What is a SisterPreneur? A SisterPreneur is a successful female entrepreneur who has paved the way for others in their field while making huge strides in their own personal career. I’m excited to bring you some of the very best interviews with SisterPreneurs I think you should know.
I first heard the slogan “Thank God I’m Natural” while speaking with another Naturalista, I thought what a cute and true statement. I later learned it is much more than a slogan, it is the title of a book created by Chris-Tia Donaldson. If you follow me on YouTube, you know I enjoy doing natural hair book reviews, be on the look out for my review of the book and a contest featuring Thank God I’m Natural apparel. Read on and be inspired by this week’s SisterPreneur……
I first heard the slogan “Thank God I’m Natural” while speaking with another Naturalista, I thought what a cute and true statement. I later learned it is much more than a slogan, it is the title of a book created by Chris-Tia Donaldson. If you follow me on YouTube, you know I enjoy doing natural hair book reviews, be on the look out for my review of the book and a contest featuring Thank God I’m Natural apparel. Read on and be inspired by this week’s SisterPreneur……
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| Chris-Tia Donaldson Author of Thank God I’m Natural |
What made you decide to write Thank God I’m Natural?
I wrote Thank God I’m Natural to help dispel some of the most common myths and misconceptions black women have about caring for their natural hair. Part of the reason it took me so long to let go of my relaxer is because I was so misinformed. Like so many black women living in America, I spent almost a quarter century wishing for hair that looked nothing like my own, and thought I couldn’t wear my hair in its natural state because my tresses looked nothing like Alicia Keys’ or Mariah Carey’s. When I came to the realization that I could go natural, I wanted to share all the information I learned about caring for my hair with others. I also wanted to let the ladies know that going natural would not put an end to their career, prevent them from getting a date, or require them to join the “movement.”
How long did it take for you to write TGIN and what was the process like?
It took me about three and a half years to write Thank God I’m Natural: The Ultimate Guide to Caring for and Maintaining Natural Hair. The process was grueling, because it was one of those things, where I felt like I would never finish. I was working 80 hours a week at a major law firm doing mergers and acquisitions, and the only time I could get any work done for TGIN was before work at like 6:00 a.m. So I would head into the office and write, and write, and write. I also worked with a couple of editors, who helped me in a self-discovery process of finding my “voice.” You see, most of my legal writing was formalistic and I had to get to the point where it sounded like I was writing to one of my girlfriends, or like for a magazine, otherwise TGIN would have sounded like an encyclopedia, which it did at one point.
Once I finished the writing part, I self-published, I was in charge of working with the printer, getting my copyright and ISBN, hiring the graphic designer to layout the publication, finding a distributor that would help get me into Barnes & Nobles, and filling out all the paperwork to sell on Amazon. There was a lot involved, but it taught me that I can pretty much do anything if I put my mind to it.
Are you married or single?
I’m single.
Any children?
No children. Not yet, but they are definitely on my todo list (smile).
Why do you think Natural Hair is so popular right now?
I think natural hair is popular now, like it was back in the 60s and 70s, because people, women especially, have a desire to be themselves. We want to look good and feel good about who we are and going natural is the truest definition of that. Plus, being able to wash and go, along with not spending your entire Saturday in a hair salon is just a liberating feeling. I also believe that African-American women are becoming more and more concerned about their health, and issues related to wellness. Cancer is killing everyone, so I think a lot of people, not just black women are interested in living as naturally as possible.
Do you have future projects for TGIN that you are working on now?
I have two more books coming out. One is going to be like a TGIN Pt II, which is specifically for transitioners. I also hope to do a cookbook of meatless recipes for people interested in exploring a vegetarian diet. Finally, we are super psyched to be working on our hair care line at the moment and hope to expand our graphic tee line to include more athletic and yoga apparel. The next couple of years are going to be extremely busy, but I think we’re going to have a lot of fun taking TGIN to the next level.
What has been your proudest SisterPreneur achievement?
For me, it’s when I get emails from mothers or women who told me after reading my book they decided to go natural, despite feeling like they didn’t have the right kind of texture of hair. I also love when I get emails from Caucasian mothers with racially mixed daughters or adopted daughters thanking me for my book because now they can comb and do their daughter’s hair.
Whats your best advice to other SisterPreneurs hoping to have success in business?
1. Put God First. I don’t leave the house for work in the morning without reading some kind of devotional, the bible, or saying a prayer of thanksgiving.
2. Pick up a copy of the Martha Rules: 10 Steps to Starting and Running a Business.
3. Talk to people who do what you want to do, but do it better. I have learned so much more from picking up the phone talking to people in the industry, or connecting with people on LinkedIn. It’s called hustling. Yes, you have to do your research, but I try not to spend a ton of time on Google and what not researching. I find that if I go to the source (with some basic knowledge about a subject), I can find what I’m looking for a lot faster and they will often put me in touch with someone who can help me get to where I need to go.
4. Write your goals down or make a vision board. You have to hold yourself accountable, and sometimes making your vision plain helps you along the way to accomplishing your goals.
5. Be ruthless in your execution!
What’s a typical day like for you?
I get up work out (6x a week), come home and make a smoothie, check TGIN emails, talk to my assistant, and then head into the office where I start my day job as a lawyer for a software company. At night, when it’s over I’m answering blog interviews, sending out back orders for t-shirts if the warehouse is out of stock, thinking of media pitches, working on our social media strategy, and researching fragrances.
How do you manage to juggle your full time job as a Corporate Lawyer and run Thank God I’m Natural?
I have good people around me to help out. I have my hands in everything, but I’m learning you have to delegate the execution, otherwise you’re never going to move forward.
We see you’re talking about health and wellness a lot these days. Why/how did you develop an interest in nutrition?
I think when you go natural, you start to care about not only what you put on your hair, but what you put on and in your body. I’ve pretty much given up chicken, beef, and pork. I’m not a full blown vegetarian, but I see how changing my eating habits has made a difference in my mood and the sense of clarity I have. I also think our community has many health issues from heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, which could be eliminated by making simple changes to our diet. I hope we can change the perception that eating healthy is just for rich people!
How can we learn more about what you’re up to?
You can check out my blog at www.tginblog.com or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thankgodimnatural or Twitter @tginatural.
Anything else you would like to add? Rachel, thanks so much for giving me this opportunity to be featured on your blog. Also, many thanks to all the women and men who have believe in my clause and have bought my book. Hopefully, we’ll be coming to a beauty supply store near you soon.
Thank God I’m Natural: The Ultimate Guide to Caring for and Maintaining Natural Hair is now available at Barnes & Nobles, Borders and online atAmazon.com. For more information about Chris-Tia Donaldson or Thank God I’m Natural, please visit www.thankgodimnautral.com or her blog at www.tginblog.com.
