Taliah Waajid has always been at the very core of the natural hair movement. These days her company is still leading the way in innovation and education. For 20 years Taliah Waajid products have set the standard in the natural hair community. That includes the largest consumer trade show that celebrates natural hair, health and beauty, known as naturalhairshow.org. Natural hair isn’t a trend for Taliah Waajid, it is a lifestyle that encompasses everything the consumer cares about. Her journey began when her mother refused to give in when Taliah begged her for a relaxer. She learned to manage and style her hair in creative ways that quickly attracted a following and styling requests from friends and neighbors. At age 14 she started her hair care business, and quickly collected a solid client base. In 1988 Taliah opened her first natural hair salon in Harlem, NY, continuing to build a reputation for healthy, creative, natural styles. Taliah moved from New York City to Atlanta, GA in 1991, and opened a natural hair salon at a time when wearing natural hairstyles was not popular. She grew her client base and fueled the natural movement through a combination of unique techniques, artistic styles, and educating clients and stylists on the importance of healthy, natural hair. She was met with opposition since natural hair was looked down upon by many who had one view of beauty. Rejection fueled her desire to continue to tenaciously educate, style, and provide options other than chemicals for daily hair care. Taliah’s dedication to natural hair and healthier products lead to her becoming an instructor, offering private classes to many. That lead to Taliah Waajid Seminars, a three day intensive training on natural hair, braiding and textured weaving techniques. She went from that to starting the World Natural Hair, Health & Beauty Show™. It has gone from 25 exhibitors and 150 attendees, to over 200 exhibitors and 40,000 attendees from around the world. The expo made its New York City debut on July 19th-20th, 2014, Taliah’s hometown and hair care beginnings. There were no products in the market place that catered to the specific needs of chemical free hair in the 90s, so Taliah created Black Earth Products™ in 1996. As demand for her products grew, she introduced a line for children – Kinky, Wavy, Natural™ as well as Curls, Waves and Naturals™. Her products are sold in national retail stores and local beauty supply stores. They are chemical free with absolutely no parabens. Taliah Waajid has built an empire from her love of one thing, helping people love themselves. She continually works on other ventures, and more recently added Uncle Jimmy under the Taliah Waajid umbrella. The line caters to the ultimate gentleman, with products for the skin and hair. She is able to combine clear vision with undeniable expertise to continue to create products the entire family will love. The answer and the key is simple, it will always be Taliah Waajid