Today we’d like to introduce you to Ruby Rose Hover.
Hi Ruby Rose, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in a teeny tiny town where there were very little stylists who knew how to do Black hair. In my whole entire state, my family found 2 Black hairstylists. Somehow in the void, little 4th grade Ruby Rose fell in love with natural hair. I did my first “big chop” in 4th grade & started caring for my natural hair myself. When I graduated High school, I was so excited to start undergrad at Spelman College & to be in Atlanta a Black hair Mecca.
My Junior year at Spelman College my big sister got a new hairstyle called “Sisterlocks.” It was a natural hairstyle that was super low maintenance, absolutely gorgeous, and most importantly healthy for her hair (which unfortunately so many hair care practices for Black women are not). She explained to me that Sisterlocks is a niche hair care system and lifestyle (not just a hairstyle). I was excited to get my very own Sisterlocks & immediately bit her style (as little sisters often do). Unfortunately for me, the stylist (or Sisterlocks Consultant as they’re called) who started my hair moved out of state. Before she left, she taught me how to maintain my own Sisterlocks. From that moment on, I was hooked.
I decided to take the intensive Sisterlocks Training Course and become a Certified Sisterlocks Consultant. I told myself it would be a great side hustle for me while I finished school. In these beginning stages of Loc Therapy LLC, I had no idea that Sisterlocks would bring me success, peace, freedom & the ability to help other Black women embrace their authentic, natural beauty.
Upon graduation, I had come up with an answer for every time someone asked me, “What’s next? Where do you want to work? What do you want to do?” The longer I was on the job hunt, the more my answer to this question started to feel like a performative lie I was telling to make an imaginary panel of judges proud. Also, while I was busy lying to myself about my career path, Loc Therapy’s client base was growing & growing & growing. I was lucky enough to be surrounded by a network of Sisterlocks Consultants (including the woman who started mine) who were former nurses, Fortune 500 employees, other college graduates, etc. who decided that owning their own Sisterlocks business was the best course of action for their life and career.
I love what I do. I love what Sisterlocks has done for my family and for my clients. My next level business goal is to mentor new Sisterlocks trainees & help them thrive by taking less detours than I did. We can all thrive in this business & we all offer something different. If I could share a sliver of how amazing my life has become due to Sisterlocks and determination, it will add on exponentially to my happiness.
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 was definitely a challenge for me to fully embrace entrepreneurship at a time way before being an entrepreneur was the thing to do. I’m a mother, & after having my child, stability became a major motivator for me. I fought being a small business owner so hard that my sisterlocks business actually funded a full four semesters of prerequisite classes for a master’s degree in what I thought would be a safe, stable career in healthcare. (Sidebar: now look at how “safe” healthcare is *insert nervous laughter*).
Raising my business & my son while going back to school broke me. I finally had a heart-to-heart with myself & realized with Sisterlocks, I already had everything I was looking for from my master’s program & more. I get to work with amazing women everyday from all walks of life. I get to observe how one-seemingly small but life-changing decision to get Sisterlocks can have a ripple effect of positivity in my clients’ lives. I have autonomy over my schedule. I’m a present (ok, helicopter) mom, & the stability I was so set on finding I’ve created by building solid relationships with clients.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a Certified Sisterlocks Consultant & owner of Loc Therapy LLC. I specialize in Sisterlocks (a form of small locs created by interlocking the client’s natural hair in small precise parting sections). My number one goal is always healthy hair. I’m not here for styles that look amazing but are causing pain or health issues. It’s 2022 & beauty is not pain anymore!
Something that also sets me apart is my almost 13 years of experience. For regular maintenance, you will sit in my chair for 2 hours or less on average. In today’s world where we all have a million things to do at any given time, time efficiency (while maintaining quality) is so important.
My love for natural hair & locs grew out of necessity. There was only one natural hairstylist in my state growing up. I fell in love with caring for my natural hair then, & when I moved to Atlanta the fire that was ignited just continued to grow.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Perseverance, empathy, grace, boundaries, self-love, hustle, focus, & family got me to where I am now.
I also think in today’s world of social media, it’s imperative to have a strong sense of knowing that what’s for you is for you. It might take one year or 20 years, but don’t fall victim to the comparison trap. Be happy for everyone’s success around you because your time will come & everyone is bringing something different to the table even if you don’t realize it. Your only competition is you.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@LocTherapyLLC.com
- Website: LocTherapy.as.me
- Instagram: Instagram.com/_locTherapy
- Facebook: Facebook.com/LocTherapyByRubyRose
Image Credits:
Angie’s Perspective Photography
