Coming from a Caribbean family and growing up in a Haitian household in Brooklyn, NY where I was born and raised, I was always surrounded by culture and entrepreneurship! My first paying job was when I was 14 years old working in a hair salon in the Flatbush area of Brooklyn, NY. I began braiding hair at age 10, practicing on my twin sisters hair! Throughout Middle school and High School, I braided and styled people’s hair right in my mothers living room (thanks mom ☺️), in which I made a very good income from, for a teenager!! This was my first step to Entrepreneurship and first taste of business! After moving out to Long Island, NY with my family at age 17, I brought my Braiding skills to the town of Uniondale, NY, working out of my moms basement (thanks again mom, lol). In my early 20’s I began working at a barber shop in Freeport, NY, where I became one of the popular and most requested braiders in Nassau County! While working there, I was also a student at a Community College majoring in Business! I initially majored in Pre-med because of my long time love for health and the mechanics of the human body. I had decided not go that route because I wanted to experience my entrepreneurial drive! After graduating, I began applying what I learned in school to transform my ideas to small businesses! I also began experimenting with other ideas I had like Jewelry making and was successful! In my mid 20’s I became pregnant with my first child (Mother of 2), and lost interest, passion, and time, to continue pursuing my love for Hair Braiding! During that time I did some self studying on health & nutrition, started a vegan lifestyle, and gave birth to my 2nd child! After some time, My entrepreneurial drive came back and I decided to pursue my passions again. In 2014, Ancestral Strands was born! I transitioned from being A young female entrepreneur, to becoming a mother, and now Mompreneur!!! The transition was far from easy, and as a single mother, it was the most challenging times in my life! There were times when I had no baby sitter and would take my children with me to festivals where I was a vendor promoting my business and even to house visits for hair appointments with my daughter strapped to my back in the sling! It wasn’t a walk in the park and although things worked out ok, I still struggled with combining my entrepreneurial drive with motherhood! But that’s when I realized, being a business woman/Entrepreneur Was in my blood (My Haitian/African Roots) and what I deeply have a passion for!! I was not hindering myself from going after what I wanted because of life challenges! Today, I am a single mother of 2 beautiful children, still pursuing my childhood dream of sharing my creative hair art, despite the challenges I’ve faced! As my kids are growing older, motherhood/life is becoming a little easier which helps me to pursue my dream of owning the first Natural Hair & Braiding mobile Kiosks!