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Number One Tip To Becoming Successful On Youtube

December 21, 2020 lifestyle

My little cousin called me from Ohio to ask me a question. She knows that I have had great success on YouTube and wanted to pick my brain. She is thinking about starting a YouTube channel for her son and wanted to get some tips on how to be successful on that platform. Since I have been on YouTube for almost 10 years I have quite A bit of information to share and I thought this would be a great place to do so. I wanted to give you my number one tip for being successful on YouTube.

The number one tip to becoming successful on the YouTube platform is to create Evergreen content. This is content that is informative, valuable, and never expires. Evergreen content will remain searchable after it is created and will help the viewer long-term.

Why Start A YouTube Channel

I know that this is a very popular subject because YouTube is such a large platform. Each day hundreds of bright-eyed and bushy-tailed individuals charge to the platform. With smiles and visions of grandeur in hopes of making it rich. I mean hey, there are 10-year-olds who are making almost $1,000,000 on the platform so I totally understand the appeal. However, what I do want to share with you is going to be information that is valuable to you so that you don’t feel this is a get-rich-quick type of career. I understand we all work hard you want to share our gifts with the world.

Number tip to being successful on Youtube

But there is a strategy to being successful on YouTube and if I would have known this 10 years ago I would be much farther along in my YouTube Journey.

When I started YouTube over 10 years ago we were all on the platform just for fun. Other creatives like myself such as makeup artist hairdressers, even playwrights flocked to the platform as a way to express themselves creatively. I remember uploading a video without any fancy editing and little to no music or captions or any of the fun stuff you see in videos today. I sound like such an old lady right now but it’s the truth. We were so focused on sharing our creative sides we didn’t get hung up on marketing, video descriptions, or any of the things that you now have to think about when utilizing the platform. Honey, YouTube is a job now.

For instance, my first video was me curling my hair 9 months pregnant with my daughter Here. I didn’t have a fancy camera or a tripod. I set my camera on a box of tissues in the bathroom and created my first video. Talk about humble beginnings this is going to lead me to my first few tips for joining YouTube.

Tips For Success On YouTube

Start with what you have. don’t invest hundreds or thousands of dollars on fancy equipment that you can’t even use. you can be successful on YouTube with a smartphone and a plan.
Do not try to mimic other channels that are on the platform. Be your authentic self and this will help you grow your brands in the long run. Your views will be able to see right through the nonsense. BE YOU.
Create a schedule for when you upload and stick to it. We all know that being consistent with any new business pursuit is vital to its success. YouTube is no different. Your subscribers will get familiar with your upload schedule and will show up for you to watch your content.

What I Wish I Knew 10 Years Ago.

Now I want to talk about the number one tip I wish I knew as a content creator. Again, I have been on YouTube for almost 10 years. In this time I never took YouTube seriously as a career. I always did it as another creative outlet. As many of you know I own my own hair salon and it creating video content took a back seat for quite some time. During my years on Youtube, I have had quite a few videos go viral as well as reach over 1 million views. You can view those videos below.

This is a course without any strategic plan or without me giving any thought to the subject matter. I just created content I loved and what my viewers like to watch. This wasn’t the best business strategy for me in the long run. Although my viewers loved the content. This was quick success with no long-term benefits. I want you to think about this.

Think about your favorite video game or even your favorite song in middle school. Now, your a video creator and want to make a video talking about your favorite song. Mine in middle school happens to be the Thong Song by Sisqo lol. Please don’t judge me, we were kids and we didn’t know what a thong was. The song was catchy lol. You create an amazing video talking about your favorite song and you get 100,000 views. Awesome right? Here’s the issue, in 6 months no one will be searching or even talking about that song and you will not benefit from having content no one is watching anymore. We want content people can search for and enjoy FOREVER.

EVERGREEN Is Best

This leads me to my number one tip. Focus on Evergreen content. What that means is content that will be searchable in 2,5, even 10 years. The way to create residual income on YouTube is to have content that does not become trendy or outdated. Evergreen content always stays current. It’s informative and will help the viewer solve a problem.

Think of the things you search in Google. Things such as:

What do I need to start a YouTube channel?
How can I color your hair blonde?
Best curry chicken recipes.

These are examples of Evergreen content. No matter what year it is someone somewhere is going to be searching how to do these things. If you are an expert in a particular niche this is great for you because you can now create the content that you love and also had it be valuable for years to come. Master this and watch your channel take off.

Learning From My Mistakes

Because I specialize in hair and hair care, all of the videos that I created over the years were not Evergreen. I focused on teaching creative hairstyles that are trendy and were popular during those time periods. The mistake that I made is now that no one is searching for those types of hairstyles my content is not relevant anymore. See, been there done that.

It was a huge mistake. Don’t get me wrong I love all of the content that I created because it is an extension of talents and I take pride in my work. However, I wish I was more strategic in creating content as well as being more consistent. I just thought of ideas and turned my camera on. No plan, just winging it. I was able to get my silver play button from Youtube doing this so It wasn’t all that bad right? You live and you learn. Here is a mini clip of me opening my award from YouTube.

Moving Forward

So moving forward on my personal YouTube journey I plan on creating content that is targeted to my audience but also content that will be valuable to them in the future. Another personal goal of mine is to become more consistent on the platform. I’ve never considered myself as a YouTuber however I have quite a large following on the platform and I want to be able to grow my audience there as well. If you haven’t by now, subscribe to my channel. I will be taking my own advice and being more consistent on my channel, new videos each Monday.

Next Up: Getting Your First 1000 Subscribers

Why Do Women Love Beards

December 18, 2020 beauty

There is such a fascination with women as to why women love beards so much. Every time I and my girlfriends get together the conversation more than likely involves wine and talking about the latest love interest. Then the conversation leads to someone asking the following question “Does he have a beard”? It never fails. Women just can’t get enough of men with beards.

Women prefer beards because they are genetic proof of masculinity. Beards are associated with power, wisdom, and commitment. These are characteristics women look for in a potential partner and qualities of a protector.

Why Women Love Beards So Much

The short answer is, they are hot. I mean a man with a beard can be downright sexy. Is it hot in here or is it just me? This is not to say a smooth clean look isn’t appealing. It just so happens that men with full, thick, flourishing beards are just on display everywhere.

I mean as soon as you log onto my Instagram, the explore page will have at least one bearded gent in some advertising campaign. Even selling fluffy socks, women can’t seem to get enough. It doesn’t help that they always have their shirts off. Instagram definitely has the right idea. They know exactly what women want and will use a sexy bearded man to sell it to us.

They say sex sells, well so do bearded men.

why women like beards — Photo by Emre Keshavarz

Women love beards because they are a sign of masculinity. It represents strength and power. It’s a dark brooding presence about a bearded that can’t allow you to look away. Have you noticed that men with beard stand taller with their shoulders back? It reminds me of Batman for some strange reason. Beards exude confidence and strength. That is what women are attracted to. Confidence is key here. Growing a beard takes a level of confidence that not all men are willing to embrace. The commitment to upkeep is also very sexy.

Beards require a level of commitment. Commitment to the growing phase and commitment to daily maintenance. This is also very sexy to women. A man who makes time for self-care and the level of commitment it requires to maintain a beard will also draw cool points with the ladies. Women love a man who manscapes. I know I appreciate it.

Lastly, women love beards because they are correlated to a man who possesses great wisdom. A man who is mature and dignified. Even the pharaohs knew the power of a great beard. I’m a bit of a history buff so bare with me for a bit. In ancient Egypt, the Pharaohs often wore fake beards to portray divine wisdom and kingship. Even in death, the pharaohs made sure to take their beards with them into the afterlife. Talk about commitment. The longer the beard the better. The same applies today. Have you ever seen a man of a mature age stroke his beard while in deep thought? I have and it can be extremely appealing. Now add a little salt and pepper to his beard and I’m calling him Bruce Wayne. A salt and pepper beard is another blog post in itself, whew!

Reasons She My Be Apprehensive

If you don’t have a beard or maybe be on the fence about growing one. Or maybe your significant other is not too keen on the idea, here are a few reasons why beards aren’t for all women. You make think her reasoning is trivial but a beard is an important decision.

Women don’t like change.

If she met you with little to no facial hair it’s gonna be a hard sell to get her to change her mind. I mean facial hair on a man changes the face completely. You want her to be attracted to the new look. Then you have to take into consideration how this new look will affect those around you. And she may not be too happy about all the newfound attention you’re going to get. From women on the job to the ladies in the local coffee shop. Nothing shakes up a relationship like sudden unwanted changes.

She wants to see your facial features.

One of the many reasons your significant other may be apprehensive about you growing out your facial hair is because it hides your features. If you have a prominent jawline or chin these are features that your loved one fell in love with. Even that mark on your chin from falling in the third grade. These are the things women fall in love with. By growing out your facial hair these features aren’t as prominent and maybe the reason she doesn’t I want you to grow that beard. Women also love the look and feel of smooth skin on a man.

No excessive hair

A lot of women do not like the feel of excessive facial hair. Mustache sure, goatee umm ok. But a full beard maybe not. Especially if she has sensitive skin herself. Facial hair can irritate her skin and cause more problems than they’re worth. While hugging or kissing, the last thing you want is for her to be uncomfortable. Some women just don’t like hairy men so the thought of a hair face is a big turn-off.

She wants to look younger not older

As I mentioned previously facial hair on men shows signs of maturity. With women, we are often trying to slow the signs of aging. Having a partner who looks mature often translates to a woman aging as well. I know this is can be viewed as a really selfish reason but it’s the truth. Additionally, she may not want her spouse to look too mature. There is nothing worse than going out to eat and the waiter thinks you’re with your father. Talk about embarrassing.

No dessert island beards

In instances where the beard does not fully grow there will be patches of hair on the face. You will see a lot on social media about what we call “The Struggle” beard. This is when men who are trying to growing a goatee don’t have enough facial hair to properly connect for a full beard. One of my personal pet peeves I might add like many other women. Its like the little engine that could but just couldn’t quite make it lol. We do not like the appearance of a patchy beard. It never appears neat and well-groomed and always looks dry. So a word of advice if you do not believe your beard will grow consistently over the face you, may want to revisit the idea once you have a plan of action in place to grow a healthy beard.

How to Keep That Beard Healthy

If you decide that growing a beard is for you there are a few steps you should take to ensure you can maintain your beard. These will include the following:

Keep it sanitary and soft. A clean and neat beard is the highest priority.
Steam your face. This helps to open the pores to allow beard products to better penetrate the hair and skin. This also prevents ingrown hairs.
Remove product build-up. Apply a detoxing facial wash to help remove excessive products and promote shine and luster.
Keep it tidy. Biweekly trims and shape-ups help to keep your beard healthy.
Moisturize. Facial hair tends to be dry due to excessive washing and sun exposure. Daily moisturizing will help keep the hair soft and frizz free. Remember, hair is hair. Whether it’s on the head or on the face.
Drink your water. You want a healthy beard, drink up.

Beard Products That Actually Work

Finding quality products that work for all skin types may seem challenging. Don’t worry, I’ve given you a head start with these top-selling beard kits. These kits have been tested and are proven to hydrate and moisturize facial hair and skin. Here are my top three beard grooming kits and products. Now that you know why women love beards let’s get you on your way to achieving the look for less. These products are sure to help you grow and maintain the beard you love so much.

Shea Moisture Maracuja Oil Kit

Classic Gents Lavender Grooming Set

Clinique For Men Daily Intense Hydration

Next Up: How To Remove Dandruff

The Best Blower Dryer Brush That Actually Works

December 17, 2020 beauty

I like to make things easier for myself when I travel. Bringing along all my styling tools and attachment tends to be a bit much at times so I went on the hunt for a blow dryer that travels well and gets the job done. Let me tell you why the Revlon One-Step Paddle is the best blow dryer brush on the market.

The Revlon One-Step Paddle Brush is the best blow dryer brush on the market. This is because it saves you time, is temperature-controlled, and easy to use. This blow dryer brush is lighter than most hair dryer brushes available and is able to blow all hair textures.

How To Use The Revlon Blow Dryer Brush

If you are looking to stretch your hair while blowing. Or have never used a paddle brush to blowdry I would recommend that you do the following. Start by sectioning clean hair. I have a complete list of my most recommended shampoos and deep conditioners for all hair types listed here. I recommend sectioning the hair into four sections. Apply your favorite heat protectant to the hair. Then start from the back take a small subsection. Apply the paddle brush on the ends of the hair and work your way up towards the roots. If you have straight or fine hair you will have the ability to start from Roots and work your way down. However, starting from the ends of the hair will help to eliminate tangles and also help prevent hair breakage.

If you are looking to create volume using this paddle brush I recommend to blow dry your hair in the opposite direction in which you want to wear it.

So if that means you would like to wear your hair with a part on the right section your hair to the left and then flip it over once the hair is dry. This will create volume and also help straighten the hair at the roots.

Another way to create volume using this paddle brush would be to flip your hair upside down and brush your hair downward. Since your head is facing down all of your hair is being blow-dried at a 90-degree angle. This will create volume once you flip your head back up and is also a great way to blow dry your hair fast.

The Revlon Roll Brush Is Also Great.

If you are looking to create volume and blow-dry your hair at the same time. The Revlon Round Roll Brush blow dryer is also a great option. It’s a one-stop-shop when blow-drying your hair because you do not need a roll brush and blow dryer, it’s all in one. The reason I believe the paddle brush is best is that it can be used on all hair textures. Although the roller brush is also a great option. Textured and curly hair will have a hard time using that brush. It can also be a bit cumbersome if you are not used to using a roller brush on your hair. Besides that, it still has all the great and had the same great features that the paddle brush has to offer it just comes in a simpler design.

What Products Work Best

When using any heated styling tool I highly recommend that you use a heat protectant. Heat protectants are made up of humectants to lock in moisture and eliminate frizz; natural hair oils help to protect seal the hair cuticle.

Heat protectants come in many forms. You can use cream, lotion, sprays, serums, and oils. It is hard to recommend a heat protectant without seeing and feeling your hair texture however what I can say is no matter which form of heat protection you decide to use make sure that you thoroughly saturate each strand of your hair. The key to using heat protectants is to be consistent in their usage and to make sure that they are applied properly. In my experience spray heat protectant works best with all hair textures. They tend to be lighter and do not weigh the hair down as much as serums, creams, and lotions.

Does It Work On Curly & Natural Hair

For curly and natural hair I recommend that you detangle and section your hair off prior to using this blow dryer brush. Curly and natural hair tends to tangle more frequently and detangling prior to use makes using this brush a lot faster. In addition, I highly recommend you use a heat protectant also when using this brush. I have a full list of my favorite heat protectants listed below if you are unsure which brand you should try.

Curly and naturally textured hair tends to be dryer than most textures so applying a leave condition is also recommend.

My Final Thoughts

I highly recommend this blow dryer brush for all hair textures. I think this blow dryer brush works best on textured hair because it allows the hair to stretch while your blow-drying. It makes it easier to work in small sections. You are able to still achieve volume while blow-drying. The hair and the temperature controls allow you to cool and seal the hair while blow-drying. My recommendation for fine and straighter textures would probably be the roller Brush. I feel as though that will give you a little more volume and you won’t have to use a curling iron once you finish blow-drying your hair.

Revlon products work really well in conjunction with your heat protectant and leave-in conditioners. I will list my favorite products below that work in conjunction with the blow dryer brush of your choice. As well as my favorite styling tools to create the perfect hairstyle. If you would like to get more information on my favorite shampoos for natural hair I will list those below. I also have a post where I talk about my favorite deep conditioning products. This includes a deep conditioner and hair mask to repair and hydrate the hair.

Helpful Resources: Best Shampoos For Natural Hair|Best Deep Conditioners

20 Secrets: Things Your Hairdresser Wants You To Know

December 16, 2020 beauty

As I’m finishing up my last client of the day she says something to me that made me think. She says “We tell you everything about our lives and yet I’m sure there are things you want to tell us about yours”. I laughed it off because sure, my clients tell me everything. The good, the bad, and the ugly. But sometimes there are things we want to tell our clients that we keep to ourselves. It’s not about the kids or what we did that Saturday night. It relates more towards things we want to tell them about their salon visits. This is about to go left really quickly, I can feel it lol. But the bible says, “The truth shall set you free”. Today it shall as I share 20 things your hairdresser wants you to know.

I stand in solidarity with my fellow salon workers to tell you some hard truths. I know I’m being melodramatic here but I speak for many when I say we are thinking it and don’t say it. Sometimes we say it and it goes in one ear and out the other or it’s taken the wrong way. The purpose of today’s post is not to make you feel bad or indifferent. It’s to educate you and to make your salon visits as pleasant as humanly possible. The things your hairdresser wants you to know can be very subjective and can vary from stylist to stylist. I’ll just say this, I have a great relationship with the patrons of my business and an open communication policy. This is not always the case.

So I want to list a few things your hairdresser wants you to know with the hopes it creates an open dialogue. Again this list is very subjective and it is based on years of salon experience. These are also things I and fellow stylists have discussed. I will try to keep this list as general as I can. Take my word for it, I cut this list down quite a bit.

20 Things Your Hairdresser Wants You To Know

The client is not always right.
Pictures are for reference, not a duplication.
Do not show up late and empty-handed lol, we love coffee also.
Please respect our time. The doctors charge for no shows, so can we.
Please don’t tell us how to do our jobs, if you knew what you were doing you wouldn’t pay us.
Just because the information is on YouTube this does not make it right. Have you ever seen the videos of people burning or over bleaching their hair?
Please don’t talk on the phone while getting your services done. This is a time to relax and decompress for everyone around you. Be courteous.
We aren’t upset, we are HUNGRY. We often don’t eat. Think about this next time you’re running late.
We have lives and don’t work around your schedule.
Gratitude goes a long way,
Sit still, if you want your haircut straight stop moving.
Your hair appointment is for you, come alone.
Sometimes your relationship drama is too much.
A trim and a hair cut is the same price.
Clean up after yourself, we aren’t maids
No, I can’t squeeze you in.
We appreciate tips more than you know.
Ask us how we’re doing, were human too
We are creatives and sensitive about our work.
Trust our judgment. We are trying to bring out the best in you.

As I mentioned earlier, this list can go on and on.

Bonus Tip

Learn to hear the words No. If your hairdresser truly cares about you and that’s pride in their work they will tell you NO. I’m laughing while writing this because my clients are well aware, I will tell them no and smile while doing it. It took me years to work up the courage to do so and now it feels liberating to say no and mean it. You want highlights but don’t take care of your hair, NO. You’re requesting a relaxer after scratching your scalp, NOPE. You bleached your hair the day before and want it redone today, KEEP DREAMING. And the most famous, you’re going through a breakup and want to cut your hair and dye it to mimic Skittles. Maam, that’s also a no.

Let me reiterate, we are not trying to be mean or disrespectful. We are trying to do what’s best for you and if a no means saving your hair strands then so be it.

No I know this was a lot of hard truths shared here today and you might have said ouch a few times. It’s ok. The more you know, the more you grow. In the event, you like to maintain your hair at home like many of my clients do, be sure to read up on some of my favorite shampoos HERE. I also shared my favorite styling tools HERE.

How To Blow Dry 4C Hair Without Heat Damage

December 15, 2020 beauty

grey hair blower near pink hair combs and scrunchies — Photo by Element5 Digital on Pexels.com

A friend of mine came to me because she wanted to cut back on her salon visits and save money. Times are hard for many and she wanted to achieve the salon look at home. She, like many others, has textured hair and needed a few tips. I wanted to help her learn to blow dry 4C hair without heat damage.

The key to blow drying 4c hair without heat damage is to stretch the hair while blow drying. Also applying heat protectants with humectants to lock in moisture and eliminate frizz; natural hair oils help to protect seal the hair cuticle.

Tips For A Great Blow Dry

In order to have a great blow-dry, you have to have the right tools. The blow dryer I recommend to all my friends is the Conair Yellow Bird. I recommend this blowdryer in particular because it’s lightweight and very powerful. It comes with two attachments which include a nozzle and comb. If you have a hard time using the nozzle with a brush to blow-dry. The comb attachment is your new best friend. It works well with all hair textures, not just 4C hair. In my early salon days, I couldn’t afford the blowdryers all my co-workers were using. They were often over $100 and to be honest weren’t even that great. Imagine their surprise when I pulled out this bright yellow blow dryer and achieved better results as a new stylist. Let’s just say they all asked where I purchased it and ran out to get one.

My favorite blow dryer is the Conair Pro SilverBird Turbo Blowdryer. This is the big sister to the Yellowbird I mentioned previously. I love this blower. Yes, I even use it in the salon and at home. It comes with a comb attachment to help blow-dry the hair faster. I have used it in a few of my hair tutorials HERE. This video is a great way to see the blow dryer in action and to see how well it is able to stretch my hair for an amazing silk press or any other hairstyle I choose to achieve.

Picture Tutorial

While styling a client’s hair I got the bright idea to take a few pictures so that you can see the process of stretching and blow-drying natural 4C hair. I will show you a few steps to achieving a great blow-dry. I’m aware the quality of these photos isn’t the best however it was a busy afternoon. Unfortunately, I decided last minute and on a whim to take pictures for you. I hope that these pictures provide you an idea of how easy it can be to achieve a great blow-dry at home.

4C hair — Clients hair after wash and conditioner

section hair for blow dry — Hair is placed in 4 sections

blow dry hair without heat damage. — Stretch the hair WITHOUT using a brush

step by step guide to blow hair without heat damage. — Blow dry hair in a downward motion. Continue to pull hair downward to stretch.

stretching natural hair — Once 50% dry you can use a brush and nozzle to finish.

4c hair after silk press — Clients hair after silk press.

By following this method it will ensure you can retain the length and thickness of your hair. It also prevents heat damage. In order to blow dry 4c hair, you have to be patient and work in small sections. As you can see from the pictures above this client has quite a bit of hair. In order to save time while blow-drying the hair, it’s best to detangle first then section off.

The reason I don’t recommend this one as often is that it is a bit hotter than the Yellowbird. It is a salon grade and it can be hard to gauge how hot it needs to be for a proper blow-dry. I’ve seen stylists use this blow dryer wrong and cause heat damage. Additionally, the Silver Bird is heavy. If you are using it on yourself you will notice very quickly how heavy it gets. My arms are conditioned at this point to hold heavy blow dryers but trust it even starts to hurt my shoulders.

How to stretch the hair

Stretching your hair for a blow dry before and during the process is a great way to avoid excess heat to the hair.

You can achieve this the following ways:

Twisting
Braiding
Wrapping with String

These techniques allow the hair to partially dry and the hair to flat on the scalp. This cuts your drying time in half and stretches your curls with added heat or excessive tension.

Using these methods to stretch your hair I recommend that you use small sections of hair. Also, I recommend that you put your hair into small ponytails at the root and then continue to twist, braid, or wrap your hair. This will allow you to moisturize each section of the hair as well as detangle your hair properly. Detangling is key to retaining length width in your hair.

What heat protectants To Use

Tried and true heat stylers

Now that you have properly stretched and blow dry your hair it’s time to move on to styling. If you have 4C hair you may tend to style your hair naturally and it’s stretched state or you may want to move on to heat styling.

One of my favorite hairstyles for natural hair is a silk press. This is when we take a flat iron and smooth the hair strands to a silk-like texture. It is a temporary style and once you wash your hair your natural curls will revert back. This is why heat protectants are so important. When doing a silk press on natural hair it requires heat in order to straighten your natural curls. Over the years I have used hundreds of heated tools to achieve this hairstyle. In a previous post, I shared with you my favorite flat irons to use at home and in the salon. I will leave a link here for you to read up on my favorite styling tools to achieve this look. I hope this post helped you learn to blow dry 4c hair. These techniques can be used on all hair types.