeah, so that's why I'm like Ithink niching down was like the
best thing you could have everdone, you know, girl, so that's
why I'm like I'm so in awe and Imean I'm just meeting you, but
I just I'm like extremelyinspired by you, girl.
Thank you so much, girl.
You're welcome.
(44:30):
It's been a journey.
Yeah, it has, and you conqueredit and will still conquer it.
You know, like listening to howyou deliver, how you speak, is
so much hope, it's so muchpositivity.
You have a good relationshipwith God.
Like you have no other choicebut to go up.
You know, with that, with thosesmall little gems on top of
everything else that you'reembodying, you know.
(44:52):
So it's like the only way is upfrom here.
You know, I don't hear any selfdoubt, even how you present
yourself.
You know it's all so just um,confidently done, you know.
So, girl, I'm loving it, lovingit.
Okay, um, what kind of reactionshave you gotten from your
(45:16):
clients?
Any stories that stay with you?
Just that, people is inspired,like a lot of people from my
hometown, you know, of course,they watching, you know, because
those people who know mepersonally, right, yes, um, and
people who I don't know, becauseI have a um, a large online
(45:37):
base, so I get, like mycustomers, it's funny because a
lot of them they like, girl, Ishaved my head after you did
yours, oh my goodness, and I'mlike, really like, and I'm like
that's amazing.
So it's just, it's mind-blowing.
Like, um, I've been justgetting phone calls just like
crazy, especially, it's funnybecause so much stuff has
(45:58):
happened in two months of beingin temple.
It's just crazy.
Yeah, I mean, he's on thepodcast, girl, hold on, though.
So after I talk to you,whenever me and you talk we
talked that week I mean, it'sjust been like back to back to
back.
So I get a phone call from alady and she was like oh, I just
heard your commercial on theradio.
Did I tell you that, or no?
(46:20):
Okay, so she said I just heardyour commercial on the radio.
And I was like commercial, ohmy god.
And she was like, yeah, she waslike the guy on um and she said
she said 90, 90 is a Christianstation.
Uh-huh, she said um, he justdid this long spread about you,
talking about you and youralopecia, and blah, blah, blah.
Oh my goodness.
(46:40):
And I was like she was like youdidn't know.
And I was like, no, that'samazing.
So I called the radio stationbecause I was just, you know,
I'm like, whoever this guy is, Iat least want to tell him.
Thank you right, thank youright.
Yeah.
So I call and I'm like I don't,I leave a voicemail.
And I was like hey, this is Ray, I'm the owner here at Rich
(47:01):
Club.
I just wanted to say thank youguys.
I'm not even sure who thisgentleman was, but he shouted
out my business and someonecalled me Like literally, he did
that in the lady call Right, oh.
So he called me back the nextday and then he says hey, he was
real nice.
His name is Dave, real nice guy.
He was like let me ask you this.
(47:22):
He was like could I do aninterview with you on Monday,
girl?
I about fell out.
You're going to have to likekeep track of your interviews.
Girl, like, you need your linksand everything so you can be
like, listen, do you want tohear about my story?
You do, so you can keep trackof everything because you've
been interviewed so much and youdon't want to lose this
(47:45):
resourceful information.
You know it's like your resume,where people can get to know
you before they even experienceyou.
Absolutely, you know.
So, yeah, you need to begathering all these links, girl.
Girl, I about fell out.
That's a blessing, it is, it is.
And you just moved here Twomonths, literally Two months and
(48:09):
two days now.
People was like, how do youkeep getting these interviews?
I said, girl, it's God, thestory.
That's it.
Yeah, god for sure.
Number one.
Yeah, and the story.
You know that you once thoughtyou know like, oh, this is the
worst thing ever it's happenedto me and look what it's doing
for you.
It's like moving mountains foryou.
Absolutely, it's creating somuch exposure and I just love
(48:32):
the fact that it's going tocreate hope for someone that's
still not there yet, you know.
So that's another thing.
It's going to create hope forsomeone that's still not there
yet, that's another thing.
It's like a very hopeful,inspiring story.
People, especially today, child, we're looking for some hope.
It's looking crazy out here Ifyou can get a little hope even
(49:00):
from a hair story, even if youcan't relate to it.
It's just like somebody Iforward.
You know, in these weird timesit's crazy.
Yeah, um, what does self-lovelook like to you now compared to
when you were 12?
That's good.
So self-love to me is justaccepting yourself, like, no
matter what it is, because Ialways like to think we all have
(49:21):
flaws, right, absolutely, andit could be something as small.
As one of my friends said, theydon't like their knees, yeah,
and I mean that may seem smallto somebody, right, but it's not
to the person who it is, who'sexperiencing it is not the same.
That's your flaw that you taketoo.
You know some things that wesee on people.
(49:42):
They feel like it's a flaw, youknow, but to others it may not
be, but it's just really justaccepting who you are.
You know, um, I always tellpeople like my thing is,
sometimes I feel like a wig,sometimes I don don't.
Right, you know, at leastyou're optional now, instead of
like only the wig, right, yeah,but I also say, you know, if
(50:03):
wigs is your comfort, then letthat be what it is.
You know, but also just be okaywith being who you are.
You know, because when you gohome at night, you still got to
deal with yourself.
You sure do.
When you go home at night, youstill got to deal with yourself,
you sure do.
You know you still gonna bewhoever you are, whether it's,
you know, with your hair orwithout the hair, or with the
(50:24):
makeup, without the makeup, thelashes you get.
I'm saying like, when it's allsaid and done, it's just a shell
that you got.
It's really about who are you.
You know, like we use all thesethings and we feel like it's
well, this is just me or this iswho I am.
But really, after all that'ssaid and done, and you wipe it
all off or use the eraser tomove it, remove it off.
(50:46):
Who are you really are?
You know, who is yourpersonality, what's your spirit?
You know, how do you carryyourself.
When people look at you, whatdo they see?
You know, because you can bebeautiful on the outside but
your inside could still be ugly,you know.
So to me that's just that'sreal self-love, you know,
(51:08):
accepting yourself for whateverit is, you know.
But I will say this because Ialways tell people like it
doesn't mean like, let's justsay you have alopecia because I
always still felt like, eventhough I was wearing wigs, I
still felt, still felt like,yeah, I wear wigs, but I still
do love myself, right?
You know?
Because I hear, I've heard guyssay women wearing wigs, and I'm
(51:31):
like you don't know what thatmay look like for a person, you,
you know.
So, whatever your comfort levelis, you know, be comfortable
with that, but just know, like,you still who you are.
You still who you are, yeah,like, yeah, you might have a wig
on and I'm sure you feelgorgeous with it on.
You know, because I put my wigson baby, and I'll be like, but
(51:52):
at the same time I'm still who Iam.
I'm still who I am.
I'm still going to be the sameperson, whether I have it or not
.
It's like riding around in ahoopty.
Absolutely, you're still thesame person in the hoopty or not
.
So how you carry yourself isgoing to be how you carry
yourself, and that's just whatwe have to remember.
Be true to yourself, whateverthat may look like.
(52:13):
That's right.
Like that's right because, um,if, when you're mentioning that,
it made me think, um, that'swhy.
So you should be intentionallyworking on yourself from within
and not aesthetically, you know,or like on your exterior,
because, like you said, when yougo home, that's who you're
(52:34):
gonna deal with.
You know, when the masks comeoff, you know I I'm saying Are
you hearing what I'm saying?
I feel as though that's what weneed to focus on more.
This is a vain world.
It is.
It's so vain, you'll see, justbecause this world is so full of
this illusion of vanity, moreyou'll miss out on, you know,
(52:59):
really interacting and gettingto know or collaborating with a
really good person, because youso stuck on the vanity, you know
.
So that's very important.
You know to be working onyourself from within, from
within, and they're going to seeyou too.
You know, I don't care what youlook like on the outside If you
work on yourself from withinthem having a conversation with
(53:19):
you.
I don't care what you look likeon the outside if you work on
yourself from within, themhaving a conversation with you.
They'll see, beyond what youknow, what the exterior is
exposing, you know.
And also, if you're not workingon yourself, they're gonna see
that too.
They're gonna see that too,because you can only hide so
much.
Eventually your true self isgonna come out, absolutely
eventually.
That's right For sure.
Okay, if you could talk to thatyounger version of yourself,
(53:43):
what would you say to her now,you are awesome.
You are amazing.
You are worth it.
Yeah, you are you.
I don't know if I could saythis, but you can say whatever
you want to say.
You, you, the S, h, I, t.
Absolutely.
(54:03):
Yeah, you are.
You are with or without any ofthat.
You know you are.
And I would tell her you gonnabeat this one day, absolutely.
You'll look on the other side ofthis and be like it was deep in
the moment, but not no more I'mtalking about.
I'll be like I can't believe.
I'm just out here living mybest life, uncovered.
(54:26):
You know unapologetically,unapologetically.
You know what do you hopepeople, especially young girls
with alopecia, take away fromyour journey.
Girls with alopecia, take awayfrom your journey Just being
proud of who you are, acceptingyourself, just realizing that
(54:53):
you don't have to hide Again.
Usually we're our own worstenemy.
So a lot of the times what youmay be thinking people may think
about you is not even reallytrue.
It's really just the enemytrying to really keep you from
being who you really are, justbeing your true self.
Because that's what I feel like.
That's just a lot of what thatwas, because now that I'm out
here and how we're seeing this,people just gravitate to me more
(55:15):
and I'm like it'd be weirdbecause I'd be like what is
going on.
But then I just had to thinkI'm like, because they see
something in you.
Now You're not hiding anymore.
You're not hiding.
Yeah, like you're more confidentin yourself.
You know and it shows you know.
So just to hold your head high,you know, walk with confidence
and talk about it.
(55:36):
And Walk with confidence andtalk about it and talk about it
and talk about it.
Yeah, because a lot of peoplethey're just not educated and
they just really don't know.
But when you start talkingabout it and you share with them
, hey, this is alopecia and thisis what this is, and then they
can start to understand it alittle bit more, then it just
becomes more acceptable to youknow, then you get your friends
(55:58):
standing up for you and theydon't talk about her.
That's you know, and and it andit just becomes a thing.
So just you know, walk in yourconfidence, share your truth,
you know, don't run from it,that's right.
Yeah, I love how you spoke onthe education part, because when
you ain't educated, educated inwhatever it is, you're ignorant
, and that's why the ignorantcomments are coming.
(56:19):
You know what I'm saying.
So I really like the educationpart, because that's valuable,
you know, information for you torelate in some kind of way or
just understand.
You know, like you said, youdidn't choose it, it chose you,
it didn't.
You know.
So Right.
So I really love how you spokeon that education piece, because
(56:40):
that's what is lacking whenpeople make ignorant comments,
you know.
Well, you know, when Jada cameout about her having a girl, so
I was like I'm so tired ofhearing about it and it was just
people like well, she got hair.
And I was like but just let meknow how?
They didn't know understand howthis works.
(57:01):
They didn't.
And that's when I reallyrealized I was like people don't
even really understand whatalopecia is and you know how it
really works, like, and I waslike, okay, so, yeah, right, and
uh, well, you already answeredthat question.
I was gonna ask you where doyou see the hair rich club going
(57:21):
in the future?
But you already answered that.
Unless you want to tag a littlebit more on there, I mean, well,
like I said, creating a team of, um trained individuals who can
actually offer these servicesto women who have hair loss not
only just hair loss, but maybeyou're just looking for a
cosmetic.
But we'll definitely be doing,uh, custom wigs and hair
(57:42):
replacement.
That's the thing that I want toreally focus on.
We do I do extensions as well,so that's another thing that I
do um, but my thing, or my niche, is catering to women who
actually have hair loss.
So I want to thank you so muchfor your time.
(58:02):
We're cutting it right at themark, okay, you see how fast it
go.
It goes so fast.
It was good, it was awesome.
But I do want you to shout outyour socials so that our
listeners can stay connectedwith you, and I did see that you
have a wig class coming up, somake sure you shout that out,
too for any listeners that mightbe interested and want to tap
(58:23):
into that and learn some morefrom you.
Okay, well, you can find me onFacebook at Hair Rich Club.
You can also find me on IG,which is I'm going to give y'all
my personal IG.
Personal IG, it's I am Wigiana.
That's W-I-G-G-I-O-N-A, that'sthe same tag for my TikTok as
(58:45):
well, and my YouTube.
You can actually see someeducational videos over me
installing units on there too,as well.
And the wig training.
I'm actually going to bescheduled to do a wig training
in June, okay, and I'm wantingto open up my trainings to
younger ladies as well, so thatthat high school, middle school,
(59:07):
age bracket between the ages of13 and 18 for young girls who
may want to start getting intomaking wigs so that they can
actually start making an incomefor themselves that's amazing,
yeah, so that's can actuallystart making an income for they
sell.
That's amazing, yeah, so that'sthat's what I'm looking forward
to doing, okay, well, thank youso much for sharing, thank you
for your time, thank you foraccepting the invite, first and
(59:29):
foremost, and I have thoroughlyenjoyed speaking with you,
meeting you, getting to know youeven more on your journey,
cause I only saw the littlesnippet from the news uh, the
news report that they done onyou, so now I know even more and
I'm sure there there are evenmore layers to peel back, you
know.
But I just like an orange girlorange, you hear me orange
(59:49):
potatoes, anything you can peel.
But, um, I am truly honored to,uh, have had you on the hair.
What I'm saying podcast.
Thank you.
You so much.
You're welcome, didn't?
Rayshetta just bless us withsome real deal healing, from
losing her hair at 12 tolaunching a whole mobile salon
that empowers other women withhair loss, rayshetta is proof
(01:00:11):
that beauty isn't about blendingin.
It's about owning your story,loving your reflection and
helping others do the same.
If you're dealing with alopeciaor know someone who is,
remember this.
Your crown isn't just on yourhead, it's in your soul.
You can connect with Rayshettaand learn more about the Hair
Rich Club in the show notesbelow.
Until next time, keep showingup, keep loving yourself and
(01:00:38):
remember hair or nor hair.
You've always been that girl.
Today's guest is not just styling hair.
She's rewriting the narrativearound hair loss, confidence and
what it truly means to wearyour crown.
Rachetta Thompson has beenliving with alopecia since she
was 12 years old, and while mostwould assume a hairstylist
losing her own hair would hangup her shears, she did the exact
opposite.
She built a business rooted incompassion, privacy and real
(00:26):
beauty.
After nearly 25 years in theindustry, rayshetta went from
Ohio to Dallas to launch her ownmobile salon, the Hair Rich
Club, a sanctuary for womenexperiencing hair loss to feel
seen, styled and supported.
In this episode, we talk abouther journey from hiding under
wigs to walking in fullself-love, how she turned pain
(00:46):
into purpose and why what'sinside your heart always matters
more than what's on your head.
So grab your coffee, yourbonnet or your favorite head
wrap, because we're about to getinto it.
Welcome to the Hair what I'mSaying podcast.
I'm your host, kenetra Stewart.
Today we have a very specialguest joining us, sharing her
alopecia journey since age 12.
Welcome to the show, rachelleThompson.
(01:07):
How are you?
I'm doing good.
How are you?
I'm doing good, girl.
I'm just so excited to have youon the show.
I'm so you know I was girlwhenever you responded to my DM,
I was excited.
I was like I got to get thisgirl on the show.
Like once I saw your story, Iwas like she is a powerhouse to
me, you know, especially youknow to be battling something at
(01:28):
such a young and vulnerable age.
I was like I know this girl islike the epitome of what
everyone on this podcast needsto hear.
I know she's going to offersome healing, some good therapy,
you know, for anyone that'salso experiencing the same thing
.
And so I was like I got to geton the show.
So thank you for accepting theinvite.
(01:49):
Oh no, thank you for asking meto come.
As you know, you see me on thenews and I did the interviews on
the news, but this is a littlebit different, just kind of it's
more personal to me, me beingable to, like come here and
speak to you and just be able to, like you say, talk to the
ladies right who may beexperiencing this as well.
(02:10):
So thank you for asking me tocome, of course, girl.
Well, we're gonna get rightinto the first question.
If you're ready, I'm ready,ready, okay.
So can you take us back to whenyou first noticed your hair was
falling out at age 12.
What was that like emotionallyat such a young age?
Well, it's really weird because, um, I don't know if you
remember the hair product 9-1-1.
(02:31):
I do you remember that now?
Yes, it's like that littleclear solution.
Yeah, right at Walmart girl, weused to use that right, and I
had nice thick, beautiful hairat that time.
But that's when I kind of hadstarted doing my own hair.
My mom really didn't know howto do hair really, so I was like
doing my own hair.
And one day I was doing my hairand I felt like a spot where it
(02:55):
was like no hair at.
So I had told my mom I'm likemom, I think I got a bald spot.
And she looked and she was like, yeah, it's clean right there,
but we didn't know, you knowwhat it was or whatnot.
And it started to spread and itstarted out like just a little
spot.
And then it started to spreadand eventually it got to like
the size of a quarter and I waslike mom, like it's getting
(03:18):
bigger, you know.
And she was like, okay, well,I'm going to take you to the
doctor, see what it is.
So we go to the doctor.
I'm 12 years old, so I mean, wereally still don't know.
Internet wasn't something thatwas popular, right?
So they say, oh, she hasalopecia.
We don't know what that is, wejust know.
Okay, I got a bald spot.
They said it's alopecia.
(03:51):
Before I knew it, it started tospread to the point you could
put your hand in the back of myhead and literally all the hair
was gone.
Oh, wow.
So I had started doing thingslike, um, and this was before my
hair career, right.
So I'm like 12 going into 13.
Now I'm getting into middleschool and I'm trying to figure
out on my own because, like Isaid, my mom didn't know how to
do hair right.
So it's like, okay, how can Icamouflage this?
So I started wearing braids andyou know, kind of pull the
front up and let the back kindof hang down.
(04:12):
You know it could cover thepart that was missing.
Yeah, okay, and um, it wouldcome and it would grow and then
it would fall back out and itwas just.
It was weird because again, wedidn't know right, like what
that looked like.
What was that disease or thatsituation, like what actually
was it?
So I was just like kind oftrying to camouflage it.
(04:34):
In high school.
It kind of became one of thosethings where I really became
self conscious of it, because ofcourse you know kids is, you
know you liking boys and youknow now you ball head, right,
yeah, you know.
And then on top of that myedges were always thin, so then
that was the other thing.
So now you trying to cover andit was just a lot.
(04:54):
It was a lot, um, and I don'tknow like I was wearing brace
pretty much majority of the time.
I mean, you remember themicrowave ponytails?
Yeah, girl, you roll them up,put a little spritz on them,
roll them up, put in themicrowave, then you come out
with instant curls.
Oh, yeah, so I had enough hairwhere I could still camouflage.
Like I said, it'll grow andthen it'll fall back out.
(05:17):
So in the meantime I was justfiguring out ways to camouflage
it.
Whether it would be likeputting a relaxer in and pull it
all up, because maybe the spotwasn't as noticeable in the back
at that time, right, and it wasfunny because, um, my little
sister actually went through ittoo and still not really knowing
(05:37):
.
But it's just like, okay, herhair is falling out.
So at this time now I'm like incosmetology.
Yeah, so I'm learning, you knowhow to braid and stuff, so I
was actually kind of helping herthrough the process.
You know, I can remember times,literally a few years ago, of me
saying I'll never do that, I'llnever show people my hair, and
(06:11):
people didn't even know youcovered it up so well, so you
didn't really experience anybullying, not really.
Like I said, my sides werealways thin, so my sides were
pretty much always gone, even aslike a little little girl.
And, of course, knowing,knowing what I know now,
alopecia is just a technicalterm for hair loss, right.
(06:32):
So, not realizing it, I alwayshad it, you know, even before
you know this age of 12.
But at the age of 12 was whenit became a thing like now.
I got a spot somewhere thatwasn't familiar, right, you know
, because my sides were alwaysthin.
My mom kind of blamed herselffor that.
She was like I should havenever put that relaxer in your
(06:52):
hair, right?
Oh man, I already knew that wascoming.
Yeah, right, I'm like Mom, itwasn't your fault.
I tell her now I'm, this wasjust what God wanted me to have,
you know, and take the burdenoff of her, you know, make you
know, cause I know she felt bad,like, especially when she's
(07:13):
seen.
I didn't share that video withyou, but I got a video that I
had posted when I first had cutmy hair.
Oh, my goodness, and I was kindof like it was funny because
the journey of me cutting myhair wasn't something that I
really wanted, like I said Inever, was going to share it
with nobody, and I was workingthis job that I absolutely hated
in Dallas and I was about to doa fast and I was like God, I
(07:35):
want to do something amazing.
And it was like the voice wasso clear, girl, and he was like
I need you to be moretransparent with your viewers,
absolutely.
You see, I had to look at thecamera and say that and I was
like, and I was, I literallylooked up at the sky and I was
like that's not what I meant,like because that's not what I
(07:56):
want to do, right, yeah, forsure.
And he was like no, that's whatI need you to do.
But look what's happening eversince you to do.
But look what's happening eversince.
It's been crazy because so sooriginally, when I first cut my
hair, it was like um, it musthave been the end of september
going into october.
(08:16):
So originally I just did likethis hair replacement unit on
myself because I was alreadydoing hair replacement, right,
so that was easy.
And I was like, just you know,I shaved the top completely off
I still had to hear around thesides and stuff and it was time
for me to redo my hair again andI was just like, why are you so
afraid to like, just do it, doit.
(08:39):
Yeah, and girl, I did a videoand when I watched that video
still today I still cry.
Yeah, I did a video.
And when I watched that video,still today I still cry.
Yeah, I bet I do, because I'mlike man, just to be here is
like it's just amazing to meBecause, like I said, they say
that's why they say never, saynever.
And now I used to be like I'mnever going to do that, I'm
never, you're going to never seeme out with a bald head.
(09:00):
Yeah, and look at me sittinghere now.
That's gross.
Like.
That's like so much acceptancefrom within to to finally, you
know, be that open andvulnerable and transparent, that
that was just like a, atransition to self-acceptance on
a whole, nother level.
You know, I'm saying it was foryou to just be like forget it,
(09:24):
I'm gonna do it, when you alwayssaid that you would never do
that.
I'm talking about 30 some yearsof just hiding.
Right, like I mean, I've always.
I've been in the beauty industrysince I was 18.
Right, so, you know, and it was.
It was difficult because myclients have gorgeous hair, I
(09:45):
can always grow hair and Iremember times when I would be
sitting in a bed and I would belike picking at my hair and I'd
be like God, why did you do thisto me?
You know I was very upset, yeah.
So how did it affect yourrelationship with God?
At all, or just kind of, yougot some tissue, because I don't
want to start crying.
Oh, I don't know if you havetissue.
(10:06):
Y'all got a bathroom in here,we do.
Can I get some tissue?
Yes, go ahead, go ahead.
And he might have some Kleenexout there too.
Okay, I don't want to be on thephone.
Oh Lord, here we go.
(10:28):
Y'all don't want to get too.
Okay, so, okay, so yeah, we'regonna share, okay, okay, because
I'm like here we go, here we go, all right.
So what was the question thatyou asked?
Did it affect your relationshipwith God in some ways, yeah,
absolutely Absolutely.
(10:49):
Just because the word that Iused to use was cursed.
I felt like I was cursedBecause I was just like why me,
right, you know what I mean Likewhy me?
And because I was such a goodhairstylist and I had clients
(11:10):
with hair loss and I could gettheir hair to grow.
But I was just like why won'tmine grow?
You know what I mean?
And it was just, yeah, I wasvery upset, very, very upset,
and I used to say that I might,I was cursed, kind of like you
see people with leprosy and yousee them spots on the element.
(11:30):
Yeah, I felt cursed, I did, butnow say I'm blessed.
I say that I was blessed withit because I know that it's a
gift.
I know that it's hard.
It's a lot of women who aresuffering in silence, right,
tons and tons of women, all, allbackgrounds, all nationalities,
(11:52):
you know, and they can't talkabout it.
Um, because a lot of peoplethey just, you know they may,
unless you have, like thisdeadly illness, you know, and I
say that where they say like ifyou don't't have cancer or lupus
or something, people just lookat it like, oh, you just don't
have any hair, right, and thenyou get the jokes of, well, at
(12:16):
least I got hair.
And then you have to say, well,I didn't choose this, right, it
chose me, it did.
So now I'm not angry with god,no more, thank god, right, yeah,
because I probably wouldn'thave gotten the gates, girl,
because how I was feeling,because I was like, why did you
do this to me, right, you know?
Um, but whoo, yeah, yeah was,I'm so glad you're on the other
(12:42):
side, girl, I mean, and the coolthing is because I make wigs,
so I still wear them, you know,but I never thought that it
would be a time like I wasdating this guy that I date, and
I remember he said he was like,well, how you think we gonna
move forward to the next levelif you won't show me your hair?
(13:04):
And I looked him dead in hisface and I told him I said, well
, I guess we won't.
Oh, no, and I was, and y'alldidn't move forward.
No, we still, we still dateokay, well, yeah, we haven't
moved to the next level yet, butthat's like that's our next
thing.
But yeah, I was just like I hadtold him.
I was like I guess we won't.
And he, he was like he said man, that really crushed me, like,
(13:27):
because he said it just made merealize that you weren't
comfortable enough with me.
But I also had to tell him.
I said I wish you hadn't tookthat as that I said, because it
wasn't that I wasn't comfortablewith myself, right, you know, I
saw it was yeah, that's all itwas.
I said it wasn't.
It never was about you, it wasalways about me.
(13:47):
It was about me feelingcomfortable enough, me
understanding that I'm enough,no matter with hair or without
hair.
You know I said so never.
It never was you.
You always made me feelcomfortable enough to be who I
am.
But I had to know that,absolutely.
You know, yeah, I'm glad itworked out, I'm glad he was
(14:08):
patient and understanding too,baby, yeah, and also, it was
never about him.
You know, even when I waslistening to you, I'm like it
has nothing to do with him, ithas everything to do with you.
You know, just finally beingcomfortable, like you said, with
just showing up as you, as you,your authentic self, you know,
(14:29):
and we can just thank God formercy and grace, you know,
during the times where you werestruggling, and I just feel like
, because God knew your heartand he knew that, even though
you were upset, it's not who yougenuinely you know that's not
who you genuinely are, you know.
And so he knew that this thingwas just blocking you from being
(14:49):
able to have that relationshipwith you, and he saw what it was
like on the other side, for youtoo.
So I feel like that's mercy,that's grace, and man, I just
love God for his patience.
You hear me, and I feel like Idefinitely had to go through it
because it made me morerelatable.
When I was in Ohio, I had a hairreplacement clinic there.
I love that.
(15:10):
So to talk to the ladies, andsome of them would come in and
they didn't even want to show metheir hair.
Now, mind you, we're in aconsultation and this is what
they're here for, and they'llsay some of them, before they
take their hair pieces off,they'd be like, well, brace
yourself.
And I'd be like, girl, youcan't show me nothing I ain't
seen.
Show me nothing I ain't neverseen or experienced.
Yeah, and I'm like, and I knowlike something that people would
(15:34):
say oh, it's just hair.
It's easy to say that when it'snot you, absolutely, a thousand
percent, when it's not your life, your experience and your
journey, especially when you arebeing slowly introduced to the
possibility of losing it, versuslike, oh, you woke up and it
was all off.
You have no choice but to like,get it together, you know,
(15:55):
figure it out.
But it was like a slowtransition into like hope and
then no hope, because it's likeone minute is coming and then
one minute is leaving.
So it's like on one end of thespectrum I'm feeling hopeful and
then it leaves and now I'mfeeling hopeless.
You know so, to me that's likeplaying and toying with emotions
, you know.
At the same time, you know,versus with cancer, as soon as
(16:17):
the radiation start.
You know that's when youtypically start losing your hair
.
It's expected.
You just woke up and was losinghair.
Yes, yes, that's not the samething.
And you know, like I'm not, youknow saying their experience is
not, you know, worth hearing.
I'm not saying they are tryingto downplay it, I'm just saying
(16:37):
the experience is different butalso the same in a very unique
way, you know.
But that's a lot.
You, you know to be trying tohave hope on one end and not on
the other, and then just a slowtransition and don't even know
why.
At least you have a wife.
You got cancer.
You know exactly, absolutely,what was the exact diagnosis.
(16:59):
Was it like alopecia areata?
Yes, areata, okay, alopeciaareata, which was the reason why
it would fall out and it wouldcome back?
Yeah, because that's alsostress induced, yeah, you know.
So, you know, depending on, youknow, um, it's funny because
sometimes I will still get spotslike back here in the back,
(17:19):
like I recently had one,probably.
It's probably been like over ayear ago where I noticed it was
like clean and then it came back.
You know so, yeah, so itdefinitely is still there.
But it's so weird too, becauseit's like I'm now I'm going down
this whole rabbit hole, right.
So now I've been doing thingslike because, honestly, so now
(17:41):
my hair does still grow, yes,but I like, usually because it's
spotted, I'll like shave it off.
So, like before I came, I hadcut my hair does still grow, yes
, but I like, usually, becauseit's spotted, I'll like shave it
off.
So, like before I came, I hadcut my hair.
My dad was like, why youcutting it off?
It's growing.
I said, dad, because I'm notwalking around like that, you
don't want it, you know growingin certain spots and it's not
growing in others fully, right,then it looks unkempt, yeah, you
know.
So it's best to just shave it.
I'm looking like a bald man,right?
(18:03):
Well, you don't look far from aman, honey, far from a man.
But you know they don't care.
The look, the appearance is ofa man, right.
So I was like, well, I keep itcut down.
So what I've been doing sinceDecember and I kind of got a
little bit off track when I cameto Temple because that was like
a transition that wasunexpected, right, because that
was like a transition that wasunexpected, right.
(18:23):
So, but what I was doing, whatI've been doing and I'm back on
that Me and my dad was kind ofbattling with that a little bit
Because I've been eating fruits,vegetables, drinking water,
reducing or just totally takingout meat, dairy, processed foods
(18:45):
, and my hair is growing inplaces that it has not ever
grown in, like literally 30years.
Diet is important.
Diet is very important.
So what I'm seeing is and it'sfunny because I've taken
trichology classes, I'm acertified trichologist too as
well, right, well, it's justfunny because when the alopecia
started to come, I just wantedto know.
(19:06):
I wanted to know I'm like why,you know what causes it.
So I had to, like you know, Ihad to get more training.
So I was like, ok, I tooktraining with UTI and I was like
, ok, because I need to know.
But it's really funny becauseout of all that training now I'm
starting to think some of thatstuff you already knew, huh,
yeah, and some of it's notnecessarily law, you know.
(19:29):
Yes, science to a certain point,but when you start healing the
body you can change a lot ofthings.
Yeah, you know, those are facts, facts.
So, like the other day, beforeI cut my hair, like I told you,
my side's always been prettymuch sparse and thin, like right
here, like I had hair righthere.
Yeah, so it'll cover.
So that's how I was able toalways like, if I relax and I
(19:52):
can pull up in a ponytail, butin the middle it was always
clean and gone.
And this was before thealopecia started in the back.
Well, girl, his hair growing inthere now, good.
So I looked the other day and Iwas like his hair growing in
there, that's amazing.
Like you're treating your ownalopecia, you know, just
changing your diet, drinkingmore water.
(20:12):
Yes, you know, I always say toowhen I see hairstylists using
fruits and vegetables on thescalp and hair.
I'm always saying, like, whyaren't you encouraging to take
it from within?
It's more beneficial and you'llget it and receive it quicker
because you're treating it verytopically.
If you're doing it on the scale, people don't realize eating
(20:33):
all that fast food, the friedfood.
Lord, you're talking to me, I'mso sorry, and you got gorgeous
hair, yeah, but I didn't imaginehow much more it would be even
more prettier.
You get what I'm saying, becausewhat we take in has a lot to
what we like.
We're like plants, absolutelywe are.
And that's how I used toexplain with my clients when
(20:56):
they would come in and these arethings that I've seen just from
being behind the chair.
And when they started doingthose things and they'd be like
ray, my scalp ain't dry, no more.
I'm like because you'redrinking water, you know, you,
you, you stand away from thefried foods and people.
You know we don't.
We want to think that we can doas we please, but god did not
(21:17):
put us here for no, he put ushere for a special purpose.
You and he gave us the thingsthat we need from the earth.
That's right.
You know he gave us.
He gave us fruits andvegetables and that's what he
wants us to take in.
But you know we live in Americaand we could just do what we
want.
So you know we do what we wantand it does take a lot of
(21:40):
discipline.
It sure does.
It takes a very strong mindsetbecause, like I said, um, I felt
my dad.
He eats pretty good, you know,he really doesn't eat bad, but I
, I have to stress to him, I'mlike I can't eat that.
Well, it's salmon you can.
I said I can't eat that.
I said no, no, no meat, noseafood.
Yeah, and am I still strugglingwith it?
(22:02):
Absolutely like, like you said,it takes discipline, girl.
I went to Subway today and Iwanted to get a tuna fish
sandwich so bad.
And I was standing in line andit was just spirit.
It was like stay on track.
You see your hair starting tocome in, stay on track.
So I was like let me just getthe veggie salad.
(22:23):
The girl was like you don'twant any meat and I was like
just vegetables and let me justget the.
I'm so depressed about it but Ihad to get out of my mind too,
right, because when I startedeating the girl was so good,
right, and I was just like, okay, this is it, this is it.
Yeah, it's a lifestyle.
You know that's life.
(22:44):
It's a lifestyle, you know it,and that's that's life.
We, we all.
It's a struggle to choose thethings that are best for us.
If you want that end and goal,you know, whatever that goal is,
obviously it's a gain for you,right, in some kind of way.
You have to go through thosethings that you just don't want.
It's almost like working out.
I hate working out, but I knowI have a goal and you look good.
Thank you, ma'am.
Thank you, but I have a goaland you look good.
(23:04):
Thank you, ma'am, thank you,but I have a goal and I'm like,
if you want, you know to.
You know, if you want to behealthy you know, because I
suffer from, you know, a littleillness, maybe like a year and a
half ago I'm like, if you wantto be healthy, you know you have
to.
You know, build your heart rateback up and stuff like that.
You have to work out, you justhave to.
It's just what comes with it.
(23:25):
It is, you know, but it's likeit's the thing that I don't want
to do, but it's also the thingthat's good for me and that's
how it is in general with life.
A lot of stuff to me it's likeit's not ideal, but I know it's
the best thing for me.
And you see results.
And you see results Absolutely,absolutely.
(23:46):
And then it's hard to go back tothe thing that you were
comfortable with doing, eventhough you know it could create
some setbacks.
Or it's not very.
Some things aren't detrimentalbut some are, you know.
But when you can tackle thethings that aren't very
detrimental, then the thingsthat are, that's too easy.
You know, yeah, just giving upthis little bitty, something, so
it's, it's hard to be steeredaway.
You know, on whatever journeyyou're on, you know if you're
(24:08):
giving up that small littlething, that doesn't make a bad,
huge impact.
You know it just really helpsfor the thing that challenges
you to want to go back on to theother side.
Absolutely, I've said that allto say that.
You know.
But yeah, girl, that was good,I'm like dang say that.
But yeah, girl, that was good,I'm like dang, that was one
(24:28):
question.
I'm sorry you getting all of itBecause you got to think I mean
, outside of doing the newsinterviews, I haven't openly
really talked about it.
You know, girl, I'm happy, I'mloving it, I'm learning, I love
it.
Girl, what was it like workingin salons, styling beautiful
(24:51):
hair every day while quietlygoing through your own hair loss
journey?
Just a wish, really.
It was a wish because, like Isaid, all my clients have
beautiful hair.
You know, it's funny becausethey say ray got growing hands
in the back of my head, I'll belike my hair.
I remember this girl.
She said, uh, she was like ray,your eyelashes is so pretty.
(25:12):
I said, girl, y'all worriedabout eyelashes, I'm trying to
get some hair.
I know, you know, like thethings that people adore, come
on, girl, you know that sometake for granted, right?
You know, you see girls withpretty hair and they be like.
You know, they might not evendo nothing to it.
You be like girl if I had thathair.
And they'd be like girl if Icut this hair off right now, you
(25:35):
know, and stuff.
You'd be like.
But then if somebody on theother side, they'd be like if I
just could have that, you know.
But I think now where I'm at,because I'm here now, right, and
it's just so weird because nowwhen I see people, people
actually gravitate to me more,mm-hmm, you know, it's just like
(25:56):
I'm telling you.
It's so empowering.
Yeah, we went to the VA a coupleof weeks ago and it was a lady
I didn't know, but she hadalopecia Mm-hmm and she was
covered.
So her hair was.
She had her hair and stuffMm-hmm and she was like like so
my dad knew her, we go over andtalk to her.
And she was like, oh my gosh,she was like you are gorgeous.
(26:17):
And I was like you are girl,thank you.
I was like thank you.
And she was like she was likeshe kind of.
She was like I got alopecia.
Oh, she was whispering, yeah,and I was like I said it's okay,
and she was, I just wish that Icould do that.
And I was like you can, you can.
I was like it was a process,but you can, and she just you
could just see it in her faceLike how, how inspired she was,
(26:42):
you know, like man, like if Icould just do that, yeah, but
I'll be looking at myself in themirror, girl, and I just be
like like I'll be like I don'tknow, this little bald head
doing something to me, like itis, I mean, it makes people want
to know.
You know they, they want youknow, people are always wanting
to be around good aura and alsoa person, you see, that's
(27:04):
self-accepting on so many levelsbecause it's, it's admirable.
You know, there there are a lotof people you know, including
myself.
Some things I don't accept, youknow, about myself too, but you
know to see that it's like it'sa yearning, you know, and it's
like she's doing it, you know.
You know, maybe I could be likeher one day.
You know, I met a girl I didn'twant to meet in passing, at the
(27:29):
uh cable place when I first gotto temple, passing at the uh
cable place, when I first got totemple, and I didn't know that
the lady had alopecia.
She had a hood on and I didn'tI have, I'm just out living my
life, right, so I go in, my headis out, and she was like hey,
sis, and I kind of looked at herbecause I'm like I don't know.
She was like hey, sis, and thenshe kind of like did this thing
(27:52):
, like, and like she put herlittle, her hood back to show me
, like that, her hair.
She was bald too and I was like, hey, sis, like you know, it's
like an unspoken community.
Yeah, I was like, ok, yeah,yeah, I remember when I had
locks, I used to get that likefrom the lock women.
Yeah, it was just like this, Idon't know, like you said, like
(28:13):
this unspoken, you knowcommunication, like I see you.
You know, I don't know whatthat is, you know, but it's like
somebody that's doing somethinga little different.
Yours is, on a whole notherlevel of difference, but with
the locks, you know, a lot ofwomen weren't open to wearing
locks and natural hair or any ofthat, right?
So when you see someone doingthis, like I see you, you know,
(28:36):
yeah, girl, I'm glad that we'rehere with the natural hair and
stuff like that, me too, youknow, for so many reasons, right
, yeah, all right, you mentionedthat 2023 was when you finally
started exposing yourself to theworld.
What happened that made you sayI'm ready now?
It was just really thatconversation with God when I did
(29:00):
that fast and he was just likeit's time.
I love the fast, you know, likesome people fast food, some
people fast TV or whatever thecase may be, but yours was like
whoo, it was girl, it was major.
And so then, when I originallycut my hair and remember, I told
(29:21):
you I didn't really stillexpose it, right.
So I did this video and, girl,I cried like a baby on that
video, omg.
And it was like you stilltrying to do what you want to do
and that's not what I told youto do.
Oh, my God, we like look.
I told you now, yeah, yeah, no,for real.
And it was just like, and I wasjust like, and I remember
(29:41):
looking in the mirror, so, mindyou, I'm sitting there with this
bald top now, because I don'tshave the top out to put the
piece on.
And then it's just like OK, sowhat you going to do, put the
piece back on.
It's just like okay, so whatyou gonna do?
Put the piece back on.
So I'm sitting there literallylooking like george jefferson
girl, stop, no, seriously.
And I was just like ray, stopit.
Yeah, like, just cut it, justcut it, yeah.
(30:02):
And I was just like forget it,I just cut it.
And now, mind you, I'm in arelationship, right, yeah.
So I'm upstairs and I'm cuttingmy hair and I'm just cutting it
off.
You didn't let nobody know, hedidn't, he didn't even know,
because he would always give memy privacy when I'm doing my
hair anyways.
You know what I mean.
So I cut it off.
And I remember he came upstairsand he went in the bedroom and
(30:25):
I was like I was in the bathroom, I was like, hey, I got
something to show you.
And he was like what?
And I came out and, girl, heabout fell out.
He was like I'm so to show you.
And he was like what?
And I came out and, girl, heabout fell out.
He was like I'm so glad you didit.
And it was crazy, because thisis something I definitely want
to say for anybody who hasalopecia it is about you, and a
(30:46):
lot of times we are our ownenemy, because all what I
thought people was going tothink and all what I thought
people was going to say, it wasnone of that Like I thought I
didn't.
I was.
So I'm battling in my head as Icut my hair off.
Now I'm upstairs, so I'm like,I'm telling myself I'm like he's
(31:07):
going to like it or yank, Idon't care if he like it.
Well, what if he?
What if he don't like it?
And what if he like it?
Well, what if he?
What if he don't like it?
And what if he leave you?
And then I'm like what did youdo?
Like?
So I'm like literally so manyemotions, right, yeah, and I'm
like you know what I'm like ohwell, it is what it is what it
is, that's right.
I'm glad you.
Just your brain was doing thatto you.
(31:28):
You know, your brain was takingyou on this emotional roller
coaster, trying to convince youall the reasons why you
shouldn't do it.
I was about to go in there andput the wig back on.
Yeah, I was like just gonna putthe wig on, I mean, he's gonna
know anyway.
Like, yeah, because I wassleeping in wigs.
You know, I was literally, Imean, and if I wasn't sleeping
in a wig, I had a bonnet onright because, like I said, my
(31:50):
hair was still growing but itwas spotty, yeah, you know.
And, um, when I showed him myhair, he was just like he jumped
up and he was hugging on me andkissing on me.
He was like I'm so glad you didit.
And then when I I put a post upand I was with my bald head and
girl, it was so many people thatwas commenting and I started
(32:12):
getting all these inboxes fromall these ladies and I was like,
oh, my goodness, yeah, and Iwas like, all that time you was,
you was worried, which, like Isaid, it's about you first for
sure.
But what we think in our headthat people may say, it's really
you know, you probably will.
I'm sure you're going to getsome of those people right who
(32:34):
may say but after I came out Iwas like people can't use
against you what you alreadyaccept about yourself.
That part, yeah, that's, that'sright.
Those effects, like what areyou?
It almost remind me of eightball.
I mean eight ball, eight milewith eminem.
You know when he got up there.
I don't know if you ever seenthat movie, eminem.
You know when he got up there.
(32:55):
I don't know if you ever seenthat movie.
I did, I love it, right, and heget up there and he's, you know
, rap battling the guy and hejust pretty much rapped about
himself.
Like I already know this.
What you're about to say aboutme no-transcript in any case,
(33:41):
right, I mean, when people weregetting covid, they were losing
their hair.
Yeah, that's the first thing.
Yeah, you know I'm sayingbecause the body doesn't respond
, it doesn't need hair tosurvive, it don't.
So it'll.
That'll be the first thingthat'll go usually, or that's
when you'll start experiencingit.
You know the shedding it's likeoh, my hair is shedding.
Well, there's something goingon in the body, you know.
(34:04):
So, yeah, it's usually thatfirst indicator.
You know, hair is a dry snitchto let you know something is
going on internally.
I love that A dry snitch.
Oh, yeah, the girl be drysnitching.
You hear me, just you.
So we already talked about theemotions that you faced when you
were cutting your hair, whenyou had to face yourself in the
(34:24):
mirror without the wig, so we'lljust move to the next question.
Okay, what inspired you to startthe Hair Rich Club and how did
the idea of a mobile salon comeabout?
Well, the Hair Rich Club wasactually started in 2016.
Oh, wow, yeah, I started inOhio, because that was the name
to my hair replacement clinic.
Okay, when I moved to Texas, Iwas kind of like battling with
(34:49):
myself.
I really didn't want to do hairanymore.
Yeah, girl, and I was kind ofjust, really kind of running,
battling with myself.
I really didn't want to do hairanymore.
Yeah, girl, and I was like Iwas kind of just like really
kind of running from my gift andI was already a wig maker, but
I didn't want to like do hair.
So I was doing wigs and I hadcreated this online platform, so
I had women's like buying wigsfrom me and stuff, but my
(35:09):
business had started to slowdown and I kind of had tried to
do a shop thing, girl.
I went to a salon for three daysand I was like, yeah, this
ain't it why?
Because I knew that's not whatI wanted.
I didn't want to be like, Ididn't want to be a hairdresser
anymore.
I wanted to, like, specializein my craft and I wanted to do
hair replacement the things thatyou know for people who have
(35:32):
alopecia.
I wanted to service the womenthe things that you know for
people who have alopecia.
I wanted to service the womenwho really needed me.
A bigger purpose yeah, notsaying that women who just want
to get their hair done didn'tneed me, but you know it's a
yearning when you don't havehair, you want it and you want
it to look a certain way, youwant to feel a certain way.
(35:53):
So that's kind of how the mobilebeauty bus came about, because
I needed to create a space.
And then I was like, well, if Igot to get a space, then what
does that look like?
And it was like I had thoughtabout doing a bus before and
then I was having a conversationwith my dad and he was like,
well, it's a lot of things youneed to think about.
You know what if it break downand blah, blah, blah.
So it kind of like strayed meaway, and then it came back full
(36:15):
circle and I was like you knowwhat?
I'm just do it.
I'm gonna do a salon on wheelsand that's exactly what I did.
I love that idea and I've seensome you know barbers, stylists
doing you know mobile beautybusinesses, and I remember at
one point I even checked it outI don't know why I didn't go
(36:35):
through with it though I don'tknow but when I saw you had one,
I was like girl, do it, doeverything, girl.
It was a lot of work.
It definitely.
If I probably had a new, allwhat it was going to take to do
it, I probably would have notdone it.
So I guess that's why Goddidn't let me know all what it
would have took Right.
Would I do it again?
Absolutely, I want to getanother bus.
(36:57):
That's my goal is to get me anewer bus that can be just, you
know, newer, nicer for my client.
Like an upgrade.
Yeah, just an upgrade, right,what all did you go through?
Why do you say that it was just?
It was so when I got my bus.
Well, first of all, I end up.
We went to Oklahoma and we gotthe bus and I didn't realize all
(37:17):
the work that I was just goingto have to put in the bus, like
renovating, yes, oh, gotcha, ok,and being like it was just
things that I didn't know, likeI didn't know that I was gone,
which there are other ways thatyou can power it, right, but I
(37:38):
didn't know.
So I have a generator, but Ididn't know that I was going.
So I'm thinking, when I boughtthe bus, he had a little
generator on there, but I'mtrying to power a whole salon,
right, yeah, so you need us, oh,yeah.
So then the electrician comesand he was like, well, that
little thing is not going towork.
And I'm like, well, what do Ineed?
And then he shows me this oneand it's like $3,700.
And I was like, oh, lord, jesus, help me.
I was like that wasn't in thebudget, you know, but it was
like God was still providing forme to be able to do it and it
(37:59):
was just like we're going tomake this happen.
You get what I'm saying but,like I said, if I probably had a
new that I was going to gothrough all of that, I probably
wouldn't have did it, which isprobably why I didn't know,
because, like I said, now whereI'm at, I would definitely do it
again.
Yeah, like, in the very nearfuture I plan to do it again.
So that is one of the thingsthat's on my list is just to get
(38:21):
like an upgraded bus, because Ilove it, the clients love it,
but I also go to people's homes,yeah, so, like the mobility,
you know the logistics of it isso ideal for a client, yes, they
love it, so it just makes iteasy.
Um, but then the other thingthat I recently experienced is
because, um, when I was inDallas, we didn't have this.
(38:44):
In Ohio they have mobilestylists, like they just go to
people's homes.
So then I said, because myultimate goal is to create a
team, but everybody can't have abus, right, right, right, so
we'll still just offer theservice, but we'll go to
people's homes and provide themwith the service.
Oh, I love that.
So that's the other piece ofthat.
(39:06):
Okay, that's a nice goal.
Because I was like maybe it wasabout the bus.
You know like, yeah, the bus iscool, but I really think I need
it because, you know, when youwork in a salon, it's just
certain things that we do, right, it's certain things that we do
and it's just a part of oursalon culture, that's right.
So when you go to a house, inour brains it's like, oh, it's a
(39:27):
kitchen beautician yeah Right,yeah right, yeah, but not really
.
When you think about it now,what we are is really
convenience, and convenience isa luxury.
Yes, it is, you know.
So when I got to dallas and Iseen these big companies that
had these mobile beauty brandsand I was like they really going
to these, and we was going intopeople's houses and I ain't
(39:48):
talking about just any house,these hundred thousand million
dollar houses, and the ladies isin there and and hold on, and
they was coming washed already.
Girl, oh, wow, so some of theconversation that we have in our
community when it comes to hairI was like these ladies ain't
even worried about that.
They they coming out wash withtheir robes on, ready to get
(40:09):
their hair blow dry, and I waslike, so it really opened my
mind up and I was like you cando this mobile business and it
can be similar to this, thisbusiness model, but for women
who suffer with alopecia, womenwho wear custom units.
And I was like, okay, god, Isee what you do.
(40:29):
I see what you do.
I love how you're learningthrough the process too, and
like you're taking the gems andbuilding off of what you're
learning, instead of looking atit like it could have been a
possible setback mentally, likea mind block, like I don't even
want to try that out because Iknow people aren't open to that.
Just because a small few aren'tdoes not mean you're not going
to service people who areAbsolutely.
(40:51):
You not mean you're not goingto service people who are
Absolutely.
You know what I'm saying,because some people are looking
for convenience more than do.
You got a shampoo bowl, youknow.
I just need you to be able topull up, do my hair and not go
back in the house.
No, you know, absolutely,absolutely.
How does privacy impact healingand confidence for your clients?
Oh, I think it's huge Because,of course, you know, when you
(41:12):
have hair loss, it's aconversation that most people
just don't really know how tohave.
You know you get strange lookswhen you go in the salon and
people look at her hair, youknow.
So privacy is very important,people, even if it's in your
home or it's on the beauty buswhere you could just be service
and you just know that it's justyou and your service provider,
(41:35):
people really, really like that.
I just went and did some customunits for a lady and I actually
went into her home and did thembecause she wasn't able enough,
because you got to like get upon the steps to come in a beauty
bus.
So she was like, well, if youdon't mind, could you come to my
house?
And I was like absolutely.
And so she was like, well, ifyou don't mind, could you come
to my house?
And I was like absolutely.
And she just said that that,right, there was priceless for
her, you know, her being able toget her service done, look good
(41:59):
and feel good in the comfort ofher own home.
She was like very thankful.
And I was like, ok.
So, and that, just again, thatjust opened my brain up to say,
you know, maybe it never wasabout just having a beauty bus,
it was just making it convenientoverall, you know.
So, yeah, I'm glad for that,yeah, and also that level of
(42:19):
privacy, because some people arenot ready, yet you know to take
off the wig and you know beexposed to so many people around
and wondering, like, what arethey going to think?
You know so the privacy is soimportant for you know, clients,
you know that's experiencinghair loss, you know.
So I think creating that idea Imean not that idea, but
(42:43):
creating that business model,for you know your clients and
also you have the personalexperience.
So it's not like you can, youcan relate to them personally,
like I know what you're goingthrough, you know so I think
that's why it's also working outfor you, because you are able
to tap into the mind of a personthat's experiencing hair loss
(43:05):
and be like, what, what would Iwant if it was me going and I'm
not ready yet, you know.
So I think that's why thebusiness is doing so great,
because you can emotionallyconnect with these women.
That's very true.
I could never connect, you know, in that way with them.
I could have empathy, but Icouldn't sympathize because I
don't have the experience.
(43:26):
So I think I think it's amazingthat you are taking what you and
then you are on the other side,so these girls get the
experience.
You know, not only am Ireceiving this luxury level of
hair experience, but then I'mbooking with somebody who know
what I'm going through.
That's on a whole nother level.
Yeah, you know, it's soimpactful, you know, because
(43:49):
that's who I would want toservice me, versus, you know, a
licensed cosmetologist.
I'm like no, I'd rather go tosomeone who can relate to me,
that can have so much empathythat even when I'm doubting
myself, she's on the other side.
She know what to say to me.
You know, in order to get mewhere I need to be, in order to
(44:09):
get me where I need to be, whereshe at.
It's important.
Yeah, so that's why I'm like Ithink niching down was like the
best thing you could have everdone, you know, girl, so that's
why I'm like I'm so in awe and Imean I'm just meeting you, but
I just I'm like extremelyinspired by you, girl.
Thank you so much, girl.
You're welcome.
(44:30):
It's been a journey.
Yeah, it has, and you conqueredit and will still conquer it.
You know, like listening to howyou deliver, how you speak, is
so much hope, it's so muchpositivity.
You have a good relationshipwith God.
Like you have no other choicebut to go up.
You know, with that, with thosesmall little gems on top of
everything else that you'reembodying, you know.
(44:52):
So it's like the only way is upfrom here.
You know, I don't hear any selfdoubt, even how you present
yourself.
You know it's all so just um,confidently done, you know.
So, girl, I'm loving it, lovingit.
Okay, um, what kind of reactionshave you gotten from your
(45:16):
clients?
Any stories that stay with you?
Just that, people is inspired,like a lot of people from my
hometown, you know, of course,they watching, you know, because
those people who know mepersonally, right, yes, um, and
people who I don't know, becauseI have a um, a large online
(45:37):
base, so I get, like mycustomers, it's funny because a
lot of them they like, girl, Ishaved my head after you did
yours, oh my goodness, and I'mlike, really like, and I'm like
that's amazing.
So it's just, it's mind-blowing.
Like, um, I've been justgetting phone calls just like
crazy, especially, it's funnybecause so much stuff has
(45:58):
happened in two months of beingin temple.
It's just crazy.
Yeah, I mean, he's on thepodcast, girl, hold on, though.
So after I talk to you,whenever me and you talk we
talked that week I mean, it'sjust been like back to back to
back.
So I get a phone call from alady and she was like oh, I just
heard your commercial on theradio.
Did I tell you that, or no?
(46:20):
Okay, so she said I just heardyour commercial on the radio.
And I was like commercial, ohmy god.
And she was like, yeah, she waslike the guy on um and she said
she said 90, 90 is a Christianstation.
Uh-huh, she said um, he justdid this long spread about you,
talking about you and youralopecia, and blah, blah, blah.
Oh my goodness.
(46:40):
And I was like she was like youdidn't know.
And I was like, no, that'samazing.
So I called the radio stationbecause I was just, you know,
I'm like, whoever this guy is, Iat least want to tell him.
Thank you right, thank youright.
Yeah.
So I call and I'm like I don't,I leave a voicemail.
And I was like hey, this is Ray, I'm the owner here at Rich
(47:01):
Club.
I just wanted to say thank youguys.
I'm not even sure who thisgentleman was, but he shouted
out my business and someonecalled me Like literally, he did
that in the lady call Right, oh.
So he called me back the nextday and then he says hey, he was
real nice.
His name is Dave, real nice guy.
He was like let me ask you this.
(47:22):
He was like could I do aninterview with you on Monday,
girl?
I about fell out.
You're going to have to likekeep track of your interviews.
Girl, like, you need your linksand everything so you can be
like, listen, do you want tohear about my story?
You do, so you can keep trackof everything because you've
been interviewed so much and youdon't want to lose this
(47:45):
resourceful information.
You know it's like your resume,where people can get to know
you before they even experienceyou.
Absolutely, you know.
So, yeah, you need to begathering all these links, girl.
Girl, I about fell out.
That's a blessing, it is, it is.
And you just moved here Twomonths, literally Two months and
(48:09):
two days now.
People was like, how do youkeep getting these interviews?
I said, girl, it's God, thestory.
That's it.
Yeah, god for sure.
Number one.
Yeah, and the story.
You know that you once thoughtyou know like, oh, this is the
worst thing ever it's happenedto me and look what it's doing
for you.
It's like moving mountains foryou.
Absolutely, it's creating somuch exposure and I just love
(48:32):
the fact that it's going tocreate hope for someone that's
still not there yet, you know.
So that's another thing.
It's going to create hope forsomeone that's still not there
yet, that's another thing.
It's like a very hopeful,inspiring story.
People, especially today, child, we're looking for some hope.
It's looking crazy out here Ifyou can get a little hope even
(49:00):
from a hair story, even if youcan't relate to it.
It's just like somebody Iforward.
You know, in these weird timesit's crazy.
Yeah, um, what does self-lovelook like to you now compared to
when you were 12?
That's good.
So self-love to me is justaccepting yourself, like, no
matter what it is, because Ialways like to think we all have
(49:21):
flaws, right, absolutely, andit could be something as small.
As one of my friends said, theydon't like their knees, yeah,
and I mean that may seem smallto somebody, right, but it's not
to the person who it is, who'sexperiencing it is not the same.
That's your flaw that you taketoo.
You know some things that wesee on people.
(49:42):
They feel like it's a flaw, youknow, but to others it may not
be, but it's just really justaccepting who you are.
You know, um, I always tellpeople like my thing is,
sometimes I feel like a wig,sometimes I don don't.
Right, you know, at leastyou're optional now, instead of
like only the wig, right, yeah,but I also say, you know, if
(50:03):
wigs is your comfort, then letthat be what it is.
You know, but also just be okaywith being who you are.
You know, because when you gohome at night, you still got to
deal with yourself.
You sure do.
When you go home at night, youstill got to deal with yourself,
you sure do.
You know you still gonna bewhoever you are, whether it's,
you know, with your hair orwithout the hair, or with the
(50:24):
makeup, without the makeup, thelashes you get.
I'm saying like, when it's allsaid and done, it's just a shell
that you got.
It's really about who are you.
You know, like we use all thesethings and we feel like it's
well, this is just me or this iswho I am.
But really, after all that'ssaid and done, and you wipe it
all off or use the eraser tomove it, remove it off.
(50:46):
Who are you really are?
You know, who is yourpersonality, what's your spirit?
You know, how do you carryyourself.
When people look at you, whatdo they see?
You know, because you can bebeautiful on the outside but
your inside could still be ugly,you know.
So to me that's just that'sreal self-love, you know,
(51:08):
accepting yourself for whateverit is, you know.
But I will say this because Ialways tell people like it
doesn't mean like, let's justsay you have alopecia because I
always still felt like, eventhough I was wearing wigs, I
still felt, still felt like,yeah, I wear wigs, but I still
do love myself, right?
You know?
Because I hear, I've heard guyssay women wearing wigs, and I'm
(51:31):
like you don't know what thatmay look like for a person, you,
you know.
So, whatever your comfort levelis, you know, be comfortable
with that, but just know, like,you still who you are.
You still who you are, yeah,like, yeah, you might have a wig
on and I'm sure you feelgorgeous with it on.
You know, because I put my wigson baby, and I'll be like, but
(51:52):
at the same time I'm still who Iam.
I'm still who I am.
I'm still going to be the sameperson, whether I have it or not
.
It's like riding around in ahoopty.
Absolutely, you're still thesame person in the hoopty or not
.
So how you carry yourself isgoing to be how you carry
yourself, and that's just whatwe have to remember.
Be true to yourself, whateverthat may look like.
(52:13):
That's right.
Like that's right because, um,if, when you're mentioning that,
it made me think, um, that'swhy.
So you should be intentionallyworking on yourself from within
and not aesthetically, you know,or like on your exterior,
because, like you said, when yougo home, that's who you're
(52:34):
gonna deal with.
You know, when the masks comeoff, you know I I'm saying Are
you hearing what I'm saying?
I feel as though that's what weneed to focus on more.
This is a vain world.
It is.
It's so vain, you'll see, justbecause this world is so full of
this illusion of vanity, moreyou'll miss out on, you know,
(52:59):
really interacting and gettingto know or collaborating with a
really good person, because youso stuck on the vanity, you know
.
So that's very important.
You know to be working onyourself from within, from
within, and they're going to seeyou too.
You know, I don't care what youlook like on the outside If you
work on yourself from withinthem having a conversation with
(53:19):
you.
I don't care what you look likeon the outside if you work on
yourself from within, themhaving a conversation with you.
They'll see, beyond what youknow, what the exterior is
exposing, you know.
And also, if you're not workingon yourself, they're gonna see
that too.
They're gonna see that too,because you can only hide so
much.
Eventually your true self isgonna come out, absolutely
eventually.
That's right For sure.
Okay, if you could talk to thatyounger version of yourself,
(53:43):
what would you say to her now,you are awesome.
You are amazing.
You are worth it.
Yeah, you are you.
I don't know if I could saythis, but you can say whatever
you want to say.
You, you, the S, h, I, t.
Absolutely.
(54:03):
Yeah, you are.
You are with or without any ofthat.
You know you are.
And I would tell her you gonnabeat this one day, absolutely.
You'll look on the other side ofthis and be like it was deep in
the moment, but not no more I'mtalking about.
I'll be like I can't believe.
I'm just out here living mybest life, uncovered.
(54:26):
You know unapologetically,unapologetically.
You know what do you hopepeople, especially young girls
with alopecia, take away fromyour journey.
Girls with alopecia, take awayfrom your journey Just being
proud of who you are, acceptingyourself, just realizing that
(54:53):
you don't have to hide Again.
Usually we're our own worstenemy.
So a lot of the times what youmay be thinking people may think
about you is not even reallytrue.
It's really just the enemytrying to really keep you from
being who you really are, justbeing your true self.
Because that's what I feel like.
That's just a lot of what thatwas, because now that I'm out
here and how we're seeing this,people just gravitate to me more
(55:15):
and I'm like it'd be weirdbecause I'd be like what is
going on.
But then I just had to thinkI'm like, because they see
something in you.
Now You're not hiding anymore.
You're not hiding.
Yeah, like you're more confidentin yourself.
You know and it shows you know.
So just to hold your head high,you know, walk with confidence
and talk about it.
(55:36):
And Walk with confidence andtalk about it and talk about it
and talk about it.
Yeah, because a lot of peoplethey're just not educated and
they just really don't know.
But when you start talkingabout it and you share with them
, hey, this is alopecia and thisis what this is, and then they
can start to understand it alittle bit more, then it just
becomes more acceptable to youknow, then you get your friends
(55:58):
standing up for you and theydon't talk about her.
That's you know, and and it andit just becomes a thing.
So just you know, walk in yourconfidence, share your truth,
you know, don't run from it,that's right.
Yeah, I love how you spoke onthe education part, because when
you ain't educated, educated inwhatever it is, you're ignorant
, and that's why the ignorantcomments are coming.
(56:19):
You know what I'm saying.
So I really like the educationpart, because that's valuable,
you know, information for you torelate in some kind of way or
just understand.
You know, like you said, youdidn't choose it, it chose you,
it didn't.
You know.
So Right.
So I really love how you spokeon that education piece, because
(56:40):
that's what is lacking whenpeople make ignorant comments,
you know.
Well, you know, when Jada cameout about her having a girl, so
I was like I'm so tired ofhearing about it and it was just
people like well, she got hair.
And I was like but just let meknow how?
They didn't know understand howthis works.
(57:01):
They didn't.
And that's when I reallyrealized I was like people don't
even really understand whatalopecia is and you know how it
really works, like, and I waslike, okay, so, yeah, right, and
uh, well, you already answeredthat question.
I was gonna ask you where doyou see the hair rich club going
(57:21):
in the future?
But you already answered that.
Unless you want to tag a littlebit more on there, I mean, well,
like I said, creating a team of, um trained individuals who can
actually offer these servicesto women who have hair loss not
only just hair loss, but maybeyou're just looking for a
cosmetic.
But we'll definitely be doing,uh, custom wigs and hair
(57:42):
replacement.
That's the thing that I want toreally focus on.
We do I do extensions as well,so that's another thing that I
do um, but my thing, or my niche, is catering to women who
actually have hair loss.
So I want to thank you so muchfor your time.
(58:02):
We're cutting it right at themark, okay, you see how fast it
go.
It goes so fast.
It was good, it was awesome.
But I do want you to shout outyour socials so that our
listeners can stay connectedwith you, and I did see that you
have a wig class coming up, somake sure you shout that out,
too for any listeners that mightbe interested and want to tap
(58:23):
into that and learn some morefrom you.
Okay, well, you can find me onFacebook at Hair Rich Club.
You can also find me on IG,which is I'm going to give y'all
my personal IG.
Personal IG, it's I am Wigiana.
That's W-I-G-G-I-O-N-A, that'sthe same tag for my TikTok as
(58:45):
well, and my YouTube.
You can actually see someeducational videos over me
installing units on there too,as well.
And the wig training.
I'm actually going to bescheduled to do a wig training
in June, okay, and I'm wantingto open up my trainings to
younger ladies as well, so thatthat high school, middle school,
(59:07):
age bracket between the ages of13 and 18 for young girls who
may want to start getting intomaking wigs so that they can
actually start making an incomefor themselves that's amazing,
yeah, so that's can actuallystart making an income for they
sell.
That's amazing, yeah, so that'sthat's what I'm looking forward
to doing, okay, well, thank youso much for sharing, thank you
for your time, thank you foraccepting the invite, first and
(59:29):
foremost, and I have thoroughlyenjoyed speaking with you,
meeting you, getting to know youeven more on your journey,
cause I only saw the littlesnippet from the news uh, the
news report that they done onyou, so now I know even more and
I'm sure there there are evenmore layers to peel back, you
know.
But I just like an orange girlorange, you hear me orange
(59:49):
potatoes, anything you can peel.
But, um, I am truly honored to,uh, have had you on the hair.
What I'm saying podcast.
Thank you.
You so much.
You're welcome, didn't?
Rayshetta just bless us withsome real deal healing, from
losing her hair at 12 tolaunching a whole mobile salon
that empowers other women withhair loss, rayshetta is proof
(01:00:11):
that beauty isn't about blendingin.
It's about owning your story,loving your reflection and
helping others do the same.
If you're dealing with alopeciaor know someone who is,
remember this.
Your crown isn't just on yourhead, it's in your soul.
You can connect with Rayshettaand learn more about the Hair
Rich Club in the show notesbelow.
Until next time, keep showingup, keep loving yourself and
(01:00:38):
remember hair or nor hair.
You've always been that girl.
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