Split Ends Are the Devil with Charita Golden of Golden Tresses

Hey, friends. Welcome. And welcome back to nosey AF conversations about art, activism and social change.I'm your host and friend Stephanie Graham, and we are deep in to it with this 31 days of black business series where we are interviewing, well, black people with businesses. Oh, my gosh. But you know, you know what I mean.Black entrepreneurship folks that have something really, really special going on, building things out here to make the world a better. So today's guest wants you to love the hair you have, not the hair you wish you had.Shareta golden is the natural hairstylist behind Golden Tresses here in Chicago. And full disclosure, I am one of Charita's clients. This is my actual hairstylist on the show, y'. All. How exciting is that?So I went into this interview a little nervous because, listen, if I mess this up, I still have to go get my hair done. And I mean, Charita has never messed up on my hair. Like, so now I'm like, girl, I cannot mess up this interview. So there is a lot of pressure.But nonetheless, Charita is black. She has a business, and she deserves to be a part of this series.And I am so glad that she's a part of the series because I want you to patronize her business. Anyway, this is the theme song. You will love Charita, just like I love Charita. And welcome to nosey af. Gotta get up, get up to the whole world.You will win a winner vision of a star with a mission in the cause what you're doing, how you doing, what you're doing and who you are. Flex yourself, impress yourself Check yourself, don't break yourself if you know me then you know that I be knowing what's up. Hey, Stephanie.Graham is nosy Charita. Welcome to nosey af.

Thank you. Hi, Stephanie. How are you?

I'm well. And yourself?

I can't complain too much.

Oh, my God, I'm so excited to have my actual hairstylist on the show.

Yes. I'm so happy that you invited me.

Yeah. I'm sort of nervous, honestly, because nobody else I know, but I'm like, oh, my gosh, if I mess this up, then I have to come get my hair done.Being the girl that messed up, how.

Can you mess this up?

I know now.

Now what I don't want to do is mess it up, and then you'll be like, now, I cannot let her touch me again.

Oh, my gosh. It's high stakes for both of us.

Yes. No, I think we'll be fine.

Yeah.So I think one thing I want to start with is you've said to me many a times, and I know even in just preparing for this conversation, is that you want women to love the hair they have and not the hair they wish they had. And what does that mean to you?

It really just means, like, you know, you have what you have. Right. And your hair can be great in its own right.A lot of times we look at another head of hair and we say, you know, oh, I wish I had this and I wish I had that. But the hair that you have has its own magical powers. Right. You just have to tap into them.And if you really pay attention and just love your hair genuinely versus tolerate your hair. Right. I think that you can really reap the benefits of just all of the things that it can do, because textured hair is amazing.This is why we have so many questions and so much curiosity from other cultures about our hair. It's not because they think that it's, you know, weird or bad or negative. They. They are amazed at the things that we do. Right.And we don't know our own power in just the head of hair that we have sometimes. And so I just. I do. I just wish that we could just focus on what we have and learn how to make that the best head of hair that you have.

Yeah. And you've spent years working in natural hair care and education. What first drew you to maybe hair, but I think in particular natural hair.

I think it's because I come from a long line of women with beautiful long hair that were natural. Finer textures, sure, but a combination of just both. Right.I remember a friend of mine saying that, you know, he thought only black women that were mixed had long hair. And I told him, I'm going to invite you to my family reunion.So you can see all the dark chocolate women in my family with hair natural down their back that they don't have to relax. And it's crazy because you know how when people be like, oh, I've been singing since I was three. You're always like, yeah, I guess, right?But, like, I've literally been playing in somebody's hair from the time that I was, like, really small, maybe I want to say as young as, like, 10. My auntie used to have me put a big braid down the middle of her hair, an under braid.I would come in the door, she'd be like, oh, I'm so glad you had put this braid in my hair. Or I would straighten my cousin's hair. When my grandmother was at church, she would come back and she would smell.She would smell it throughout the house because we kids, we dumb. We don't realize that she's going to smell it when she come to the door. But mind you, I didn't burn out anybody's hair.So she screamed a little bit because it was like, girl, you could have burnt out. But baby, they were silky smooth.So, I mean, I didn't always want to do it professionally, but oh my God, since I was a little tiny type, I have been playing in somebody's hair or another. Wow.

So it's like a natural thing that just. It just happened that you just started. Like, you just have the gift of, you know.

And my mother used to put these little ratty ponytails in my sister hair and then tell me to take her outside with me. So it was also like, baby, we gotta get this hair together because kids are crew.So I've definitely had like plenty of practice, but I think it kind of came out of necessity.

I love it. I love that you were like, okay, mom will send you outside like this, but I'm not sending you outside like this.

No. Yeah. I used to be a little bit of a diva. I think I've kind of toned it down a little bit. But I wouldn't go outside without my hair comb, baby. Okay.

Yeah. Do you believe in a phrase like, when you look good, you feel good?

Definitely. Or. Or even so, like, you can't always look how you feel. If you're having a bad day, sometimes that's nobody business but yours.

Yeah.

You know, and you should be able to just present yourself so that although you were having a bad day, people can't hold it against you.

Yeah.

You know, it's not, it's just not always their business. You know, we try to all, you know, say that that is not a big deal.But visual, our visual experience with people says so much before any words are spoken, you know?

Yeah. And it's like a really big deal for black women.

Oh, it's such a. It's such a big deal. And. And it's, it's. It's challenging because our hair cannot always be done in a 45 minute.Like I've worked at blow dry bars where I've done a complete head in 45 minutes. And no, that were no women of color involved in that service. Because I.Our hair just takes a little bit more, but that's also because it does so much more.

Yeah. Do you think that's why it makes it more like stressful? Because we can't maybe necessarily always have our hair done in 45 minutes.And it just needs, like, so much care and attention all the time.

I think that it's stressful because, you know, as I said before, we're not doing the best job at learning our hair and learning what makes it.It move easily, you know, and everybody, whether it's a product or whether it's a technique, and most importantly, it's haircuts, you know, and we stray away from the haircuts because we think that that means the short hair is. Is. Is. Is taboo in some type of way, you know, And I guess it's also the dating world, you know, Men love hair. It's a whole thing for them.And women like versatility. So, you know, sometimes we want to be short. Sometime we want to be long. Sometimes we want to be comfortable. Sometimes we want it to be convenient.So for us, it's. It's. It's different reasons than just aesthetics.So that's what I think makes it a little bit more stressful because you have a lot of different variables that you have to add into it. It's not just like, let me just get cute, you know?

Yeah.

Because you can. You can be cute and be tearing your hair completely up, you know?

Yeah.

You know, so it's about balance. Like, the balance gets crazy.

Yeah. And you, you know, like you even said just now, you know, letting our hair be great in its own lane and embracing its natural texture.What are some of, like, the biggest misconceptions you see that people have about texture?

The one thing I think is, like, the terminology nappy. It's like, almost, if I were to say to somebody, ooh, your hair is nappy, like, you clutch your pearls. It is like, oh, my God.You know, when literally naps are nothing but curls that haven't been combed. Right. And so that's not a negative thing. It's a state. It's a term used to describe a period in your hair. Not the. Not the. The.The whole status, you know, of your hair. But I think the biggest misconceptions is that haircuts are not necessary. These split ends are the devil. They are the problem. They are the issue.They are why your hair does not perform the way you would like it to. And everybody thinks that it's a product that they use. Everybody think it's a.A lock method that they can use when a haircut is the main thing need that would change their life. And it's not about staying. You're keeping your hair at a short length.It's just about Maintaining healthy ends after you go and manipulate it and comb and brush and rake and braid and curl, all of the things. Right. When you do all of those things, you have to take care of split ends. And split ends also are. It's not a disease. It's just a fact.It's going to happen if you're taking something and combing it through, you know, your strands or manipulating or pulling or whatever the case may be, you know, so it just has to happen. And. And so many women think, like, there's no way my hair can grow if you keep cutting it. Or it's still growing, so why do I need to cut it?In order for it to grow. It's. In order for it to grow healthily. Yes. You're blessed that it's going to come out of your head regardless.It's just not going to stay healthy, I would say.

Yeah.I'm just sort of laughing, thinking about, you know, somebody out there that's just like, trying a shampoo, and they're just still struggling because they're like, why isn't my hair healthy? And it's just like a split just going up and up. It's terrible.

Yes. And on a million strands, like, you know, and they have all the shampoos. We've tried everything. We've tried expensive, we've tried cheap.We've tried, you know, it's all of the things. And none of these products are going to do the work that a haircut would do.

Yeah. Because I was gonna. My next question was gonna say, like, what is loving hard on your hair? And it seems like taking care of your split ends. Yeah.

And then also, like, paying attention to it and learning it. Right. You go to a salon. I have people that come and they ask my opinion.Not my professional advice, but they ask my opinion about things that are a personal preference.Number one, you know, it's all about how you want to look, how you want to present yourself, and how you want to wear your hair, but also being able to maintain it. Your hair is different from your friend's hair. Your hair is different from your sister's hair.Your hair is different from your mom's, even if it's just by one or two characteristics. Right.So you really have to learn your hair what makes it happy, what makes it fat, you know, what it can do really quickly, how it can perform if a little more time is put into it. So it's really just about knowing what works for your hair, whether it's your, you know, whether it's your strand Type or your porosity level.All of these things are just important in determining which products you should use or what. What styles will work best for you. So it's just like this deep dive into everything that is your hair.And again, with a curious type of mentality versus one of tolerance where you're really just like, okay, well, let me figure out what I can do with this hair that I'm just stuck with. It's like, well, I mean, nobody wants to just tolerate it. Neither does your hair.

Yeah.

So it just really has to be like this just vested curiosity of, like, what can you do? Let. Let. Let's see. You know.

Yeah. Yeah. I like.I like that idea of taking, like, a curious approach versus, like, those pictures you see of, like, a black woman who's just so, like, stressed out about her hair and her hair is all over her head. I like that idea of, like, being curious about it.

Yeah. Or even just saying, well, I. I can't do anything with it, so.

Yeah. Yeah.

Well, baby, now listen.

Yeah. Like, that's not true.

At all. And the world is looking and thinking that you are crazy and unkept.

Yeah. Yikes. I would want anybody to think I'm crazy and unkept.

Right. You know, and the thing is, you're not, but you having a bad hair day.

Right. So.

So that's how it comes off you.

Speaking of curiosity, social media is full of hair advice. And, you know, how can people tell the difference between helpful information and advice they should probably leave on the Internet?

Hmm. I. I'm not. I don't do much by the way of social media.

Yeah.

But I do understand that it is a place of comfort for so many people. It is a place of curiosity as well.I think that one thing that I tell my clients whenever they are exploring videos is to take the advice from the video that the hair looks like yours when it's wet.

Okay.

If her hair does not look like your hair wet, that's not the video for you. Whatever she does, whatever product she used, the truth of the matter is that's what works for her hair and her texture. Right. And there is a chance.There's a huge chance. Right. That these things. I mean, if she gives you five products, sure, you, You. You could. You could use all five of them.You just won't have the same experience, benefits, and results that, you know, that she had. If you're hair just requires something different, maybe you need something that's thicker, maybe you need something that's thinner. You know, there's.There are different variables. So it's kind of like the starting point is like, yeah, make sure that the textures. The textures match.

You know, that's really good advice.

Yeah. And then also doing your own research about the products as they are mentioned to you, and use them as directed.Because that's another thing that we, we kind of. We. We spend a lot of money on products and we overuse or misuse a lot of products.So it's also just really learning how to use the products the way that they're being displayed in the video. And I. I mean, I don't think that it's a. A bad thing to take advice. Um, just don't come and sit in my chair and tell me after I tell you something.As a hair care. Tick Tock. See it.

Yeah.

Please don't, don't. Don't tell me what Tick Tock. What Tick tock said. And a lot of times I've seen videos where the people will say, I am not a hairstylist.I do not have a license. This is what I do to my hair. Those are the best videos to me, because they're. They're just telling you what I found. Right. And this is.This is not law. This is my opinion.

What's one hair myth you wish would disappear forever?

That you don't need to. That you don't need your ends trimmed like it has. It needs to die like it. I think it is the running.It's the biggest misconception is there is no need for haircuts at all. I mean, cause like, we have spiritual.You got your grandmother, you got your daddy, you got, you know, you got biblical stuff that is kind of like, you are not supposed to cut your hair. And scientifically you are.

Yeah, believe in science.

Believe in science.

I used to be like that. Didn't trim my hair. Didn't know it wasn't, you know, being consistent, especially when I became natural.Like, I feel like before I came to you, I didn't realize that folks with natural hair went to the salon because YouTube just made it seem like, oh, you're natural now. You have to take care of it yourself. Or maybe going to the salon is like a special occasion.Not like how you have clients who have, like, standing weekly appointments, you know, to come in and get their hair done. I'm like, oh, my gosh. Cause when I had permed hair or weaves, like, I would be in the salon like, every week to maintain that.And for some reason, it seemed like when you went natural, you're supposed to be like, out here by yourself, but.

Yeah. And that's another reason why I try to stick mostly to natural hair, because I love the movement. I wish it was just, like, a way of life.I love that, like, the young girls now are growing up natural. They're seeing their moms natural. They're embracing natural. If you like a process to your hair, that's. I'm not.I'm not saying that it is a bad way to go, but I think that there are tons of spaces for you to do all of the chemical treatments, and there are limited spaces. I hear so many horror stories of people that say, I went to a stylist. She told me she can do natural hair. It was terrible.And so I think that it is important because it does take a little bit more time and patience. And so I do think that there needs to be a space specifically for natural hair.

Yeah.What do you think if, like, if there was a natural hairstylist mixed in with people who are getting perms and stuff, it makes it seem like maybe it would encourage folks.I mean, obviously you just said, do whatever you want with your hair that makes you feel good, but I wonder if it would, like, make folks think, like, hmm, maybe I should try wearing my hair natural.

You know, I think, yes, it definitely would encourage them to wear their head.I think it would go both ways, because at the same time, I have natural Easters, baby, that are struggling, and they come in and they say, listen, I am about to get a relaxer. And I say to them, sugar, bless your heart. You won't get it here.

Yeah.

Now that's what's not gonna happen. I wish you all the best, but I will not be putting any relaxer in anyone's hair ever. It just won't happen.The most process that I am open to doing at this point is really, like, color. Keratins are okay, but relaxers are just not my thing, and I don't want to promote them. I will style someone that is relaxed.Just, like, the process of actually putting that chemical. I'm totally.And I have done it in the past, but I've been natural for, I don't know, well over 25 years before it was even, like, a movement, if you will. Yeah, but. But yeah, I do think that we can both. Both sides can be encouraged, because the thing about relaxed hair is it kind of takes out the.The fullness and just. It doesn't allow you to see what those curls can do.And I think sometimes people that are relaxed or going through the transition, they're they're motivated when they see a full head of curly hair that used to be relaxed. Because that's the thing. We all were relaxed at a point. You know, we're all. I use the term loosely, all.But, you know, so it's like when you see people with this hair, with all of this just juice and density that relaxer takes out, it does give you hope for your transition, and it is a transition.

Charita, what's been one of, like, your proudest moments as a hairstylist, as an educator, business owner?

I think just, just like, successful maintenance. You know, they kind of tell you that, you know, you. You have all of this time and starting a business before it can be successful.And I have been blessed with, like, amazing clients. Like, I guess I'm. I'm just proudest of my clients that kind of stick to it that, that are. They are crushing it in their industry.They're showing up natural in all of the boardrooms and all of the places with all of the different, you know, cultures and colors. And they're wearing it proudly because it looks good. Right. And because they do, they. That's something that they don't have to worry about.Like, I can literally take that worry from them right off the table. Right. And they can trust me. Like, so many people sit in my. My seat and they have their laptops, they working on what they working on.I'm working on them. They don't even have to care about their hair. They don't have to worry about it because they trust me.And I'm just proudest of just, you know, the success that I've had and just being able to maintain, you know, staying busy and not even having to do five different things in order to, you know, just be happy in my own life, you know.

Yeah.

But just the longevity and just having women to support, you know, and just stick to it, like, and just really just. They just. They've just tapped in in ways that I have a great support system from my clients.And I think probably that's probably what makes me the proudest. Mama.

Yeah.

It's all my natural Easters.

Yeah. And I feel like even thinking about, like, you know, being under the steamer, maybe like another clients come in. You're right. Like, everybody.You have like, such a breadth of clients from like, you know, it could be like some type of like, blue collar job or like, maybe of like being a bus driver up to like, Supreme Court justice, like people who are, like, in legal professions, like, all across the board.And I think it even, like, you know, that's the whole point of, like, wearing your hair, your natural hair in, like, corporate spaces, in public spaces. You know, you can be a natural. You know, like a natural who waits tables. You could be a natural hair lawyer.You know, a doctor all across the board comes through there. You know, it makes me sort of want to be nosy with your clients. Like, why? Excuse me? What do you do? It could be like, because everybody.You hear them talking to you, you're like, wow, what a wow job. They talk about, like, oh, yeah, this happened today, or this happened today.And it's like, all across the board of, like, all these different professions. So it must be pretty cool, like, you get to hear all these different conversations in your day from all these different backgrounds.

Yes, yes. And it. And it is. It's amazing. And sometimes I have to be careful.Like, some of my clients that are MDs, you know, you have to be careful with the doctors and the lawyers because it's. Soon as people find out what they do, they have all the questions. And I love that my ladies, like, mingle.I remember one time I had a client that was a property manager, and he had somebody that kept calling off work, and she found out that one of my clients that she was being styled with, with the ER doctor, and she was like, oh, I have a question. My client keeps bringing me these doctor statements for, I don't know, strep throat or something like that.And she was like, should I be taking this serious? Like, she was. She was really acting. This lady in the chair. Do doctors ever. Right? I was like, see this? Why I didn't. I was like, I'm sorry.You let her know. This is why I don't tell people what other people do.I love the networking, but I don't want anybody to be bothered when they're off work trying to relax. Now you got them trying to get free medical advice. You got to go play that lady. You got to go get on my schedule and pay that lady.

Oh, my gosh. Did she tell her? Did she give her advice?

She definitely did.

That's really nice.

I don't remember what the response was, but she really got into it for her. And those type of conversations just now, every time they see each other, right? They the bestest friends in the salon. Right.It's like, because of this conversation.

Oh, my gosh. I love that. You know, just like, running a business and, like, being an entrepreneur.What has been, like, a lesson you've learned that has surprised you?

Hmm. I think that I have found Out. All of my best qualities and all of my worst qualities have been exposed behind that chair.

Okay.

Right.Whether it is, you know, I've had clients who've had issues that have taken their hair out and, you know, they're in the chair crying, you know, and I've had people that are abusing the space, and I have to go into a totally different mode in order to redirect an offensive situation. So in those moments, I think it has just. It's just shown me, like I said, just. Just both sides.You know, I learned how to just communicate better and, you know, conflict resolutions. And then also, it's the things where you have an experience with the person, and I have very few. That's another thing that I'm very proud of.Like, I don't have all of these crazy instances of an irate or, you know, oh, my God. There. It's. It's been as little as what I can count on one hand.

Yeah.

Right. But there's always something that you can take away from how you handle things. I remember when I was younger, I didn't.I didn't really start doing hair until I was well into my 30s professionally, because when I was younger, my experiences with women weren't. And so I said to myself, I would never be in an industry where I would have to just deal with nothing but women all day long.It was like, oh, we not doing this right.

Yeah.

But, you know, you grow and, you know, you develop, and you find out that this is an environment that you can cultivate to fit you, and you'll get what you give. Right. If you give people something positive and great, they'll give you positive and great, you know?

Yeah.

And so I think that I've learned the most, like, just about myself and how to. Course. Correct. Sometimes how to be a better professional, a better stylist. It's just helped to sculpt a lot of my adulthood, if you will.

Yeah. What advice do you give to other young stylists that are coming up?

Ooh. Customer service is the most important part of a business.

Yeah.

And unfortunately, I think that we think that just being able to be great at doing hair is all that's required. And I would caution them that there are tons of mediocre stylists that stay booked and busy because they have great customer service.

Yeah.

And there are amazing, like, talented, very creative stylists that cannot keep a consistent clientele because their customer service is deplorable.

Wow.

So I think that it is the main thing that needs to be Kind of tapped into right alongside with the talent part of it. It's just making sure that, you know, you take care of people in a way that you want to be taken care of as a customer. And, you know, not like you.Like they need you. You. You want to be cute. You need me. You'll sit here and let me do and treat you, however.

Yeah.

In order to be cute later, you know.

Yeah.

On the flip side is the thing of just, like, clients understanding that it's partnership. Their stylist is not the help, if you will.

Yeah.

Respecting their time and, you know, treating them well. You'll get a good response from it, you know?

Yeah.

For sure.

I was gonna ask, like, how would one even learn customer service? But I. I feel you answered it by just treating others how you would wanna be treated.

Yeah. Yeah. And then, hey, read a book, baby.

Yeah.

But, you know, so many other. I mean, you know, even if you. You've had a job before you were, you know, before you were a hairstylist, like any. Any.Any place that you have had to just use decent, common courtesies, you know, respecting people's time, relaying proper information, you know, it's just important that there's clear lines of communication and comfortability.

Yeah.

Especially in natural hair, because it is a little time consuming. It can be, you know, sometimes even painful for clients, you know, so you need to just have a good balance about comfort.And so I just think that having good customer service means that you'll have good energy in the room in general to just really. Yeah, to just really kind of, you know, make it a good experience for everybody.

Yeah, for everybody, for sure. Looking ahead, what's next for you and Golden Tresses?

I don't know. Like, I've been thinking. I've been thinking hard about that. I'm trying to imagine, you know, the typical retiring age of 65.I'm kind of like, I don't know that I could be standing behind a chair at 60. I think that. Well, my plan had always been to just go into education full time.So right now, if push comes to shove, I definitely would just lean more into spreading what I know to the up and coming. I've kind of dabbled in, like, hairlines in terms like the weave. I don't necessarily do full. Have a full service for weaves, but I do support it.I do. I love me a good weave.So, you know, just leaning into just the product side of it, not necessarily from a standpoint of products that you can actually use, like the sprays and things. But just different. Like, I really hate that I dropped the ball on that satin roller thing.

Like, oh, man.

Yeah, I dropped the ball on the satin roller. I literally. It's like, why didn't I think of that?So it's just finding the next best thing that would kind of make it just easier for people to be more interested in going natural.

Yeah. Yeah. That's so nice. A satin roller. Yeah. There's. I know there's always.I have a friend who always has, like, these ideas, and then he thinks about it, thinks about it, and the next thing you know, it's out in the world. And he's just like, why didn't I, like, move on that?

Yes.

Because then you see, like, everybody's like, oh, my God. It's like the best thing, you know? And, like, people going crazy are like, those satin hoods that. Those hair. Bella.Like, I bought clothes for my friend just for. And she was, like, screaming up and down. She was like, oh, my God. Oh, my God. My mom wants one. Everybody's asking about. Like, she's just freaking out.And it's like, wow, it's really a hood with, like, matching colored satin inside of it.

Yes. Because it's the revelation.It's the revelation of how many of us have been pulling out our hair by fabrics that we need every day in order to cover our bodies. Meanwhile, it's been eaten at your hair, Keeping it straight above your shoulders, like, you cannot. So it's like. Yes.It's the simplest things that you like, why didn't I think of that?

Yeah. Oh, my gosh.I feel like we should have a golden tresses like, pillowcase holder that you can keep in your car in case you spend the night at somebody's house. Be like, I'm gonna run to my car.

I'll be right back. Yes. Look. Thanks for that.

Yeah. Right? We're taking pre orders right now. Yes.

We don't have to partner them now, but I gotta give you. Gotta give you the credit.

Oh, my gosh. You know, Charita, you're such a talented, kind, and gifted professional. I feel so lucky that you are my hairstylist.I get so many compliments all the time, and I've learned so much. As we're recording this, I still have the twist in that you did a long time ago in my head. It's starting now to, like, fuzz.To, like, pick out, which I know. Which I've learned coming from you, where it's like, no, no, no.Don't take this out three days later, like, wear this until you really look like you've been playing outside. And then you could take it out and get ready.

Yeah, get ready.

Yeah. But outside of someone, you know, listening, just booking an appointment with you, how can people support you and your work,.

You know, right now? Yes, booking would be the best form of support, but also, just really, again, I want the girlies to just pour into this hair. Love on this hair.It's okay for you to do your weaves. It's okay for you to do your braids, but learn how to love yourself the most when you're looking at the hair that God gave you.

Yeah.

You know, it's like that is the. You know, the more natural. The more natural girls that are floating around, the more opportunities I. I have to do this until. Until I'm 65.

Right. It's like, help Charita by keeping your hair natural, cutting your split ends so people could say, oh, I want to be natural, too. Yes. Yeah.

Yes, yes. Okay. We want this to spread like a plague. Okay.

Yeah.

But in a good way.

Yeah, Right. Exactly. A plague of natural hair.

Yes. Yes, yes.

Oh, my gosh, Rita, how fun it's been to have you on nosy af. Is there anything else that you think we need to say before we call our conversation complete?

Hmm. Well, I just want to say that I thank you and I appreciate you for all of your support.I've been doing your hair for some time now, and you always come in with positive energy and jovial. You're always friendly. Just. I just. I. I do. I. I have. I have been blessed by just. Just. Just your glow, you know?

Oh, thank you.

Like you. Like a gentle giant, you know?

Oh, thank you.

But there is, like, literally just a, you know, a level of comfortability, you know, that people experience whenever other women are in the room with you, they always remember you.

Oh, that's so nice.

They do. They always remember you from whatever conversation we have or. And. And yeah. So I really do. I thank you. I thank you for your invitation.I thank you for just, you know, allowing me to speak my piece on this platform. You know, I get chatty, baby.

I love it.

You know? Yeah, I could go on, but, I mean, I just. Thank you for not treating me like the help.

Well, you certainly are. Not that you are changing lives and maintaining, keeping us all jazzy out here and healthily. Jazzy, if healthily is the word, that.

Is what we are trying to do. Thank you for your referrals. Like, you. You know, you send people, I've serviced your Mom.

Yup.

Yes. That was a good time too. So, yeah, I am, I am happy to be here.I am happy to help with the struggle and I'm happy to help it not be considered the struggle. Maybe that's the other thing. I want to work on it not being the struggle.

Yeah. Seriously. Yeah. Oh my gosh.Well, folks can book you through your booksy link goldentresses.booksy.com, but it'll all be in the show notes and everything too. So thank you so much.

I appreciate you.

Before we end, as soon as Charita and I concluded this recording, she hit me back and was like, oh my gosh, I totally forgot to say this.

It was just that I want women of color to be less cautious about questions about our hair from like other ecnisticities. Our hair is great and it is noteworthy and people are genuinely like intrigued. And I mean rightfully so.And yes, sometimes you may have to redirect or inform, sure, when necessary. But not all interests, not all interest is coming from a place of negativity or like mockery.You know, people are genuinely interested in how we're able to create the things that we do with our hair.

That concludes another episode of nosy AF31 Days of Black Business. I'm your host and friend, Stephanie Graham. I hope you took something away from today's conversation and had a good time hanging with us.Be sure to check out the show notes to learn more about today's guest and consider supporting their work. You know how it goes, whether you're making a purchase, hiring them or simply spreading the word. Listen, who doesn't love a referral?It truly all makes the difference.Quick thank yous go out to Queen Lex and Freddie Bam Bam for the nosy AF theme music and Emma McGorick who hooked me up with the COVID art and branding. Shout out to the partners and supporters for this series. You could check them out in the show notes as well. Super grateful for a partner. Hello.That's the show Friends until tomorrow. Stay curious and take care. Bye.