Alexis Senge JohnsonIt’s now been almost a year since I gave up straightening my hair, for the most part. I’ll admit it was hard for me to let go of straightening my bangs as the curl struggle there can be quite real, but I’m all in at this point. What started as a desire to save time and better control my hair in the Florida humidity turned into a blackhole of overwhelming information, but after a year I’m starting to get the hang of things. The transition period in the beginning wasn’t pretty, but I didn’t give up and my hair is giving thanks by having more good days than bad ones at this point.
The struggle has been seeing my curly locks as professional. For so long society has been filled with images of sleek haired business mavens that look like they stepped out of a scene in The Devil Wears Prada. Perfectly coifed smooth updos for galas and shiny blowouts for day-to-day business have been seen as the gold standard for a woman ready to take over the boardroom. I never thought I’d say this, but thank goodness for Instagram! The world of curly gals there is never lacking and I quickly found styles and inspirational looks that empowered me to rock my curls with the same confidence I have in my career.
It’s time to start thinking of my hair the same way I do my skills for my professional life. My hair is unique and that’s what makes it distinctively me. I’m okay with sticking out and not fitting in, it’s kind of my thing, so I’m embracing that with my hair now and finding styles for me that are consistent with my personal brand. Time to own it and be bold again because the beauty in being different is seeing things from another angle and providing a different perspective to keep this world interesting.
