Class of 2018 Sheabassador – My Year In Review

I’m known to give a strong side eye when I hear the phrase “It feels like just yesterday when…” because it is usually followed by some story that just seems to be a forced attempt to connect with an audience. However, and I say this as genuinely as can be, it truly feels like just yesterday when I said “I would love to work with SheaMoisture!”. For those of you who may not know my natural hair journey, blogging/vlogging and becoming a brand ambassador was so beyond my thought process when I started consistently rocking my natural curls in 2010. Back then I was just enjoying the process of discovering brands that were created and tailored to girls like me. For so long all that I knew was Pantene Pro-V, Garnier Fructis, and at best Aussie Moist to add moisture to my dry frizzy strands. When I was introduced to Jane Carter, Mixed Chicks, and SheaMoisture it was like uncovering this secret society of “FUBU” for hair. I was intrigued with not only their ingredients and how they could magically come together to tame my frizz, but I paid close attention to their marketing, advertising and most importantly their mission.

After about a year of true trial and error, and damn it if there wasn’t more error than anything, it wasn’t uncommon to find me lost in hours of Youtube hair tutorials not so much focusing on the tutorial itself but the bloggers. I began to notice more of the growth in their videos, the purposeful editing and graphics, and I would hear the word “sponsored” being thrown around more and more. Now of course, I’m writing this in 2018, where being a blogger and having a sponsored video is so common, but back then it was all so new to me and I didn’t understand the magnitude of the business side of blogging. I found myself having conversations with my girlfriends and husband where everyone asked me “Why don’t you start a Youtube Channel? You love talking about your hair and helping other naturals, you could totally do that!”. It took a few months of convincing, and hell to this day I’m still so undecided about living so much of my life with a camera in my hand but one thing I knew from the very beginning is that there was something about SheaMoisture that stood out to me. From there I created my very first goal. I wanted to become a SheaMoisture Brand Ambassador and honestly at that time that was as far as I saw myself going.

Fast forward to January 2017. I’ve dabbled a bit in creating content as CocoaBrownCurlsXo although not as consistently as I would have liked to because ummmm…LIFE! I’ve watched SheaMoisture grow and evolve and release so many product lines I could barely keep up. One night while scrolling IG I see their announcement that they are accepting applications for the Class of 2018 Sheabassadors and without hesitation my husband begins to pump my head with possibilities. You see, when I first started this journey it was simply about learning how to care for my curls but as time went on I began to understand that blogging was a business and I didn’t have to limit myself to scrolling, commenting, and liking. I too could become an ambassador! I too could become an influencer and use my talents and gifts to create content that other naturals could relate to. So long story very short, I applied, I was accepted, and what started as a dream became a very real reality!

Now that my first year as a SheaMoisture Sheabassador is coming to a close I find myself really looking back with great reflection. How do I think I did…..ehhhhh I certainly could have posted more. How was the experience overall? Amazing! See, the thing about my desire to work with SheaMoisture goes beyond free products (but oh man if that isn’t a SERIOUS PERK!) and monthly reviews. What made SheaMoisture stand out to me so many years ago was again, their mission. What Richelieu Dennis and the SheaMoisture team does for various communities and woman is unlike anything that I have seen in many other well known brands. I’ve not only had the pleasure to meet Rich and members of the team in person, but I’ve had the opportunity to listen in person to this man speak about his passion for his community and his desire to give back! He doesn’t hide from conversations where he is questioned about “selling out” but instead he takes the time to explain the reason behind his actions. (Check out my blog ‘Beyond the Bottle – Striving to Go Above Brand Ambassador‘ to read more) I have paid close attention to the choices of SheaMoisture over the years and I’m proud to now be a part of the SheaFam. I’m excited to continue to watch the amazing things the company does as the New Voices Fund continues to extend opportunities to woman of color just as much as I’m excited about all of the new hair and skin care lines that are released. For those of you wondering what happens next to the Class of 2018, well we are officially and forever a part of the SheaFam as brand ambassadors! Although expecting monthly boxes filled with free products at my door is a thing of the past I do have the opportunity to continue working with the company, promoting, and attending events as an ambassador! Besides, that was the goal all along, to be a part of something bigger and to share in the mission of a company that I believe truly cares.

As far as all of the products that I have received…..check out my latest YouTube Video where I give you guys an honest recap of which lines I loved, which products I could do without, and there may even be a giveaway in there for you!

Xo