How did you begin your career in cosmetology?
I have always admired the Black woman and her attributes. Since the beginning, my mother has been my muse inadvertently, she showed me what glamour was. She’s the first person who made me excited about making Black women feel beautiful.
How did you begin to work in the entertainment industry?
I have a great friend from college who was a publicist for an R&B singer and connected me to do her hair for a photo shoot in Atlanta when I was living in Tennessee. I did the photo shoot, became her personal, moved to Atlanta, and she is still one my clients to this day. That was over 10 years ago.
What does success look like for you?
When I first started, success was just the ability to be noticed. To showcase my value, and be recognized for the gift, God gave me. But now, as I reflect over the last 15 years within the entertainment industry, I understand now more than ever that success is leaving the world in a better place than you found it.
How do you navigate in such a competitive industry?
If you can manage relationships, treat people well and always show up with your gift ready to shine, you’ll make it. I have always been prepared for the opportunity and never afraid to create my own opportunities. Your only competition is yourself. So get to work!
Tell us about the most difficult thing you had to overcome.
The most difficult thing I have had to overcome, honestly, is myself. Not feeling I am deserving enough. Moving past my past, and allowing myself to walk in all of the hard work I have done thus far.
How do you manage the trauma as a Black man in America?
Life has not been a silver staircase for me; so, unfortunately, I wasn’t taught how to manage my trauma. I was taught to survive. And to be honest, I’m still working my way through this thing we call life. So I’ll leave you with this: if you don’t stand for something you’ll fall for anything.
What can people expect from you in the next five years?
In the next five years, I want to be an even better representation of myself.
An Emmy nomination, a hair care line, and who knows maybe an autobiography. The sky is the limit.
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