What am I doing? Advice

Lately you've been getting photos. A picture is worth a thousand words, so I let them do the talking. I give a little line on Twitter and that's becoming as seldom as my blog post. I've dropped off the face of lockitup with messages, but I do read check in a few times a week. Over the years I've said so much that I feel like I'm repeating myself. Usually by the time I stop by, 3am, the questions are answered and I'd just by co-signing.

Facebook has becoming my blog and tweet. I can reach more people posting photos, silly updates, a positive thought, and chat too. Yet, when I have a sale or install Sisterlocks for a client, I expect everyone to run here and get a looksee. That's not how my blog started. It started with me getting Sisterlocks.

Three years and nine months later, what's really going on with me and my Sisterlocks. Well, my hair isn't fully locked, lol. If you haven't been following me, I took my first set out and redid them with the help of Connie. I felt we could do it better and we did. This set is two years and nine months old. Truth be told I want to take this set out and start again. For the simple fact I know I can do it better.

I was on Faith's blog On Being a Sisterlock Loctician and she states that there isn't a lot of advice for trainees.

My advice is to be patience, practice the craft, and pray over it.

I've been asked how do I do the parts so neatly. I do the middle part first and have the client look at it. If need be, I will ask the client to part it. From there I do the side parts, making even rows from the ear all the way up to the middle part. I personally do not make the front row small. I've combined more locs along the hairline for stability than I can count. Never has anyone asked to make them smaller. To line one side of the front to the other side, I use a rat tail comb to draw an imaginary line. For my last 20th client I didn't do that and just parted the entire other side as evenly as I did the first side. Luckily the two sides lined up as I was going across the back. For the past three clients I took the middle part all the way to the nape. This adds one more section to keep in line and I really don't like doing it.

A roundish head and square parts just don't add up. Sometimes I have to free style the parts and they don't line up or will be curved especially in the crown area/middle back section for about two-three rows. When I take photos it's hard to see this because I usually take side photos of this area. I've noticed with clients who have been installed by others that this area is tricky for others too. It looks similar to the lines of a globe and those locs tend to be bigger than the rest.

Getting faster takes practice and focus. I don't have a tv in the room, the laptop is enough of a distraction. I will answer the phone, but conversations are out. I set goals for myself. If I do the first above the ear section in 1 hour then I know the next section is going to be double that. Double that for the next side. The back takes me about the same amount of time or an hour more. I keep note cards with how long retightening sessions last with how many weeks since the last session. This helps with scheduling too.

On clients. Just like a person picks her trainee/consultant pick your clients. Business is not always business when somebody makes you feel like you need to be dipped in the River Jordan and bath in Dawn and anoint your whole house/salon. I'm not even into religion like that so it takes a lot for me to feel like doing that.

I have more advice so stay tuned.