Luby Ismail came up in the same Egypt as Wafaya; longing for straight, silky hair, and taking hot irons and chemical relaxers to it to try and meet the beauty “ideal.” As an adult, Luby is an intercultural educator and public speaker, and realized one day that she couldn’t be authentic in her teaching if she wasn’t authentic in herself. Her journey includes living with multiple sclerosis, and in this episode, she educates us on ways even people with the best intentions can fail to see the fullness of lives that differ from their own.

From founding Connecting Cultures, which fights Islamophobia, to her husband’s documentary filmmaking, and her son’s environmental activism, Luby’s whole family is committed to using education to build bridges, making the "foreign," "familiar," and working for the betterment of humanity.  

More:

Meet Luby’s husband, Alex Kronemer and his film company: https://www.upf.tv/ 

Scott Musgrave started Curly Hair Artistry as an online education forum back when Facebook was in its prime, and Wafaya Abdallah was what you might call an early adopter. His philosophy of embracing natural hair texture and cultivating curls, instead of "dealing with" dry, frizzy hair, was still cutting edge a decade ago (no pun intended). Since then, they've teamed up to take the learning into real life in curl cutting workshops, and in their personal and professional friendship, sharing philosophies of wellness and the deeper meaning of "work."

On this episode, Scott and Wafaya talk about learning to identify the values that drive fulfillment in work and life, and how abandoning external measures like comparing yourself to others and letting go of outcomes has helped Scott improve his health, energy level, and elevated his mindset. From being trolled online to being teased as a curly guy growing up, Scott talks about how important it is to overcome the demons in your head, even if by just having the courage to step into a cold plunge to get in touch with yourself and your innate capabilities. 

In this episode: 

The benefits of a cold plunge:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/20/well/mind/cold-water-plunge-mental-health.html 

https://mentalhealthcenter.com/cold-exposure-ice-plunge/#:~:text=Cold%20exposure%20increases%20the%20production,such%20as%20depression%20and%20anxiety. 

Wim Hof https://www.wimhofmethod.com/ 

How cortisol affects the body https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22187-cortisol

Joe Dispenza https://drjoedispenza.com/ 

Michael Yost has been a hairdresser for 25 years, and a business owner for 16 of those years. Much like the rest of the industry, he didn't think much about styling curls or natural texture until the last seven years or so, even though he's a curly man himself. Around that time, he also sold his business, and now, Michael is the president of Strategies, which teaches salon and spa owners how to create, run, and grow a team-based business around a co-elevating culture that builds up profits by building up people. Like Wafaya, Michael and his organization believe that good numbers are a reflection of a healthy and happy staff, thriving in a culture of safety and growth, with a clear sense of purpose. Michael joins The Curl Code to talk about growing up curly in Pennsylvania, raising curly sons, and how much he's seen himself and his industry grow and change over the last few decades.

Strategies and Oasis Curl Salon have partnered on a technical and business training course called Crosswalk, bringing the culture of curl and team elevation to salon owners from all over the country. Michael visited Rockville for an on-site with the team, and to kick off the classes. Learn more about topics like leading with empathy, avoiding owner burnout, and becoming an eco-friendly salon on the Beauty Business Strategies podcast.