00:00When I meet young women of color it is more than any other single question the
00:09thing that they ask me about their futures is how do I proceed in the world
00:13with my hair? So I went natural like two years ago and went through the whole
00:17kind of conversion the weave never thought I had one but I had one it was
00:21pretty long whatever and you know listen last night I just had a little bout with
00:26the hair thing and I could have come here today a little twisted out you wouldn't
00:31have probably liked it but it is a challenge so you have to figure out how
00:34to manage through all that so I think it's a huge conversation I have with
00:37myself on a daily basis okay do you just let these curls go they're really not
00:40that defined but maybe you just figure it out and so I've gone to work I've
00:45tested the curly I've tested the straight I twisted I did whatever the
00:50conversations take a long time when everyone asks me what you do with your
00:53hair you know it's a lot of work you know you know you just want to go to
00:59work most days and just do your job it takes up a lot of time to explain to
01:04everyone what you did so this just a little bit easier although for me at work
01:10but it's not that much easier at home to get to this so it is a challenge I've
01:16had people ask me do you wash your hair every day like if it looks different you
01:20know just as seriously I mean just the difference between it being straight or
01:24curly people wanted what they do ask what what did you do to your hair I've
01:29come back from vacation and couldn't get to the beauty parlor so we'll look curly
01:33and I've had people say oh so that's what your hair really looks like and so I
01:37mean it you know I laugh about it you know but I really probably may have taken a
01:45lot more risk over the years if I felt like I really didn't have to think about
01:50it I have only been natural in the workforce I have never you know not been
01:55natural except I color my hair in the interest of full disclosure in case
01:58anyone see me because I'm pretty much heavily gray and it just doesn't work for
02:04me just yet but in any event I will say as someone who's only been natural in the
02:08workforce and has you know I've worn locks I've done twist outs I've had a short
02:12natural I completely agree with what you're saying there is some effort again
02:17the two times in the past 13 years I've been at American Express where I did a
02:21big change to my hair I pre syndicated it with which I know sounds crazy and it's a
02:26lot of work but just to avoid the awkwardness of on Monday morning when
02:29people start asking you those bizarre questions and it is a pain it takes a lot
02:33of effort but I will say it all is worth it to me for two reasons one because this is
02:37what I like to do and two more importantly I cannot tell you how many people
02:41come up to me and say can I talk to you because I'm going natural yeah yeah I
02:46know you're natural how do you do it and it seems to work for you and I mean this
02:50is going back when I was finishing law school where people told me like you're
02:53never gonna make it natural right so it's part of being your authentic self and
02:59and doing what's right for you and whether that's natural whether that's a wig
03:03a weave or whatever just get comfortable and be you
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