We were lucky to catch up with Jibri Ross recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jibri, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

My abilities to be able to share my creativity with the World are Magical. I’ve been able to accumulate a Lucrative Business, Inspire a Community who my creativity motivates, and Sharpen my Passion. In 2020, I took a diving leap on fate to peruse my career as a hairstylist. My passion has always been in helping people, so when when my time was up as a Teacher I felt so torn. My client were my students, their parents, and I grew fond of that bond we created. But that’s when it hit me. I started to wonder if I could take it further. I could Still create those bonds outside of those relationships built as a teacher. It was the fear of not knowing where I would start in a pandemic that had me in a chokehold.
It took a real conversation with one of my 5th graders before I could realize Gods purpose for my Mark. This wasn’t your average student, her words carried all of the ammunition to inspire me that my impact was destined to be much further than this school building.
She said “Ms.Ross we know you love us but doing hair really what makes you happy. Sometimes we gotta Move forward to show people where we’re going”. It moved me to hear my 5th grader giving me game like that. But as one of my clients, I was so compelled to see my Passion as a Stylist move a Child that way. It was this conversation that gave me confirmation to follow this path. The thought of leaving my students behind was the wrong mindset. I had to see that my resignation was the beginning of my community’s inspiration at what it takes to follow your dreams.

After leaving my teaching career, I transitioned Full throttle into the Manifestation of Passion Tha’Konnect. I began expanding my clientele through instacart. I got Me some business cards and would be a walking testimony to my expertise as a self maintenanced Loctician while doing batches. With 20+ years of experience with natural hair and 7 years of Loc Maintenance experience, I was eager to show the World what I had to Offer this industry. It’s wasn’t right away that the momentum kicked in. I started Off doing a lot of instacart to get the bills paid.
But then their came a time where I was canceling batches to go retwist someone’s locs. Then BOOM I was hardly ever doing instacart because my time fully became dedicated to people wanting my Natural Hair care services.
It was at that moment my hustle became hungry. My ambition drove me beyond the limits and my Passion was Born.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Passion Tha’Konnect is a Loctician. She is a Loctician who Specializes in Holistic Practices of the Loc Experience. Passion Tha’Konnect also provides haircare solutions such as her #1 seller Tha’LOC Serum, a hair growth oil with hair stimulating results. She also has her Nightwear line that includes bonnets & Durags. Tha’Konnect serves as a Natural Guru to Tha’Natural Hair Community. It is her practices that stands as her testimony to growing hair. Although Locs we’re not my start up into hair. As a child, I had family members who encouraged a Natural Hair experience. My uncles had locs That built my confidences to be able to become comfortable with different heads. My Granmother is a southern belle and was well educated on natural oils. I was always responsible for oiling her scalp every visit. This type exposure would evolve something I couldn’t have seen being the framework to my success. But years later stain my memory for who I was always destined to be.

Doing hair was always something I loved. Even when it came to styling my own. I never rushed and I always felt up to it. It always was that element of life that felt Good.

Their came a time where clientele became lucrative. I had Started identifying my regulars. I had Clients who exclusively wanted to work with only me. My mind began wanting produce a product. First thing that came to my mind was “let’s do a hair growth oil”. This began my researching journey to creating an oil that would everything a scalp with Locs would need.

What sets me apart from others in my field is what I do it For. I find My self still 3 years later wanting to come from a place to inspire my clients. I want Them to feel like we’re learning together through their Loc journey. Show them how achievable it is to have beautiful and admiring Locs as you invest your effort into your crown.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I feel that the greatest gift we can give is authenticity in our work. Our ability to express our messages and display such a craft with our hands makes us magical beings. The reward in my lane as a Loctician is rewarding when Someone chooses me to be their Loctician. Theirs no greater feeling that inspiring someone to Loc their it truly an honoring feeling.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I had To unlearn what felt comfortable. I knew That comfortability can be the downfall to your succession of where you can go. I had To see contentment as the enemy. Their was too much work that needed to be done in order for me to evolve. It took me some time, but once I unlearned certain behaviors, my reality completely shifted. I was fully tapped Into Tha’Life of Entrepreneurship and what it takes to sustain in this lifestyle.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.schedulicity.com/scheduling/SBTNUA
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/passionthakonnect
• Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/jibriross