The Shea-M of It All

As a newly minted naturalista, I spent a lot of time AND money trying out different hair products. I could never find anything that got it quite right which is why I started making my own. However, Shea Moisture quickly became one of my staple products for shampooing and conditioning. So much so that I often recommend it to my Natural Hair Consult clients. It's relatively inexpensive and chemical free, right in line with the Fancy Free motto - Fancy and Free of Chemicals. The fact that it's owned by a black family was a plus. An awesome plus. A big plus. However, in 2015, a larger company, Bain Capital, became an investor to the family owned and run Shea Moisture. With big investors come new "visions" for the company. We know that. It never fails. BUT when loyal customers, black women, voiced their concerns about what the new investors meant for the company and products, Shea Moisture executives reassured us that nothing about Shea Moisture's core values would change. In fact, partnering with an investor allowed Shea Moisture to free up resources that gave them more freedom and capitol to invest in the community. So they said. The reality is, to grow as a company, you need more money to expand. Dassit. Dassall.

Now, when I saw the name "Bain", y'all know what I thought of, right? Bane, the villain in that last Batman movie. I'm just saying. And the fact that Mitt Romney is part owner of the company, a rich, white man.... I'm just trying to figure out how this conversation even started. Anyway, my experience in the corporate world is that no one cares about the people, only the bottom line. So let's see how this plays a role in this Shea Moisture ad fiasco.

Black women spend an average of $7.5 billion dollars every year on beauty products. Let that sink in. Seven. Point. Five. But what do people with money want? MORE MONEY!!! If we have loyalty from our black women, how do we expand our territory? Market to them. I'm sure that's how the board meeting went. And then the marketing team came up with that "interesting" campaign for hair products. And WE WENT AWF! Like, seriously. We get it. You want to expand, so you switch up your target audience but at what cost?

I started selling Fancy Free for Hair & Skin in March 2015 but I had been making it for myself since 2012. By summer 2015, I had an official logo, the Fancy Girl. A black girl, with big hair. She looks like me. She looks like my friends. She looks like a lot of the people who buy my products. My vision for Fancy Free is big.....YUGE - Donald Trump. In the beginning, I had some suggest I remove my beloved Fancy Girl to make it less ethnic. And it's true, when I'm out vending, some non-African Americans look at my banner and keep walking because they thinking it's not for them. However, the ones that try it, love it. They were not deterred by the brand of products that looks like it's not for them. They just wanted quality product. White isn't always right. African Americans rush to buy items that we never meant for us. Like, seriously, any shapely woman knows not to even try to fit into a pair of True Religion jeans. THEY WEREN'T MADE FOR US!!! Some designers have blatantly stated that they don't want black people wearing their clothes. They don't market to us. But we still buy for whatever reason.

I wish that the Shea Moisture executives had put their foot down at that meeting. I wish we didn't know that Shea Moisture thought that black women, who spend $7.5 billion dollars on beauty products, just wasn't enough for them. However, because we told them how we felt, they learned a valuable lesson and will tweak their approach. But....the damage is already done. I will still buy but only when I catch a B1G1 sale to combine with my coupons and can get it for next to nothing.

Shameless Plug Alert:

Fancy Free, LLC. is the manufacturer of quality products for hair and skin. Our motto is "Keeping you chemical free." Visit our website, www.fancyfreellc.com, to see a full range of our products and services. Sine up for our mailing list to receive natural hair tips and stay up to date on sales and the latest happenings with Fancy Free.

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The Fancy Life On Fleek

Lordt. Jesus. Can time slow down? Life comes at you FAST!

Two years ago, I officially started my company, Fancy Free, LLC. I initially started it to operate my rental property expenses and my direct sales business but things happened and now it's an umbrella company, I like to refer to it as a lifestyle company. That includes "managing" my husband's Turn Up-ologist gigs and selling hair product and more. It's so funny how life hits you all at once. Like, it's literally feast or famine. In the times of famine, I don't get discouraged. I work on building my online campaign, generating content online and creating an online presence for my businesses. In the season of feast, I am a crazy person. And when I say crazy person, I mean, I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off. Always doing something. No days off. Gotta book me at least 2 weeks in advance. Show nuff crazy person. And what makes me so crazy is I LOVE every bit of it.

When I begrudgingly made Fancy Free, LLC. official, I had no idea that I'd be doing all of the things that I do as a part of my business. It goes to show that my daddy and aunties were right. Do what you love and don't worry about money. The money will come. I've discovered the underlining common theme is in all that I do that gives me fulfillment. So....how does that look in the Fancy Life?

Fancy Talk. I have a podcast that I record weekly with my god brother on his internet radio station VVCRadio.com. We talk about life stuff and give tips for improvement. Depending on the topic and who is
in my network that can speak on it, I bring guests and let them to give input. It's like having a conversation about life with your good friends, bouncing ideas off of each other, recording it and posting it on the internet for everyone else to hear how insightful and goofy your are. LOL! It does take effort and preparation though. A good thing about it is, I have been able to practice my non-regional dialect since the show began. No longer can visitors hear IMMEDIATELY that I am from Baltimore.

Direct Sales. We have two different companies. One of them, I run with my husband. The other one, I run it by myself. We have picked up momentum with both of them, so we spend some time on the evenings and weekends with my business partners helping them build their businesses. We pour into them because helping them get what they want is fulfilling in itself. Getting paid is just a small perk.

The Woods Entertainment Group. The training associated with building a direct sales business is so phenomenal. You begin to feel invincible, like you really CAN do anything you want to. My husband being a DJ/Turn Upologist is a perfect example of that. He practices, all the dayum time, and is getting very good. Now, he has a regular spot on the Friday night live stream on VVCRadio.com. His show is called The Preparation, what to listen to while you get ready to go out and party, the party before the party. LOL! The number if parties he's been requested to "Turn-Up" are becoming more frequent. I manage him and make sure all of the business is handled appropriately so he can focus on keeping the party popping. I go to most of the parties with him. Sometimes as the photographer, sometimes just as the "manager/hype woman" to get the party started. We are out with the people. Forming new relationships. Sometimes they even support our other ventures.

Natural Hair Consults. Originally, Fancy Free Hair Consults was something I started just to give a business card when someone asked more than three questions about my hair while I was out and about. It's amazing how there's so much information out there but we still prefer a personal touch and a plan catered to you and your needs. The consults have been picking up, face to face and virtual, and my clients are very pleased with the services.

Fancy Free Pomade. I started making it for my own hair because I couldn't find a product that met the
needs of my hair, was affordable, was easy to work with, and smelled nice. Then I started using it as lotion instead of my trusty Palmer's Cocoa Butter with all of those additives that don't really moisturize. Then I started making it for my friends. Then I started giving a sample of it to my hair consults clients. Then I put some samples in a swag bag for an event I helped plan and it's been moving like hotcakes ever since. I mean, I was gonna make it anyway, now I just make more and let the whole world enjoy it.

Real Estate. I have always invested in real estate but as an owner and landlord. I never ventured into investing and flipping because...well...I didn't think I had enough money to do that and I didn't know how to get started. So, when a really good friend of mine, who is VERY successful in real estate investing, offered a hands on mentor program, I was all in. It's been an amazing experience and I've started looking at real estate with a whole new set of eyes. The potential is limitless.

And don't forget, Fancy friends are being great, so I am often supporting one of their events and Fancy LOVES her a good vacation. So factor in a couple girls weekends or surprise getaways. BOOM! Calendar packed.

Surprisingly, I don't feel overwhelmed with everything I have going on. It may sound silly but I feel like my purpose is to expose as many people as possible to the Fancy Life and show them how they can have it, then help them along the way. When you're living in your purpose, you never feel like it's too much. Everything fits. I love to see people flourish. I am a helper. Is it your money? Is it your hair or skin? Do you need some pictures of your event? Do you need your party to be turned up? Is it just getting the courage to get started at whatever you're passionate about? Fancy to the rescue.

What do you want to do but just haven't gotten started yet? Contact Fancy Free, LLC. by phone or text, (410) 929-0302, or email fancyfreellc@gmail.com.

Fancy's Hair Horror Story

Yes. Me and my perfect hair have horror stories. LOL! I'm being dramatic but I was kind of traumatized. Let's start from the beginning.

Bantu Knots

I did not do the big chop. I transitioned. Like straight transition with no weave or anything. My philosophy is that you should enjoy your hair at each phase of growth and naturalness. When I first cut the last inch of my relaxed hair off, I mostly wore my hair as a wash and go. My Go-To product at the time was Kinky Curly. As my hair grew, the twist out became my style of choice. Stay with me, I'm going somewhere with this.

Bantu Knot Out

Like I said before, I don't do much to my hair but I take care of it and make sure it's healthy. Healthy hair grows.....like weeds. So, now I'm experimenting with different styles for my even longer hair. Well, I have to because a wet twist out, that used to last for about 2-3 weeks, now only lasts for about 1 week. I can push it to 2 weeks but it gets dry really fast and dry hair leads to breakage. And Fancy hair is healthy hair. Lately, I have been blow drying it and styling it in an up do. Here is where the Horror Story begins.....

Sticky Flexi Rod Set

I decided I wanted to try flexirods on my natural hair. Only problem is, I gave my flexirods to my mother and then my sisters lost them. So, here I am all ready to rock and roll with the rods. I had watched the videos, figured out what kind of product I needed. I was ready. Since I didn't have my rods, I decided I would do a bantu knot out. The YouTube girl used flax seed gel and I ain't feel like making that so I looked in my product stock to see what I already had that I could use. Low and behold, I had some Shea Moisture Gel Curling Souffle from when I was experimenting with replacements for Kinky Curly. I was sold when I saw it had flax seed oil in it. Flax seed gel, gel with flax seed oil in it....same thing to me. I whip it out and get to bantu knotting.

Stick Nasty Flexi Rod Set
After 2 days in
Tampa Humidity

The bantu knots are perfect. And I let them out and they LOOKED perfect. However, they felt damp and sticky even though I didn't use that much product. *sigh* We all know that damp and sticky natural hair will never end well. You have 2 choices, push through and deal with it or shampoo it out. I decided to push through. My knot out fell and started to swell as soon as it got a little
warm in the party we went to. I tried to  one more time before I gave in and just bought some flexirods. I didn't add anymore product, just sprayed with a little water. Flexirods looked great. My hair still felt a little sticky but not as sticky as the first day.

Then......we went to Tampa, FL. It was all down hill from there.

After my emergency shampoo
and blow dry.

It was so humid. I could feel my hair swelling as soon as we got off the plane. We had to stand outside to wait for the rental car shuttle. It got bigger. So big that my husband looked
at me and asked if I packed my hair stuff with me. Got to the hotel room. It was just as humid in the hotel room as it was outside. So I whipped out my flexirods, spray bottle, and another archived hair product, Design Essential Defining Creme Gel. I kept my rods in my hair for the car ride to the convention center. It was so humid in the hotel room and outside that my hair was STILL WET when I took my rods out. I got compliments on my hair but I was not happy when I thought about how my hair looked before we arrived in Tampa. So that night, I did the same thing. Rods, spray bottle, product. But this time, I was getting this nasty dirt gunk on my hands while I was rolling it. I was so disgusted. I started plotting how I was gonna shampoo my hair with no hair products or tools.

Finally got it right!
Flexi rods with Shea Moisture
Curl & Style Milk

The next day, I didn't have any form to my style. It was a full on bush. I loves me a bush but it was a sticky, dirty bush. No go. So, I got on google and found me a natural hair stylist. Confirmed my walk-in appointment and go that guck outta my hair. She did a great job with my shampoo and blow dry. Was even open to my instructions when it came
time to style it. Thanks Ms. Nancy!

Moral to the story: Even Fancy has bad hair days. Natural hair is trial and error. Don't be scared. You're not gonna die because you had crazy looking hair. Having a bad hair day, or two, is not the end of the world. Make light of it, wash it, and try again.

Don't be afraid to do something different with your Fancy hair. That's what the Fancy Life is all about, taking chances.

Text WOODS to 55469 to schedule your consultation with Fancy Free Hair
Consults.

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