Heeey!

How is life treating you these days?

All good over here in Belmont. The sun has returned and the days are longer. Seasonal allergies suck, but it’s all going in the right direction.

We have five new pod friends! 🎉🎉🎉 Welcome to all of you and thanks for subscribing.

I hope you’ll bring some other friends along for the ride by sharing the newsletter, and telling them to subscribe.

There is so much to discuss in today’s edition and we need to get on with it.

First let’s start with the pic: I’ve been a mom for eleven years this year and that is me and my first born enjoying the sunshine together for the first time. We arrived home a couple of days before the pic was taken, after spending a month in hospital. He was a premie - you can read more about this below - and this moment meant everything to me at the time. First born is a big brother to a 7-year old mischievous athletic gamer with the most wicked sense of humor. The two of them keep things fun and …erm…interesting, LOL.

Hope you had a wonderful MOTHER’S DAY! - oh how my heart has softened towards this ‘holiday’ 😆

Here’s what else we’re doing in this edition:

-Studio Update

-Companion Listening

-May Roundup

-Giving Me Joy

All protocol observed (😆 IYKYK), LET’S GO!

STUDIO UPDATE

HEY QUEEN

In the latest episode, we are redefining luxury for curls with Rachael Osborne, founder of the hat brand RAINA. She used the Spanish word for queen to signal how she wishes and intends for afros and other textured hair types to be treated. Our conversation gets into the ins and outs of creating these luxury hats. They are silk-lined (no more frizz or snags) and adjustable (wear your braids and wigs and any hairstyle you want). The intentionality and thoughtfulness that went into the making of this brand will not only warm your heart but make you want to own one of these beauties to elevate your style. Go ahead and check out Rachael’s story and get inspired.

REWIND AND POLISH THAT CROWN

Crownhunt is where tech meets natural hair. Founder, Stephanie LaFlora came up with the idea of a Netflix for hair, as she calls it, after a futile search for a stylist who could care for her natural coils.

Stephanie was routinely turned away from hair salons and when she discovered that the problem was a gap in the cosmetology education, the solution became very clear and she set out to address this obvious need in the beauty industry.  

As a bonafide troublemaker with a background in the tech industry, and a conviction that living with curly hair should not be as difficult as it sometimes is, she quit her full-time job, partnered with a long-time friend and colleague, knuckled down and got to work. And then what happened? 👇🏾

PS. I was stoked to find out that Stephanie LaFlora and Rachael Osborne (above) were acquainted. How could they not be? They are both based in Denver and working in the natural hair space. 👏🏾🔥

THINGS ON MY MIND THIS MONTH

South African Elections