WEBVTT - Episode 6: Becoming Shamari-Rene Cherry - From Rejection to Recognition 0:00:00.200 --> 0:00:02.519 People. How can you get to know anyone via text? 0:00:02.640 --> 0:00:05.120 Especially for guys, that leaves you open for catfish. We 0:00:05.120 --> 0:00:07.320 saw the show, We saw a pan out exactly that 0:00:07.400 --> 0:00:09.840 gets also leave the door for tender swindler. We still 0:00:09.840 --> 0:00:12.079 have that play Oh my God, that was insane or 0:00:12.960 --> 0:00:21.160 vegans and I ain't got time call me now. Hello 0:00:21.400 --> 0:00:25.759 and welcome to Beauty Translated. I'm your host, Karmen Laurentt. 0:00:26.239 --> 0:00:28.800 This is the show all about celebrating the inner and 0:00:28.880 --> 0:00:32.640 outer beauty within the trans community. My guest this week 0:00:32.880 --> 0:00:36.239 is another Atlanta local. She is founder and mother of 0:00:36.320 --> 0:00:39.159 the House of Channel of the Ballroom Scene, and she 0:00:39.280 --> 0:00:42.280 is the first black trans woman to win Instetician of 0:00:42.280 --> 0:00:46.320 the Year in two. She is Shamari Renee Cherry or 0:00:46.360 --> 0:00:50.080 Sha Channel. Shamari Renee joins me in this episode to 0:00:50.120 --> 0:00:52.479 talk to me about her decision to move to Atlanta 0:00:52.640 --> 0:00:55.640 in the nineties, growing up in her aunt's hair salon, 0:00:56.040 --> 0:00:58.320 and how she was able to start her own successful 0:00:58.360 --> 0:01:02.800 beauty business, Diamond Face is By. I became connected with 0:01:02.800 --> 0:01:06.040 Shamari through some of my former esthetic students. They had 0:01:06.040 --> 0:01:09.000 shown me her social media and I became a fan instantly. 0:01:10.480 --> 0:01:12.760 Has been one of my favorite guests to connect with 0:01:13.240 --> 0:01:15.560 right away. We bonded over the fact that we were 0:01:15.560 --> 0:01:18.680 both trans women in the aesthetics industry and our shared 0:01:18.680 --> 0:01:23.200 attitude of not taking ourselves too seriously. A disclaimer about 0:01:23.240 --> 0:01:26.800 today's episode, myself and Shamari Renee will be using the 0:01:26.840 --> 0:01:30.600 T word throughout the episode when talking about ourselves. Remember 0:01:30.800 --> 0:01:32.920 if you're not a T, don't say the word or 0:01:33.000 --> 0:01:35.360 call anyone the word. We had a lot of fun 0:01:35.480 --> 0:01:38.280 having this conversation, and I hope you all enjoy listening. 0:01:51.920 --> 0:01:54.840 I would love to come here like once a month, okay, absolutely, 0:01:54.960 --> 0:01:59.240 we could talk about all the news going on the 0:01:59.280 --> 0:02:02.520 training of view of here. We need this, we need it, 0:02:02.640 --> 0:02:06.400 we are inclusive, we are here right exactly. I love it. 0:02:07.760 --> 0:02:14.119 I'm here with Shamari Renee, wonderful Atlanta based astetician, and 0:02:14.320 --> 0:02:16.399 I just want you to start out by telling our 0:02:16.400 --> 0:02:18.560 listeners about who you are, first of all, and how 0:02:18.600 --> 0:02:23.239 you identify. I am Shamari Renee, also known Channel the 0:02:23.360 --> 0:02:26.520 Mother has Found your Mother? Has you know my preferred 0:02:26.760 --> 0:02:33.079 pronounce she her in mind? Okay? Absolutely? I am Atlanti's 0:02:33.120 --> 0:02:36.079 first trans woman of color to on an operative skincare 0:02:36.120 --> 0:02:38.120 bar in this date of Georgia starting in two thousand 0:02:38.120 --> 0:02:41.320 and twelve. Also the first trans woman of color to 0:02:42.000 --> 0:02:46.360 Estetition of the Year the BBB Awards with Baby Yes, 0:02:49.080 --> 0:02:51.120 which is what I saw when I found you on 0:02:51.200 --> 0:02:53.600 social I saw you on Instagram get out of here, 0:02:53.680 --> 0:02:56.720 and I saw, Wow, she is out here killing it. 0:02:56.880 --> 0:03:01.280 She's a black trans woman from Atlanta an Aestetician of 0:03:01.320 --> 0:03:05.520 the Year. Still mine is still mind blowing because like 0:03:05.560 --> 0:03:08.040 the clip, to be honest, it was almost like I 0:03:08.080 --> 0:03:10.680 was at the Grammys or Oscar. It's something because pure 0:03:10.720 --> 0:03:14.600 I actually have the pot that is Look, I'm looking 0:03:14.639 --> 0:03:17.799 so samee mind you my I just got to stay. 0:03:17.880 --> 0:03:20.720 I'm crying crazy. This is such a fake picture because 0:03:20.720 --> 0:03:22.720 I'm standing here boo when the guy was like, let 0:03:22.720 --> 0:03:25.679 me just fix your makeup, shaking because you're phone to 0:03:25.720 --> 0:03:27.840 pieces you can't here. And I was just because I 0:03:27.919 --> 0:03:30.600 was at the time. I was supposed to thank my manager. 0:03:30.680 --> 0:03:34.160 He had just passed away in June last year. He's 0:03:34.240 --> 0:03:37.840 my business manager and my executive assistant. So you know, 0:03:37.880 --> 0:03:40.119 not to damper to come moment, but I was. When 0:03:40.120 --> 0:03:41.800 I look at the picture, I'm looking at myself. I 0:03:41.880 --> 0:03:46.120 was freaking up because I forgot to thank him because 0:03:46.160 --> 0:03:47.920 it was like I couldn't have been in that position 0:03:47.920 --> 0:03:50.520 without him. It makes a year this year on June fourth, 0:03:50.520 --> 0:03:53.240 Mix a year and he was only twenty six years old. 0:03:53.880 --> 0:03:56.080 I gave him such a hard I laugh. It's funny 0:03:56.080 --> 0:03:57.760 because I laughed now because I gave him such a 0:03:57.800 --> 0:03:59.360 hard time to work for me, because it's twenty two. 0:03:59.360 --> 0:04:02.839 I'm like, what can you possibly do for me? Twenty two? 0:04:02.880 --> 0:04:05.600 I am older than you, et cetera. But he brought 0:04:05.680 --> 0:04:09.200 such a great light to my business. He was innovative 0:04:09.200 --> 0:04:10.840 and he wasn't afraid to take a risk. Do you 0:04:10.840 --> 0:04:12.440 want to talk a little bit about like how he 0:04:12.440 --> 0:04:14.720 helped build your business and maybe a little bit about 0:04:14.720 --> 0:04:17.880 your business too? Down faces care I found it in 0:04:17.880 --> 0:04:20.279 two thousand twelve. Well, let me start with this. I 0:04:20.480 --> 0:04:25.400 wanted to work for Mac. Yeah, I used to Okay, 0:04:25.680 --> 0:04:28.640 the music looking good, they have all of that, right. 0:04:28.760 --> 0:04:30.880 I wanted to work for Mac and did not know 0:04:30.960 --> 0:04:33.520 that it's hard to work for them. They hire from 0:04:33.520 --> 0:04:37.880 with them, so we just get it. But it also's 0:04:37.920 --> 0:04:40.479 discouraging for individuals like I still wanted to work for 0:04:40.520 --> 0:04:42.840 them because at the time, we must remember, there wasn't 0:04:42.839 --> 0:04:45.960 a place for us Yeah, there wasn't any visibility and 0:04:47.120 --> 0:04:51.680 absolutely saw RuPaul. So that's one for me. That's the way, 0:04:51.680 --> 0:04:54.880 except we're gonna accept me apply with them Carmen for 0:04:54.920 --> 0:04:59.240 about teams straight. Yeah, that one interview. But let me 0:04:59.279 --> 0:05:02.520 tell you, Okay, a lot of times as trans people 0:05:02.560 --> 0:05:05.040 say they'd be overcompensated, and I can say why. I 0:05:05.080 --> 0:05:07.200 think back then, we overcompensated because we felt we need 0:05:07.240 --> 0:05:10.200 to prove a self worthy because they're already shooting us down. 0:05:10.240 --> 0:05:11.760 So we had to go in with our armor, like listening. 0:05:11.760 --> 0:05:17.839 I know my ship. So I do the total research 0:05:18.360 --> 0:05:23.320 on MAC that night. I'm like, I'm gonna go inhead 0:05:23.400 --> 0:05:25.159 with a sled. I'm gonna have to know I'm not 0:05:25.200 --> 0:05:29.719 a dumb training you know. So Kermit get to the interview. 0:05:30.120 --> 0:05:31.479 First of all, I didn't know that MAC was a 0:05:31.520 --> 0:05:34.320 theater makeup. I didn't know that didn't it was too 0:05:34.360 --> 0:05:38.560 funny about two gay guys can and Canada. I had 0:05:38.640 --> 0:05:40.880 no idea none of that until then. So I go 0:05:40.960 --> 0:05:44.200 to the interview looking good. I'm painted like a Chinese 0:05:44.200 --> 0:05:48.200 Sun said, okay, gorgeous. So I mean they're like, okay, 0:05:48.240 --> 0:05:50.320 ask me anything about the company. I'm going to get 0:05:50.360 --> 0:05:54.560 this job, honey. That lady said, Moms, Cherry, your references 0:05:54.640 --> 0:05:57.960 checked out. Well, your makeup looks good, your portfolio looks great, 0:05:57.960 --> 0:06:00.480 your makeup look good. You look absolutely amazing. But are 0:06:00.480 --> 0:06:05.000 you an aesthetition? I was like, no, what's that? I 0:06:05.120 --> 0:06:08.400 had no idea what an asthetition wasn't so I think 0:06:08.400 --> 0:06:10.000 that she could tell my face. I was like, why 0:06:10.000 --> 0:06:12.039 the hell would you ask me that? So I was thinking. 0:06:12.080 --> 0:06:15.320 She was like, well, unfortunately, we can't offer you employment 0:06:15.760 --> 0:06:18.160 because at this time we're going to just towards skincare. 0:06:19.600 --> 0:06:23.120 So this is doing that time of transitioning for that right. 0:06:23.200 --> 0:06:27.800 So it's like I was yeah, I'm like I want 0:06:27.800 --> 0:06:29.600 to I'm gonna makeup artist. I don't know what aesthetition is. 0:06:29.640 --> 0:06:31.640 So the girl that interviewed me still happened. Her name 0:06:31.680 --> 0:06:35.120 was January. She was an alumni for I Assistant International School. 0:06:35.640 --> 0:06:37.479 She's like, we need should consider going to school. I 0:06:37.560 --> 0:06:39.920 was like, not snatched the pant or so mad I 0:06:40.400 --> 0:06:42.280 tell my mom about it. I was like depressed that 0:06:42.279 --> 0:06:43.960 about My mom said, well, at least you could go 0:06:44.000 --> 0:06:45.600 do it, go and check on the school and see 0:06:45.640 --> 0:06:49.440 what's going. I was like, okay, okay. So I go 0:06:49.560 --> 0:06:52.640 to the school Kermit and at the time they sold 0:06:52.680 --> 0:06:55.880 me makeup because I've seen that's what my focus was. 0:06:56.000 --> 0:06:58.040 But little we both know nether makeup is like the 0:06:58.080 --> 0:07:01.960 little lest the practicing so and what they were doing 0:07:02.000 --> 0:07:03.960 I was already doing, but they were teaching. I was 0:07:03.960 --> 0:07:06.200 already doing that and more because I was doing shows 0:07:06.680 --> 0:07:07.919 and they just teat you how to do it for 0:07:07.920 --> 0:07:10.040 state board. That's it. We're just like dark light. That's it, 0:07:10.560 --> 0:07:14.920 ten credits or whatever exactly. That's it. I remember doing 0:07:14.920 --> 0:07:17.920 a microdime bration and I remember the first time when 0:07:17.920 --> 0:07:20.080 I got this, lady got up and she looked in 0:07:20.120 --> 0:07:23.320 the mirror herself and touched her face. She started crying. Yeah, 0:07:23.680 --> 0:07:26.040 of course I'm in shock because I'm like that. Listen, 0:07:26.120 --> 0:07:28.120 She's like, no, you sent me f It's so beautiful, 0:07:28.200 --> 0:07:30.360 my skin fields kid. So I knew immediately it was 0:07:30.400 --> 0:07:33.720 like a drug addition for that moment. I knew then 0:07:34.040 --> 0:07:38.120 because we like immediate results, and sometimes it's unrealistic. Let's 0:07:38.160 --> 0:07:43.240 be clear, not magicians, but you know, hey, I'm doing 0:07:43.280 --> 0:07:44.880 my best, but a lot of times they want a 0:07:44.880 --> 0:07:47.680 lot in thirty minutes that they are wrong doing in 0:07:47.720 --> 0:07:49.720 thirty years. I want you to reverse the thirty years 0:07:49.760 --> 0:07:53.680 of damage. Right. So but I remember her face and 0:07:53.680 --> 0:07:56.360 I remember how that felt for me, and I was 0:07:56.400 --> 0:07:59.320 screw makeup. Yeah, immediately I wanted to screw make up 0:07:59.360 --> 0:08:02.760 because you can do makeup all do long. Makeup is beautiful, 0:08:02.840 --> 0:08:04.800 It's been here for centuries. No, it doesn't damage the 0:08:04.800 --> 0:08:06.360 skin in lestr abuts that go to sleep in and 0:08:06.440 --> 0:08:08.360 over and over and over. Thank you. Oh my gosh, 0:08:08.600 --> 0:08:12.360 when you get that skin right, baby canvas, Okay, that 0:08:12.440 --> 0:08:16.360 campus right, everything else we'll followed. For me, it felt 0:08:16.400 --> 0:08:18.560 good to see that. So I was hooked. But in 0:08:18.600 --> 0:08:21.400 the same token, Karmen, I didn't think I could afford machines. 0:08:21.560 --> 0:08:23.040 I didn't know how the hell I was going to 0:08:23.160 --> 0:08:26.200 get any of those things. There's a lot of upstart costs, 0:08:26.280 --> 0:08:28.280 right that you don't have any ideas how are you 0:08:28.280 --> 0:08:30.120 going to even attain those things? And I would just 0:08:30.120 --> 0:08:33.240 say that to say it's a lot of times, once again, 0:08:33.280 --> 0:08:36.560 like Mac, I was disappointed because the position that I 0:08:36.640 --> 0:08:39.559 thought that I don't wanted was never created with a 0:08:39.640 --> 0:08:41.600 trans woman in mind. A lot of times with these 0:08:41.600 --> 0:08:44.080 big companies, that's what happened because we don't always have 0:08:44.080 --> 0:08:47.199 the access necessarily to go to a school, right, I 0:08:47.200 --> 0:08:54.480 can't afford to and if you can, that's fortunate. Shamari 0:08:54.520 --> 0:08:58.160 Renee saw a future for herself in the aesthetics industry, 0:08:58.360 --> 0:09:01.240 and two thousand and five a time when she was 0:09:01.240 --> 0:09:04.439 looking to enroll an esthetic school, the world was very 0:09:04.480 --> 0:09:09.079 different from today. Remember, same sex marriage wouldn't become legal 0:09:09.200 --> 0:09:13.280 in all fifty states until these were still the Bush 0:09:13.360 --> 0:09:20.000 Junior years. After all is the international school. When I 0:09:20.160 --> 0:09:21.880 when I accepted on going, they was like, well, you 0:09:21.920 --> 0:09:24.239 have tosinish your transcripts and everything. I was like, okay, 0:09:25.320 --> 0:09:27.360 this is two thousand and five when this is going on. 0:09:27.559 --> 0:09:31.360 Right before the same sex law marriage, Obama hadn't even 0:09:31.400 --> 0:09:35.360 been president checked right, so now these things happened, Okay, 0:09:35.600 --> 0:09:40.000 George Bush. Right, I remember saying, oh my god, they're 0:09:40.000 --> 0:09:42.719 gonna get my papers from school, Like of course there's 0:09:42.760 --> 0:09:45.480 a transform you're thinking about all those things because once 0:09:45.480 --> 0:09:49.240 again the stigma. They don't expect us once again to 0:09:49.400 --> 0:09:52.679 go to school to further education. So when I went 0:09:52.720 --> 0:09:54.280 to the school, went to the school and delayed in 0:09:54.280 --> 0:09:57.760 the office Asian Mary, we have some papers, we have papers, 0:09:57.800 --> 0:09:59.280 but we have some and so and song and this 0:09:59.360 --> 0:10:02.320 has mailed. I was like, wow, that's definitely my high 0:10:02.320 --> 0:10:04.160 school transcripts. You should have seen her face, carm And 0:10:04.240 --> 0:10:08.240 she was like and I was. She was like, We've 0:10:08.240 --> 0:10:10.480 never been a situation, but I'm so how about it. 0:10:10.520 --> 0:10:12.520 She was very apologized, thinking that she was offending me. 0:10:12.720 --> 0:10:15.760 Actually she wasn't. I loved them because they were so 0:10:15.800 --> 0:10:18.800 accommodating to make sure that I I was comfortable with everything. 0:10:19.000 --> 0:10:21.200 They were very mindful of the pronounced they used. There 0:10:21.240 --> 0:10:23.080 was like, anything that we can do to make your 0:10:23.200 --> 0:10:26.800 transition easier. We're here. I don't know. They had meeting 0:10:26.800 --> 0:10:29.720 amongst the teachers, like, hey, this is the name that 0:10:29.720 --> 0:10:31.160 we're gonna go. We're gonna go by this. And I 0:10:31.200 --> 0:10:33.040 had to be honest with your Carmen. I hadn't even 0:10:33.120 --> 0:10:36.440 got my name changed until even when I graduated. At 0:10:36.480 --> 0:10:38.240 the time in two thousand and seven, I hadn't. I 0:10:38.240 --> 0:10:40.840 didn't get my name changed into like August. It's not easy, 0:10:41.000 --> 0:10:45.640 it's not cheap and at the time and right right so, 0:10:45.880 --> 0:10:47.040 But the thing is, at the time I felt all 0:10:47.080 --> 0:10:48.560 that poverty for them. I don't even think they have 0:10:48.600 --> 0:10:52.199 those now. Name change. It was the poverty from ladies 0:10:52.240 --> 0:10:53.720 if you want to do it. They still have it, 0:10:54.040 --> 0:10:56.800 but had a poverty form because once again i'm trans 0:10:56.960 --> 0:11:00.240 This was something that I found out through resource other 0:11:00.320 --> 0:11:05.000 trans sistors, and ironically the cap County when I did it, 0:11:05.640 --> 0:11:10.079 declined it. Wow, the name changed. Everything isn't that shitty? 0:11:10.280 --> 0:11:12.360 But I went to Fulton County and they did it quick. 0:11:12.960 --> 0:11:15.240 The school is very accommodating to me with that, so 0:11:15.280 --> 0:11:17.920 they let me go to school for two years without 0:11:17.960 --> 0:11:20.680 any question about put my names on all the stuff. 0:11:20.679 --> 0:11:22.240 It's like, you'll handle it. You've been a great student. 0:11:22.320 --> 0:11:24.960 So when I finished school Carmera, I didn't know how 0:11:25.040 --> 0:11:28.400 to start a career aesthetics. You have all this stuff, 0:11:28.800 --> 0:11:31.880 but all the tools, but they don't say go here 0:11:32.080 --> 0:11:34.000 or there's no guidance. So at once scanned we're in 0:11:34.000 --> 0:11:37.640 a different class trends. So I went on several several 0:11:38.000 --> 0:11:41.840 confusing interviews because you're like, I have all the credentials, 0:11:42.520 --> 0:11:47.400 all the references. I'm what's skilled? What's the fucking process? 0:11:47.800 --> 0:11:49.719 That's why I feel like, what's the problem? And I 0:11:49.800 --> 0:11:53.480 got so many noes? And of course on that training ship, 0:11:53.559 --> 0:11:58.319 we'll talk about that later. So on my training ship. 0:11:58.400 --> 0:12:00.600 I'm like, I'm not good enough up. I know this 0:12:00.679 --> 0:12:03.280 is going to happen. They don't want me to be tray. 0:12:03.679 --> 0:12:05.520 They don't want me the perfect come because I'm come 0:12:05.559 --> 0:12:08.839 to express that kind of treatment period, whether you're a 0:12:08.840 --> 0:12:10.960 black girl, white, just trans is to me as a 0:12:11.000 --> 0:12:14.319 whole class byself. Right, yeah, exactly, but even harder when 0:12:14.360 --> 0:12:17.600 you are black and trans. Yes, absolutely even harder. I 0:12:17.720 --> 0:12:19.440 luck like I want to remember with a theater company 0:12:19.440 --> 0:12:22.440 and this and make up for a while. And in 0:12:22.520 --> 0:12:26.000 two thousand and twelve, one of my girlfriends shout out 0:12:26.040 --> 0:12:29.560 to Kindred Hall. She's a great esthetician and an alpha ratic. 0:12:29.559 --> 0:12:32.320 She has her own place. Shout shout out to love her. 0:12:32.840 --> 0:12:35.599 She's always just like my sister. If I was in 0:12:35.679 --> 0:12:39.480 the girl should probably my wife. She's my lipstick lesbian lover. Right, 0:12:39.840 --> 0:12:41.880 So she never let her hand about me for school. 0:12:41.920 --> 0:12:43.880 She was like, sham Harry, why don't you start your 0:12:43.920 --> 0:12:46.400 own business. I was like, just shooting it. They like, 0:12:46.840 --> 0:12:48.760 I'm like for the rejection or whatever. She was like, 0:12:48.840 --> 0:12:50.720 trust me, she said, you're in, You're in the community. 0:12:50.800 --> 0:12:53.160 You have a following. You like, I've been to the club, 0:12:53.160 --> 0:12:55.000 but you they treat you like Whitney Houston all the stuff. 0:12:55.040 --> 0:12:58.520 She was like, I work for this medical doctors medical clinic, 0:12:58.600 --> 0:13:01.520 and they're selling that micro durmember machine. Would you like 0:13:01.640 --> 0:13:02.920 about She said, I think we should go. I think 0:13:02.920 --> 0:13:04.679 you should get that. I was like, okay, ch'ad go ahead, 0:13:04.840 --> 0:13:07.080 see what's going on, just saying it. No, this bitch 0:13:07.120 --> 0:13:08.959 was for real. Okay. So she went to the place 0:13:09.280 --> 0:13:11.920 and came back and told me the price. I was like, 0:13:12.000 --> 0:13:15.520 let's talk him down. She was like, well, but she 0:13:15.559 --> 0:13:16.720 was the one who tell me just got the road. 0:13:16.800 --> 0:13:18.640 She's like okay. So not only did she go back, 0:13:19.640 --> 0:13:21.840 did she talk him down, but she gave me half 0:13:21.840 --> 0:13:24.360 of the money to get the machine. Yeah, so I 0:13:24.400 --> 0:13:26.360 had no choice but scept to build up the other half. 0:13:26.360 --> 0:13:29.559 Like okay. So I got the machine and September or 0:13:29.600 --> 0:13:31.840 two times, well this shout out to Diamond Faces. This 0:13:32.000 --> 0:13:35.680 makes ten years a decade. Could not believe it. Okay, 0:13:36.960 --> 0:13:40.160 thank you. So she brought the machine to my house, Carmen. 0:13:41.200 --> 0:13:42.680 At the time, I'm living in the hood. I'm on 0:13:42.679 --> 0:13:45.160 the west side of Town of Police Street right there. 0:13:45.640 --> 0:13:47.400 The house was built a nice t was a nice 0:13:47.440 --> 0:13:50.360 house that did it really cute, but it was in 0:13:50.400 --> 0:13:52.840 the hood. Just to be clear, I didn't have a 0:13:52.880 --> 0:13:55.439 car at the time. I was a hood rad I 0:13:55.559 --> 0:13:58.640 was to say too. So that was catching the train 0:13:58.720 --> 0:14:01.960 okay and stuff. Okay. My first when she came up 0:14:02.000 --> 0:14:04.080 to the house, she was like, this is the machine. 0:14:04.559 --> 0:14:06.160 This is what a dude child. I'm going out of 0:14:06.200 --> 0:14:10.199 town girl, make your money comment. I promised on everything. 0:14:10.240 --> 0:14:12.160 I looked at the machine for like a whole week, 0:14:12.400 --> 0:14:13.840 and you were like, how do I use to know? 0:14:13.920 --> 0:14:16.599 What the fund? Did I do? I knew how to 0:14:16.679 --> 0:14:18.600 use it with. I don't have any clients. I didn't 0:14:18.640 --> 0:14:21.320 have any products. I didn't even know what even get 0:14:21.360 --> 0:14:24.440 clients from this? And this is two right, what do 0:14:24.480 --> 0:14:26.920 I start? This is because I want in two thousand seven, 0:14:26.920 --> 0:14:30.640 so it's having many years later. Yeah, comment on everything. 0:14:30.800 --> 0:14:33.680 I did some of my gay kids, and I did 0:14:33.960 --> 0:14:36.560 queer family, my queer family, and it was like, I 0:14:36.640 --> 0:14:39.320 want to facial. Yeah. I did one of the facials 0:14:39.360 --> 0:14:42.360 and they started to post. At the time, I didn't 0:14:42.400 --> 0:14:44.320 have an Instagram page. I barely had a face of 0:14:44.360 --> 0:14:46.600 page and I didn't know that you could use those 0:14:46.680 --> 0:14:49.080 that time for advertisement. At the time, I think was 0:14:49.520 --> 0:14:52.160 my Space or something going on yeah, that sounds about right. 0:14:53.440 --> 0:14:58.520 It was back to back there. That was to look 0:14:58.520 --> 0:15:03.000 at the money. Okay, a lot of them. So so 0:15:03.800 --> 0:15:06.840 Kendrick came back in town and she was a girl, 0:15:06.840 --> 0:15:09.000 I know you're making your money. I was like, I 0:15:09.000 --> 0:15:11.880 haven't ever used the machine yet. Oh my god. She 0:15:12.040 --> 0:15:14.680 custom me, I'm so bad. She custod my ass and 0:15:14.720 --> 0:15:17.640 she and I needed it. She said, you use it. 0:15:18.480 --> 0:15:20.920 Wait at man, you got this whole machine sitting around. 0:15:21.160 --> 0:15:22.920 You gotta hoole cam me. They treat you like Whitney 0:15:22.960 --> 0:15:25.400 houstand bad. You need to use it. I was like, 0:15:26.840 --> 0:15:28.440 So she made me feel bad. So I needed a 0:15:28.520 --> 0:15:32.520 kick in the ask to get over. So I called 0:15:32.520 --> 0:15:35.960 this at the time, I think it right. Everybody needs that, 0:15:36.120 --> 0:15:38.960 you know, to get us together. So I woul did 0:15:39.000 --> 0:15:41.480 this um show. And this was the beginning of the 0:15:41.480 --> 0:15:43.880 the YouTube. So his name was Jacob and he had 0:15:43.880 --> 0:15:45.640 a show. I called him and said, hey, I'm sure. 0:15:45.680 --> 0:15:47.280 He said, what's up show show? I was like, I 0:15:47.320 --> 0:15:48.840 wanna come. I want to come on your show and 0:15:48.880 --> 0:15:50.800 talk about a business. He was like, I got some 0:15:50.840 --> 0:15:52.480 announce he said, with you to stop walking balls again. 0:15:52.520 --> 0:15:54.280 I was like, no, as I'm starting to business. He 0:15:54.320 --> 0:15:56.160 said you are. I was like yes. He said, have 0:15:56.200 --> 0:15:57.680 you told anybody else? I was like no, He said no, 0:15:57.720 --> 0:15:59.200 come on the show. We want to take you tomorrow. 0:15:59.200 --> 0:16:01.400 I was like, he said, we need a guy's Carmen. 0:16:01.520 --> 0:16:03.840 I went on the show at the time of Rian 0:16:03.880 --> 0:16:07.120 Blin Tiago, who was on Drag Race. She was hosting 0:16:07.160 --> 0:16:09.440 the show It's gonna mind Sherry should have been among 0:16:09.520 --> 0:16:12.120 my clients are gonna girly China, And I was a guy. 0:16:12.200 --> 0:16:14.000 So when I went on the show, Krmen, I talked 0:16:14.040 --> 0:16:17.680 as if the business is already going. I only talked 0:16:17.800 --> 0:16:21.240 when I saw my head At I finished. Jacob was like, 0:16:21.600 --> 0:16:23.160 I'm going to play this interview next week and it's 0:16:23.160 --> 0:16:26.160 going to change everything, Carmen. Those people when he played 0:16:26.160 --> 0:16:28.360 the interview, they were blowing my father up. What is 0:16:28.400 --> 0:16:30.320 that I wanted? They didn't even know what it was. 0:16:30.880 --> 0:16:34.440 They were like I wanted. So I started to clients 0:16:34.480 --> 0:16:36.880 to start coming. It was offering the community. It was like, okay, 0:16:36.920 --> 0:16:40.920 great two thousand and thirteen Priday weekend and okay, it 0:16:41.000 --> 0:16:42.920 was on a Friday. I had thirteen people in my house, 0:16:43.400 --> 0:16:45.000 all guys. I know that my neighbor thought that I 0:16:45.000 --> 0:16:49.200 was a whole. So I know she thought, this is 0:16:49.240 --> 0:16:57.280 a little horne, and I'm like, I know that, right. 0:16:57.680 --> 0:16:59.520 But in the the night, I said, let me google 0:17:00.360 --> 0:17:02.920 how I supposed to look because this is I'm one 0:17:02.960 --> 0:17:06.119 of something. I just don't know what it is? What 0:17:06.320 --> 0:17:25.879 is it? When Shamari Renee entered the ascetics industry, she 0:17:26.000 --> 0:17:29.000 was very aware that there were no spas specifically for 0:17:29.080 --> 0:17:31.520 black men. She knew lots of black men in the 0:17:31.560 --> 0:17:35.520 ballroom scene who were undoubtedly interested in skin care services 0:17:35.920 --> 0:17:39.720 that nobody was tapping into. So Diamond Faces skin Bar 0:17:39.920 --> 0:17:43.440 became the first aesthetics business to be owned and operated 0:17:43.760 --> 0:17:48.200 by a black trans woman in Atlanta. Back in, salon 0:17:48.280 --> 0:17:51.640 suites were just becoming the hot thing around here. Very 0:17:51.680 --> 0:17:54.640 few asteticians back then were stepping out on their own 0:17:54.960 --> 0:17:58.720 to operate their own salon suits. But these days that's 0:17:58.760 --> 0:18:02.160 what most successful institutions are doing. I guess you could 0:18:02.160 --> 0:18:06.119 say that is a trend setter. And then the night came. 0:18:06.160 --> 0:18:08.120 I was recogress the rare one. I never forget it. 0:18:08.320 --> 0:18:10.960 I was sitting on my bed, I impoogled images of 0:18:11.040 --> 0:18:14.400 spas and guess what did not come up? What's up? 0:18:14.960 --> 0:18:19.840 No black man? Correct? Exactly one, even in textbooks and 0:18:19.880 --> 0:18:25.080 things like that, Karmen. In my mind, I'm thinking myself instantly, 0:18:27.359 --> 0:18:31.679 if thirteen people men came to my home today today 0:18:32.080 --> 0:18:36.400 with no really besides social media, my song only something. 0:18:36.440 --> 0:18:38.120 And at that time I didn't even when I did 0:18:38.200 --> 0:18:40.000 hit an Instagram page, I didn't put any pictures of 0:18:40.119 --> 0:18:43.119 myself because I was afraid that people wouldn't come and judge, 0:18:43.440 --> 0:18:46.960 and judgement basically trans right, yeah yeah, or is this 0:18:47.000 --> 0:18:49.320 I'm running up a happy ending kind of thing at 0:18:49.320 --> 0:18:51.800 my home. And so all those once again on the 0:18:51.840 --> 0:18:58.760 train and ship, all those things came back. Mother said 0:18:58.800 --> 0:19:01.600 that we are we were south, and not call that 0:19:01.640 --> 0:19:06.160 training ship because even now training ship will slide out 0:19:06.160 --> 0:19:08.760 of you and expose this stuff and you're like, damn, 0:19:08.800 --> 0:19:13.439 I'm still here mentally, So I said, well, you know what, 0:19:13.520 --> 0:19:15.480 all of my clients I find this hell, so let 0:19:15.480 --> 0:19:18.800 me use them because people don't know if they get 0:19:18.880 --> 0:19:21.200 straight one, I don't know, because I don't talk about 0:19:21.240 --> 0:19:22.359 that when I come to talk about your face. I 0:19:22.400 --> 0:19:25.280 don't care what the preference is when I tell you 0:19:26.160 --> 0:19:30.160 that just got rocketed because they knew when they saw 0:19:30.200 --> 0:19:33.040 this person, These clients with this white man's going that 0:19:33.040 --> 0:19:36.200 people are starting to use now that this is I 0:19:36.240 --> 0:19:38.840 want that. What I love about guys is it's differently 0:19:38.840 --> 0:19:44.159 between guys and girls. Men are better. Clients are very loyal. 0:19:44.200 --> 0:19:47.159 I agree, they're very loyal. They're going to refer you 0:19:47.280 --> 0:19:53.280 to several people. They're gonna be it is well, I'm 0:19:53.280 --> 0:19:55.920 they're gonna use everything that they're not gonna be like, 0:19:56.000 --> 0:19:58.000 well this one person told me to do And did 0:19:58.040 --> 0:20:00.679 you see the girl on YouTube? What about the girl 0:20:00.720 --> 0:20:03.560 on TikTok who said to do this? And I'm sitting 0:20:03.600 --> 0:20:06.040 sid why the hell? But I listened to and not 0:20:06.080 --> 0:20:09.320 on't even know she's an aesthetician, you know. So it 0:20:09.440 --> 0:20:11.800 just blew up. I mean, yeah, I can imagine because 0:20:12.200 --> 0:20:14.800 you found a niche. That's the thing that Kendra was 0:20:14.840 --> 0:20:19.000 telling me that I didn't understand that they're no, they're here, 0:20:19.080 --> 0:20:21.040 they want and the thing is because they've been waiting 0:20:21.040 --> 0:20:22.440 for that right And the thing is they didn't know 0:20:22.440 --> 0:20:24.240 what they want they wanted because people always say, you 0:20:24.280 --> 0:20:25.879 don't know a person doesn't know what they wanted to 0:20:26.000 --> 0:20:29.639 show them. So obviously that's what happened. And then it 0:20:29.760 --> 0:20:32.359 just blew up. I didn't expected to go crazy like that, 0:20:32.640 --> 0:20:34.400 consider I was still working for my home. I worked 0:20:34.400 --> 0:20:36.400 from home for two years straight. Okay, and you work 0:20:36.440 --> 0:20:37.879 out of a studio now, well, I work at a 0:20:37.880 --> 0:20:40.400 studio and Buckhead actually, but there about six or seven 0:20:40.480 --> 0:20:42.840 years and most of my clients are steal The clients 0:20:42.880 --> 0:20:45.760 have been coming to me since two thousand and twelve. 0:20:45.920 --> 0:20:49.560