Ease On Down: What The Wiz Taught Me About Coming Back to Myself
Dorothy doesn’t leave on purpose. She gets pulled out of everything familiar by a force she didn’t ask for and couldn’t control. That detail matters. Because in my experience, the journey back to yourself rarely begins with a brave decision. It begins with a disruption. A moment where the life you’d been carefully maintaining suddenly can’t hold its shape anymore. Not a dramatic collapse — just a quiet internal knowing. Something has to change. You don’t know what yet. You just know.
Softness Is Not A Weakness: Redefining Beauty in This Season Of My Life
There comes a season in life when beauty stops being about performance and starts becoming about presence. Softness Is Not A Weakness is a reflection on femininity, self-respect, emotional maturity, and the quiet strength found in leading with grace. In this season of my life, softness is no longer something to hide or defend. It is a deeper expression of confidence, wisdom, and power.
What I No Longer Apologize For As A Woman In Business
There comes a point in a woman’s life and business where she stops shrinking to make other people comfortable. What I No Longer Apologize For As A Woman In Business is a reflection on growth, boundaries, ambition, discernment, and the quiet power of standing fully in who you are. This piece speaks to the woman who has done the inner work and no longer feels the need to explain her standards, her success, or her evolution.
You Can’t Heal What You Won’t Feel
We live in a world that teaches us to move on quickly, stay strong, and keep everything polished on the outside. But real healing asks for something deeper. It asks us to feel. You Can’t Heal What You Won’t Feel explores the courage it takes to face buried emotions, honor your inner truth, and understand that feeling is not weakness, it is the beginning of transformation.
3 Things I'm Unlearning Right Now
This weekend reminded me of how important it is not only to enjoy the moments but also to reflect on how I’m showing up in my life—as a mom, a wife, a woman, and a person healing from past beliefs.
Micro Recession, Major Impact: How to Recognize the Signs and Recession-Proof Your Beauty Business
If you’ve been feeling like your dollars aren’t stretching the way they used to — you’re not imagining it. Quietly, and without an official headline, we’re living through what many economists are calling a micro recession. And just like in 2008, the beauty industry — particularly among Black consumers — is shifting, adapting, and showing its resilience in real time.
I started noticing the patterns: clients spacing out appointments a bit more, opting for practical glam over elaborate transformations, and prioritizing treatments that last. But what stood out most was the déjà vu. This isn’t the first time we’ve danced with a downturn — and if history repeats itself, Black beauty consumers will once again lead the cultural and financial pivots in how beauty is consumed, valued, and sustained.
In this post, I dive into what’s happening beneath the surface — from lipstick index behavior to the rise of DIY beauty, the resilience of Black spending power, and what beauty professionals can do to not just survive but thrive through this next economic wave.
Because yes, things are shifting. But with the right strategy, awareness, and intentionality, your business doesn’t have to shrink. It can evolve.
From Real World to Unreal Love: How Reality TV Rewired Our Relationships
Reality dating shows like Love Island sell us more than steamy drama and Instagram-worthy bodies — they subtly rewire how we view love, self-worth, and even marriage. I used to watch for the fun of it. The fashion, the flirting, the “who’s coupled up this week?” But over time, I started noticing something deeper — and more unsettling.
The show became less about connection and more about competition. Love turned into a game. Vulnerability was a strategy. And the moment someone showed genuine emotion, they were either labeled “too much” or “too weak.” These weren’t just plotlines. These were distorted archetypes of how love and partnership are portrayed in today’s media — and it's affecting how we relate to ourselves and others offline.
As I watched these characters become caricatures, I began asking harder questions: How many of us are unconsciously performing in our real relationships, trying to appear “unbothered” or “low maintenance”? How often are we chasing the fantasy version of love, instead of building the kind that's rooted in soul connection, spiritual alignment, and emotional maturity?
This post isn’t just a critique — it’s a call to remember what’s real. Love isn’t a game. It’s not content. It’s a covenant.
What I Wish I Knew Before I Burned Out
I used to think burnout was something that happened to people who didn’t love what they do. But no one warns you that burnout can creep in because you love it — so much so that you stop protecting your peace, your time, and your body.
I said yes to everyone. Every early morning booking, every last-minute “emergency” appointment, every text at 10 PM asking for hair advice, makeup tips, or availability they could’ve found on the website I built myself. I was constantly available, constantly producing, constantly pouring… and barely receiving.
I thought being “booked and busy” meant I was successful. But in reality, I was tired, short-fused, and emotionally tapped out. I missed birthdays. I skipped meals. I’d finish a 10-hour day, come home to my kids, and have nothing left in my tank.
Looking back, I realize I wasn’t just exhausted — I was disconnected from myself. I didn’t know how to rest. I didn’t know how to say, “That’s enough for today.” And I definitely didn’t know how to set a boundary without feeling guilty.
Burnout didn’t come in a blaze. It came in waves. Subtle, silent signs that I ignored until I was standing in my salon one day, looking at a full schedule — and feeling absolutely nothing.
This post isn’t about blaming myself. It’s about seeing myself clearly now — and telling the truth so another woman doesn’t have to learn the hard way.
When Passion Isn’t Enough: Why the Closure of Ami Colé Hits Different
The beauty world felt a shift when Ami Colé announced it would be closing this fall. For me, this wasn’t just “another brand shutting down.” This was personal.
Ami Colé was more than skincare and lip oil. It was heart, heritage, and home. It was a beautiful reminder that melanin-rich beauty deserves luxury too. And knowing that its founder, Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye, named the brand after her mother made it even more special. So when I read her open letter in The Cut, I felt the weight. Her words weren’t just about business—they were about identity, sacrifice, and legacy.
What I Wish I Knew Before I Set My First Price
When I first started doing hair professionally, I was scared to say my price out loud. I wanted to be agreeable, affordable, and booked—but deep down, I was shrinking. I didn’t factor in my time, energy, or even my product costs. I was just hoping the number felt “safe.”
But low prices brought high stress—and clients who didn’t value what I brought to the table.
In this post, I’m sharing the mindset shift that helped me start charging with confidence, clarity, and intention. If you’ve ever felt nervous to raise your rates or feared what people would say… this one’s for you.
👉🏽 Read the full post inside Behind the Chic
What I Wish I Knew Before I Took My First Client
In high school, I started doing my peers’ hair. I was passionate, talented, and still figuring things out. Doing hair in the basement of my mommy’s house. But what I didn’t realize was that just because I had a gift didn’t mean people would automatically respect it. One of the first people to teach me that lesson was a guy I went to school with. He will remain unnamed in this case. He had hounded me down for weeks to do his locs multiple times, and one day I accepted his appointment request—he decided to skip out on paying me. Just like that.
Welcome to Behind The Chic
I’ve been meaning to create a space like this for a while now—where we can have honest conversations about life behind the beauty, behind the business, behind the curated photoshoots, and the cute lip combos. You know… the real stuff. The stuff we whisper to our close friends when the kids are asleep, when we get together in the salon, the laptop is finally closed, and we can just be.
What I Wish I Knew Before Picking Up That Comb & Brush
I didn’t pick up that comb because I was confident—I picked it up because I had to. My mommy was busy, appointments were too expensive, and I was tired of waiting on someone else to show up for me. So I did what a lot of Black girls do when life gets real: I figured it out.