My Natural Beauty of the Month is Shara she is the owner and creator of Simply Love-Leigh, LLC. Please follow along with this awesome inspiring interview.

Website: http://www.simplylove-leigh.webs.com
Products: Bath salts, scrubs, hair oil, butters, creams, shampoo bars, soap bars and more!
Simply Love-Leigh, LLC was establish in 2010 based on the love that I have for healthy hair and skin.
Why did you choose the name Simply Love-Leigh?

I chose Simply Love-Leigh because it describes me and the joy that I have for creating new products.Simply means* to be clear and visible; without complexity

Love means *unconditional, strong emotions for a person, place or thing
Leigh means* from the meadow and it is also one of my grandmother's name.

What motivated you to start your own natural line?Well to be honest, I would have never thought that I would have started any type of business. But with that being said HERE I AM! I have been making my own oils and butters for a few years.

In 2009 I was rear ended twice in one week and I was left with nerve damage, back injuries, arm and wrist complications. It is a miracle that I am still here this day. December 2009 was a rough time for me, my grandfather had passed, I was extremely overwhelmed with school and therapy. I didn't trust anyone but my mom to help me with my hair so out of frustration, I decided to slap a relaxer in after being natural for 2 years and 7 months. I only allowed the relaxer to stay in for about 5 minutes

within a week my scalp was on fire and that's when I decided to transition again and use my own products . I made products based off of what my hair was demanding. I started to share my products with family/friends and I thought why not share with everyone???In August of 2010, I filed for my business licence, the LLC, and started my website.

What are Simply Love-Leigh's goals? My goals are to simply keep helping people care for their hair and skin. It is my goal to provide the best customer service because I LOVE WHAT I  DO.

What is the best thing about having your own business?Being able to provide a product for my customers and to make sure they are satisfied with their products.



 Tell us a about your product line? My product line thus far consist of hair/skin butters, salt scrubs, sugar glazes, lip balms, scalp oils, and bath oils.I use 100% natural ingredients .
Who is your natural hair inspiration? celebrities: Erykah Badu! She definitely does what she wants with her hair. I also like Jurnee Smollett, Jill Scott, Leela James, and India Arie.As far as natural hair anyone who is willing to wear their natural hair: curly, braided, straight,etc. I am inspired by naturals who are comfortable with themselves and their natural hair no matter what style they choose to rock!

What are some beauty secrets you can share?Don't try every product that people on hair boards rave about. Figure out what your hair needs.

What makes your products above the rest?
I make custom orders based on the needs of my customers not based on what will sell. When you simply enjoy what you are doing, you strive to deliver a great product.
What is your current career? I would love to become a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner one day but for now I am enjoying nursing school :)
What do you love about  being natural?Simply being me! Curly, Straight, Kinky, Braided, etc....just being me and loving who I am.

How did your family feel about you going natural?My family was not supportive and I was constantly reminded of how my hair wasn't as nice as theirs. I honestly didn't care what they thought. After I did the big chop the first time and my hair grew to MBL, everyone was shocked! Healthy hair and technique is what matters. Now some of my family are using my products and asking me for advice!
What can we expect to see from your product line soon? I am currently working on a deep conditioner, soy candles, hair gel, body wash and lip gloss!

I would just like to add that I will continue to offer good customer service and good products to everyone so expect more from Simply Love-Leigh!

My local business of the month is Fraziercoleman Enterprises They are a landscaping business and they are very good at what they do. Please following along as I interview Fraziercoleman Enterprises.

Questions for Tony Coleman of FrazierColeman



Tony Coleman



1. What do you enjoy about landscaping? I enjoy the finish product as well as  taking pride in what I do.

2.How did you and Frazier partner up? We used to work together and we had the same mind frame and the same drive and here we are running FrazierColeman together.

3.Who are your inspirations? Richard Bradson former owner of virgin mobile, Mark Zuckerberg owner of face book.

4.What are FrazierColeman goals? To have multi streams of businesses.

5.Tell the readers a little bite about yourself? I was born and raised in Atlanta I grew up on the South West side. I have been married for 3 three years and I have 3 beautiful children.

Contact:Website:http://www.wix.com/fcelawn/fraziercoleman

Email fcelawn@yahoo.com
About Fraziercoleman:Affordable lawn maintenance for residential and commercial customers.

Questions for Clifton Frazier of FrazierColeman



Clifton Frazier



1. What do you enjoy about landscaping? I love beautifying the customers yards and seeing the end
results.

2.How did you partner up with Coleman? We used to work together and we shared the same vision.

3.Who are your inspirations? Richard Bradson former owner of Virgin Mobile and Ted Turner former owner of Atlanta Braves.

4. Where do you see FrazierColeman in 5 years? Reaching the level of prosperity that  will  enable FrazierColeman to not only help our own families but to help needy families as well.

5.Tell me a Little bite about yourself? I have been married for 10 years in November  I have one beautiful daughter.I'm from North Carolina and I am very driven and focused on my business.

Fraziercoleman lawn practice has been in business since 2005 our focus is to provide more value to our customers. We believe by providing more value to our customers they will receive a better benefit.The Services we offer: Mowing,Hedge trimming,Trimming,Edging,Aeration,Fertilization,Fall clean up,Spring clean up,Stump removal and more.

The Non-Profit Organization I would like to introduce is JFK School Supply Drive which was started by Jacqueline Durr Person. Hopefully after this interview you will be inspired to start your own non-profit or give to an existing one.


Jacqueline Durr Person

 My Name is Jacqueline Durr Person and I am the founder and CEO of JFK School Supply Drive I am a wife and a  mother of two handsome boys I have worked in the higher education field for almost 14 years now.

I am from Mound Bayou, Mississippi it’s one of the largest African American cities in the United States. It was founded by a former slave in the 1800’s.Today the town is in poverty and the schools have lost their funding and the children in the schools are reading books from the 1980.

That is why I started the JFK School Supply Drive I collect school supplies in Atlanta, GA and take them to the children of Mound Bayou, Mississippi. Most of my support comes from friends, family, co-workers and the community; this event gets bigger and better every year this year JFK School Supply Drive gave 200 bags of supplies to the children.



All White Benefit for JFK



If anyone would like to donate school supplies to the children in Mound Bayou, MS for next year you can call me @ 678-463-9845 if you would like to give monetary donation you may send it to 3810 Rex Mills Square, Rex, GA 30273 all checks payable to John f. Kennedy high School Scholarship funding. School Supplies should be for children K-12 grade.

Thank you for supporting JFK School Supply Drive

Your Struggles will not lie to you!!!!

I would like to Thank Simple-Love Leigh, FrazierColeman Enterprises and Jacqueline Person for taking time out of their busy life to share their business and  their stories with myself and my wonderful readers. May God bless all of your businesses.

Bjbeautiful Expressions

NATURAL BEAUTY OF THE MONTH

Elaine is my natural Beauty of the month and she is the CEO and founder of Atlanta Natural Hair Care she can be reached at 404.277.5211. The physical address is 85 Fifth Street Suite D-115 Atlanta, Georgia 30308 please following along with the interview so that you can get to know her better.

1. Where did you get the name Atlanta Natural Hair Care from?

Atlanta Natural Hair Care was just a logical name for what I wanted my network to represent. I am a large proponent of both natural hair care and supporting the community in which one lives.

2. Where did you get the motivation from to start the social Networking site?http://AtlantaNaturalHair.com/profile/Elaine

I just wanted to share with other women what I knew about having natural hair.
I initially thought about writing a blog, but I soon realized that there are
already a wealth amount of blogs. Therefore, I thought it would more
useful to create an online community that could direct others to all of the wonderful blogs that already exist.

3. How did you get started?I was familiar with Ning.com, a formerly free website for creating online communities. I utilized Ning to start Atlanta Natural Hair Care

4. Can you tell the readers a little about yourself?I was able to leave the construction industry after working in commercial construction for over 10 years to pursue a life in the natural hair care industry. Natural hair care is something I am passionate about. My former boss is one of my
greatest inspirations. He has  passion for construction and showed me that anything is possible if you understand what resources you have available.
5. How long have you been natural and why did you choose to go natural?I have been natural for about 15 years. I decided to grow out my relaxer because it was no longer geographically convenient to go to the stylist that had taken care of my hair from the time I was twelve through adulthood. I was not going to trust anyone else to chemically straighten my hair. I utilized braid extensions for my transition. After about a year of braids I had my relaxed hair cut off and wore an Afro and other natural styles for about five years. When I was pregnant with my now nine year old son I utilized individual two strand twists to begin my locs.

6. What was your career choice before Atlanta Natural Hair Care?My background is Construction Management. I graduated from Georgia Tech with an Architecture degree.

7. What are a few of your natural beauty secrets?My best hair tip is to drink plenty of water (it’s good for your skin too). Other than that, my routine is simple. I wash and condition my hair about once a week with Aubrey Organics J.A.Y. Shampoo and Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Conditioner. I twist my hair after washing and conditioning. I use oil to twist my hair. I am currently using and loving Beauty and Glory's Sunshine Oil for twisting my hair. I do not use any creams or butters in my hair. I spray water or a leave in conditioner in my hair once or twice in between washings for moisture. Most mornings I just wake up and go.

8. What are your goals as owner of Atlanta Natural Hair Care?My goal is for Atlanta Natural Hair Care to a be a part of the growth and development of Atlanta's Natural Hair Care Industry. Consumers need to be educated about what to expect from natural hair care products and services and professionals need to be held accountable. Atlanta Natural Hair Care works everyday to connect consumers with professionals that respect the consumers natural hair care needs. Atlanta Natural Hair Care also works to connect professionals with other professionals in order to build stronger Natural Hair Care Industry.

9. Tell us a little bit about what you do?AtlantaNaturalHair.com is an online natural hair care resource network with over 300 members both professional and nonprofessional with a variety natural hair care experiences. On AtlantaNaturalHair.com visitors and members can find listings of the following: upcoming events, salons, barbers, hair braiders, websites, and meet-up groups.

Also on the site there are blogs, discussions, product reviews and how to videos about transitioning to natural hair, styling natural hair, and maintenance of natural hair. Currently, Atlanta Natural Hair Care, Inc. is expanding the services offered through AtlantaNaturalHair.com. Among other things, we are in the process of developing a Professionals Connecting with Blogger program that sets up product or service providers with both an interview and product or service. We are also adding a blog series that will feature a different Atlanta Natural Hair Care partner or sponsor every week.

Atlanta Natural Hair Care, Inc. also conducts natural hair care specialty classes for cosmetology schools throughout the Atlanta area. We utilize professional cosmetologists that currently work in the natural hair care industry to perform demonstrations and talk to the students about the natural hair care industry as a viable choice after receipt of their cosmetology license.

10. Where are you located in Atlanta?Atlanta Natural Hair Care works throughout the Atlanta area, but our base location is in Midtown Atlanta.

11. How often do you attend natural Hair Seminars and events?Atlanta Natural has representatives at a minimum of one natural hair care event a week. On average we attend two to three events a week.

12. What is your approach to Natural Beauty?
The key to natural beauty is good health. If you take care of your body it will reward you with natural beauty from hair to toe.

13. Who are your hair inspirations? I believe Lauryn Hill was my first hair inspiration. Lauryn Hill was smart, successful, and beautiful but not in a traditional sense. Even though her style was unique her beauty was apparent universally.

14. What advice do your have for newbie’s that are thinking of going natural? You must Understand what resources you have available, how to utilize them, Then just do it!!!

15. Have you ever had a natural hair disaster?Yes. In the past, on more than one occasion, I've gone over month without twisting my hair. Not only was it hard to separate and twist after a month my locs seemed weaker and thinner at the roots.

16. When was your last relaxer or have you ever had one?My last relaxer was in 1996.

17. What is the hardest part about owning your own business?For me the hardest part of owning my own business is the financial irregularity. With a traditional job the paychecks are steady and there are no surprise business expenses.

18. What are you most proud of in having your own business and being a black

woman?I am most proud of the fact that I was able to come up with and execute a

business idea that others see as valuable.

19. How long have you been in business?
Atlanta Natural Hair Care is young our strength lies in the fact that we are
able to work with established successful natural hair professionals. Atlanta Natural Hair Care's online network was created in June of 2009. Atlanta Natural Hair Care, Inc. it was officially launched in July of
2010.

20. What advice can you give to young business owners just starting out?
Being a young business owner myself, I can share some advice that I have been
given: Be aware of your strengths and weaknesses. If you’re weak in an area
educate yourself. You do not have to be an expert. You can hire an expert.
You do however; want to know enough so that others cannot easily take advantage
of you.

21. Do you have anything you would like to add?I just want to say thank you for letting me be a part of your natural hair journey.

I would like to Thank Elaine for taking the time to interview with me and sharing with all my readers about her business and her natural hair journey.

MY BOOK REVIEW  

The book that I am reviewing is "Thank God I am Natural by: Chris Tia Donaldson. She is a Harvard graduate with a true passion for hair. By day she is a successful lawyer for a software company,by night she is a freelance writer and entrepreneur looking to launch her own natural hair product line.

This book was an eye opener and I learned so much about being natural. Although I have been for a year now I am still in the learning process. In chapter 2 she talks about Myths and Misconceptions a  myth that I believed before going natural was  myth #2 Natural hair is unmanageable this was my thought for a very long time.This myth was one of the reasons it took me years to finally go natural.

My hair dresser at the time told me you should not go natural  because your hair is to thick it would not look good on you. MYTH I LOOK GREAT. In Chapter 2 she talks about many other myths that are very helpful. In Chapter 5 she talks about the "Andre Walker System" which details your hair type in going natural you will need to type your hair for many reasons.

Chris Tia Donaldson

Also in Chapter 5 she talks about the dangers of relaxers and how safe they are not for your hair. She also talks about transitioning from relaxer to natural and how to maintain it, though out the book she shows different natural hair styles that you can wear that are very professional.
This was yet again other myth that I choose to believe is that natural hair is not professional, and this is so far from the truth.

She also gives you great information as a newbie which is read the labels of every thing that you put in your hair and just because it says it is what is, it still may not be that .
The last Chapter I would like to share with you is chapter 15 In the kitchen making products at home. This is my favorite chapter because she gives you in detail every ingredient needed to make shampoos, conditions and so much more.

This has been one of the best natural hair books that I have read thus far and I recommend this book to all naturals weather you have been natural for 6 months to 6 years because this is great information that you will need though out your entire natural journey. I would like to say thanks to Chris Tia for sending me a copy of this amazing book and to allow me to review it. Thanks and I am looking forward to your natural product line naturally kinky tresses that will be out soon.

Happy to be Nappy

My Product Review

My product review is about the Traditions Gold Label Standard Virgin Coconut oil by Topical Traditions. I used to use the Spray Pam for cooking until I found out all the benefits of Virgin coconut oil. This will be the only cooking oil I will use for life.

There are many ways to use coconut oil and incorporate it into one’s diet. Since it is a stable cooking oil, one can simply replace unhealthy oils in their diet with coconut oil.

I would also like to share with you the benefits of using coconut oil instead of the other cooking oils that most of us grew up on.

The health benefits of coconut oil include hair care, skin care, stress relief, maintaining cholesterol levels, weight loss, increased immunity, proper digestion and metabolism, relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV and cancer, dental care, and bone strength.Coconut oil is one of the best natural nutrition for hair.Coconut oil is very soothing and hence it helps in removing stress.

Coconut oil is excellent massage oil for the skin as well.Coconut oil is very useful in reducing weight. It contains short and medium-chain fatty acids that help in taking off excessive weight. It is also easy to digest and it helps in healthy functioning of the thyroid and enzymes systems. If you are interested in learning how to cook with the Traditions Virgin coconut oil you can get recipes fromhttp://www.freecoconutrecipes.com/

To find out more about the Traditions Gold Label Standard Virgin Coconut oil by Topical Traditions.You can visit their website at http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/
I would personal like to Thank Topical Traditions for giving a chance to learn a better way of living though the way I cook. I would also like to say thank you to Tropical Traditions for sending me my very own Traditions Gold Label Standard Virgin Coconut oil and allowing me to review it.