TT

At the age of 16 my Momma stop doing my hair so I started experimenting on my own hair. I was doing everything to my head, I wanted to color my hair so bad. I tried to bleach my hair with household products. I put actual BLEACH in my hair, it was just a little piece to see if it would work but it was still stupid. I also put a box dye in my hair after my Momma had told me no. I would watch YouTube videos on how to wear my natural hair. I was trying everything.

When people started wearing sew ins more I wanted one. TT Kelly’s whole YouTube channel was based off sew ins. I would take my Mommas old hair, clean and fix it so I could wear it again. I watched videos on how to install it. I would use clothing thread to sew my hair down which wasn’t strong enough but I made it work. When I started doing hair I learned everything from watching her videos. Later on I started doing other peoples hair, because they loved my hair. Looking back now I wasn’t doing a good job but practice made me better.

I soon found a passion for hair, not just extensions though. I went to Cosmetology school and graduated. After I graduated I was ready to start my career. By now TT had her a new shop, I saw that she was selling her own hair products (that she made), she was selling wigs, extensions, ext. I was happy for her and I haven’t even met this woman and with her also being from Missouri made me think I can also be as successful as she was. I remember she made a post one day and I commented on how I’ve been watching her videos for a long time and that I’ve looked up to her and she followed me back, I was so happy.

Wanting to know and do more I enrolled in the classes she provided, she showed me videos on how to do certain stuff better, she gave me tips and helped me improve on my technique. I improved tremendously. I started getting my little shop together. I was happy to see all my achievements. Everything was coming together so nicely.

I have never met this woman but to see a Successful Black Business Woman doing what makes her happy, providing financial stability for herself. If she had problems along the way she pushed through and that makes me so happy. Any successful black creator makes me happy. There are other creators and stylist I follow that show so much success. But TT was there from the beginning.

I don’t want to stop at doing hair, I am now enrolled in business school. I plan on building a business from the ground up. One day, when I’m successful I will meet Ms Kelly and I would like to thank her and let her know she’s been a big inspiration to me. I would like her to know she inspired a young back woman to be great. All this will happen with my motivation and her inspiration.

Black creators have to prove themselves everyday, we have to make a way everyday. Even when someone’s hard work is stolen from them and they aren’t held accountable, they push through. Even though there are people doing the same thing as you you shouldn’t give up. Everyone can be successful. Some of us are trying to build generational wealth and make our names go down in history. We don’t want to be forgotten. I’m sure someone inspired TT to show all the things she’s doing. I want to be someone’s inspiration one day. So as long as there is someone there to inspire the next generation there will always be a Successful Black Creator among us.