Zada Daley

​As a child, I never truly knew what success was. I grew up in a poor, broken home. We never really had much. My one true example of success was my Mimi (grandmother). She came up from the dirt and went to cosmetology school. She worked her way up and eventually opened her own salon and became one of the greatest success stories of our family. I idolized her as a child and I saw what she did everyday and developed a passion for it. Cosmetology is not just a job to me, it was a safe space for me as a young adult and still is to this day. I truly believe that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. One cannot tell you something is not beautiful if they can’t see it through your eyes. Many people don’t understand why I’m making this sacrifice but I’m in search of life’s beauty. I want to see how I can make this world beautiful to me. Hair is a powerful thing, it can make or break your perspective. For me, it’s my way of expression. I’ve never truly felt free in my life; always tied down by trauma, bagage, and toxicity. I 100% believe this is what I’m meant to do. I’ve felt a weight lift of my shoulders, I’m no longer carrying everyone else’s expectations, only mine. I’m no longer asking what I can do to make them happy, instead I’m in search of my own personal bliss; and that's how one achieves true freedom. This is one of my accomplishments I’m most proud of. In the wise words of Dumbledore, “It takes courage to stand up to your enemies, but it takes a great deal more to stand up to your friends.” That is what I did. I woke up one day surrounded by faces and things that I didn’t want. I was no longer interested in pleasing my family or friends because it was killing me. I hope to take this industry by storm. I have salon experience and I have a natural talent. I know this is my destiny and I have every intention of fulfilling it. I want to change the way people view the ideology of beauty, challenge every normality. I know it’s hard to do alone but I want to make a difference, even if it’s by making an old lady feel young again with a fresh face and haircut. Bringing light into people’s lives isn’t as hard as it may seem, sometimes it’s just a matter of understanding the ways they feel beautiful. I want to empower others who don’t think they have it in them anymore, and that’s what I want from this industry as well. The gift of giving. Giving love, empowerment, encouragement. Making one feel like these are their glory days and they don’t have to be in their past. I hope that I can live out my dream, and most of all I hope that I can start here.