Episode 135 - Taliah Waajid

Summary

Grits and Eggs Podcast – Episode 135: Deante’ Kyle with Taliah Waajid (April 3, 2026)

Episode Overview

In this energetic and insightful episode, Deante’ Kyle sits down with legendary entrepreneur and natural hair care pioneer Taliah Waajid. They discuss the intersections of Black identity, community empowerment, beauty standards, pop culture’s influence, and the legacy of the World Natural Hair Health and Beauty Show. Taliah shares the difficult early days of natural hair advocacy, how her brand and events uplift the Black community, and what it means to build (and keep) Black-owned companies in a capitalistic America. The episode is rich with personal stories, historical context, and practical wisdom for aspiring entrepreneurs.

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Main Themes

• Black self-empowerment and community
• Natural hair advocacy/politics of beauty
• Pop culture and its impact on identity
• Business ownership, legacy, and capital
• Mental health in entrepreneurship and Black life

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Why It's Important to Not Jump into Every Conversation [03:03–04:00]

• Deante’ reflects on the social pressure to always have an opinion, especially on trending topics, stressing that sometimes the best thing is to let the conversation happen without adding redundant voices.
  • "If you don't have anything new or fresh to offer the conversation, it's best to let the people who already having a conversation have it." — Deante’ [02:55]
• Taliah agrees, emphasizing the value of doing research before speaking up:
  • "If you don't know enough about it, it's like, what's the point of talking? Sound like everybody else." — Taliah [03:27]

Religion, Fear, and Black Self-Determination [05:57–07:21]

• The guests discuss how religious narratives can create passivity, especially when people are taught to “let God fix things” instead of taking action.
  • "Powerful people...play into that narrative of people sitting back and letting God take control instead of them actually getting involved." — Deante’ [05:56]
• Taliah shares the impact of being raised under Minister Farrakhan’s teachings:
  • "Black man, do for yourself. That right there...is relevant today too...Black people are understanding that no one's going to do it for you." — Taliah [06:40]

Race, Bigotry & Education [08:08–09:53]

• Deante’ believes education and experience can change bigoted minds, but notes it’s more common in the Black community to unlearn anti-Black messaging imposed by society, rather than harboring anti-Black practices internally.
• Taliah and Deante’ agree that waiting for outside validation is a losing game:
  • "I wish we knew the power that we had. It would just be amazing." — Taliah [09:43]

Intergenerational “Bad Hair/Good Hair” and Internalized Anti-Blackness [10:30–11:12]

• The persistence of terms like “bad hair” is explored, stressing how damaging they are to children’s self-esteem and the ability to build community pride.
  • "A powerful movement has to be like, people who have a high esteem of self." — Deante’ [10:50]

Black Community, Success, and the Need for Representation [12:07–13:03]

• Taliah notes the feeling of being “the only one” in a room and the importance of supporting and uplifting each other in Black spaces.

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The Story of the World Natural Hair Health and Beauty Show [13:04–15:58]

• Taliah is introduced formally as the founder of the Taliah Waajid brand and the World Natural Hair Health and Beauty Show, now celebrating 26 years.
• Initially, it was a grassroots event for a small “back to Africa” community. Now, it is a 10,000-attendee international lifestyle event promoting natural hair, entrepreneurship, and Black empowerment.
  • "Started with about 20 booths...now we’re up to, like, 10,000 people and 200 booths." — Taliah [15:43]

Natural Hair vs. Wigs/Debate About Beauty Choices [17:49–19:32]

• Deante’ and Taliah discuss the valid reasons for wigs while pushing against the narrative that natural hair is “too hard.” Taliah stresses education and self-acceptance as the keys:
  • "Natural hair...is going to take longer...you just gotta decide you want healthy hair and take the time." — Taliah [17:49]
  • "The good thing about the girlies with the wigs is that they’re natural underneath...that’s a good thing for me." — Taliah [19:13]

Pop Culture and Trend Adoption [21:43–22:44]

• The impact of celebrities (e.g., Janet Jackson in “Poetic Justice,” Halle Berry’s pixie cut) on inspiring hair trends and normalizing natural styles is discussed.
  • "It really helps...more people are going to come to you requesting that hairstyle." — Taliah [22:17]

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From Harlem to Atlanta: Urban Black Culture, Colorism, and Adaptation [26:49–28:52]

• Taliah describes moving from Harlem, NY, to Atlanta, GA, in the 1990s, and a striking realization:
  • "The colorism, it was just so blatant...I felt like black People didn't like this themselves that much down here." — Taliah [27:07]
• She adapted by embracing local customs and learning from the community.

International Influence & Hair Expressions [29:24–32:43]

• The global reach of the hair show is huge: attendees come from Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, and Canada, each bringing regional styles (e.g., Senegalese twists, Caribbean locs).
• Taliah credits the African diaspora (especially early black stylists/travelers) for introducing intricate braid designs and techniques to US salons.

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The Power of Hair on Identity [34:03–34:14]

• Taliah and Deante’ reflect on how dramatically a hairstyle change influences self-confidence, identity, and even personality.
  • "I think that's the most powerful thing about hair...it could change a person's whole face...their whole personality." — Deante’ [34:04]

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What to Expect at the World Natural Hair Show [34:24–36:10]

• Workshops for both professionals and DIYers (braiding, hair care, styling)
• Two floors (~100,000 sq ft) packed with vendors, art exhibits, poetry, panels (including Deante’!), entertainment, health & wellness, and new AI workshops to keep things relevant.

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The Journey & Philosophy Behind the Taliah Waajid Brand [36:30–44:56]

• Taliah’s brand began as a salon solution to fill a gap for natural hair products in 1996.
• She stresses the importance of listening to mentors, adapting to change (e.g., social media), and lifelong learning for entrepreneurs.
  • "Mentors are only good if you're a great student. You have to listen." — Taliah [41:57]
  • "Business is about always just knowing that you should always be in the position to learn, to want to learn more." — Taliah [44:36]

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On Selling Out, Capitalism, and Purpose [45:09–50:57]

• Deante’ and Taliah talk candidly about Black-owned beauty brands selling to major corporations and the resulting dilution of quality.
• Taliah affirms her independence while acknowledging she may one day sell — but only with careful planning and a sense of legacy.
  • "Mentor told me...you should start your business with a plan to end it...as Black people, we've never been told that." — Taliah [46:01]
• The struggle: balancing family legacy, community standards, and financial opportunity.

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Mental Health Advocacy & Reality of Entrepreneurship [51:29–56:07]

• Taliah shares her mother’s struggle with depression and how it informed her own mental health awareness — and the importance of giving others grace.
  • "It's very important for people to not push it off...give people grace, you never know what they're going through." — Taliah [52:31]
• Deante’ and Taliah both note that money does not erase personal or family problems:
  • "Success will not wash all your woes away..." — Deante’ [53:15]
  • "Money comes and goes...it's only good for what you need and what you want. If you're not helping the community...what’s the point?" — Taliah [53:39]

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Impact Over Numbers — Why the Work Matters [56:07–59:27]

• They contrast viral metrics with real community impact, and why authentic connection always wins:
  • "The impact that it's having is the more important part than the numbers." — Deante’ [57:52]
  • "Your show has changed my life...I'm eating healthier now, I don't put chemicals in my hair..." — Taliah [59:08]
• Even years of financial struggle did not stop Taliah from running the show, because she believes in its value for community and for inspiring the next generation.

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Hair Politics & Colorism — Family, Praise, and Confidence [60:09–66:50]

• Taliah and Deante’ share personal stories of witnessing how difference in hair texture and skin color led to different treatment (even in their own families), and their strategies for fighting those messages.
• Foundational self-love, instilled from childhood, is presented as the antidote to internalized negativity:
  • "Growing up [in the Nation], everything you were taught...being Black was the best thing in the world." — Taliah [65:01]
  • "I think it's very important that you serve those messages to your children when they're young." — Taliah [66:09]

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Building Black Community, Navigating Respect, and Being Unapologetic [68:23–71:54]

• Deante’ advises that success does not require leaving Black neighborhoods for “more diverse” environments, referencing the grounding effect of an all-Black foundational upbringing.
• Both agree that sometimes the lesson is learning you need to work for yourself to preserve dignity and sanity in the workplace.
  • "Some people need to work for themselves." — Taliah [70:54]

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Closing Segment: Show Details & Brand Plugs [72:06–73:34]

• World Natural Hair, Health and Beauty Show: April 18th & 19th at AmericasMart Building Two, Atlanta, GA. Tickets available at naturalhairshow.org
• Taliah Waajid Brand Products: Available at CVS, Walmart, beauty supply stores, and taliahwaajid.com
  • "Ingredients are the most important thing to me. We make sure that we put some really great ingredients in there." — Taliah [40:07]

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “Black man, do for yourself. That right there...is relevant today too...Black people are understanding that no one's going to do it for you.” — Taliah [06:40]
• "A powerful movement has to be like, people who have a high esteem of self." — Deante’ [10:50]
• "Mentors are only good if you're a great student. You have to listen." — Taliah [41:57]
• "Money comes and goes. It's only good for what you need and what you want. If you're not helping the community...what’s the point?" — Taliah [53:39]
• "The impact that it's having is the more important part than the numbers." — Deante’ [57:52]
• "It's a beautiful thing. Your show has changed my life...I'm eating healthier now, I don't put chemicals in my hair..." — Taliah [59:08]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:03] — Deante’ on choosing conversations & online noise
• [05:57] — Religion as control, Black autonomy
• [13:04] — Formal introduction, Taliah’s legacy, and origin of World Natural Hair Show
• [17:49] — Natural hair vs. wigs: Beauty choices and health
• [21:43] — Pop culture and hair trends: From Janet Jackson to Halle Berry
• [29:24] — International reach of the show
• [36:34] — Building and growing the Taliah Waajid Brand
• [41:54] — Importance of mentorship and learning in entrepreneurship
• [45:09] — On capital, selling out, and legacy
• [51:29] — Mental health: personal and community perspectives
• [53:39] — Wealth, family, and what really matters
• [56:07] — Impact over numbers: measuring real success
• [60:09] — Historical context of hair in Black America
• [66:09] — Childhood self-love as antidote to colorism
• [72:06] — Show details and brand plugs

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Final Thoughts

This episode is essential listening for anyone interested in Black entrepreneurship, advocacy, beauty politics, or the ongoing journey of reclaiming Black identity and self-celebration. Taliah’s journey and Deante’s candid commentary make this an inspiring and practical guide for building powerful movements and businesses — and for loving yourself and your community.

Transcript

[Deontay]

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[Talia Wajid]

refreshing wild cherry cola meets Smooth cream. The treat you deserve. Pepsi Wild Cherry and cream Treat yourself.

[Deontay]

Yeah woke up in the morning and to God be the glory Thankful for another day to tell my story Put my opinions in the universe and let them orbit I'm from the dirty soul with a dirty mouth Might need or bit miss things on me like a nigga Norbit had to refuse them cause my bitch no rest fusion she gorgeous as I doubt my sons up and kiss my daughter forehead tell them we going to get this money to my pockets Mor remember living in apartments now we playing mortgage I feel very strongly about if you don't have anything new or fresh to offer the conversation, it's best to let the people who already having a conversation have it. Just have it, right? So like a lot of times people will Say they'll DM me or they'll. They'll comment. What do you think about this? What do you think about that? And I'm like, man, bruh, it's out there. It's 15 videos about it, bruh. You know what I'm saying? If I felt like I had anything different to offer, I would. But obviously at this point, I think they got it covered. You know what I'm saying? And a lot of times it's like, it's a picking and choosing thing. Like, you don't gotta. I don't need to be a part of every conversation, right. Sometimes I may not have an opinion on something. Like, especially if I don't know enough about it or.

[Talia Wajid]

That's smart. Yeah. If you don't know enough about it, it's like, what's the point of talking? Sound like everybody else.

[Deontay]

I think that's most people issue on the Internet. It's like, I'm a tackle all the trending topics, whether I'm informed or not. And then you get people putting their foot in their mouth, and then they try to walk it back. But, like, once it's out there, it ain't no walking it back. So I just, you know, I pick my spots. That's really what it come down to.

[Talia Wajid]

It's like, so you do research and then find out, okay, well, I'm gonna talk about this.

[Deontay]

Correct?

[Talia Wajid]

This is what's moving me.

[Deontay]

Yes, absolutely. And often, sometimes it may not even be something that's trending. A lot of things I talk about may not even be what's in the current news cycle. It may just be things I'm observing. We have, like, some. We have some very collective movements in our community around whether it be good behavior or bad. So if I see, like, that there's a collective conversation being had that's not necessarily a part of. Attached to popular culture or attached to something that's going on politically. And it's just something that I'm observing, like a behavior. I want to point their behavior out because I want to figure out where it come from. Like, why is it showing up in this time? And a lot of it can be okay. Like, I'm not sure what your religious beliefs are. Right. But it seems like there was a period where we was embracing a lot more Afro, like African spirituality, or at least redefining our belief system spiritually. And the worse the world got, the more we started seeing an uptick of Christian content. Because just from my perspective, it seemed like the world. The worse the world gets, the More divine things feel for Christians because of revelation teachings. So they look at the world as like the world is beginning to burn. You understand what I'm saying? So now it's like, okay, he's. Jesus is definitely coming back because look at the world. But it's also like it becomes inaction. Like I'm gonna just sit back and let it unfold. And I think that powerful people, like really play into that. They play into that narrative of like people sitting back and letting God take control instead of them actually getting involved,

[Talia Wajid]

encouraging them to do something.

[Deontay]

Yeah. It's like now it's themselves and now it's time to sit back.

[Talia Wajid]

This is just gonna happen. We just gonna sit here and wait.

[Deontay]

Yeah, but there are people orchestrating this. Like, if you have some of the most powerful people in the world, you know, they can pay other powerful people. Right. Like, so whoever is the most, you know, like the, the greatest anthropologist, the greatest theologist, the greatest psychologist or sociologist to observe our behavior around, around society and politics and then how does that line up with theology? And how can we like kind of fulfill prophecy in real time? Because that'll put people at bay, right? Yeah.

[Talia Wajid]

Keep them scared.

[Deontay]

Yes.

[Talia Wajid]

Fear. Yeah. So my religion, I was brought up under Farrakhan, so my views are very different from a lot of people, you know, that I interact with and. Yeah, fear. Religion to me is just based on fear. Yeah, just based off even that one was, you know. But there was some really strong things that helped me then and hold me now. One thing that really sticks out is black man, do for yourself. Yeah, that right there. That, you know, and it's relevant today too. You know, it seems like it's coming back to where black people are understanding that no one's going to do it for you. You have to get out there and do it for yourself.

[Deontay]

Yeah. We have very few allies and even when we do have people that come forth as like supposed allies, there is such a history of anti blackness within them or racism within them that maybe now their allyship is kind of like a veil that they can use. Like, look at me now. Because they know that they have a

[Talia Wajid]

past, people can change kind of situation.

[Deontay]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, look at me. But it's like the sentiments of a bigot kind of like to me it's like that's unwavering to me. It's like I don't, you know, I don't want to be in close proximity with somebody who used to be a bigot, much less like, believe that they aren't Anymore.

[Talia Wajid]

So do you think someone can become educated and no longer be a bigot?

[Deontay]

I do because in the sense that a lot of the black community have had to educate themselves on self and have undone ways of being just being a coon in so many or just being submissive and trying to assimilate into white society or white supremacy, so to speak. So I do think that education is a powerful tool. I also think that in our community, there is a lot of anti blackness that is pushed onto us that we just subconsciously accept and then later have to undo. But I don't think that we have like, anti black practices within the black community. I think a lot of us is stuff we're subjected to. So in other communities, it's just harder for me because they have anti black practices. Like, they're raised up to, like. Like, we're taught more so to like, hate ourselves. They're taught to hate us without any, like, interaction, without any experience in the community. These are things to keep us, like, susceptible or, like, force us to assimilate. Whereas for them, it's like this is their assimilation tool too, to stay away from us so they can climb the ladder in the other direction. And I think that once you've, like, been indoctrinated in something like that, education can definitely. Education and experience can definitely, like, turn it. But it just kind of seems like we're always let down by it. So, like, why even.

[Talia Wajid]

Why do we depend on it? Why don't we look within ourselves?

[Deontay]

Exactly.

[Talia Wajid]

Stop waiting for someone to validate us and tell us what to do. Why don't we just do? We are so strong as a people. I just wish we knew the power that we had. It would just be amazing.

[Deontay]

Yeah.

[Talia Wajid]

We really knew the power that we have. And a lot of. I know you said that, you know, the. We're taught some things, certain things in our community that keep us down. So who's teaching that? We're teaching ourselves. And a lot of it is, you know, coming from slavery. You know, we say these little things that it just continues to the next generation. And the next generation, you know, hair. Right. For one thing. Nappy hair. The bad. The bad. I still hear today, you know, people telling little children, oh, yeah, you got bad hair. You know, where does that come from? You know, it should be. Nothing bad, you know about that.

[Deontay]

Yeah.

[Talia Wajid]

And when you.

[Deontay]

I don't. Yeah, bad hair. Good hair is crazy.

[Talia Wajid]

Yeah.

[Deontay]

It's a crazy talk. Don't stay on the sun too long. That's crazy.

[Talia Wajid]

Is crazy talk.

[Deontay]

It's Crazy.

[Talia Wajid]

But it's the talk that we talk, you know, and we could say that we don't know, you know, what does it matter? Those. Those things really do matter.

[Deontay]

They do. Because it's a self esteem thing.

[Talia Wajid]

It's a selfish.

[Deontay]

And you. A powerful movement has to be like, people who have a high esteem of self, right? And because that esteem, like, if I love myself, I'm a love everywhere. Like my neighbor, I'm a love my people.

[Talia Wajid]

That's so true.

[Deontay]

That was the point where I was like thinking about it. It's like, instead of this idea of like embracing outsiders and then being let down. Like, I want to do away with the idea that anybody on the outside,

[Talia Wajid]

that you need the outside. We don't need outsiders. We really don't. But it depends on what you want as a person, you know? You know, are you insecure about who you are? Do you need to be validated by an outsider? And a lot of people do. You know, I remember traveling, you know, with my business, and I would go to these, you know, nice places, you know, because I have meetings in these different cities. And I would just see, you know, I would not see us, you know, and then when I saw us, it's like, you know, turn the other way instead of, you know, hey, how you doing? You know, in embracing and engaging with each other, that wasn't a thing. It was just, you know, oh, I'm the chosen black person because I'm here and I'm like, oh, I want to talk to you. You know, how can we get more of us here? You know, that's my thing. Because who wants to be, you know, successful? And you're among people that are not you.

[Deontay]

Right.

[Talia Wajid]

You know, and then the people that are you, they don't want to be who they are. So I just stay in the community and try to uplift the community, because that's where I came from. And I know that there are diamonds in the rough and just giving the opportunity. A lot of us don't want handouts. We want opportunity. And once you get the opportunity, we gonna do what needs to be done.

[Deontay]

Absolutely.

[Talia Wajid]

Yeah.

[Deontay]

We'll do a brief introduction because they told me that I have to start working on this. Like, normally I just start talking to my guests and then we just. Because we record now and we doing our thing. You see what I'm saying? That's how it happened. And then people like, who are you talking to? And I'm like, damn, I ain't introduced. But, like, I normally like to leave, like, descriptions in the cuz it's like more about your character and who you are than like, sometimes it's like not what you selling, pitching and plugging is like. Yeah, that's. That's a. That's secondary to me. You know what I mean?

[Talia Wajid]

Should be.

[Deontay]

So we have Talia Wajid in the building today. Founder and CEO of the Talia Wajid brand Natural Hair Care. You are a pioneering entrepreneur and the founder of the Talia Waji brand, a globally recognized leader in natural hair care. Name to incs or incs 2023 female founders 200 list. Celebrated as one of the most dynamic women shaping the future of beauty and business. And you're here to talk to me. What's this event I'm coming to?

[Talia Wajid]

You coming to the World Natural Hair Health and Beauty Show.

[Deontay]

Okay.

[Talia Wajid]

We are celebrating our 26th year. 26th.

[Deontay]

Everybody clapped their hands.

[Talia Wajid]

Black owned, black founded, black ran. So. And we're still here.

[Deontay]

Yeah.

[Talia Wajid]

And we're just really excited. We're excited to have you be a part of it.

[Deontay]

I'm excited to be a part of it.

[Talia Wajid]

This show is about community, you know, entrepreneurship, empowerment, you know, all of the positive things that we need in the black community. That's what the show is about as

[Deontay]

this, as it's been going. So if you've been doing it 26 years, then that means I was 10.

[Talia Wajid]

Yeah, probably 10.

[Deontay]

Yeah, 10. I'm 30. I'm 30. I'll be 36 years old. So 10. Yeah.

[Talia Wajid]

Okay. You're older than my son.

[Deontay]

You know what I'm saying? I'm doing my part. I love that. I love the.

[Talia Wajid]

They grew up with the show, so that's great.

[Deontay]

How have you seen it evolve? Like, what was the push for you to for one, start it? And then how do you celebrate 26 years of success? And how have you seen it? How have you seen the show evolve over time?

[Talia Wajid]

Who I've seen the show evolved dramatically because it was hardly anyone that was interested in natural hair back when I started, except for, you know, we called. Well, they call themselves the community. People that, you know, just want to go back to Africa and after white man and all that stuff, which is, you know, cool. But they were the ones that started supporting my show because they were the only ones that came because it was so black, you know, so just, you know, cultural. And so it started off as a hair show. I wanted to educate black women about the benefits of natural hair and chemical free hair. And so that's how it started. I wanted to show us in these different, beautiful styles. You know, I've always wanted natural hair, and, you know, I don't have that one to go back to Africa thing. You know, it's just. I just embrace it as who I am. And so I started the show to create a platform of positivity around natural hair, and it just escalated and transformed into this lifestyle event. Yeah, yeah. 26 years later. We started with about, what, 20 booths or something, maybe 100, 250 people. And now we're up to, like, 10,000 people and like, 200 booth, you know, vendors. So, yeah, we've grown.

[Deontay]

That's beautiful. Yeah, it is. Where. Where was the first show? Was the first show here in Atlanta?

[Talia Wajid]

It was here in Atlanta at the Renaissance Hotel downtown. I don't think think it's the Renaissance anymore. It's in a little ballroom.

[Deontay]

Likely not.

[Talia Wajid]

Yeah.

[Deontay]

Atlanta's changed a lot in 2016. Are you. Where are you from originally?

[Talia Wajid]

I'm from New York. I'm from Harlem.

[Deontay]

Okay. Bet. Yeah. Okay.

[Talia Wajid]

I'm from Harlem. Yes.

[Deontay]

Yeah, yeah.

[Talia Wajid]

But I love Atlanta, though. I'm from Atlanta now.

[Deontay]

Yeah.

[Talia Wajid]

I claim Atlanta and New York.

[Deontay]

We can hear it, though. You know what I'm saying? I hear the accents. All right.

[Talia Wajid]

I can't get rid of this accent. Yes.

[Deontay]

Good. That's good. I think Harlem has such a rich history for a conversation that was being had a little bit last year was about how during the country's great Depression, the Harlem Renaissance was happening simultaneously and the importance of black art, black voices, black media, and black movements that can be had in the midst of seemingly, like, world, like, nationwide despair. Right. We still are always going to find a way to celebrate ourselves and to shine even through, like, some of the darkest of times. And I think what you're doing is kind of parallel. I think it's important that it's happening now because there's a conversation having. Being had on TikTok, specifically around natural hair. And, you know, women complaining about it's too hard to maintain or, you know, it just takes so much time and effort. And the opposite end of that is women who advocate for wig wearing and things like that, but will. Will show a lot of, like, care and maintenance to their wigs, but not to maintain their natural hair. What was your standpoint beyond that, where this is something you truly advocate for.

[Talia Wajid]

Yeah. So anything's difficult if you don't try to do it. If you don't go into it with a positive mindset, it. You know, so natural hair, of course, is not going to, you know, it's going to take longer to do your hair than it would if you had a relaxer. You know, you can just comb your hair back or put it up in a bun. So it's just a matter of you deciding that I want healthy hair. I want to be healthy, and I'm just going to take my time and learn how to do my hair. So it's just a decision. Like the woman that spends all of that time with the wig, you know, she's made a decision that I want to have this hair, this baby hair, and all these things, and I'm going to take the time to do what it takes to get that so right. It's just, you know, making up your mind, you know. But I want to be healthy, so black women need to be healthy. So, you know, health comes first.

[Deontay]

What are some of the.

[Talia Wajid]

I'm not opposed to wigs, though.

[Deontay]

Yeah, that was my take on it, is that I'm not, like, opposed to it. I'm just opposed to it being the talk, like, on the opposite end of the talking point, like, my hair is too much. You know what I mean? It's like, well, there's like, there's time in between installs. So what do we do? Do we hide away? Do we not go to work? It's like. Or do we just constantly, like, rigorously stay on this maintenance routine that doesn't involve, like, an expression of self? To me, that's my opinion. But that's women's business, too.

[Talia Wajid]

But the good thing about the girlies with the wigs is that they're natural underneath. They're not relaxing their hair. They're not putting it, you know, those chemicals in their hair. So that's a good thing for me.

[Deontay]

Yeah.

[Talia Wajid]

So if you want to put a wig on, that's great. But like you said, don't, you know, put it against wearing your hair natural.

[Deontay]

Yeah, it's a choice.

[Talia Wajid]

Beauty is a choice for different women.

[Deontay]

Absolutely. Yeah. I think the conversation that was being had, some of the women who were advocating for natural hair was just like, don't conflate the wig with your beauty. Like, with it or without it, you beautiful. You know what I mean? That part has to be embraced. Now, if you talking about starting this 26 years ago, which. That's 26 years of the show, but. But not the avocation. Right. I'm pretty sure that's been a lifelong thing. How hard was it, like late 90s, early 2000s, where relaxers was all the hype, and just how hard was it for. For People. For you to get that information to

[Talia Wajid]

people and them apply was hard in Atlanta. It wasn't hard in New York. We're in Harlem. Because I had. I was working in salon there, making a. A lot of money, doing nothing but natural hair. But, you know, I had went through a divorce and left everything and moved to Atlanta. It was totally different. No one. No one was interested in natural hair at all. And so, you know, I just looked at that. So, you know, I just have to educate people. You know, I rented a booth and Escape Hair Salon. Well, I don't even know if they're still there anymore, but wasn't making any money there. But I was just determined to just be in the salon and just create the world that I wanted to be in. Was back in the salon. And I did have my clients in New York. So I went back and forth, and that's how I made my money and would pay my boof right here, not making any money. But while I was here, I would show people my work. You know, the girls would come in, they'll see my hair. They loved my hair. But they would say, but I love you, but I can never wear my hair like that. You know, I said, why? I don't think I would look good in it, you know, and, you know, so that went on for a couple of years. Then Poetic justice came out. My phone was ringing off the hook like crazy because everybody wanted the Janet Jackson braids. So that was the turning point, you know, for Atlanta, for me and, you know, natural hair. But a lot of them remembered what I told them, you know, when they will call me back. You know, they were remembering, well, if. If I keep a braid, these are going to grow, you know, you told me it'll grow. I was just surprised that they. They said they didn't want it, but they remembered a lot of the things that I was educating them about.

[Deontay]

Right.

[Talia Wajid]

So that was good.

[Deontay]

Do you. So that being a thing makes me think about the influence that pop culture has on trends and movements within our community. Like, just seeing Janet Jackson and Poetic justice, like, also we have, like, what they call the pixie cut in our community has been known as Dania Long. How. How much influence have you seen outside, even outside of that, like, where we name certain hairstyles to, like, celebrities or shows or things like that, and how has that, like, helped or hurt your business?

[Talia Wajid]

In certain ways, I think it's helpful because a lot of people want to be close, feel close to a celebrity. That. What was Halle Berry cut? Yeah, that was. That Was hot for a long time. I still think it'll be hot today, too. But, yeah, it. I don't think it hurts at all. I think it really helps because more people are going to come, especially if you're a stylist now, because more people are going to come to you requesting that hairstyle. So, yeah, I think it's very helpful.

[Deontay]

Yeah. You was talking about being a part of the nation earlier. A lot of my foundation comes from the nation. Just through listening to lectures and things like that. From Farakhan, Khalid, Muhammad, various. Various. I mean, I would say Farrakhan, especially. Especially when I seen. Let's just keep real, like, how scared white people was when he started talking with Buddy. Let me go see what he talking about, like, when they would be on. What's that? What's that old show, man, not 60 Minutes. It was a talk show. Donahue. Donahue. They used to really take it there on Donahue. So this one I get introduced to, like, Sister Soulja.

[Talia Wajid]

Okay.

[Deontay]

And things like that. Like, it was introducing me to a lot of these people of black radical thought, which is really just like black empowerment thought, to be honest. When. When you had your termination. I know a part of it is, like covering your head, too. So how did. Are you. Are you still.

[Talia Wajid]

I don't go to the mosque.

[Deontay]

Yeah.

[Talia Wajid]

I don't go to go to the Mars.

[Deontay]

Okay, but how was that back? Like, back in the day where you got it? Like, a lot of times I hated it because.

[Talia Wajid]

Only because I was so young and the neighbors, my friends would be teasing me, you got those sheets on your head. You know, stuff like that.

[Deontay]

That's crazy.

[Talia Wajid]

But that was the only thing. But, you know, kids can be cruel, you know?

[Deontay]

Absolutely.

[Talia Wajid]

But I just didn't think it was necessary for me. I just didn't think, you know, because I like fashion. I always liked fashion. I did hair. I loved hair. I wanted to show it. I didn't want to cover it up, you know, but, you know, when we went to the mosque, you had to do that. And. Yeah, I couldn't wait till I was old enough where I didn't have to do it. One of the things I didn't like, but I understand it. And now when I see the young women with the hijabs and the fly little outfit, they look so good. Why didn't have those outfits when I was young?

[Deontay]

I mean, Ramadan is like every year. It's my favorite time on TikTok. Because just the fits like crazy, right?

[Talia Wajid]

Even the guys, they be looking so good. They have the little babies with the little, like, it's so cute.

[Deontay]

Yeah, I, I think I, I relate to that in the sense of like having to get up to go to church every Sunday. It's like, man, I can't wait till I'm 18. I ain't got to do this.

[Talia Wajid]

You don't have to do this.

[Deontay]

You know what I'm saying?

[Talia Wajid]

So you grew up in the church?

[Deontay]

Yeah, well, my grandmother, yeah. Methodist, African Methodist church, Baptist church too, though, for sure. It seemed like when I was growing up, them was like interchangeable a little bit. But my, my granny was like, when we moved to, to Atlanta. I moved to Atlanta when I was 13, 14 years old, and my granny was like, you know, big party. Y' all moving down here, man. Y' all gonna have to go to church. I'm like, all right, man. Bible belt, you know what I'm saying? I'mma get down with it. But it was cool when I got to, I got older and of course I made my decision to leave and then come back and then leave again, you know what I'm saying? But it was like, it was good when it was my decision.

[Talia Wajid]

Yeah.

[Deontay]

Not somebody else deciding for me. I think when you're a kid, that's the hardest thing about church is like, it's decided for you. We talked about this earlier in the show and it made me think about these extremes that exist in our neighborhoods where a lot of times people want to talk about one end of the extremes of the violence and you know, some self deprecating behavior, some ignorance, but we don't ever talk about the other end of the spectrum, which is like supreme intelligence, a high self esteem. A lot of high powerful black movements were in these same dangerous neighborhoods. How have you seen that? How was your experience in Harlem growing up and seeing those black movements and then adversely in Atlanta, same thing. Because were you in like the West End area? Yes, I'm already knowing where you at because I know what, I know what it look like out there. So we've seen an emerging powerful road.

[Talia Wajid]

When I first moved down. Yeah, over there in the old national.

[Deontay]

Yeah, those movements have always been like central in our neighborhoods. But what was one of the biggest culture shocks that you saw outside of just heritages and like community, from moving from Harlem down to Atlanta, down to

[Talia Wajid]

Atlanta, culture shock, really, there's a. The colorism, it was just so blatant, you know, it was just so. I was really surprised. It just felt, I just felt like people didn't like themselves. You know, black People didn't like this themselves that much down here. That's what I felt like. That's just based on what I was around. Another culture shock. I don't know. I can't say there were. There were many because my salon was in the hood in New York, so. My salons in the hood here, too.

[Deontay]

Yeah.

[Talia Wajid]

Wasn't like no big culture shock with that. That's, you know, and I'm very open minded. So I, you know, just. Just go in and I just see what's going on and I just get in, you know? Yeah, I get in. I don't see. Oh, we don't do that, you know. You know, we didn't do that in New York.

[Deontay]

How long did it take you? How much? How long did it take you get out of. Man, in New York? I think that's the thing that we dislike the most about, like, New Yorkers. Yeah. Like, man, y' all always talk about New York, man. Go back.

[Talia Wajid]

Right, right. I'm not one of those, though.

[Deontay]

Yeah.

[Talia Wajid]

I'm. I'm like, when in Rome. The Romans.

[Deontay]

Yeah. Real talk.

[Talia Wajid]

I was just trying to. Everything was new, even the way they ran the salons. It was just so exciting and new. And I'm like, wow, this is different, you know, what are you doing over there? What are they doing? You know, that's how I am. I'm not going to sit back and, oh, we don't do that. I want to know what are you doing? Yeah, why are you doing it?

[Deontay]

That adaptability. Yeah. That's my favorite thing about traveling is, like, how y' all do things over here, however y' all do it. That's how I want.

[Talia Wajid]

That's how, you know, I mean, why are you there?

[Deontay]

Yeah, for sure. And then experience. Exactly. And then when you come back home, I'll show you how we do things. You know what I mean? You learn more with the. I wanted to talk about not only, like, the World Natural Hair show, but the impact, like, nationally, because even if you haven't in Atlanta, I'm pretty sure there's people that come from far and wide. Have you seen it reach to, like, not only the States, but, like, outside of the States as well.

[Talia Wajid]

Yeah.

[Deontay]

Let's talk about some of the Europe

[Talia Wajid]

from, you know, well, London, Europe, Europe, Africa, the Caribbeans, Canada. We have people that come from all over to come to the show.

[Deontay]

What is those. What are some of the different expressions that you see in natural hair based on, like, regions or countries?

[Talia Wajid]

I'll say back then, when I first moved here, no One had locks. Hair locks was not a thing at all. And even when I. I started wearing locks, still got the compliments, but, you know, they didn't want to. Can we. Like that. That was one of the things. The guys were under the dryer. Like, the guys were getting their hair roller set. When I first got here in the night, was it 92 or 91? That was really different to me. I was like, okay, so what does this about? But they were like guy guys, you know, like, they would get in their little roller sets and they go. And so those. Some things that were player. Yeah, there you go. Magic City was different because the girls that were, you know, coming into the salon during the day, they were. They were the dancers. And so I'm from New York. We don't talk about dancing stuff. You do stuff like that. You're, like, quiet somewhere. So they, like. And we. I thought they were Alvin Ellie dances. Like, oh, the dancers are coming. I'm like, okay. I had to go see for myself what the dances were. I did go, yeah.

[Deontay]

Once you see it for yourself, you know what's going on?

[Talia Wajid]

Yeah. And I think I had a client in New York that was a dancer. You know, when I kind of put it together, I said, oh, okay. So that was different. Those are some of the different things.

[Deontay]

What are some of the differences in expression that come from Africa? Because I know, like, the thing we talk about here in America a lot of times we'll accredit locks to, like, the Caribbean, for sure. What are some of the natural hair expressions that you seen come out of Africa? When they would come over here,

[Talia Wajid]

when I was braiding, there were not many Africans braiding here. Really? There were not many. And what, in New York, the African salons didn't come yet? They started trickling in. Yeah, they started trickling in, like, the 90s, but not like they are now. Right. So you think women think about getting their hair done. We're going to the Africans, you know, get the hair done. That's what it is now. Back then, it wasn't, you know, like that, but I did get to see a lot of the styles that I knew how to do. Now I see the girls from Africa and, you know, I see their hair. I'm like, oh, okay. But the woman that taught me a lot of my techniques, she used to go to Africa all the time, you know, so she had come back and learned all these different designs and partings and things that nobody was doing back then. So that's why we were so busy. And you Know, could charge the money we were charging because nobody did it. And so. But now when they started coming over, I started seeing the Senegalese twist. I'm like, oh, they're from Senegal. The Senegalese twist, you know, different hairstyles from different regions. And even now, when I look at the styles that the girls are doing now, there's still some of the other styles we did, but I see a little more something different, you know, that maybe the African girls brought over.

[Deontay]

Yeah, that's hard. Yeah. The first. The first set of locks that I had, a Haitian lady did them for me and we was just like, this is my homie. Like one of the homies. Auntie, like, one of my best friends growing up was Haitian. And I was growing my hair. I was just growing it because my hair grows so fast. I don't really like, I don't like, keep going, getting no haircut. She's like, let me twist your hair up. And I was like, all right. And then it's like, oh, man, like next, like three months. Like, I used to just go over there like once every other week, and she'll keep it maintained. Before I know, I got full blown locks and I'm just out here thugging it. But right then, it was like an intentional thing. After that, it was like the first set was just kind of like, I'm outside for real. Like, I ain't got time to maintain no haircut, no nothing. But after a while, it was like, even when I would cut my hair, I would always go back to get locs. Like this probably my third set of locs. Cause it's like I would be like, man my hair back up. That's my look. Like, that's how I feel the most confident. That's how I just love it. You know what I mean? And I think you see that with other people. Like, my wife recently just cut her hair all the way.

[Talia Wajid]

Just short chopped it all the way off.

[Deontay]

Chopped it all the way off.

[Talia Wajid]

We call that the big chop.

[Deontay]

And then dyed it. She looks so good. I'm like, okay. I'm rocking with that whole new wife. You hear what I mean? You know what I mean? Got a whole new woman at the house.

[Talia Wajid]

You know, hair would do that.

[Deontay]

It will. I think that's the most powerful thing about her. From one look to the next. It could change a person's whole face. It could change their whole personality.

[Talia Wajid]

Way you feel.

[Deontay]

Yes, Everything. What is something that you want people to experience? What are some things that people can expect when they come to the world? Natural hair show.

[Talia Wajid]

You can expect to be amazed. We have healthy hair stylists there. We have hair brands here. Some of your favorite brands are there. Hair companies. We got workshops, you know, for professionals and we have workshops for do it yourself. You know, you just want to learn how to do braids or learn how to do your natural hair. Learn how to comb it. We have workshops for that. We have two floors this year and it's about a hundred thousand square feet. I think it is. It's a lot. Yeah. We have a huge men's den. Right. Where we have men's grooming products. We have beard contests. We. Was it the best beard contest? We have the best barber contest. Well, barber competition, actually.

[Deontay]

Yes.

[Talia Wajid]

And deals with the professionals. Get involved. We have health and wellness information. Well, we have so much stuff going on. We have you. That's going to be there on one of the panels. We have a lot of really great informative panels and some controversy on some of the panels as well, which is you, you just get to talk, talk things out and. Absolutely, you know, just hear from each other. And what else do we have stuff going on there. Entertainment. You know, we have. Was it a poet's corner? We have the book nook because people are starting to pick up books and read again, which is awesome. And so like I said, it's just, oh, informational entrepreneurship. Some really great information. We have about four AI workshops this year too. So we stay relevant.

[Deontay]

Yeah.

[Talia Wajid]

You know, that's how we've been able to be around this long. You know, just staying relevant as things change. As, you know, people change. You know, we change with it just to make sure that we're touching the people.

[Deontay]

That's beautiful. So it's going to be, it's, it's a, it's a fully immersive black experience.

[Talia Wajid]

It really is. Really, it's. Oh, and art too. We have Art Avenue upstairs.

[Deontay]

I'm excited.

[Talia Wajid]

Yeah, good. I'm excited to have you. We are so excited.

[Deontay]

Let's talk about, let's talk about your brand. When did you start your brand? What are, what are some of the things that separate you from, you know, more mass produced brands?

[Talia Wajid]

I bought this for you.

[Deontay]

Okay.

[Talia Wajid]

Deontay. Because I see you have your locs and this is one of my newest collections. But the brand started in 1996.

[Deontay]

Okay.

[Talia Wajid]

Yes. That's how old this brand is.

[Deontay]

30 years old.

[Talia Wajid]

Yes. Wow. When you say it, it's like wow. I always say 1996, but I don't say the years well.

[Deontay]

I mean that. But that's, here's the thing. Most people go out of business within the first year.

[Talia Wajid]

Absolutely.

[Deontay]

If not after that, the first five years. And to be able to maintain especially and, and grow. Grow.

[Talia Wajid]

That's profit.

[Deontay]

That's the biggest thing with the profit.

[Talia Wajid]

Yeah.

[Deontay]

That a scalable business is very, something to be very proud of. Yeah, yeah, let's talk about it.

[Talia Wajid]

Yeah. So we've been around since 1996. We were the first complete line of products that focused on natural hair. Natural, healthy hair. And this is our love my locks collection. We have everything that you need, really. I, I, I mimicked it off of when I had locs. You know, what did I put in my hair when I had locs? You know, I oiled my scalp. I used a daily leave in conditioner. Of course I shampooed it. And most importantly, I use a clarifying shampoo because, you know, you get little things in your.

[Deontay]

Yeah, I need that bad.

[Talia Wajid]

And then we have. Well, this, I would say I didn't have this when I had locks because this is like a setting, you know, foaming gel. So you probably won't use it because you don't crinkle your locks, do you? Your kind of thick, but yeah, this is, I would say, the newest thing.

[Deontay]

And then my son got lots though, so.

[Talia Wajid]

Oh, he does. Okay, everybody has locks.

[Deontay]

No, everybody has at one point, my wife, at one point, she chopped my oldest son. This is second set.

[Talia Wajid]

Okay.

[Deontay]

His is free form though. He, he like, he's his gold. The young folks like, they really on that free form and I love it. My middle son is so like tender headed in the sense of like, he don't want you touching his hair. So we just keep that thing low.

[Talia Wajid]

Oh, okay.

[Deontay]

And my baby, she just won't commit to one hairstyle. She too young for that.

[Talia Wajid]

How old is she?

[Deontay]

She's eight. She won't commit like every other week. She got a new, got something new. Yeah, she love her natural hair, but she also likes like the different braid patterns. She like to play around with wigs a lot because she like, she, she's one of the most expressive people that I know. Yeah, she bold too. Like, she, we got a show tomorrow. She like, you gonna bring me on stage. Yeah.

[Talia Wajid]

Wow.

[Deontay]

When we did the I hosted, she's not afraid, not at all. When I hosted for Mona Leo at her show, it was probably, what, what would you say? Like 8 to 1200 people there. Yeah, man. She got on stage, she has his dance routine, she did his Kendrick Lamar song and she was like, let Me, come on stage, I want to do my dance routine. She went up there, no frills. This is a 8 year old, no frills. Not shaking like ready?

[Talia Wajid]

Wow.

[Deontay]

Yeah, they was hyping her too. She was them hyping her. They got her really going. Yeah. So that's like, you don't have to

[Talia Wajid]

bring her out of every show.

[Deontay]

Oh, yeah, absolutely. She coming to the one tomorrow, so. And she, she telling me like, if I don't let her on stage, it's gonna be a problem. She's like, I'm vip so I get to make some of the rules. I want to be on stage. I'm like, we could do it. We can make it happen.

[Talia Wajid]

You got to do.

[Deontay]

Yeah, for sure. She gonna shut me up for sure. I'm already know.

[Talia Wajid]

Let her go last.

[Deontay]

Yeah, yeah, she'll close it out.

[Talia Wajid]

Yeah. So yeah, this is the collection. This collection can be found at cbs. Okay. I have another new collection called Love my Natural Hair and that one can be found at Walmart. And all the beauty supply stores have all of my products.

[Deontay]

Okay, great.

[Talia Wajid]

If you can't find everything you need in CVS and Walmart, you can always go to the beauty supply store because they always have it. Or the website.

[Deontay]

Yeah.comtalia.com. perfect.

[Talia Wajid]

Yes. And these products, ingredients are the most important thing to me. So we make sure that we put some really great ingredients in there. This one has thyme, honey and hibiscus. Yes.

[Deontay]

I'm starting to smell good too.

[Talia Wajid]

Smells awesome.

[Deontay]

Yeah. All right, man, I'm looking forward. I got stuff to do. We got a show tomorrow. I'm gonna go ahead and get right tonight. You know what I mean? How has your brand just from a product perspective, evolved since the beginning? I know that like, you know, 96, there is no social media. There is no, you gotta do word of mouth. You gotta be grassroots and get your following going like that alongside having the show, which came a few years later. So how have you seen it grow and like, what were some of the hardest parts about starting?

[Talia Wajid]

It wasn't hard to start at all because I started as a stylist. And basically my clients were asking me, you know, what do I put on my hair? You know, after I finished the hair, I couldn't send them to the store to get anything. There was nothing there. So that was my key, my cue to, you know, find out, find a chemist and, you know, find a. Create a product line that I could sell to my customers. So that wasn't hard. I sold it to my Customers directly. Then I wanted to sell it to salons, you know, so I wanted it to be, like, professional, like the black Paul met you. That, that. That's what was really popular back then. And that didn't work out. Salons, you know, they have not really learned, you know, retail enough. And so I said, well, I need to, you know, just get these products everywhere so people can buy them. And got a mentor and just listened and, you know, do what I was supposed to do, you know, Absolutely. Great mentor. And I was a great student.

[Deontay]

Yeah.

[Talia Wajid]

Mentors are only good if you're a good student. A great student. Yeah.

[Deontay]

This y' all camera right there. Let's say that one more time.

[Talia Wajid]

Mentors are only good if you're a great student. You have to listen. People ask me to mention them all the time, and I'm like, okay. And then they come in, they want to tell me all the stuff that they're doing, how they're going to do it. I just say, okay. It just fades away. I just let it go because I already know what's gonna happen. I don't say anything.

[Deontay]

Yeah.

[Talia Wajid]

The right one to come.

[Deontay]

It has to be. You have to have, like, some really great skills as a follower in order to be a strong leader. It just is what it is. I think people, like the negative connotation behind being a follower is what keeps people away from it. But I think being able to take leadership, being able to adhere to authority and in the right settings, of course, like, is very important. Like, it is.

[Talia Wajid]

It is very important because if you're going to be a leader, you're going to need someone to adhere to what you're saying, you know?

[Deontay]

Absolutely.

[Talia Wajid]

It all goes around.

[Deontay]

Yeah, I think that. Go ahead.

[Talia Wajid]

No, go ahead.

[Deontay]

Well, there's this idea of, like, not reinventing the wheel that people talk about, but so you have to observe what other people do with the will.

[Talia Wajid]

You say observe what?

[Deontay]

What other people do with the will. You know what I mean? So, like, a part of my, like, education in this space is just observing others and not feeling like I know better. You know what I mean? Like, I don't. Like, when you start something, you don't know anything. And then the more you get into it, the more you realize you don't know. And I think a lot of people feels a lot because they think it's just as simple as, like, I'm a record and I'm a post clips and that's it. But it's like, what are you saying that's captivating? What Are you saying that's intriguing? What are you saying? That's educational? Because education is a big part of having. Pulling people in. They want to learn something.

[Talia Wajid]

They want to know something that they don't know.

[Deontay]

Absolutely right.

[Talia Wajid]

They definitely want to know something that they don't know. And I think you asked me about the. Oh, well, I did want to talk about this one time with my, with my brand where social media came, you know, because for years there was no social media. And we talk to consumers a certain type of way. You tell them what they needed and they listened to you and they bought your stuff. And then this thing happened where social media came and people became educated about products and whatever it is that they wanted. And so now they're making the decision fully on what they want to buy. So I had to relearn how to talk to consumers. You know, I had to re. I had to learn social media. I had to. I had to learn. So business is about always just knowing that you should always be in the position to learn, to want to learn more. Because things change overnight. No matter how successful your business is going, it can be going successful for years, years, decades. And then something. Something can switch. So if you have the mindset of, well, you know, we've been doing it this way, we've been successful, and we're just going to wait and keep doing it. No, you. You're going to slowly fizzle away. You have to adjust to whatever new is going on, you know, whatever the consumer wants. You got to stay close to what the consumer wants and be ready to pivot or do whatever you have to do to stay in business.

[Deontay]

Absolutely.

[Talia Wajid]

Yeah.

[Deontay]

Yeah. You got to stay in demand and.

[Talia Wajid]

Right.

[Deontay]

The customer creates the demand.

[Talia Wajid]

Now they definitely do 100. You can't tell them to do anything, make their own decision, which is good, you know, which is really good.

[Deontay]

So have you. You've never sold to any corporation or anything like that?

[Talia Wajid]

No, no. Parts of my business.

[Deontay]

Yeah, we noticed that we see that a lot with like black owners, especially beauty. Beauty products.

[Talia Wajid]

Yeah.

[Deontay]

Is that they build up a great business. They build up. They unmasking a great following of customers and people that love their products and advocate for their products. And then they sell to X, Y and Z.

[Talia Wajid]

Right.

[Deontay]

Big box or corporation. And then we start to see the decline in the product, the ingredients change.

[Talia Wajid]

Now it's just a profit.

[Deontay]

Yeah.

[Talia Wajid]

Nothing about the brand at all. It's just profit.

[Deontay]

Well, I'm, I'm sure at this point, being 30 years in business, that you've been Approached by big box corporations and things like that.

[Talia Wajid]

Yeah, I'm approached a lot, but. And that's not where I am. Yeah, that's not where I am.

[Deontay]

Would I ever be where you are?

[Talia Wajid]

It might be, yeah. You know, the price is right. I might, you know, and, you know, whatever's going on in my life, you know, depends on. I don't see anything bad with selling your business. I think that you can make a really poor decision if you don't sell at the right time. If you look at your business and you see different trends that are not, you know, going the way they were when you know, your profit was higher or, you know, the fast, if you can't turn it around, you know, then you should be planning to exit. You know, and actually, a mentor told me this, that you should start your business with a plan to end it. You know, as black people, we've never been told that, you know, that. That you start a business and one day you're going to sell it or end it, you know, have a succession situation or just sell it. We're just 80, 90 years old still, you know, in business.

[Deontay]

Right.

[Talia Wajid]

And you just never. You never end. You never retire or anything. So I think that's very important to have that thought in your mind.

[Deontay]

You know, I think, how are you

[Talia Wajid]

going to end, exit?

[Deontay]

A lot of psychology around our ideals on business is that we don't sell to corporations, that we keep it in the family. We continue a legacy of family businesses.

[Talia Wajid]

Sounds real nice, but.

[Deontay]

Yeah, and that's the big but. Now, how do you contend with that, with selling versus having a product that black people specifically can't count on to be healthy for their hair and things like that? Because once you sell off, you don't have any control over the product. And it can. A lot of times it gets involved in toxic chemicals being putting in it. And these are things people putting directly into their head. So how do you contend with that part of it? Do you maintain ownership so you know that your customer is getting a healthy product?

[Talia Wajid]

It depends on what kind of deal you have. It depends on the person who's buying it. And I would imagine that if someone's coming with, you know, the amount or figure, you know, they have a idea in their mind of already of what they want to do with it.

[Deontay]

Right.

[Talia Wajid]

You know, so if you're not the one that's gonna. I'm not gonna buy yours if you don't want to adjust to what I want to do, because I'm the one with the check, you know, then I'll find somebody else.

[Deontay]

Right.

[Talia Wajid]

So it depends on the person who says selling it. What is there a point where they're going to say, I'm gonna walk away because this. I don't feel like you're going to take care of my customers.

[Deontay]

Right. If you think that there's a contingency that could be had in a deal where you sell and you say, hey, like a contingency upon selling this is that you have to maintain the integrity of the product.

[Talia Wajid]

I don't know, it depends on the profit margins because that's the first thing they're going to look at, is that profit margin. Now, you know, they looked at your business because they saw that they can make money.

[Deontay]

Right.

[Talia Wajid]

They're interested. But their thing is how much more money can we make out of it? You know, do we see other places we can cut, you know, can get rid of this department? Because we already have this one. Can we, you know, use this ingredient that's less expensive? You know, almost the same ingredient, but it costs like 40 less? That's what they're going to do.

[Deontay]

Yeah.

[Talia Wajid]

You know, when they buy your business. So I say that there's always a, you know, another black girl coming up or a black guy coming up with some products. So, you know, if you, if you've been using the brand and you see that they've sold and they've changed and you're not happy with them anymore, go find the next black person. Support them. Yeah, support them because they're going to be coming up as well. And I just think we have to be in the mindset of supporting each other and not look for reasons not to support each other, you know, because you can come up with reasons all day, but it's more beneficial to us as a people to support each other, find ways to support each other.

[Deontay]

Yeah, I agree with that. I think a big part of our society, especially, you know, just understanding that there's like really no way to escape capitalism. And we have people who, like me and you, being business owners, are capitalists in this society. But we are very community oriented. And when we get to like venture capitalists and like staunch capitalists, they don't care about community at all. So I think that's the point. That's kind of the place where I'm at. And probably what has kept you as an independent owner is that, you know, that the care has to be for the community first. The product has to be for the community first.

[Talia Wajid]

Right.

[Deontay]

And some of these people are approached maybe five, 10 years into the business and maybe are just now scaling, and then they sell right then and there. And I think that's where most people feel duped. It's like, man, I just started using your product, and then you sold it immediately. Whereas you. You've been long standing in the game. So, like, I think, you know, everybody has aspirations to retire. Everybody has aspirations. Kind of like, I'm gonna get my check right off into the sunset. So I think it's remarkable that you've stayed in business as long as you have.

[Talia Wajid]

Thank you.

[Deontay]

And turn down things at the same. At the same rate, while maintaining, like, a healthy business mindset, because this is the climate we live in. You know what I mean? Understanding, like, what the. How to play the game as well is, you know, I'll be telling, like, my. My homies, like, you know, y' all always want to talk about breaking the rules, but y' all don't even know the game. Like, you can't break the rules to a game you don't know how to play. Like, y' all just breaking rules just to break them or, like, breaking rules and then saying, I ain't know that was a rule. It's like, you gotta learn the game.

[Talia Wajid]

I didn't know it was a rule.

[Deontay]

Yeah, you've. You've also been a very, I would say, in the forefront of, like, mental health advocacy. That's a big part of your journey. What role does mental health play into, not only your life? I think it's important across the board. I think it shouldn't be, like, a role that something plays, but, like, your advocacy towards it. How long have you been advocate for mental health?

[Talia Wajid]

Oh, since I think my mom had a little bit of it. You know, she had, like, nine children. And, you know, my dad did all work. He. He was able to work, and she stayed home with the children. But I could tell she wanted to do something else, you know, and she did. After how old she. She was probably like 65. And she went back to school and started, you know, working and doing things. And I saw her, you know, prep up a little bit, but I could tell that, you know, it was there, and I know that I get it sometime and as well, you know, and so it's just very important for people to not push it off and think that it's not a thing, you know?

[Deontay]

Yeah.

[Talia Wajid]

And to even learn how to deal with and give people grace, you know, because you never know what they're going through. You know, it could be any. I'm a strong advocate of that. Just, you know, someone's having a bad time or doing something out of norm. No. Something that they would not normally do.

[Deontay]

Correct.

[Talia Wajid]

Weird or whatever. You know, just give them grace first, you know, And. And just consider that, you know, this world is a crazy place and it's a lot of stress. It's a lot of. Just a lot of things going on to deal with. You know, you never know what the next person is dealing with.

[Deontay]

Yeah.

[Talia Wajid]

Yeah. So that's why I'm just very strong with that, with a strong advocate for mental health.

[Deontay]

Yeah, There's a. There's this idea that, like, success will kind of wash all your woes away that people have.

[Talia Wajid]

It does not. And you know what? I was watching. What is his name? Murdoch. The one who owns Fox.

[Deontay]

Yeah, Murdoch. Yeah, the Murdoch family did that.

[Talia Wajid]

Just. What was the Netflix thing? Yeah, yeah, something.

[Deontay]

I started episode one at, like, midnight, and I was like, I gotta cut this off. Off.

[Talia Wajid]

Because you can't cut it off because you're like, why? You have billions and you still not happy. Family's torn apart. Just. It's like, what. What? Money? Money comes and goes. It's only good for what you have, what you need and what you want. You know, if you're not helping the community or giving back to other people, it's like, what's the point of having all of this? You know, you're fighting with your family over money. You're not speaking to your brother ever over money. So those kind of things go on when money is involved. It's just, you know, people don't understand. I think, because people don't understand money. You know, you have an understanding of money, what it is, what it's for, you know, how to use it, how it can help others. You don't go through those kind of things, you know, and that's what I think, because we haven't had it. We don't understand. We just. And a lot of us think that when you have. You just buy stuff, stuff gets old, you know, real quick. So, come on.

[Deontay]

I would say over this last year, I have. I made more money than I ever have made in my life. Probably more money than anybody in my family has ever made. Also, I've been gifted so many things to the point where it's like, bro, I don't have nowhere to put all this shit, man. You know what I mean?

[Talia Wajid]

Well, you gonna put this in your hair?

[Deontay]

Well, no, for sure. Not this. Not this. Not this, for sure. But I think that it's like there's such a deep Gratitude that comes with, like, the fact that people want to gift me things. It's like, bruh, I. You know, like, I was one of them children that's, like, always disappointed at Christmas. Like, man, I ain't get the shit I wanted. And then it's like, you get a Dreamcast, that shit make up for, like, three years. And then you get a PlayStation, like, all right, that make up for, like, the last four years. You know what I'm saying? But so I think it's like. And my birthday being on July 4th is like, one of those things where it's like, I feel like everybody's celebrating my birthday, so it's not really even about me.

[Talia Wajid]

Right?

[Deontay]

You know what I mean? I just celebrating this holiday, and I just so happened to be born today. So, like, y' all was gonna cook out anyway. This cookout ain't for me. You know what I'm saying? And it was like, when you a kid, you fall into that. Like, oh, look, they're doing fireworks for you. And he gonna like, doing the fireworks anyway, bruh. They was gonna do that anyway. But so, like, gifts and, like, things like that is such a great. Like, I'm so grateful for it. But I think that there is a thing that's in the forefront of my mind. Like, the accumulation of stuff is not necessarily a successful. It's not. Has anything to do with success. It's the internal stuff.

[Talia Wajid]

Yeah.

[Deontay]

It's the things that, like, you know, you could have money. You could buy a thousand cars, you could buy a thousand watches and all this. And these people still seem to be extremely unhappy. Unhappy because, like, if you don't have anybody to share things with, truly, you don't have a community that you can, like, pour back into a purpose, Then this really becomes off or not. Like, it becomes like, it's a greed thing at that point. Now you just, like, competing with other people for numbers. And numbers never end. So nobody's ever going to have enough money if it's about how much money you have, because it never stops. It's like, if you make a million dollars and you, like, that's a generational breakthrough for you and your family. And then you get around people that got $100 million and you're like, damn, now I need 100 million. And then you get them 100 million. And now it's people with billions of dollars. He's like, damn, now I gotta get a billion. And then it becomes a thing of, like, shit, I got $1 billion, bro,

[Talia Wajid]

and he got 5.

[Deontay]

But he got 5 billion. And then you get the 5 billion and it's like, well, this nigga got $50 billion. And it's like, so it never stops. Because it's like, well, he got a yacht, but his yacht 300ft, mine only like 20. I got to go get 300 footer. And it's like, I've seen in this space how easy it is to get caught up in numbers and not impact, right? So I was looking at some podcasts that like out outperform me numbers wise. And I look in the comments and it's, I'm not going to call them bots. I wouldn't say bots. It just seems like, oh, another great show, or wooda woo woo, and things like that. And I go look at my comments and it's like, people is like, bruh, this shit has changed my life. This shit has deeply impacted me. I watch this shit with my mama, I watch this shit with my wife. I put my son on this, like, and it's like, okay, well then I can get, I can get caught up in, you know, or just say something like, oh, I just got 85,000 views. And it's like, no, that's for one, it's a lot of fucking people. For two, the impact that it's having is the more important part than the numbers, right? Like, the numbers really don't prove anything because I'm independent too. So maybe you work with a corporation. And of course, if you are Apple at you owned by your podcast, owned by Apple, your podcast owned by Spotify, they gonna make sure you get them numbers. But like for me, this off the muscle, like it's all organic and the impact is the more important part. So like, even with you, anybody could put together whatever they want to put. They want to put together a beauty show. I think that's cool. Like, we had Broner brothers back in the day. My homie dad was a big part of that and he said that the most important part was seeing how people showed up and how happy they was when they was there. And I think for you it's the same thing. It's like these are people embracing their natural selves around a whole multitude of other people who embrace the same thing. And oftentimes, depending on what communities we grow up, we feel isolated in those efforts, right? So you bringing all these people together, that's got to be a beautiful thing.

[Talia Wajid]

It is a beautiful thing. And I, I get the same kind of reactions of, oh my God, your show has changed my life. You know, I, I'm eating healthier now. You know, I don't put chemicals in my hair. I love that show. I learned so much from your show, that workshop you had, that panel you had. And those are the things that motivate me to keep going.

[Deontay]

Absolutely.

[Talia Wajid]

Even when I was making no money at all out of, you know, from this show. I mean, it's been years that have. I haven't made a dime.

[Deontay]

Yeah.

[Talia Wajid]

I don't have any huge sponsors or anything, so a lot of it just comes down to my pocket. My brain is sponsored, the show. But I do it because I know it's important, you know, I know it's important to have something that's giving back to the community and making us feel good about ourselves, you know?

[Deontay]

Yeah.

[Talia Wajid]

Yeah. And then I noticed some young person looking like, wow, I'm gonna do that one day, and they're gonna do it bigger and better. You know, it's a motivation, inspiration, you know, so we like to just make sure that the show is very positive and inspirational so that we can influence people to do great things.

[Deontay]

Yeah. I would say if we just think about it. I think about a lot of things in, like, the context of history that you are in a lineage of like a Madam C.J. walker building that. Building a legacy around, like, hair, especially for black women, is a big thing. Like the history of black hair in this country and the way it's been treated. Even in a place like Louisiana, where it's like mandated you cover your hair because of all of these different things. And then when they started doing fancy things with the hair coverings, that was a problem. You know what I mean? It's like, so, yeah, never just be left alone and just like rock out. But I think that that's a beautiful thing because there is a. There. There's a lot of historical context to being ashamed of our hair.

[Talia Wajid]

Yeah, definitely. A lot.

[Deontay]

Yeah, a lot. And that's the forward facing thing.

[Talia Wajid]

Yeah, it's a lot. You know, because we've been told that stuff from slavery, this nappy hair and bad hair. And, you know, in my. I have son and daughter and they're like two years apart. So my daughter has big, thick, coily here, but my son has curly, but kind of like your hair, but big waves and curls. And so they both. I have them out. They both dress real nice and they, you know, my daughter. All pretty stuff because of his hair. He gets the compliments. So I had to pull people to the side and say, if you're going to compliment my son on his hair, need to compliment my daughter first, you know, because she's just looking so pretty, you know, she's a little girl and, you know, so it's just that, that type of, you know, mental thing with hair, you know, bad hair, good hair, nappy hair. And just nothing was positive about out here.

[Deontay]

Right.

[Talia Wajid]

You know, and I wanted people to see some positivity. We were told that once the new growth comes out, oh, you got to get a perm, you got to straighten that hair out. So black women even know they had curls. They had no idea because they would become grown and had never seen the hair, their natural hair pattern. So, you know, with the natural hair show, we were able to educate women on different curl textures, curl patterns, how to take care of them. So.

[Deontay]

Yeah, yeah, same thing with locks too. Yeah, same thing with locks. Soon as you get some new growth, you're trying to retwist it again. And then you wonder like, why my hair thinning out? It's like you ain't giving it no time to have integrity.

[Talia Wajid]

Like, you get strong. It just came out of your scalp.

[Deontay]

It just came out. You twist it up, twist it up like this new hair.

[Talia Wajid]

Right, right. It didn't get a chance to curl.

[Deontay]

It ain't even get a chance to do its thing. Yeah, it just sprouted. You already trying to chop it down. Like, I share a similar sentiment. A lot of people ask me about, like, where a lot of my, like, why I don't lean into being light skinned, so to speak. And it's like, man, I got two dark skinned sisters. And even at like family reunions, everybody complimenting me, Nobody got no compliments with my sisters. It's like my sisters is beautiful. Y' all talking about pretty hair and pretty skin and good hair. And I was like observing that, really taking it in as a young person. That like, this shit don't make me feel good.

[Talia Wajid]

Right, right.

[Deontay]

Because it's something behind this where I know I'm with my sisters and I know they like, my mama took her time and got them all done up and they look beautiful and y' all ain't saying shit.

[Talia Wajid]

Just have fun with my son.

[Deontay]

I don't even wanna be here. Yeah, and y' all complimenting me.

[Talia Wajid]

You know what I'm saying?

[Deontay]

They excited, they happy to be here. I'm like, man, I wanna play the game. I wanna be with my friends.

[Talia Wajid]

I don't care.

[Deontay]

I don't even know these folk. You know what I'm saying? This family, you know, it's like default, you know? Default. Like, yeah, you know, I remember when you was man, I don't know you man.

[Talia Wajid]

Right.

[Deontay]

You know what I'm saying? But I think the thing is it made me very aware of young, like, oh, there's a difference in how we treat it even, even within our family. So it's like I wanna, I don't wanna ever get involved in that shit. I don't never want to get involved in like making my identity about being light skinned, that shit weird anyway. But I think internalizing it young and recognizing the differences in treatment, it kind of made me rebel against that whole concept in general that like. And you know, somebody asked me the other day like why light skinned people, they. Light skinned people are more pro black. It's like, no they not.

[Talia Wajid]

I know you just.

[Deontay]

But I think I need to meet

[Talia Wajid]

those ones, meet more of you.

[Deontay]

And that's the thing too. It's like I don't, you know what I'm saying? Like a lot of. I know, playing it safe, you know what I'm saying? Like period. Light skin, dark skin and in between anything. And I think that it made me bring up the topic of colorism is that you're platforming or paying more attention to light skinned people because that's what you've been taught to do. Yeah, it's like, yeah, it's crazy. It's a lot of like I don't hold a candle to some of these women, you know what I'm saying? But they won't listen to them. So it's like, even in some points it's like I'm learning from them and I'm, I'm, I'm going to bring the same message because I know you'll listen to me. But it came from them. And I always credit where it come from too.

[Talia Wajid]

And that's, you know, I would have to say that growing up on the far. That's what saved me. Because I'm telling you growing up and that just everything you were taught that being black was like the best thing in the world. Anybody that wasn't black, you should feel sorry for them. I mean I'm, this is what I'm taught as a little girl.

[Deontay]

Yeah.

[Talia Wajid]

So I'm like, my head is up wherever I go because this is embedded in me, you know. So I think it's very important that you know, you get, you serve those messages to your children when they're young. Not the lights, induction, just being black, period, whatever, period. Because we didn't have any of that. You know, Farco was real light, you know, his kids Were, I was in class with his daughter. But we didn't do all that. Light skinned, you get in trouble, you know, it was just you just black and everybody's beautiful. Yeah. I think I was 16 and my girlfriend told me, she said, what did she say? Something we were talking about. She said, well, you know, being dark skinned is not good. I said, who said that? I didn't. That was the first time I ever heard that. I think it was 16. I'll never forget that. And I was like, okay, whatever, you know, never really hit me any type of way because I didn't believe it because I was already, already armored up.

[Deontay]

Yeah.

[Talia Wajid]

Armored up already. So you can't make me believe that, you know. So I'm like, okay, if that's what you think.

[Deontay]

Yeah, I think that these, like, I, I, I'm, I'm I'm curious as to how do we create powerful messaging on the opposite end of that spectrum. Right. Because negative messaging seems to spread far and wide. And I'm, and I wonder like, what about the human psyche is so susceptible to negativity, but like, it take positivity, you gotta beat niggas across the head with positivity. Really embrace it. And it's like, you know, I, I don't know, I'm still, I'm still out.

[Talia Wajid]

I think it happens when you're young. I really do. I think it happens when you're young. And I did that with my children because I know how positively it affected me is that I made sure that I didn't mingle them with any other races in school until they were in, I think the sixth grade is when I let them, you know, but while they were young, you'll be around all black. Yeah, everything good. The school is a black school. Got black teachers, you got black, you know, get that good foundation. And then now you can go into the world and be around anybody.

[Deontay]

Yeah. Because your foundation, I don't know how

[Talia Wajid]

to work for everybody else. That's how it worked for me. It seems to have worked for my kids too.

[Deontay]

I be telling folks like, I'm like, I think you're doing like a disservice to yourself by thinking that your ability to live in diverse neighborhoods is like some sign of success. Because shit, my granny was up, like, my granny was doing her thing. My auntie, them, like, I got very successful people in my family that like, they never left the neighborhood and they had a nice house, like, you know what I'm saying? You know, they got amenities. It's jumping over here. You Know what I'm saying? It's jumping, you know what I'm saying? Like, it's nice when you walk up here. You don't feel like. You know what I'm saying? Regardless of what the neighbors might be having going on, you know what I mean? It ain't going on in here. So I think the thing is, is that we rush to go in other places. We don't understand, like, the profound impact that that's going to have on your kids. Where, you know, W.E.B. du Bois talks about that double consciousness. I think it, like, it plays a bigger part when you don't grow up around people that look like you. Because now you, like, confused.

[Talia Wajid]

Yeah.

[Deontay]

On who you are, why you being treated differently. But you. You a child, so you really can't escape it. You really don't have no choice but to, like, endure it. And you either assimilate or you, like, deviate from it completely. And, yeah, man, you see that a lot with, like, kids that go to HBCUs, they get radical because they never been around it.

[Talia Wajid]

Never been around it. Yeah, because a lot of us get successful, and then we want to raise our kids a certain way. And I didn't live in the hood, but, you know, I made sure that they went to those schools, you know, even now I don't. You know, my neighbors don't talk to me, you know, and I don't care, you know, because it's like, I drive my home. I just live there, you know, and I drive off and I do my life, you know, wherever I'm doing it. But, you know, we say hello, and I'm not trying to go to their house. They're not trying to come to mind. I'm just fine with that.

[Deontay]

Yeah. Sign, though.

[Talia Wajid]

Yeah. And I'm sure they're fine with it as well. I think as long as you're cordial to each other, it shouldn't be a problem.

[Deontay]

Yeah.

[Talia Wajid]

Don't be disrespectful.

[Deontay]

Yeah, just don't be disrespectful. I cause this with respect every day of the week. I done got in trouble at many of jobs for somebody saying, like, that's why, really, one of the biggest pushes for me to get into truck driving was, like, I'll be by myself, bro, because, like, I don't play well with others. You're not gonna get slick off and think, oh, because of this salary or this, this hourly wage, then I'm not gonna get at you, bro. Get at you right on the clock. I get at you in front of the supervisor. I don't care. You say anything crazy to me is going down right where it happened. You know what I mean? So I think, yeah, yeah. It was time for me to shake up out of that, man. It wasn't gonna work. My old lady was always saying, like, bro, like, chill. Sometimes you gotta let shit go. I'm like, let shit go? They need to let that shit go. Why I gotta let shit go? For defending myself? Why they ain't letting go of the bullshit that they own? Like, why they bringing that to work? Yeah, I ain't letting that go at all. I had asked one of my supervisors, like, I knew I was gonna get fired when I did. I was like, you wanna go outside, bro? I was like, you know, he asked me, like, we was kind of having to heat it back and forth. He was like, do you wanna step into the office? I said, do you wanna step outside? That nigga was like, you could just go ahead and leave and not come back. I was like, cool. I was like, your pussy ass ain't wanna come outside, though. He ain't come outside, though. I might have lost my job, but you lost your nuts. I'm ready to go outside. I still got my nuts and set. You lost yours. Give me them.

[Talia Wajid]

Yeah, that's why some people need to work for themselves.

[Deontay]

Yeah.

[Talia Wajid]

Signs that tell you I need to work for myself, man.

[Deontay]

This lady was telling I was steadily hustling, too. I got to work by. Because. Yeah, I'm just 1-800-not going. I'm not going for. Was like, this is something that's been like all the time. Like, school, everything. Teachers say anything to me sideways, what's up? Why you feel like you could talk to me like that? I ain't did nothing to you that warrant that type of response, you know what I'm saying?

[Talia Wajid]

So you gonna check it right there

[Deontay]

when it happens, man. My mama, I'm telling you, that was, like, one of my mama's biggest gripes with me growing up. Like, she was like, you ain't gotta say something about everything. I was like, but if I don't say nothing, they gonna think they can do it again. We can't let them get away with it. Mom, she, like, got a point. Yeah. You know what I'm saying?

[Talia Wajid]

Do it worse the next time.

[Deontay]

And you the one told me to be like this. You know? You know you mad at your own creation. You know what I'm saying? She's like, damn, I ain't know this.

[Talia Wajid]

You took it to another level, though. She wasn't expecting that level.

[Deontay]

She was like, man, you done took this and ran with it. I didn't gave you an engine and took a mile out this. So, yeah, when is.

[Talia Wajid]

It's April. The show is April 18th and 19th.

[Deontay]

Okay.

[Talia Wajid]

And we have a Gaylord on that Friday. On the Friday. But you're going to be in another city somewhere doing your show.

[Deontay]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Talia Wajid]

17.

[Deontay]

Yeah. I'll be in Maryland. HBCU panel. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Do some black. Come back, do some more black.

[Talia Wajid]

I love it.

[Deontay]

Yeah. But we need to be strategic about when we put this out there this Saturday. This Saturday. All right, hold on, hold on. Let me make sure. Tristan. Oh, all right, Bet. Hey, man, you know what I'm saying? You know what I'm saying?

[Talia Wajid]

She on it. She is on it, though.

[Deontay]

You got good management. You know what I'm saying? Good team. Strong team.

[Talia Wajid]

She just said she had to. Great team. Has a great team.

[Deontay]

I do. Well, okay. April 18th and 19th.

[Talia Wajid]

April 18th and 19th. At the Americas Mart America. Building two.

[Deontay]

Building two. Is there ticks available?

[Talia Wajid]

Are available@natural hair show.org.

[Deontay]

okay.

[Talia Wajid]

And at the door. But they're gonna be more at the door. So you go to naturalhairshow.org and get your tickets.

[Deontay]

You heard her. They're gonna be more at the door.

[Talia Wajid]

Yes.

[Deontay]

Pull up. You know what I'm saying? We're gonna go ahead and get this together now. Yes, I bet. Is there anything else that you would like to plug? Like plug your website for your products?

[Talia Wajid]

Oh, yeah.

[Deontay]

This is your camera. You can do all your business right here.

[Talia Wajid]

Okay. So I'm Talia Wajid with Talia Wajid brand and Uncle Jimmy products. And you can find my products at CBS, Walmart, Talia.com and at all local beauty supply stores throughout the United States.

[Deontay]

A1. Amen. Thank you for having me. Yeah.

[Talia Wajid]

Thank you for having me. Yes, you're welcome. Make sure you come back.

[Deontay]

I'm gonna say thank you for coming on, but thank you for having me on the panel, too.

[Talia Wajid]

Oh, yeah, definitely.

[Deontay]

Yeah. I'm excited. I'm excited. Yeah. So April 18th and 19th. Go get them tickets right now. Leave the video. You know what I'm saying? We're at the end of it all if you stayed this far. Okay, bet. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Talia Wajid]

Okay. Oh, right.

[Deontay]

Oh, we got this over this.

[Talia Wajid]

Yeah, that's even better.

[Deontay]

We'll boom and then we'll zoom, boom, zoom. Okay, Bet. Yeah, My man's right here. He got. He got the camera rolling. Got you.

[Talia Wajid]

I got you.

[Deontay]

We're gonna be in the building. All right, well, thank you for coming again. This is episode like. Oh, hold on. This will be episode 135. Now, I got a number. I know what time it's coming. Episode 135.

[Talia Wajid]

Okay.

[Deontay]

Talia, Wajid, Deontay, Kyle. We'll see you next week. Yeah. They say without the proper labor, faith don't stand a chance. I put my faith in faith and stand on fertile land? I planted seeds that'll indeed turn into

[Talia Wajid]

trees before rest in peace, tease get printed to me. Quick break. This surprised me. The most useful advice I get now doesn't come from experts. It comes from regular people on TikTok. What works, what doesn't. No filters. Download TikTok and see for yourself.