Happy New Year! I hope the start of 2018 has treated you well. I find myself already midway through January, and it's already been a great start. I'm excited to bring you the first "Feature Friday" of the year, which was written by guest writer Nyvia Weathersby. Check out her last guest post: Feature Friday: Atlanta Powerhouse Talks Love and Career Balance.
This "Feature Friday" showcases mom and business owner, Rosalin Coleman. In between providing for her family and serving her community, this "mompreneur" strives to promote inclusivity in the "Beauty Supply" world and spotlights other local businesses while doing it. Keep reading to see how she does it!
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mom·pre·neur
nouna woman who sets up and runs her own business in addition to caring for her young child or children.
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Have you ever walked into an ethnic beauty supply store only to realize the only thing "ethnic" about it was the hair for sale and you? Growing up in East Pasadena, my family had to drive miles to the Black-owned beauty supply store to get the products we so desperately knew would work for our curls and kinks. Not only that, we knew the owners would help us -- and I mean really help us.
From my hair type to the latest
products that would grow my edges back, these ladies (and men) knew it all. I
didn’t know their struggle or what adversity they had to overcome to blossom as
one of the best Black-owned beauty supply chains, then. I wasn’t aware of the
social strains that molded them into powerhouses, either. Now that I’m an
adult, I have so much appreciation for beauty supply chains that, with
consistent aggression, aimed to show us that beauty comes in all products,
communities, hair types, and shades.
VIP House of Hair & Beauty,
for example, reminds me of that beauty supply chain we used to travel miles to
patronize when I was a kid. Those child-like emotions revitalized themselves as
soon as I walked into VIP, which is located in Lancaster, CA. Owner Rosalin
Coleman (below) calls her customers sisters and brothers. She doesn’t quit
until you have everything you need. Family-owned, Black-owned, and full of
ambition, VIP House of Hair & Beauty has become a staple in the Los
Angeles/Antelope Valley community` area. We sat down with Coleman to get a
better glimpse into her world, her challenges, and her inspiration.
