30 Years in June Narrated by Dr. C.

Year #1 - 1993 to 1994

"Our Kitchen-table Beginnings"

The idea of starting a Sisterlocks Company literally took shape during conversations between me and my sisters, Celeste and Carol, as we sat around my kitchen table. We had no money and no business experience. What we had was the lifelong love and respect for each other that our mother had instilled in us. We also had the unwavering support of the men and children in our lives. In other words, we had EVERYTHING we needed, and we felt unstoppable! (Dr.C)

Year #2 - 1994 to 1995

"Our Video Debut"

I knew that Sisterlocks was destined to take over the world. I just didn't know how that was going to happen. I didn't know how to promote or market, or any of that. How were we going to reach people to let them see what a wonderful thing Sisterlocks was?

Video was an up-and-coming thing in the early '90s, so we thought we would use this medium to promote the Sisterlocks concept. This was before the days when any and everyone could shoot and edit or stream and post in an instant. You needed to hire a professional, and editing video required skill and special equipment. All that cost money, and our budget for a video project was dangerously close to ZERO. Like so many times before, family and loved ones chipped in their time, ideas and talent and made it happen.
Our first video, That Hair Thing, presented our revolutionary locking system to the world and also touched on some of the attitudes we have about natural hair. Our second video was titled, Come Home To Sisterlocks. This one stressed its versatility and ease of care.    (Dr.C)

Year #3 - 1995 to 1996

"I Didn't Quit My Day Job"

Sisterlocks was definitely NOT a profitable company in the early years! 
It took longer than I care to admit to reach that stage. Good thing I had recently gotten tenure at my university teaching job. With job security and a solid raise I could afford to continue nurturing  the Sisterlocks business without getting paid. That went on until ... oh, about 2015.
The development of our customized product line is one of the things that I'm really proud of. By 1995 we had dreams of having our products available in beauty supply stores all across the country. That was NOT to be, however. There was no doubt that the NEED was there. Our women desperately needed good information about how to care for their natural hair, AND they needed access to the right products for their new maintenance techniques. However, getting them to break old habits was not easy! Bottom line, our product line wasn't profitable either.
In summary, the profitability of the Sisterlocks Company developed VERY slowly. In the beginning we were way out ahead of the evolving consciousness about natural hair among our women. It took them a couple of decades to catch up. (Dr.C)

Year #4 - 1996 to 1997

"Teach Them To Fish"

By our 4th year in business, Sisterlocks was taking up more and more space in my home in San Diego. Plus, by then I had trained my sister, Celeste, who was growing her own practice near Los Angeles. However, it would take another 10 years before I could finally move the business out of my home. The demand for Sisterlocks was slowly and steadily increasing, that was encouraging. Besides, it wasn't just the numbers that convinced me that this Sisterlocks thing was really happening. It was the fact that sisters were willing to fly into San Diego just to get their hair done; The fact that women would break down in tears in my chair over their hair - sometimes from anxiety, sometimes from relief; That, without me even trying to promote it, a kind of 'sister society' was forming all on its own among the women who had Sisterlocks. 
As 1996 approached it became clear to me that Sisterlocks was destined to be a global phenomenon. I knew I needed to begin laying the groundwork for that. Clearly, having only two people in the whole world doing Sisterlocks was not going to cut it! I needed to begin training others. (Not just feeding them fish, but teaching them how to fish.) Before that could happen, I needed to develop a curriculum complete with procedures, standards, testing mechanisms, the works. Not only that, but I wanted to use the then 'modern' approach of putting the entire training program on video.
We spent an entire month in the studio taping our training videos. (Confession: Our main videographer was a community college film instructor who had access to their taping room during Winter break. That's how we got access to the facility without paying. Barely legal? You decide....) Long-story-short, by early 1996 we had everything we needed for our training program, and right away we scheduled our first Sisterlocks class in Atlanta. This was a monumental step. The Sisterlocks movement was gearing up to take flight! (Dr.C)

Year #5 - 1997 to  1998

"That Hair Thing (and the Sisterlocks Approach"

It was time for a book!
My Sisterlocks book, That Hair Thing (1997, 2009), was not the first one of its kind. There had been several works before mine that had helped launch a kind of  natural hair care revolution. Here are a few of the titles that inspired me:

-  Good Hair, by Lonnice Bonner, was first published in 1990. It was a kind of primer on how to relate to, and care for our hair type. 
-  Everything You Need To Know About Hairlocking (1994), by Nekhena Evans, spoke about the misconceptions surrounding locks, and illustrated what natural, African-textured hair could do.
-  The author whose approach was most like my own was Pamela Ferrell. Her two works, Where Beauty Touches Me (1993) and Let's Talk Hair (1996) added a layer of science and technical explanations to the study of Afro-textured hair and its care.
I feel that my book expanded the conversation by linking our hair care practices to our complicated and sometimes troubled cultural history. Even today, it's still a good read! (Dr.C)

Year #6 - 1998 to 1999

"The Sisterlocks Homecoming"

Going natural during the '90s was often an intimidating challenge for our women. Even those who wanted to do it had to cope with all kinds of acceptance issues. We saw right from the beginning that we couldn't really "sell" Sisterlocks to them. We had to just show off the hair, and make the service available. This would allow them to gravitate towards the locks on their own terms and in their own time. 
Not to be stopped, we pushed ahead with our intention to one day make Sisterlocks a household word. We focused on showing off our hair and pictures of styles, and finding ways to celebrate the Sisterlocks experience. And so, the Sisterlocks Homecoming was born in 1998.
This became an annual event that always took place in San Diego, the home of Sisterlocks. It started out as a 1-day event, usually centering around a luncheon. Over the years it developed into a 4-day weekend packed with classes, a marketplace, performances, demos and topic workshops. The focus was always on fun and sisterhood. Sisters and brothers came from near and far to join in the laughter and learning. I truly miss those days. (Dr.C)

Year #7 - 1999 to 2000

"Our Day in Court"

It took years to develop the Sisterlocks Company to the point where I could be sure it was going to last.  Then, in the late 1990s we found ourselves embroiled in a lengthy court battle against the Cosmetology Board in California.
Essentially, the Board asserted that they had the right to regulate our natural hair care system as well as ALL natural hair techniques. (braiding, twisting, locking, etc.) However, they didn't have a curriculum of their own that covered natural hair, especially locks. Not only that, but their existing curriculum showed that they didn't have any understanding of how African-textured hair behaved in its natural state. So. We teamed up with AHNHA, a natural haircare association, and a public interest law firm called the Institute for Justice, and we filed a law suit against them
Long story short, we won our court case in 1999, freeing all natural hair practitioners in the state of California from the unreasonable burden of having to go through a cosmetology program that did not address the services we performed. Because the victory was in federal court, it set a precedent for the entire country. To date, natural hair practitioners in over 30 states have successfully challenged the legal authority of their cosmetology boards, and WON. All of this was due in large part to our precedent-setting court victory in 1999. When I look back I shudder because I realize that if we had lost our case, that would have been the end of Sisterlocks as we knew it!  (Dr.C)

Year #8 -  2000
(series through 2013)

"The Sisterlocks Wall Calendar"

For as long as I can remember I've heard justifiable complaints about negative portrayals of Black women, the lack of Black/female role models and the need to seriously reform our beauty standards. In the Sisterlocks world, we knew we had answers for ALL of these issues, and the themes and images in our annual wall calendars addressed them directly. Our first one launched in 2000.
The calendars were wonderful, but getting the word out about them in the most effective way was a challenge. Internet use was not yet widespread at that time. Posting sites were not a 'thing' yet, and most people were not even using email! Every step on our outreach journey was hard work. Eventually we decided to publish and distribute them ourselves. That was a challenge without posting sites, eBooks, online communities or sharing sites to assist us.
Another major challenge was that photographers and printers at the time had no experience photographing Afro-textured hair. In the beginning, our hair shots tended to look muddy and not show off the texture very well. Photographers rarely knew how to properly light subjects with dark skin either. Then there were the printers who rarely knew how to maximize the qualities of our textured hair and skin tones through their choice of paper, ink types and print settings. 
In spite of it all, our wall calendars were truly wonderful - especially for the time. They served so many purposes, both for clients and for our Consultants. (Dr.C)

Year #9 -  2001  to 2002

"A Tapestry of Dreams (Book)"

In 2001 we published our second book, A Tapestry of Dreams. It's hard to describe what my intention was with that book. I'll say it was kind of a formula for re-setting the beauty standard for African-descended women. It did not 'lecture' the reader. Instead, it was really interactive and self-instructive in ways that most readers didn't expect. For example, there were thought problems and stories and self-tests that were not tests at all, but rather tools for building the reader's familiarity with the Sisterlocks concept.
***
Here's an example. The snippet below is from the book. It is a playful warning against the ...

Dreaded "Sisterlocks Disease." 
"The Sisterlocks Disease is reaching epidemic proportions and everyone who wears Sisterlocks is susceptible to this 'dreaded' condition .…"

The book then lists AND explains the 3 symptom of the Sisterlocks Disease. However, here I'm only going to give you their names. See if you can figure out what behaviors each symptom refers to. Good Luck!

• Symptom #1 - Hanzenthehairitis

• Symptom #2 - Whitegirlatoma

• Symptom #3 - Slap-urgia

If you can't work this out on your own, try seeking out an OG Sisterlocker who might have been exposed to this information back in the day. (Dr.C)

Year #10 - 2002 *2003*
(Our 10th year)

"The Homecoming Tradition"

The theme for our 2002 Homecoming was, "New Growth." We chose that theme because it seemed to capture the feeling that we were gearing up for our 2nd decade. Since our first luncheon celebration in San Diego in 1998, our Homecomings had grown to 4 days over a long weekend. They were becoming the highlight of the year for many Sisterlocks wearers across the country. Occasionally we would even welcome guests from abroad!
The Homecomings were a time for celebration and learning. They included classes and workshops, the occasional fashion show or performance, Glamour shots (as we called them then), games and silly prizes, food and fellowship. When we could afford it, we also invited guest speakers. 
After our 2002 Homecoming I decided to put together a Yearbook from some of the pictures we'd taken. I never finished it, so no one has ever known of its existence before now. It's in draft form. (Dr.C)

Year #11 - 2004

"A Time for YOU!"

Our theme for 2004 was "A Time for You!" Since our calendar tradition was going strong, we thought we would get more creative with the 2004 edition. (By "we," I mean "me!") We decided to create a daily planner. It was fully illustrated with cool pictures of Sisterlocks wearers doing various 'chill' things. It also had a theme for each month. It was really cute!
Except that not too many people agreed! As it turned out, we only produced a few. If you have one, hold on to it because they are very rare, and may become valuable one day ... or not … (Dr.C)

Year #12 - 2005

"Calm Before the Storm" (… but in a good way)

The year 2005 was relatively quiet, but it wasn't because of a lack of activity behind the scenes. We were literally buzzing with projects at the Home Office (still in my house!) in preparation for things to come. Stay tuned and you'll see what those were.
The use of computers was really gaining traction during this time. Virtually all of our day-to-day work was accomplished on the computer by then. We had started a little newsletter 10 years earlier. We called it, "The Next Level." We used it to keep our Consultants and Trainees up to date on events and Home Office developments. By 2005 it was a staple for most, but we still had to mail it out to our people because many, if not most of them, were not computer-savvy. (Dr.C)

Year #13 - 2006

"A Watershed Year"

How can I begin to talk about 2006?! So many things were coming together during this period that it felt in some ways like running in front of a tidal wave. Sisterlocks was becoming unstoppable. It was no longer a question of whether or not we were going to survive. It became more of a question about HOW to grow and still hold on to our original purpose.
There were two things that stood out for me that year because they literally redefined the direction of the business. These were: 1) Moving from a 3-day Consultant Training Program schedule to a 4-Day schedule; 2) Launching our own Sisterlocks Lifestyle Journal.
Our New 4-Day Training Program
The saying is really true that "people don't know what they don't know!" I sure didn't know back in 1996 when we launched our training program that one, or even 2 days of training wouldn't be enough. We move very briefly to a 3-day program, but even that left a lot to be desired. It had to be 4 days in order to really share everything we needed our Consultants to know. It took a lot to set it up, prepare all of the materials and revise the teaching methods, but in the end we were right! Moving to a 4-day program was everything we had hoped for.
The Sisterlocks Lifestyle Journal
Ok. Let me start with a confession: I admit that by this period (2005 - 2006) I was a bit pissed off that Sisterlocks continued to be pretty much ignored by the mainstream Black media and the Black hair care industry. This included both cosmetologists AND established natural hair care specialists. I get it. Many felt threatened by us. It was as if they were trying to ignore our existence, thinking that might make us go away. 
We knew we weren't going to get any real exposure from anyone else, so we started our own little journal. (Dr.C)

Year #14 - 2007

"We Packed Our Bags"

2007 was the year we FINALLY moved the Sisterlocks business out of my home!!! After 14 years, we finally took the big step. We leased a commercial space in an older part of San Diego. It had lots of charm, and there were several close eating spots.  Parking wasn't so great, but you can't have everything, right?
It really was time to move because by that time the Sisterlocks business was literally taking up half of my house with 4 work stations and a product packing room.  Our new spot had enough room for me to have my own office. Plus, there were two rooms for our 4 work stations AND a small reception area. Packing and shipping also had its own separate space. We were in heaven! 
(Dr.C)

Year #15 - 2008

"And the Award Goes To ..."

By our 15th year, Sisterlocks had become a stable, thriving company. We had settled into our (then) new location and we were making the most of having a home of our own. To mark this milestone year we decided to recognize others who were doing great things in support of the Sisterlocks mission and philosophy. Here are the 3 award categories:
Community of the Year Award
We could see that Sisterlocks was both a national AND a local phenomenon. All on their own, groups of women were forming local meet-up groups, for no other reason than to 'talk Sisterlocks,' support each other and celebrate their natural hair. We wanted to acknowledge that with this award. The first group to receive this award was the "SOS" (Struttin' Our Stuff) group from the San Francisco Bay Area. 
Master Stylist of the Year Award
We had already been recognizing great stylists for a few years by 2008 by covering their work in our Sisterlocks Lifestyle Journal. For this year's award we decided to devote an entire issue of the Journal to the recent competition winner, Calla Johnson out of Atlanta. The award eventually evolved into the creation of an official Master Stylist category within the Sisterlocks organization. 
Brother of the Year Award
Our men have been crucial to the success of the  Sisterlocks Company, AND to the individual businesses of Sisterlocks practitioners. I'm not just talking about the men who wear Brotherlocks. Admit it. We drag our partners, sons and siblings into all aspects of what it takes to run our Sisterlocks practices. Our first Brother of the Year Award went to the Sisterlocks brother for all time, Dennard Clendenin. He has been a part of our inner circle since the beginning and continues to play a key role in our success to this day! Thank you, Dennard! (Dr.C)

Year #16 - 2009

"Sisterlocks on 'Good Hair'"

In 2009 Chris Rock came out with a documentary movie titled "Good Hair." It became one of those 'must-see' movies for Black people. Even though we all knew that Chris Rock was a comedian, many of us were hoping the film would take a serious look at the question of good and bad hair that African Americans had struggled with for generation. On that score, the movie was a bitter disappointment.
It had it's good points though. It really did get people talking, despite the fact that the movie itself had gotten very mixed reviews. It came out in the same year that the 2nd edition of my book, That Hair Thing was published. We took advantage of that coincidence to create our own video in answer to the "Good Hair" movie. We produced a mini-documentary of our own which addressed the perspective of the natural hair care world that Chris Rock had left out.
Our response took the form of 3 short videos - each under 10 minutes. Even if you have never seen the original Chris Rock movie, it would be worth it to view our response and judge for yourself whether the issues covered are still concerns today.   (Dr.C) 

Year #17 - 2010

"So, How Did You Come Up With This Idea Anyway?"

In 2010 we launched a book signing tour with stops in ten cities. The 2nd edition of That Hair Thing had just come out in 2009, and touring was still the most effective way to reach our people. 
2010 Tour Cities
San Diego, CA
Atlanta, GA
Dallas, TX
Newark, NJ
Houston, TX
Durham, NC
Cincinnati, OH
Detroit, MI
Chicago, IL
Washington DC
When I'm able to meet with people face-to-face, overwhelmingly, the one question they ask me the most is, "So, how did you come up with this idea anyway?" In fact, that's exactly why I included a chapter in the book with that title. That Hair Thing is now out of print, though still available as an eBook. For those of you interested in reading all about how I came up with the Sisterlocks idea. (Dr.C) 

Year #18 - 2011

"Returning to the Source"

Year #19 - 2012

"Lockerella"

 Occasionally, I have had the benefit of seeing first hand how Sisterlocks affects peoples' lives. I've received poems and declarations. Someone even made a wall quilt tapestry of my image. One sister designed a Flying Lady doll and we actually commissioned her to produce a limited edition. It's all been pretty awesome, I have to say.
During our Homecoming event in 2012, some local actors took the Sisterlocks theme into the performing arts arena by creating a fairy tale called "Lockerella." A local community activist, Dajahn Blevens, spearheaded this. He wrote a parody of the Cinderella story, and pulled together his crew of young actors. The result was a tongue-in-cheek dramatic performance. The cast was complete with an evil step-mother, mean sisters and a prince charming. It was well done, funny and very entertaining. The audience was charmed, and so was I!   (Dr.C)

Year #20 - 2013

"Our 20-Year Cruise"

All of the excitement surrounding our growing company culminated in our 20th year celebration. Nearly 100 members of our growing Sisterlocks family joined us on our cruise. 
These video clips  can be found on youtube.

• The first clip is a 3-minute 'highlights' reel. This is just a teaser to make you jealous if you weren't there with us: https://youtu.be/wgyEn0ZzgiA 

• The second one is the full 12.5 minute version. This one will surely make you want to sign up IMMEDIATELY to join us in December for our 30-year celebration: https://youtu.be/UaJxHkliXZE

 Enjoy! (Dr.C)

Year #21 - 2014

"Paris!"

Offering our first Sisterlocks Training Class in Paris in 2014 was a dream come true for me, but not in the way you might think. As a young adult I was curious about the African Diaspora but there was little-to-no information on the topic. I was very unclear about the connections between us and the other Black populations around the world. Even at the university level there was a shocking lack of coursework on the topic. 
Long-story-short, I realized I would need to piece together my own program, and I would also need to learn at least one other language. I ended up becoming a professor of Africana Studies and French which allowed me to continue to learn, and also teach about the global presence and significance of the African Diaspora. Paris has long been a hub for that Diaspora.
Sisterlocks filled in the rest for me. It gave me the opportunity to explore the personal connections between African-descended women in the US and abroad. Becoming fluent in French has allowed me to deepen those personal connections over the  years.
What stood out for me most at our first Paris class was how similar we really are across cultures as sisters of the diaspora. This includes how we look, how we express ourselves, the way we talk about our lives, and on and on. Not only that, but our Parisian sisters respond to Sisterlocks in the same ways as sisters here. Sisterlocks is having the effect of bringing us closer together. Plus, they LOVE the Flying Lady. They will strike that pose at the drop of a hat, just like we do!
Vive la diaspora africaine, et vive Sisterlocks! (Dr.C)

Year #22 - 2015

"What Beautiful Looks Like"

In 2015 our photographer, John Byrd, produced a serene and beautiful photo essay set to music. It simply showed people in Sisterlocks and Brotherlocks, just being themselves. This format has worked well for us whenever/wherever we wanted to communicate in unspoken but clear terms how 'normal' and stunning Sisterlocks are, on real people in real settings. 
Whenever John is at a Sisterlocks event we try to provide an opportunity for guests to have photo sessions done. As you'll see in this essay (found on YouTube: What Beautiful Looks Like), his style is very 'easy' and tailored to his subject's personality.  (Dr.C)

Year #23 - 2016

"Trichology Analyst Certification"

Here's how I came to appreciate trichology: After about 15 years of doing clients I began to notice that  a few of them were beginning to experience hair loss. At the time I was unaware that there existed an entire area of haircare devoted to hair loss as it related to the health of the hair and scalp. As the years rolled by I began seeking out information about this discipline.
I soon discovered that there was a nationally recognized trichologist right in my city, Cheryl Morrow. We partnered with her in 2016 to create a Trichology Analyst Certification program within Sisterlocks. The idea was that our grads from this program would pair up with certified trichologists to address the needs of their clients. I believe we continued that program for about 4 years. It was really worthwhile in terms of improving our Consultants' understanding of the issues surrounding hair loss. It also gave them some strategies for addressing some of the most common scalp issues. The drawback was that at the time there were not enough trichologists to collaborate with in order to effectively assist with our clients' needs. 
All that has changed since 2016. Today there are a number of certified trichologists and hair loss specialists within the Sisterlocks network. One of my post-pandemic goals is to reinvigorate our Trichology Analyst Certification program and begin offering aid and assistance to those suffering from hair loss. (Dr.C)

Year #24 - 2017

"Product Info."

In  2017 we made a series of short videos to help people better relate to our product line. Today we would probably call them 'podcasts' but that wasn't really a widespread thing at the time. 
I understood from the beginning that Sisterlocks was NOT a product-driven haircare system. That put us at odds with the thinking of most African American women I knew, including myself, back in the day! We believed we needed to put something on our hair, or do something to our hair to make it do what we wanted it to do. The Sisterlocks method took just the opposite approach. We taught our Consultants to observe and analyze what the natural hair likes to do, then apply the version of our technique that is going to support those tendencies within the locking structure.
With that approach, what we needed was a product line that would NOT get in the way of those tendencies. In reality, that was not as easy as it sounds. The entire basis of the Black hair care industry was steeped in the old way of thinking - even the natural hair professionals. I was on my own. (Dr.C)

Year #25 - 2018

"25th Year Happenings"

2018, our 25th year, seemed like just one big celebration. We launched our "Freedom Tour" where Sisterlocks showed up in 6 cities. Similar to our Homecoming events, there were classes, workshops on various health and lifestyle topics, and lots of fun, hugs and networking. Here are the cities we visited:
Oakland
Baltimore
Atlanta
Detroit
Houston
Miami
2018 also saw the introduction of the new Brand Ambassador Certification Program. This was a key element of an ambitious re-structuring effort at the Home Office. The BA Certification became the prerequisite for all advanced certifications. Most Consultants loved this development, but some hated it!

Also in 2018, we published our fabulous style book, Every Style Has A Story, featuring our recently anointed Master Stylists and Associate Stylists. The photo displays and write-ups were the culmination of two competitions previously held at the Home Office. 
Last, but not least, we set sail with nearly 100 guests on our 25th anniversary cruise. My favorite stop was in Havana, Cuba. I'll never forget having lunch at a sidewalk café with a live combo playing music with that unforgetable Cuban beat in the background. They hit one number, and half of the clients simply jumped up from their food and started dancing salsa to the music! (Dr.C)

Year #26 - 2019

"A  Peek Behind the Curtain"

2019 was our 26th year, and Sisterlocks was on a roll! After our "Freedom Tour" the previous year we had developed a list of priorities, and I was anxious to get to work! Here were some of the top priorities for 2019:
Train a team of Evaluators
Develop our Trichology Analyst Program
Maintain/expand our international classes
Develop a social media strategy
Address Tool manufacturing issues
... and on and on ...
High on that list was the need to monitor our new Brand Ambassador Certification program. By 2019 we had over 50 BAs. In April I invited them to participate in a live webinar so we could clarify their business relationship with the Home Office. We shared questions, strategies and  suggestions about what it meant to be a BA. 
I've put together some (rough) video clips from that meeting to share with you. I realize they represent 'insider talk' that may not be of interest to everyone. However, if you are a BA, or someone thinking about getting trained or moving up within the Sisterlocks organization, I think you'll find this very interesting. You won't be able to avoid making comparisons between our concerns from 2019 and the ones we still have today.  (Dr.C)

Year #27 - 2020

"WTF?!"

By early 2020 we were starting to hear some uneasy rumors about the pandemic thing. By spring, masking and social distancing guidelines were either recommended or enforced. 
By summer, 'pandemic fever' had set in. Hundreds of clients were in a panic trying to get into our retightening classes because they could not (or would not) go to their Consultants' locations to get serviced. We did all we could to keep up by creating an Online Retightening Class and training a few dozen Brand Ambassadors to co-facilitate those with us. 
By summer's end, scores of people who had enrolled in our (then) 4-Day training classes had cancelled their enrollments. We had to do something! It felt like our entire training program was crumbling at my feet!
I called on our Training Program Director (Michelle Bryant) and we got to work! I don't think we slept for the next 6 months. We  totally re-constructed our training program using a "Blended" format. (2+ days online and 2 in person.)
Because of COVID we also had to cut the number of students in our classes by more than half. 2020 was the toughest year yet for Sisterlocks, but we survived. Actually, I'm grateful because had it not been for the pandemic, it would have taken us several more years to enter into the world of online training providers. We definitely have a stronger program today because we made that move when we did!    (Dr.C) 

Year #28 - 2021

"Dreams Deferred & Comic Relief"

2021 was the 2nd year of the pandemic. I'm sure you remember how confused and angry people were starting to get. Illness was rampant, especially in major cities. Businesses were dropping like flies all around us.
I would say that Sisterlocks made ZERO progress in the area of business development in 2021. We made it through this period because we ONLY concentrated on those things that helped ensure our survival. Most of the lofty projects and goals we had set for ourselves had to be put on hold, or in some cases, axed completely! 
There is one thing that helped me through the trials and stress of 2021: MY CRAZY FAMILY! Getting together with them has always been a source of joy and laughter. In 2021 I really needed that. (Dr.C)

Year #29 - 2022

"Online/Social Media Challenges"

Online platforms and social media are here to stay! That said, I would add that they definitely have their pros AND their cons! We spent much of 2022 learning how to successfully use online platforms in ways that support our mission. It has been an ongoing education!
Here are few examples of how the massive shift to online-only platforms has impacted the Sisterlocks Company - in good and not-so-good ways.

PROS

• We can reach a LOT more people with our messaging.

• We have become more effective at reaching the younger segments of our population.

• Potential clients have free and open access to a vast amount of information.

CHALLENGES

• The people we are reaching through online and social media platforms bring perspectives and expectations with them that are not necessarily in line with our type or scale of business.  (Ex.: We cannot perform at the level or with the speed of a company like Amazon, though our clientele may expect it.)

• With the shift to online & social media messaging, the average age of those we are reaching suddenly dropped by, on average, 10 years. That means we had to re-think our messaging, but in a way that does not exclude our original target clients. We’re still working on that!

• With this, it has become really easy for people to spread BAD information and misinformation. This can make it difficult for the average person to know who are the REAL representatives and spokespeople for the Sisterlocks brand. Our Brand Ambassador Certification has really helped with this, but it remains a major challenge.

  Overall, our move to a stronger online presence has been gradual and strategic. It has definitely helped us crawl out of the damage inflicted by the pandemic. It is not the answer to everything though. For example, I used to think that the shift to online platforms would make running the Sisterlocks Company easier and more efficient. That was naïve! The challenges are just 'different,' not fewer. We're up to those challenges though, and we're working hard every day to get this thing right! (Dr.C)

  Year #30 - 2023

  "Our Military Sisters"
  
  I'm pleased to close this series of birthday-month posts with a salute to our military sisters. When Sisterlocks first started in the early '90s, wearing natural hair - let alone locks - could get you kicked out of the armed services! Just like other industries at the time (airlines, hotels, corporate offices, etc.) Black women were forced to either straighten their hair, or cover it with braids, wigs and such in order to comply with regulations that went against the things our hair naturally likes to do.
  San Diego has long been a military town, so not surprisingly, both of the Consultants who work at the Home Office have military clients. Senior Trainer, Cassandra, assisted by CTA, Lanitra, recently organized a Military Recognition Luncheon to honor the stories of our service women clients, and also acknowledge how far the military has come since those early days.
  What an amazing event! Things are still not perfect, but thanks to the work of sisters both in and outside of the military, things are definitely moving in the right direction.  
  For me, our sisters in the military epitomize the ideal combination of beauty and strength. They are as stunning in their uniforms as they would be in an evening gown. (Dr.C)