Taliah Waajid: Her Mane Moves from Textured Hair Stylist to Brand Owner and Creator of the World Natural Hair Show

In the latest episode, I chat with natural hair pioneer Taliah Waajid, who talks about her career journey in the world of textured tresses that inspired her to create the World Natural Hair Show in the late 1990s. 

Taliah shares how her first braiding in a salon taught her that the customer's hair health has to be the priority, even if it means turning down a style request. When she first moved there, the perception of natural hair differed between New York City and Atlanta. She shares how "Poetic Justice" helped turn the tide. And how working at a big salon in Atlanta drove home the importance of retailing products as a revenue stream and why she created her first three products.

Her lines include Uncle Jimmy's (her men's line), her children's line, Black Earth (her original collection), Curls, Waves, Naturals, Protective Styles, Green Apple, and Aloe. (While she also has a scalp care collection in the works.)Taliah explains the steps she took to get her products in local beauty supply stores, find distributors and eventually land her products in big box stores like Walmart and Target. 

She shares why running a salon and a brand didn't work for her. But what you will want to hear is why and how she came to start The World Natural Hair Show, now in its 23rd year. After not mounting the show for two years, she is excited to return. Hear how she built the show from its humble beginnings to the point where there were 30,000 attendees over the two-day event with more than 300 vendors. And why it was vital for her to include competitors in the mix.

(Correction: The Show is on 4/23 and 4/24!!)

To get tickets go to the worldnaturalhairshow.org

Follow Taliah Waajid on Instagram and Facebook. 

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