We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rashad Donaldson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Rashad , thanks for joining us today. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?
I am working to elevate the theory and practice of Self Care. Deifying “Self” and bringing its care to a ceremonial or religious standard.
Rashad , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am a creator by nature, a barber by profession, and a self care consultant by passion. I do improv because it’s fun. And these avenues keep me pretty busy. I became a barber in 2019 from motivation by my wife and I immediately discovered my purpose in the industry. I am passionate about self care as proper self care has saved my life on many occasions. My profession as a barber has allowed me to create products services and information that looks at the “Self” as a whole being and thus all care must address all levels at all times. I help clients realize their own value by helping their relationship to themselves through care. I am proud to see full and whole beings developing before my eyes. I know that health is a journey and I am honored to walk it with my clients.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
The strongest lesson that I had to learn was “all money aint good money” I grew up impoverished so my dream of owning my business was emotionally tied into escaping the hardships of not having money. This produced an unnatural need to make money. As I built my business I came to understand that caring for myself was essential to me being able to make money. In 2019 I survived a suicide attempt and self care with the support of my loved ones I was able to finish barber school and become a full time barber. Self care is still apart of my business policy, building in mandatory self care days in my schedule.
Can you talk to us about manufacturing? How’d you figure it all out? We’d love to hear the story.
Yes I make a hair and skin moisturizer called SBS Wave. I developed it originally to give me a versatile product that I could use in my barber services. It worked so well that my clients wanted it for themselves. The journey to produce a retail product has been interesting being that I have chosen to keep a tight grip on the manufacturing process. I have learned that research and development is essential creating something that works. For example my formula had to change to accommodate shipping.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.sheabuddashad.com
- Instagram: @Shea_Budda_Shad
- Facebook: Shea Budda Shad
- Youtube: Shea Budda Shad
Image Credits
I took all these photos on my phone