Today we’d like to introduce you to Shereffa Francis.
Hi Shereffa, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I am 29 years young and I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. I consider myself to be a self-starter and serial entrepreneur.
I grew up in a very loving but stern Guyanese and Jamaican household. I am the eldest to 16 siblings and I was taught at a young age to grind and work hard for everything I want out of life. I moved to Georgia when I was a teenager because my mother wanted a better life for my siblings and I. The influences of the south have truly shaped me into the woman I am today and without these roots, I believe the trajectory of my life would’ve been completely different.
I grew up around women in the hair and beauty industry and was always fascinated with my own hair journey. I gained my experience with hair by experimenting on my cousin and sister’s hair as well as helping in my Aunt’s salon. My passion for hair care was so influential in my life that I took cosmetology classes in high school and committed two years to developing my skill set. I used my side hustle as a hairstylist while enrolled at The Fort Valley State University, where I received a dual Bachelors degree in Early Childhood and Special Education. Throughout college, I managed to perform exceptionally academically and maintain my clientele.
In hopes of exploring a more creative space, I looked to my aunt’s experiences as a model to explore a creative outlet and later joined Royal Elite Modeling Troupe while in undergrad. This is where I started to grow into my confidence as a feminine woman.
I was blessed to be immersed into my career path as an early childhood educator and taught general and special ed. For five years. While rewarding, as an educator at times, I felt confined and like my creativity was limited. I was operating out of a space of fear for a long time and finally decided to step out of my comfort zone and take a leap of faith. This defined a new creative space for me that allowed my many talents to shine in their respective areas.
In exploring these different avenues of my life and transitioning into this new entrepreneurial journey, I realized how important it was for me to take risks and go after what I enjoy despite adversities. I am multifaceted in all capacities and take pride in my ability to be successful in a multitude of creative outlets. Life for me is the energy you put out and the renewing of your mind. One of my favorite quotes is, “It’s better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one than to have an opportunity and not be prepared”. I can definitely say that I live my life by that quote.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My life has been filled with many trials and tribulations that has shaped me into the woman I am today. I am a #MeToo survivor who experienced that type trauma at a terribly young age. It has impacted the way I viewed myself which has made my self-love journey all the more important. The biggest struggle for me that I had to face was learning to believe in and value myself and abilities without the validation of others. I strongly believe that I am worthy of all things I set my mind to.
Along my self-care journey, I discovered more about my willingnesses to put others before myself and had to let go of those attachments in order to thrive and unlock my potential. I’ve had to walk away from friendships that I valued more than anything. I’ve lost my fur baby, which I later realized was my emotional support and for a while, I felt lost. Loss is inevitable, you can choose to let it stop you and hold you back or you can let it fuel you. I try to remember that everything I’ve lost, I’ve gained something else in the process. My goal is to not only continue to level up and beat those generational curses but to be a walking testimony for others. You don’t have to be a victim to your environment or your circumstance.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I consider myself to be a multitalented individual. For as long as I could remember, my love for art has taken on many forms. Most people would consider me to be “A Jack of All Trades”.
As a little girl, I started out expressing myself through my sketches and paintings. I later realized my love for dance and how free it made me feel. As I got older, I realized modeling and acting was also a form of art. I enjoyed embodying different characters with different attitudes to tell a story. I could remember directing my own plays during the holidays and having auditions for each role. I tend to gravitate towards anything that allowed me to express myself.
For a long time, society made me feel like having a passion in multiple areas constitutes as “doing too much” or “not being skillful enough in any one area”. It’s only been recently I’ve realized how far from the truth that is. I’m a firm believer of what’s meant for you will be for you. Even though I went through college following one path, I found my way back to this creative space. I am proud to say that I am an Artist, Actress, Content Creator, Hairstylist, Model, and Self-Care Enthusiast. This journey has been an exhilarating experience.
When I am not being artistic, my passion for helping people to take charge of their life through beauty/hair and self-care is my focus. I enjoy crowning my clients, allowing them to look fabulous and feel confident by providing creative styling for all. I specialize in natural haircare, crochet styling, and hair extensions. I can provide hair education, products, and a regimen to help my clients achieve their hair goals with protective styling. I wanted to take my business to the next level so, I started my own hair extension line- Majestically Tangled Virgin Hair. I envisioned women being able to embrace their beauty without the need to find flaws in themselves and others. This later urged me to open my own online beauty supply store to create a fully crowned experience.
As I indulged in my many business ventures, the need for self-care became more imperative. I needed to create balance in my life. I saw that this was a challenge not only for myself but for the people around me. Hence, the birth of my Royal Beauty Box, which aims to inspire more happiness and empower hardworking women to take charge of their lives by building good self-care habits.
I am proud and grateful that I’ve found a way to live my dreams out loud without the need of acceptance. I’m living life and doing the things that set my soul on fire! One day I hope to be a mogul, just like my inspiration Rihanna.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
What I love about Atlanta is how you can come from anywhere in the world and create a life for yourself. Atlanta is literally what you make it! I enjoy the networking opportunities and the many places you can visit or food, leisure, and/or fun. The one thing that I can say- that I’m sure everyone dislikes about Atlanta is the traffic. You never know what to expect on this Atlanta Highways.
Pricing:
- Book me to receive a fully crowned experience for your next self-care session or event. (photoshoot, fashions show, wedding, video shoot etc.) I also offer hair consultations to create a hair regimen catered to each individual’s hair journey. These services can be booked on my website for ONLY $15 for the first 30 minutes.
- Self-care is a Journey! Invest in yourself when you purchase a Royal Beauty Box. Each Royal Beauty Box includes special collaborations with beauty, lifestyle, wellness, & self-care brands. An $80 bundle valuing over $130.
- Your first wealth is your health! I’ve partnered with Total Life Changes to provide organic wellness products to help aid with weight management and create healthy glowing skin.
- I believe your hair is your first crown. My Majestically Tangled Virgin Hair Collection was birthed from the idea that we should embrace our beauty without the need to find flaws in ourselves and others. I used this vision to create extensions that were woven to perfection. When you wear these extensions you should feel beautiful but tragically flawless. I offer i-tips to match your natural hair texture on a consultation purpose only. However, I also offer bundles, closures, frontals, custom & ready-to-wear Units that can be purchased directly from the site starting as low as $60
Contact Info:
- Email: ShereffasCrownedStyles@gmail.com
- Website: www.ShereffasCrownedStyles.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beautifully_educated/
- Facebook: https://www.instagram.com/shereffascrownedstyles/
- Other: https://linktr.ee/ShereffasCrownedStyles
Image Credits
TD Visual Arts
