| Tay Watts, Posh Candle Co |
Interviewing business owners about their natural hair journey allows me to express my mini Oprah. My family will tell you that I'm curious by nature so asking folks questions about their natural hair journey and business fits perfectly with my personality.
I connected with this week's naturalista, Tay Watts, the boss and head candle maker at Posh Candle Co through a Facebook business follow thread and we've been friends ever since.
How long have you been natural?
I’ve been Natural for 4 years.
What made you decide to go natural?
I decided to go natural after seeing the negative results from perming, coloring and heat styling my Hair regularly. My hair was constantly breaking, and it was difficult to do different hairstyles with damaged hair.
Did you big chop or transition?
I big chopped in the boldest way ever. I wrote out three options on separate pieces of paper and picking at random; transition by wearing a weave, wear the damage until it grows out, or big chop. Needless to say, the option I ended up with was a big chop. It took me a few days to get the courage to follow through with it, and it was my hubby who chopped my hair for me.
What was your families’ / friend’s reaction to you going natural?
Overall I received a lot of support, but I also had friends at work asking me if I had gone crazy or others saying negative things like, “My man wouldn’t allow me to look like a man.” The best reaction came from my hubby... He couldn’t keep his hands out of my hair!
What have you discovered about yourself or your hair since you’ve gone natural? Did anything surprise you?
My confidence soared after big chopping, and I discovered the true beauty in being able to block criticism and use negative energy as motivation to keep going. As my hair grew, I was surprised by the number of women who would approach me in public and ask for natural hair styling tips.
Please tell us about your business.
Posh Candle Co is home to my handcrafted fine lifestyle candles. All of our candles are 100% soy based, which burn cleaner than other wax-based candles and we hand-pour in small batches to ensure quality and consistency.
Who is your ideal client?
My ideal clients are fellow boss girls. My best selling candle is Boss Girl Magic, and I love the empowerment that women get from this candle no matter what stage in business they’re in. They make perfect gifts for seasoned boss girls and great celebratory gifts for the girl who may have launched her first business.
There is an incorrect theory that natural hair is unprofessional. How do you find people in business react to your natural hair?
Personally, I have not received any feedback in the workplace regarding my hair being unprofessional. I find the reactions in the workplace to be a mixture of genuine interest or uninformed questions where other black women or mothers with mixed children ask about the type of products I use on my hair or questions from other races such as, “Do you wash your hair/do you comb it?”
Where can we connect with you online?
You can connect with me online through the following sources:
www.poshcandleco.com
www.facebook.com/PoshCandleCo
www.instagram.com/PoshCandleCo
