Today we’d like to introduce you to Deanna Knight.
Hi Deanna, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Both sides of my family are from South Florida, so I come from a long line of beauticians, locologists, and boisterous creatives who have helped shape me into a seasoned creative. My mom taught me the most when it came to hair care and confidence. We would take turns doing each other’s hair before I branched off to doing my own.
It wasn’t until I moved out on my own that I decided I needed a change and began my own skate & loc journey; which in reality, became an immense spiritual journey for me. I loved everything about skating & locs because of how much I began to learn about myself through my own journey. I poured the excess love and respect that I had for myself, my journey and my locs into the locs of my friends and family—and that love, care, and education showed with the results of hair growth and clientele I was receiving back. I am dedicated to teaching others how to tend to their very first garden: YOU!
Fast forward to about five months later, I decided I would leave my job and invest in my skills full-time. It was a big risk for me, but I believed in myself and was surrounded by others that believed in me as well, and came into contact with two divine clients that literally walked me through the process of starting and managing a business. The rate of my success would not be what it is today without them, and I am very grateful that they chose me to be a part of their journey as well.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been the smoothest! Haha, there were so many mistakes that I made along the way that have shaped me tremendously as an entrepreneur and a stylist. The biggest lesson for me was being honest with MYSELF: admitting when I was struggling, asking for help, and allowing myself to be helped. Anytime your learning and striving to achieve something new, “failures” are necessary for growth. Once I aligned myself with the right people, kept the intention as clear as possible, and kept faith, it only made what was for me come to me more fluidly.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am known for allowing others the space to BE. Whomever and whatever that looks like to them, I encourage the uniqueness we all possess as individuals. I bring that forth in all that I create and invest my time into: Loctopia, roller skating with MilsOnWheels, motivational speaking, and product building.
My clients give me the creative freedom to express not only my work and personality but pull out qualities that they also have about themselves.
The beauty about perspective is the ability to shapeshift and become fluid. Being able to make the necessary adjustments and adapt—whether I am bringing my client’s vision or my own to life in the physical—while still being present to enjoy and learn all that I can from my experiences. I am most proud of my ability to adapt into spaces where I am either the muse or the artist: inspiring or being inspired. I love to believe they are hand-in-hand.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
BE YOU. Be you to the fullest extent with a little extra, and who and what’s for you will naturally flow to you. Those moments you find yourself feeling stagnant or stuck, become fluid and create something—anything. To inspire, you have to be inspired and create. Be delirious about your growth and your journey because people will only believe and invest in you as much as you believe and invest into yourself.
Pricing:
- Roller Skating (beginner/intermediate/advanced) – $30/hr
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.styleseat.com/m/v/itsloctopiallc
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/isalutemilyon?igshid=MzMyNGUyNmU2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@itsloctopia?si=RKaXiY_W54ag5P8B
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@itsloctopia?_t=8gYzTHDuEPq&_r=1
Image Credits
Cheyenne Richardson
