Meet Imani Goodridge

Today we’d like to introduce you to Imani Goodridge.

Imani, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
In 2011, one evening, my mother came home with a new hairstyle. It was not completely finished but I remember thinking they were microbraids until I got a closer look. At 12 years old, I had never seen anything like it. Today I know that I had bore witness to the tedious establishment process of installing a form of interlocks called “sisterlocks”. I was intrigued by it, asking many questions. She patiently explained to me that they were a type of locs that were smaller than any other style of locs, which would make them more versatile to style. In awe of my mother, I decided right then and there that I HAD to get them too! I wanted to look just like my mom. Without my mom, I never would’ve had sisterlocks and never would’ve have created my YouTube channel.

I’ve always had my hair natural. Before losing my hair, I’d only had it pressed once and mostly adorned braided and twisted hairstyles. Only knowing my natural hair texture made the decision of getting sisterlocks simpler. Sisterlocks were not as popular in the early 2010s as they are now. I remember getting stares and thinking, “WHAT is everyone looking at? Is there something on my face?” Then these stares shifted to being stopped in the grocery store and airport. As my hair began to get longer and thicker, these looks of curiosity and compliments escalated into people coming up to me asking numerous questions about my sisterlocks, how to maintain them, what are the pros and cons, etc. It had gotten to the point where I could not go out in public without being interviewed about my hair. Through these interactions, it became clear that there was a need for a tool or catalog that answered these questions and showed the versatility of a unique hairstyle that I happened to get at a young age. That’s when I made the choice to create a YouTube channel dedicated to answering these questions.

I made my first video in July 2017; it was a short overnight heatless curl tutorial. I then made a few videos every couple of months and stopped in 2018, not thinking much of it. I did not — and still do not — care about views. I just posted when I felt like I had a style to share or advice about sisterlocks that I thought would help those deciding whether or not to take the plunge and establish a set of their own. But in mid-2019, that’s when things started to change.

My old videos started blowing up, people started bombarding my Instagram DMs and commenting on my videos all asking the same question, “When are you coming back to YouTube?” Upon high demand, summer 2019 is when I made the conscious decision to take my channel more seriously. Since then, my channel has grown exponentially. My subscribers are called “Goodies,” and the “Goodie Gang” is an international community of Goodies who chat in the comment sections of my videos and Instagram posts about hair and much more. We are a family. We give each other advice and update one another along the different stages of our sisterlocks journeys. I’m further along than most, making my channel a good source for those wondering what to do differently once their hair is fully located and where their hair and thoughts about it may be in the future. It’s refreshing to see everyone come together and guide one another through the varying stages of sisterlocking.

Has it been a smooth road?
As an introverted, full-time college student constantly juggling my obligations, being able to upload consistently has been my biggest challenge. I am a very organized person and am great at managing my time. However, there are only so many hours in the day. I know that my supporters would love for me to upload multiple times a week; I wish I could too! But my education is my priority, and I let my Goodies know that. Although it is hard to not overextend myself, by communicating effectively, I feel that everyone understands and have supported me throughout this journey. The only pressure I feel now does not come from my subscribers, rather, it comes from within. I am always wanting to do my best in everything I do. With the rise of my YouTube channel and community, I am finding a healthy balance between my personal life, academic life, and YouTube slowly but surely. If you had asked me in 2017 if I thought I’d learn so much from running a YouTube channel, I would have been skeptical!

For the most part, the growth of my channel has been pleasant and inspiring. The amount of love and support I receive in my comments remind me why I continue to do what I do. The toughest part about being a YouTuber is that everyone has something to say. Being seen as just a face and not a person on a tablet, smartphone, or television sometimes emboldens people to say some really out-of-pocket things. I am still getting used to both these positive and negative consequences of my growth but truly only focus on the good. Why focus on the sour when the vast majority of people are sweet and want me to succeed?

We’d love to hear more about your work.
On my channel, I mostly answer frequently asked questions about sisterlocks, create hairstyle tutorials, share my loc care methods, and the occasional vlog. What sets me apart from other sisterlock-based channels is where I currently am in my life journey. Simply put, I’m on the younger end of sisterlocked YouTubers because sisterlocks are expensive. Most 21-year-olds would not be able to afford the installation and maintenance of sisterlocks without help. Having gotten mine so young and learning how to maintain my hair on my own is what makes my channel possible. As I begin to branch out from just hair videos, I sometimes vlog my life. From my Paris study abroad videos to my crochet business (Goodies Crochet Goods on Etsy), I can make content that is relevant to who I am while catering to all age groups. I’ll always post sisterlocks videos; those are my roots! But I also find that people do not just subscribe to the specialization of your channel. They subscribe to you and would love to get to know more about who you are, your hobbies, and hidden talents if you let them!

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
The nature of my work is remote, so, I can really work anywhere. But Atlanta holds a special place in my heart. The diverse city has a high concentration of black people, which tends to be the audience for my channel; it specializes in a black hairstyle. Simply being around so many different types of people subconsciously influences my videos. I get inspiration for videos from some of the questions I get asked by people of all backgrounds when exploring the city. Atlanta is a city full of creatives. It’s a great place to find your niche while also learning from others and finding cool ways to implement what you’ve learned into your own content.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: imanitaylorgood
• Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/GoodiesCrochetGoods
  https://www.youtube.com/user/maniissoawsome
  

Image Credit:
Aaron Farrelly

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