Most women who decide to go natural either want the feeling of freeness by going with a big chop, like celeb Sanaa Lathan recently shared, or desire for their hair to be healthy and strong without adding extra chemicals. This is the story of many women across the globe and the natural hair movement has no signs of slowing down.
The popularity of online social engagement — frequency of “hair goals” posts down our timelines — has lead to droves of women and children that have decided to embrace their natural textures. Countless hours of watching video tutorials and spending hundreds of dollars on products have left many feeling overwhelmed. The problem: They really don’t know where to start.
We recently caught up with one of our Funky Junkies, Tarchelle Bryant, who has been natural most of her life. She is a Natural Hair Coach and writer, who was inspired by the alarming number of women that are uninformed about finding shampoos, conditioners, stylers and moisturizers for their natural or transitioning tresses. “There are so many people that are clueless when they go in the natural hair aisles. They don’t know the difference between one shampoo from the other, whether it’s clarifying, or one that moisturizes. They need help in knowing what works,” she states. After receiving positive feedback and support on a YouTube video she posted regarding her own natural hair experiences, she was encouraged to create a tangible product that viewers could use in everyday life.
She decided to self-publish a book, Natural Hair Journal: 4 Weeks to Figuring Out What Your Hair Loves. Unsure of how well the book would sell, Tarchelle turned to a few natural hair support groups, and surprisingly, she was ostracized by some and well received by others. She experienced ongoing setbacks and losses in her personal life during the self-publishing process, production was not an easy task; however, she used the adversity as a catalyst for the creative process. This rewarding experience has further fueled her passion for writing.
Tarchelle is currently working on her second book; this one, more of a memoir that is slated to be released in 2018. She reflects on the moment she published her very first book while in the 5th grade: “It is truly a surreal moment that I’m becoming a successful author with another book on its way.” Her natural gift and love of writing led her to journaling, which had helped get through the twists and turns of life along the way. She hopes that her soon-to-be released book will assist others in disposing of some of their emotional’ baggage while motivating them to move on.
When she is not writing books, she continues to study natural hair and its care, while networking and educating members of the natural hair community. Her background and study of science along with her personal hair adventure, has allowed her to coach clients on how to find the right products that suits their hair according to coil type and diet. She prides herself on preventing her clients from becoming product junkies.
While talking with Tarchelle, we could sense that she has a general interest in helping people, including other budding authors and entrepreneurs. Here are seven tips she shares to encourage other natural hair authors and entrepreneurs as they climb the ladder of success:
1. Be prepared for friends and loved ones not to support you the way you expect. “It was a big disappointment for me but, I was able to persevere because there were so many others that showed support for what I am doing,” Tarchelle recalled.
2. Copyright your material and make sure your business affairs are in order.
3. Figure out a good work/life balance early on; to avoid burnout and added stressors in your life, schedule time for your business, yourself, and your family.
4. Support other girl bosses! There is enough success to go around!
5. Slow down! When your body tells you to take it easy, listen to your body.
6. Don’t rush the process, trust the process. Take time to develop your ideas fully before you execute ideas prematurely.
7. You don’t realize how much you have to put into a project until you are in the process of doing it. Be sure to calculate the cost before starting so you don’t have to abandon it, or even worse, present a project that is not up to the highest standards.
Whether it is natural hair or writing, Tarchelle Bryant is a rising star who is continuing on following through with her dreams while helping others along the way.
Her book, Natural Hair Journal: 4 Weeks to Figuring Out What Your Hair Loves, can be purchased on Amazon.com.
2 comments
This is an awesome article about an awesome lady. I’m looking forward to her next book.
She is pretty amazing!