Time, She's Leaving, Envy

She's Leaving!
When clients move, I get a little misty eyed.  Yes, I'm emotional.  Zo has been my client since her install in April 2010.  My 13th install client!

Envy!
As I was doing her hair, I wished mine looked like hers.  I always wish my Sisterlocks looked like my clients.  There's something unique about each person's hair that makes me want mine just like that.  It can be the size, length, cut, style, color, bounce, smoothness, or texture that brings that ooh la la feeling over me.

Time!
Looking at the journey over photos is the best way to see progress.  Sisterlocks are instantly rewarding because it doesn't take long to see magic. The thickness comes in after shampooing a few times.  They maintain the length as it grows so it seems like they grow an inch overnight.

Zo, I wish you a happy journey up north! 

Camera Shy ~ 32nd Sisterlock Install Client

Install took about 12 hours.

Ms. J Rabbit ~ 31st Sisterlocks Install Client

Client wanted a swoop and the first thing that came to mind was Jessica Rabbit.  It took a long time to complete her hair.  I guess 21 hours. The last two pics are of her sixth month update.  She did a braidout!

Kitty Bella 30th Install Client

Well, we did discuss being a number, being the '30'.  When sitting for hours on end you learn a few things about each other and something will hit me and I'll think, "I have a name for you already". With Kitty Bella I was going to go with Soft Paws, Ms. Swan, Bella, or Kitty from a few movies we watched.  I actually coined myself Soft Paws because of my skills with my hands and low nails like Kitty 'Soft Paws' of Puss in Boots who has no nails at all. We also watched Twilight so I couldn't leave out Bella Swan.  Maybe with 31, I'll just focus on remembering the real name.

Kitty Bella took roughly 11 hours.  Hair has relaxed ends and was heat styled.

Brooklyn We Go Hard ~ 29th Client

"Brooklyn's Finest" is my 29th install client.  Her session was completed over two days in 11.5 hours.  Her hair is about eight inches long so I was thinking it would take much long.  Being that Brooklin's Finest has low hair density in some places and fine strands, I used medium to large locks.  Also, her head is rather small and I was drinking coffee.

Latching Gone Wrong

This is extreme. The locks were latched improperly and appears that a pattern was not maintained while retightening. Instead this looks like the lock was taken back through the root the same way each time, several times.

Special love to M. George the author of The Knotty Truth.

27th Client's Install Photos

Gwen's install was completed in less than 13 hours over two days.

Natasha ~ 26th Sisterlock Install Client

Natasha's Sisterlocks were completed in two days August 9 & 10 in 16 hours.

Advice for Sisterlock Trainees and Consultants

This is a reply to RareJewel of NY in the LockItUp yahoo group. Dominica of the group suggested I post it to my blog. Good thinking!

Hello Jewel,
Put your trust in God and scared money don't make money. I wasn't looking to
get clients or become a consultant. I was just curious to what was being done
to my hair. I shared that I took the class on my blog and in here, but it was
the registry that brought people my way. People on a budget seized the fact
that I was a trainee and would need 3 qualifying clients to become certified.
They knew or assumed that I would offer a discount and I did. Some people will
not want to be your first client or even go to a trainee. There will be a brave
soul out there who'll be happy and proud to have bragging rights of being your
first of many!

A perfect first client, will be somebody who is not overly picky. Find somebody
who has done their homework and knows Sisterlocks, but is lenient to mistakes
and varying sizes. My first client was a doll! She wanted to be able to do her
own hair and wanted a large size. So, try to get somebody with a nice tight
texture that lends better to locking with shorter hair who might want large
Sisterlocks. Regardless to length, texture, or size, take your time and work in
short sessions. Let your client know that it will take a few days if you need
that much time.

Practice retightening your own hair so that you can at least say that.
Personally, I would give a side eye to a new trainee who didn't do their own
hair. It's harder doing your own hair. So when people DIY, I'm automatically
impressed with them and would let them do my hair. Your first client might even
be a retightening client, not an install client. Work on your mannequin so that
you don't forget the how to do the patterns. Do different sizes and work on
speed with her.

I took the class in September and December I installed my first client. At the
time I had two regular retightening clients.

As far as getting clients, get some business cards and or fliers, so when you
get compliments you can give them a card. You can ask stores geared to us if
you could leave fliers with them. Advertise in here. Join the Sisterlock
facebook page and friend other Sisterlockers. Join natural hair meetup.com
groups in your area and go to natural hair events. Blog about your experience
so if they like to surf the net they can follow your journey. Have your
favorite blogs and resources to refer to them. I use blogs as a way to show
styles, sizes, and how they look from the very start, to a month, to years out.
I really like blogs because you start with the most recent pictures with it all
full and work your way back. When they see that Blaqkofi started off with the
scalpy look it's reassuring that their hair will fill out. Showing Dewdrop's
DIY videos helps the budgeting or hands on clients.

When talking about Sisterlocks, people want to know how they are done, can they
come out, what you can do with them as far as styling, and how they are
different than other locks. Be prepared. When telling them how they are
different - the pattern holds the lock not product, the woven technique, the
smaller size, strength, versatility - never ever put down another lock type.
There is nothing wrong with other dreadlocks. Plus, you never knew if they have
had other locks or if a relative has other locks.

Do not to look at this as a cash cow and take clients because the getting is
good. When you are on the phone with a person or during a consultation, listen
carefully to the person. People pick who they want to do their hair, so pick
who's hair you want to do. Some people say take the money and run. If you are
able to separate this being a partnership with your client, then take the money.
If you become attached to your work, then the head ache of an ill client will
make you want to shave their head and take your work back.

Answer your phone and return calls. People screen calls and won't answer to
numbers that they don't know and wait for them to leave a message. With numbers
I don't know, I always answer with 'Hello, MiMi speaking. How may I help you?'
Not the questioning 'hello'. In your message mention that you are a Sisterlocks
professional or trainee. Check your email daily because some people feel better
just emailing.

Get a bar chair with cushion, possibly a mat, and a wide salon chair. Get a
good pair of shoes that are comfortable. I like to switch shoes because after a
few hours they all start to feel like metal on concrete.

Keep your tools on you at all times. Get an apron or put it in your pocket.
Never leave your tools out of site. Keep it in a pouch or case and return it to
it when doing your own hair. People will come get their hair retightened, pay
you, steal your tools, and then say they do Sisterlocks and have your tools to
make it look legit. If one of your tools gets lost or stolen, call immediately
to get another one. They are cheap and Sisterlocks will ship those out fast
even when they take a while to ship products.

Become friends with other trainees/consultants. I have had to mail a tool to a
consultant and take a tool to trainee. You can partner with them when doing
natural hair meet-ups/expos and the Sisterlocks events. It's also
nice to have somebody to talk to who knows what you're talking about too.

I wrote too much to proofread. I did finish fifth grade even though it might not
seem like it.

Good luck to you and enjoy the class,
Carmen

25th Client's Install

Keenya's Hair took roughly 12 hours to complete. Yes! And I found my 24th client's parting photos. Yes!

24th Sisterlocks Install Client

I took a bunch parting photos, but I can't seem to find them on my card. These right after the install photos came out great. Jamila is wearing C. U. Shine copper Tomoka's Twists in the half locked/half puff photo. I no longer try to calculate time minus breaks, so 17 hours including breaks, eating, and youtubing.

22nd Install Client

First Client's Third Year

Aww! Look how long they are! Go Trina!

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.

20th Installation Client - Spelman

I completed Spelman in in 12 hours over two days. She has hair very similar to mine. I did medium, large, and the max throughout.