In the black community, there's an unwritten rule to knowing how to do our hair. Whether we are natural, relaxed, or wearing our lacefronts, we have all got a process to our own self-maintenance. The wave of natural hair began roughly 8-10 years ago when women collectively decided we no longer wanted to subscribe to chemicals and seek growth through our natural follicles.
And from here, the creativity of how we adjust our crowns, has no bounds.
GiphyThe rules, the products, the new terms that arised, generally, this is all very new to us. So, in many ways, we don't expect, or haven't expected anyone of other races to know wtf they're doing. Actresses like Monique Coleman, recently came forward and said that her High School Musical character wore headbands all the time because the stylist crew had zero idea in how to style black hair. Many other actresses have come forward to express the same sentiments, even saying that makeup artists were clueless on how to do their makeup, and they often would have to do it themselves. Ain't that a bitch?
Additionally, women of other races that adopt black children seek outside help when they get that wake-up call that our hair is precious, and takes time, effort, and work that no blowdryer or sleeping with wet hair can contain.
So, when YouTuber Christy Gior adopted her three children, who happen to be black, she knew she had to learn how to do her babies' hair. And now, sis has gotten so good, since the girls are old enough, she is now teaching her daughters to wash their own hair. And y'all, she gives some bomb tips too...my wig!
In a video titled, "Curly Kids Wash Day Routine 4a 4b 4c I Tips For Foster and Adoptive Parents", she documents the journey of learning to how to maintain their hair.
"In today's video, I'm going to washing my daughter Avaya's hair. The last time I washed it, I just did a cowash, so it's been a little over a month since I actually washed her hair. Yes, that's normal, that is our normal hair wash routine. Her style has been in her hair for about two and a half weeks now. I wanted to ride it out a little while longer because I've really been trying to concentrate on growth, but because my baby girls are going back to school in two weeks, I wanted them to have a fresh style for their back to school."
*Clutches pearls*
"I decided now is the time to take it out, get it moisturized, and back in a protective style, and right before school starts, I will do another fresh style so that they are confident and ready to go back to school."
*Clutches pearls, earrings, necklaces, and bracelets*
And listen, I am absolutely not saying that Christy deserves any praise for doing hair. Anyone can. The point I'm trying to make is Christy is one-of-one. She has genuinely taken the time to learn her daughters. She really knows and understands her daughter's 4C hair.
In so many ways, hair can be a disparity, or a disconnect between so many interracial families and the black community understands that. We know the loneliness many little black girls feel even without that component, so to add in a provider that doesn't understand who you are, can be damaging long-term.
The fact that Christy properly pours into her babies (even with just something as simple as hair), tells us that these girls, even through their differences, are going to be so loved, listened to, and protected.
And at the end of the day, that's all we ask.
Watch the full video here:
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Featured image via Christy Gior/YouTube
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While an evolution is a natural progression that happens as businesses grow, a rebrand is a total change. Lola tells xoNecole, "A total rebrand is necessary when a business’s current reputation/what it’s known for is at odds with the business’s vision or direction.
"For example, if you’ve fundamentally changed what your product is and does, it’s likely that your brand is out of alignment with the business. Or, if you find your company is developing a reputation that doesn’t serve it, it might be time to pump the brakes and figure out what needs to change.
She continues, "Sometimes you’ll see companies (especially startups) announce a name change that comes with updated messaging, visuals, etc. That usually means their vision has changed or expanded, and their previous branding was too narrow/couldn’t encompass everything they planned to do."
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The Brand Doula was born in 2019, and its focus is on putting "the experiences, goals, and needs of women of color founders first," as well as brands with "culture-shifting missions."
According to Lola, culture-shifting is "the act of influencing dominant behavior, beliefs, or experiences in a community or group (ideally, for the better)."
"At The Brand Doula, we work with companies and leaders that set out to challenge the status quo in their industries and communities. They’re here to make an impact that sends ripples across the market," she says.
"We help the problem solvers of the world — the ones who aren't satisfied with 'this is how it's always been' and instead ask 'how could this be better?' Our clients build for impact, reimagining tools, systems, and ways of living to move cultures forward."
The Brand Doula has worked with many brands, including Too Collective, to assist with their collaboration with Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty and Balanced Black Girl for a "refresh," aka rebrand. For businesses looking to rebrand, Lola shares four essential steps.
1. Do an audit of your current brand experience — what’s still relevant and what needs to change? Reflect on why you’re doing the rebrand in the first place and what success would look like after relaunching.
2. Tackle the overall strategy first — before you start redesigning logos and websites, align on a new vision for your brand. How do you want your company to be positioned moving forward? Has your audience changed at all? Will your company have a fresh personality and voice?
3. Bring your audience along the journey — there’s no need to move in secret. Inviting your current audience into the journey can actually help them feel more connected to and invested in your story, enough to stick around as changes are being made.
4. Keep business moving — one of my biggest pet peeves is when companies take down their websites as soon as they have the idea to rebrand, then have a Coming Soon page up for months! You lose a lot of momentum and interest by doing that. If you’re still in business and generating income, continue to operate while you work on your rebrand behind the scenes. You don’t want to cut existing customers off out of the blue, and you also don’t want so much downtime that folks forget your business exists or start looking for other solutions.
While determining whether the rebrand was successful may take a few months, Lola says a clear sign that it is unsuccessful is negative feedback from your target audience. "Customers are typically more vocal about what they don’t like more than what they do like," she says.
But some good signs to look out for are improvements in engagement with your marketing, positive reviews, press and increase in retention, and overall feeling aligned with the new branding.
For more information about Lola and The Brand Doula, visit her website, thebranddoula.com.
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