Today we’d like to introduce you to Judith Francois.
Hi Judith, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
My name is Judith Francois and I am 34 years old and originally from Greensboro, North Carolina but raised in Miami, FL. I am the second to last child of 4. My parents are from Haiti and when they came to the US and they worked very hard to get us into school and to keep a roof over our heads.
My mother was always teaching me about how to be a woman and caretaker, Culturally woman is supposed to be hands-on in everything, especially when it came to taking care of her family, So naturally when you are around something so often you are bound to grow interested in it.
My mother used to babysit children from the neighborhood and was always braiding their hair, I was always helping her, with their hair, even though I felt like I was a kid and wanted to play outside like the rest of the other kids. She felt like since I am a girl I needed to learn how to do this because “one day you may have children someday”. She wasn’t wrong LOL.
Since I was already working my way up in braiding at the tender age of 9 years old I became more and more interested. Years later I continued to show interest in the craft of braiding. I started with my little brother who is 2 years younger than me, One day he came up with an idea for me to twist up his hair.
Months went by, and he kept the braids in and allowed them to lock up, and asked me to twist his roots, Sooner than later, most of his friends were coming over to get their hair twisted as well. In 2010, I worked in a barbershop that was near my home and I worked my way up from there. One year later, I went into a salon.
Since I wasn’t working with chemicals, I had to complete a braider’s course to receive a braider’s license. I finally turned my interest to locs and working as a loctician. A loctician is a hairdresser who specializes in growing, maintaining, and styling dreadlocks. Many people prefer to use the word locs over dreadlocks.
Eventually, I transitioned over to doing my hair along with family and friends. I started to build up my clientele from word of mouth. I finally decided that I would move into a different setting and journeyed into multiple hair salons in Miami trying to find the right environment and mentor for my business. And I have met many successful locticians and salon owners who always took the pleasure to show me some routes.
To name a few, Thierry Baptiste from Philly, held Color and Cut classes in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He was always encouraging me and taught me how to accomplish his signature styles. My husband who always pushed me to do what I love and my dad (RIP) who supported me no matter what I did as long as it made me happy. And to the stylists who I’ve worked with who saw that light in me to keep going.
In this journey I have met many mentors who were always willing to take me under their wings, to teach me the ways of this hair industry and for that I am grateful.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
When I became serious with my business I had to give up the 9-5 to put more time into it. A few of my family members were not happy with this decision because in their minds I was supposed to be a nurse. That was their dream, not mine!
I continued to dodge all of the doubts and fears over the years and surrounded myself with people who were in the same industry as me. Same mindset! Same goals! In 2019, I became the Owner and CEO of Mama Francois’ loc products to help maintain and care for their locs,
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Mama Francois, LLC.?
In 2019, I became the owner and CEO of Mama Francois, LLC. We are a black-owned, small business and our product line encourages a healthy scalp and healthy hair growth while maintaining you’re locs. Our services include loc maintenance, loc retwist, scalp treatments, and loc styles for any occasion.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I have read Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki which helped me understand money and how to use money as a tool for wealth development. I also love to listen to Jordan Peterson, who is a clinical psychologist and is well-known for his best-selling books. My favorite book from him is called “12 Rules of Life”.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.msjloc.com
- Instagram: @msjloc_miami
- Facebook: @MsJudith Loctician
