Felicia Leatherwood is a force of nature. She’s a leader in the natural hair care industry having been a natural hair stylist for over 15 years. We’re so honored that she agreed to let us interview her. Felicia has done natural styles on stars such as Jill Scott, Floetry, Nicole Ari Parker, Will Smith, Terrence Howard, Anthony Anderson, Hill Harper(to name a few), and work that has appeared in People magazine, Essence, and InStyle, as well as in film and television, Felicia’s reputation is as solid as they come.
We had so much to ask her so – with questions ranging from how to make it in the natural hair care industry and tips on how to keep your hair looks its absolute best – let’s dive straight in…
After cosmetology school you got your start at Millennium Salon which was a big celebrity hair salon in LA. What gave you the inspiration to branch out and do your own thing? Talk us through the process of working under a salon to being your own boss.
Well, when you do hair you’re always your own boss. The only thing that a salon gives you a place to be stationary, new clients from possible street traffic and clients always know how to find you as opposed to when you’re a travelling stylist. But cosmetologists essentially work for themselves. You do actually have your own business.
So what prompted me to leave that particular salon and do my own thing?… Well a couple of things. I started becoming a celebrity stylist and I spent a lot of time travelling with the celebrities I worked for. They were going outside the country and they would request that I come along so I was gone a lot.
The other thing that probably pushed me was that two of the top stylists – two really good friends of mine – were on the plane that Aaliyah was on when the plane went down. It really messed us all up. We just lost our drive to even be there because we kept remembering them and without them the salon wasn’t the same.
Wow. We didn’t know that happened to you. Sorry to hear that. How did you get your drive back?
I just kept going. You’re always going to miss people and remember them but I still had to pay the bills.
How did you start to acquire your celebrity clientele?
I used to work at BET for a long time – from 19–24 years old. During that time a lot of the celebrities that are big now like Martin Lawrence, Cedric the Entertainer, Jamie Foxx etc., were all coming up. They were kind of still new then. I worked in all aspects of production at BET so they knew me well.
I always did hair on the side so finally when I made the commitment to go to school and get my license, I left BET. I started working at Millennium, which was a celebrity-based salon, and some of the people from Comic View blew up and they’d come in and be like “oh! This is what you’re doing now. This is where you are!”
They would say I do really great work and I’m professional so my celebrity client base grew by word of mouth. Cedric the Entertainer told Anthony Anderson about me and then Hill Harper became a client. Soon after, Arsenio Hall and Method Man.
What helped too was I was the only natural hair stylist at the salon. That has always been my specialty, long before natural hair was a big deal. This is when the guys were wearing the cornrows and braids. I would do a lot of ball players’ hair too.
When there’s a good product, and every natural hair stylist should think of themselves as a product, you want to provide the best product you could possibly give. And that’s how I treat myself. I treat myself as a product and I always want to give 100%. Even when I do my workshops and speak about natural hair all over the world, I give 100%. I want people to get their money’s worth. You’ll get educated. You’ll get empowered.
You are definitely a pioneer in the natural hair community! Though it sounds like you had mainly had male clients at first?
That’s right. It was mostly guys. There was just this period in the late 90s/early 2000s where guys were just really taking care of their hair and wearing all these styles. So I had a lot of male clients.
But Floetry and Jill Scott became clients too. How I started working for Jill Scott is through Anthony Anderson, I think. I feel like when I was working with Anthony on his NBC sitcom somebody called and asked about a good natural stylist and my friend who was a makeup artist said “Felicia Leatherwood.” So I started working with Jill in 2002/03. Again it’s just word of mouth.
And what made you decide to specialize in natural hair in the first place?
For me it was just easier. I always worked with my own natural hair and I loved the way the texture felt. And I liked being creative. It was more creative for me to work with natural hair than doing straight hair.
I also never liked the smokey/burnt smell of pressed, straight hair. It’s not that I don’t like straight hair. Straight hair is beautiful too but I never liked the smell! So I gravitated to natural hair.
The other thing is with natural hair it’s easier for me to diagnose any issues with the hair or scalp. It’s harder for me to know what’s going on with people who wear relaxers. If their hair starts to fall out I wonder is it the relaxer? Is it stress? Is it their diet? When the hair is natural, I pretty much know why the hair is doing something.
How did you get your nickname the “Hair Whisperer”?
I’ve been a natural hair stylist for over 15 years now. I really, really enjoy natural hair. Not just doing it but I like the way it feels. I like the way it talks to me when I touch it. I understand it. There’s a language I feel I have with the hair that maybe even the person who owns the hair doesn’t have. And I’m really grateful that the hair trusts me.
With the rise of Lupita and other stars have you seen natural hair becoming more acceptable in Hollywood?
I don’t know if they are willing but Hollywood is forced to. I think people are starting to see that it’s not just about our hair. We also have to remember when we see a woman show up on the red carpet we think she’s gone natural but she may have been natural all along and feels free to be herself.
You’ve travelled the world doing your natural hair workshops. Do you see vibrant community of naturals outside of the US?
Oh yeah!
Which countries have you had the biggest audiences?
Europe! I feel like Paris, France and London, U.K. are really starting to come up in natural hair.
We agree. It makes sense since there is a large population of Afro-Caribbeans in both countries.
This is actually my third year going to Paris and there are so many more women each year. The first year I went there were about 500 women attending. The second year I went, there were approximately 800. This time they’ll be over 1000 and the tickets are already sold out. People are still trying to get in. I don’t even see that happen in the US!
Whenever I go to London or Paris they’re serious about learning and understanding their natural hair. I don’t know why that is… if they’re following what’s happening over here in the U.S. or they’re more determined to preserve their African heritage but it’s great to see.
So how did your workshops come about? How did you expand your brand to reach around the world?
I really did everything with the power of intention. And what that means is I was very focused. I wrote down everything I was asking God to present to me and why I wanted it. So that created my intention. Whatever your belief system is, when you go before that and say, “this is what I want to do and this is the basis for why,” I believe that it’s honored in its purest way.
And my thing is, and anybody who knows me will say this, I’m very friendly and loving. I like giving love. I like hugging people. I just like expressing love. So I really like it when women come together for one common cause like supporting one another. So the basis of me doing these workshops was about that.
What’s in the future for Felicia? What are your next milestones?
There’s so many things going on and yet at the same time nothing!! I really just let the universe have its way. I go with the flow. I always say to God, “I’m willing and able.” And every day is like a surprise. I never know what the day is going to bring. You can make so many plans and known of them matter.
In terms of events I’m heading to France, Amsterdam (to support Taren Guy) and then Germany. I’ll be back and forth from London a few times this year. And then Nigeria and a few of the islands like Jamaica and St. Thomas. In the U.S. I’ll be in D.C. and Chicago. Just wherever I’m needed!
Since you are the “Hair Whisperer” we have to ask you for some tips! What three things have you learned over your career that every natural should know?
1
Understand what your hair likes. Switching back and forth from a bunch of products doesn’t help anybody. Just figure out what your hair likes and keep giving it that.
2
The best way to test products is to divide your hair into 4 sections and put a different product, let’s say it’s conditioner, into each section. Then just feel the hair. It will tell you what it likes. And then write it down because a lot of times we’ll move on to something else and forget what products really worked and which didn’t.
3
Also write on a calendar when you first used a product because sometimes we’ll have a product on our shelves and it’s really old and no good anymore. Most of the time if you’ve opened a product and you’ve had it for over a year you should throw it away.
See more of Felicia…
Website: Loving Your Hair With Natural Care
Facebook: Loving Your Hair
Twitter: @Lovingyourhair
Instagram: @Lovingyourhair
FELICIA’S STAR CLIENTELE
