On an early Saturday morning in August, I arrived in midtown to take on a personal development course. It had already been a VERY long and a VERY hot first summer in New York for me. I was grinding hard to make my writing hustle come together, I was nearing the end of my long-distance relationship, and I was just exhausted from getting adjusted to becoming a new Brooklynite. My spirit was SO ready to take on some much-needed development work that weekend.

One of the first people I saw upon walking through the doors was a beautiful, mixed-raced woman with a slamming haircut and a face that was gorgeously adorned with just enough make-up to bring out her natural beauty. I knew immediately that she was one of the founders of Miss Jessie’s products because I had been following her inspiring rise in the natural hair care industry for the…