We recently connected with Anne Samuelle Naissa and have shared our conversation below.

Anne Samuelle Naissa, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Any thoughts about whether to ask friends and family to support your business. What’s okay in your view?

I’ve always appreciated my parents’ generosity regarding financial support. I’m not saying my parents have it, but they’ve sacrificed to provide. I will forever express gratitude, but outside of monetary compassion, support for me looks and feels like emotional nourishment. My mother and father were not equipped with the tools to be emotionally aware.

When I hear the word support, I am brought back to a conversation I had with my mother. I was living in Tallahassee, on the verge of a breakdown. My sense of self and everything around me was slowly diminishing. I recall feeling so unhappy, hurt, and alone. That day I called my mother to check in; it had been a while since we spoke. No one in my family knew of the strife I was facing or had faced living in Tallahassee. I kept those buried deep.

The conversation followed
Me: Hey Mommy
Mom: Hey Naissa
Me: Koman nou ye
Mom: Nou bwen. Aye ou mem
Me: Mwen bwen

I wasn’t good, but that was my auto-piloted response.

All I’ve ever wanted from my mother was to be seen, loved, and accepted as I am. Not for who she wanted me to be. I couldn’t do it, the pretending, the mask I wore, none of it. I was used to brushing off the harsh criticisms, ignoring when she would make remakes about me not being good enough, the comparisons. I was used to it, but that day I’d had enough.

“Why can’t you just support me?” I said to my mother.

I cried as I shared that with her. I was frustrated; my voice filled with agony. I was begging her to see me, begging her to hear me. My mother’s response was simple, short, and cutthroat; in her Haitian accent, she replied, “No.”

I share that story to say sometimes people will never accept our authenticity or individuality, even family. It doesn’t mean we should change or conform. Instead, we should continue to shine; Hell, shine brighter. Don’t let anyone’s opinion of you stop you from chasing your dreams. For so long, I’ve been my emotional support system. It’s incredibly lonely, feeling like I can only depend on myself; I can only share with myself. I’m thankful for my family, friends, and chosen family that does support me. I’m grateful for the ones who support me as I am. Great people were placed in my life exactly when I needed them.

Supporting me is supporting my business!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

In the summer of 2018, while working at a summer camp, I received a phone call from a friend urging me to contact my parents regarding my brother. I reached out; my parents were just as confused as I was. They were at work when they received a phone call from their landlord urging them to go home. I began researching, stumbling upon an article *trigger warning* that my brother committed suicide. I was devastated. I’ve loved; I’ll continue to love. As a child, I’ve always found joy connecting and expressing myself through beauty and hair. I found delight in the boundless perception that is beauty.
My brother recruited me to retwist his locs. I found joy in the space that we shared. It became our thing, my thing. I can visualize his warm smile after he was blowdried and unclipped. That smile eventually became the stepping stone that brought me to where I am today.

I am a creative. That sounds very broad, but it leaves room to explore all aspects of my creativity. I never enjoyed doing just one thing. I have always been inquisitive. These days, my curiosity and passion have gravitated to hairstyling, modeling, and writing. Modeling creates a space for me to embrace my body, my sexuality, and my sensuality to its total capacity.
I’ve always found joy in connecting and expressing myself through beauty and hair. I find delight in the boundless perception that is beauty.
As a stylist, I combine my knowledge of coloring applications, hair design, hair type & care, and self-care to cultivate my guest’s creative desires. I enjoy being able to connect and share space with my guests. I enjoy hearing their stories and listening to what makes them, THEM!
Beauty is not limited to how we dress, choose styles, or our makeup, though it is a catalyst for self-expression. No “standard” will ever define our beauty or diminish our worth. We exhibit beauty simply because we exist.

Here to empower Beauties to express

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I look back four years ago didn’t know me
I look in the mirror
couldn’t recognize me
suppressed in weed
shots every weekend
I didn’t know when it’ll end
took a hit, my mind couldn’t sit
throwing up saved my life
I look back three years ago
still on the weekend show
same weekend episode
on the outside watching a traumatic show
Sunday Monday
scream and Run day
my body couldn’t do
intoxicated I laid
with my soul, you played
eyes opened for a moment
I watched you.
my body lays, no invitation
But you came anyway
next day suppressed and waited for the
weekend to start again.
I look back two years ago
I punched him
I punched them
not before he got what he wanted
they took a piece of me
there they left their piece growing inside of me
I hated myself for letting this happen
I distanced myself from all three
two heartbeats,
two heartbeats disconnected
yet you lived inside of me

My search for validation and acceptance no doubt brought me the most endeavors.

It didn’t click for me. It took four years of the cycle to repeat with the same message and different scenarios that I needed to heal. I needed to reclaim my space and power and focus inward. My experiences taught me to love myself and prioritize myself and my needs. The shit I went through was tough. I recall countless times I wanted to give up and be free of the world.

I wrote this poem back in 2020 at 1:22 am. Poetry became my outlet. I could be vulnerable, utterly vulnerable, with my thoughts and emotions. I no longer wanted to perpetuate my suffering. I no longer wanted to seek love and validation outside of myself. I no longer wanted to live the life that kept me shackled. It was time to change. And to embrace change. Everything that I endured was preparing me to pivot. I was inspired to co-create my destiny.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

The number of times I’ve gotten lost as a child is ridiculous. My poor mother, I wonder how frantic she must’ve been. When I was about seven, in our third year of living in the United States, my family decided to go on a family beach trip. It was our first time visiting the beach since our immigration to Florida. I remember feeling so excited because we were going to The Daytona Beach. It was an event for us. We were up bright and early, loaded the car with food and drinks, and then all 7 of us.

While playing in the waves for what felt like minutes, probably hours, my mother instructed me to get out of the water and eat. I was adamant that I wasn’t quite hungry yet, but it wouldn’t change the outcome. I had to eat. While walking back to the car, I made my discomforts and complainants loud and known.

“Mommy mwen pa grangou” I whined.

Frustrated and annoyed, my mother sent me back to the water to reunite with my father and brothers. I try and recall the path back to the spot in which I was. “Straight ahead,” I said to myself. But when I got there, I couldn’t find them. They were no longer where we left them. Seven-year-old me made it my mission to find them.

I failed. I walked about two to three miles in the opposite direction, lost and alone. I didn’t know the language, the people, or the environment, but I didn’t find myself afraid. If anything, I was determined and excited to be exploring. We eventually found each other; my uncle found me near the pier.

I’ve been lost many times along my journey. Both physically and metaphorically, through it all, I am determined. I am open to the unknown that feels frightening, that feels crippling. I always end up coming back to me. No matter how long it takes.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @Haird.aboutme

Image Credits
@BOWWA Community @rot_media @certifiedvisuals_byjoey @g.onfilms @flashionable.inc Model-Maddie