Founder's Blog

Meet Tyla

"When I think about myself, I’ve always been conscious of the space I take up in the world: my height, eyes, lips, and especially my curls. "

I have always had a positive relationship with my hair. My mom ensured that my hair was a central part of self love and identity while growing up, since that was something she had to learn on her own. Growing up in a female dominated family doing hair was always a major part of the routine. A train of little curls all lined up for their biweekly wash day. My hairstyles acted as an extension of my personality. As a kid, I was never seen without a bow, beads or bubbles/balls (depending who I was talking to) attached to my pigtails -and you know they always matched my outfit.

Every washday meant a new way to wear my curls. When my hair was pressed, you could find me flipping it over my shoulders and straining my neck to see how long it had grown down my back since I had checked five minutes before. With braids, I had a curated collection of beads at the ends just for that extra flair. My favorite style was always a toss up between the classic Curly half-up half-down and the Braided Crown-Ponytail Combo with tiny bows behind each braid. With large and in-charge curls, my hair has been one of my most defining characteristics my whole life - my curls literally grow bigger each day after washing.

It wasn’t until I left home for college that I got negative reactions to my big hair. During my first internship at 18 years old, in a new city far from home, with no family nearby, my coworker informed me that my big natural hair wasn’t “professional enough” for the office. While their intention was kind-hearted, they left me shocked and confused. How could the part of myself that I am most known for, something I’m used to being praised for, suddenly be deemed unworthy In spite of their well-meaning, yet prejudiced advice, I showed up to the next event with even bigger hair, proud of what my curls stand for and mean to me.

I came to terms with the fact that, outside of my curl-loving community, there are people and places who don’t appreciate or even accept curly hair the way it is, and that my curly mane was polarizing to those around me. More importantly, I learned of the millions of curly-haired people who weren’t taught to embrace their natural hair like I was.

From then, I’ve made it my mission to promote love and confidence in those around me, especially to those with curly hair. I discovered my passion for fighting stigma and creating judgment-free, community-driven resources for people of color and their beautiful natural features.