Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Meg Elam. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Meg, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
Making the transition from holistic hairstyling to loctician was exciting and rewarding, but it is important to be aware of the risks involved. It takes a lot of courage to go out of your comfort zone and focus on a particular technique, especially one that is not “normalized” in the hair industry, and requires a big commitment from your clients. A definitive risk I took was making the decision to dedicate myself to mastering the technique of dreadlocks and shifting my entire business to service dreadlocks.
One of the main risks was that I may not have the same client base as before. As a hairstylist it can take on average 3-5 years to build up a steady clientele. I was to the point of a busy and loyal clientele when I made this career shift. I knew it was going to take time for me to build up a clientele who is interested in dreadlocks, and it would require proper technique and educative knowledge to keep them coming back.
I saw the importance of being aware of the specific techniques and methods used with dreadlocks, as using the wrong method or technique can lead to unsatisfactory results and negatively impact the clients journey and your reputation. Though finding dreadlock education at that time was so difficult, and still is! They don’t teach anything about dreadlocks in beauty school, therefore any form of dreadlock education has to be specifically sought out.
As someone with dreadlocks working behind the chair, I knew if I were to walk into a salon, other stylists would look at me and wondering how or what they could even do to help or give service to me. I couldn’t bare that separation in this industry knowing the care that goes into the style of dreadlocks. From this experience bloomed my passion and mission of bridging the gap of dreadlocks existing in a salon environment.
I am proud of myself for gaining the confidence to trust in my abilities and jump into something that was unfamiliar to me as an admirable risk to take. Hard work and dedication pays off. I continue to be successful in my career and am growing every day through every experience
Meg, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’m Meg, a Dread Artist (Loctician) and Holistic Hairstylist currently based out of Maui, Hawaii. I am a master Loctician also specialize in low toxic hair services and intuitive haircutting. My work is very passion led and I have become dedicated to the health and integrity of the hair. I see hair as my canvas and love to create realistic visions making hair dreams come true. Simply hair artistry for the soul
As a Holistic Stylist I take a clean, low-toxic, environmental approach to hair.
Meaning, no intense fumes, no headache-causing smells, zero synthetic scents, zero artificial fragrance, etc. There is no compromise to using clean products that are paraben-free, ammonia free, and ppd free.
Simply creating a health conscious environment that is sustainable for all.
A Loctician is someone who specializes in starting, maintaining, and caring for dreadlocks. Having well maintained dreadlocks consists of proper technique and routine maintenance. Finding an expert who is knowledgeable and capable of guiding one through their journey can be very useful.
From there, my business The Loc’d Heart was born.
The Loc’d Heart is a sacred space for you to not only be a part of my journey as a Holistic Hairstylist and Loctician, but a place for you to learn, experience and be inspired.
The vision for The Loc’d Heart came to me through a moment of meditation where I went deep into what it truly means to me to be a Holistic Hairstylist and Loctician. Whenever I’m with a client, I’m not simply just doing their hair. It is a pure exchange of energy that is occurring from me to my client, my client to the universe. I am in physical contact with their Crown Chakra. This sense of touch is allowing me to be in tune with this sacred space where spiritual connection and transformation are formed and that their locs became an ethereal part of their most pure identity. When we are aligned with our true selves, we allow our heart chakra to open, the centre of compassion, love and forgiveness.
The Loc’d Heart is your key to opening these sacred spaces, and where aligned expansion unfolds. The four symbols of The Loc’d Heart (Double Helix, Key, Heart Chakra, Crown Chakra) are a pure reflection of this process and embody the mission of my services offered.
1. Crown Chakra – Our connection to a higher power, a deeper consciousness, located at the top of our head and uses our hair as connection points to link our deepest thoughts and emotions to the universe, allowing what is meant for us, to come through us. The Crown Chakra is where we download everything – where spiritual connection and transformation occur. So, when the crown chakra is blocked it can either be ‘excess’ or ‘deficient’. Excess people are those who seem to always be stuck within their minds and deficient people are those who struggle with expansive thoughts. It’s so important for me to become in tune with the level of your crown chakra, open or blocked when working with you so I know where I need to meet you and provide a comfortable, safe space for you to receive my service.
2. Heart Chakra – Our center of compassion, empathy, love, and forgiveness. And when I work with you, my goal is to ensure your locs are the embodiment of the deep connection you have within and that you feel aligned and at peace after our time spent together.
3. Double Helix – A symbol of resilience, the bond between two forces and our DNA. When I’m working with a client and touching their hair, we are integrating the energy from their session into their DNA. An infinite, endless connection between them, their dreadlocks and one that I’m so fortunate to honor.
4. The Key – Representing knowledge and success, the key is our Loc Master. When I am working and connecting with clients, it is a pure transfer of energy. The releasing of old, and the embodiment of new and aligned, full of heart. It is when we finish our time together and your new energy is recharged and locked in, the Loc Master becomes the Loc’d Heart.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
Dreadlocks are not limited to just culture; in fact, they have been worn by people all over the world for centuries. Dreadlocks were worn by Ancient Egyptians, and have been popular in some African and Caribbean cultures as well. In addition, many people of other backgrounds have adopted the hairstyle in recent years, so it has become a style that can be worn by anybody regardless of their culture or background. Ultimately, dreadlocks are a unique hairstyle that is meant to be worn by people of all backgrounds and cultures.
It is true that dreadlocks are not limited to just one culture. In fact, dreadlocks have been a part of many different cultures for centuries, and worn all over the world. Dreadlocks are often associated with spiritual and religious traditions, though its important to understand that it is also a chosen hairstyle, just as braids are a chosen hairstyle for others. It’s important to remember that culture appropriation is not just limited to dreadlocks, but is a broader issue of respect and understanding of different cultures. It is important to recognize and respect the cultural significance of dreadlocks while also understanding that they can be a part of many different cultures and are a beautiful style for others to express their identity through.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
This significant pivot affected both business and personal life. I was coming to terms with the fact that the city life was no longer something that fulfilled me. I was feeling complacent. For numerous reasons, my partner and I knew we needed to make way back to Maui, HI (where he had previously been living) So I took the leap, left everything I had built for myself, and moved to the isolated island. This required me to purge nearly everything I owned, to just check a few bags, and hop on our flight to restart life on island.
I moved there not really knowing a single soul (aside from my partner). The challenge of knowing I had to start completely over in both personal AND business life, was discomforting. Though, through discomfort is how we gain comfort. My hard work and dedication really got put to the test, it’s not just something that happened over night. Living life intentionally and BECOMING my journey has been the greatest gift I have received through such a pivot in life. My career has transcended in ways I had always dreamed of and the quality of life has become the most rewarding. Onward and upward ~
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thelocdheart.com
- Instagram: @thelocdheart
- Other: Email: hello@thelocdheart.com
Image Credits
Thais Mendonca – @galeriaepoesia Olivia Marten – @oliviamartensphoto Sam Prows – @samuelprows