Harley Hendrixx shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Harley, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Falling in love with myself. I’ve worn my hair in locs for the past three years. This is the longest I have consecutively worn my natural hair in my adult life. Working in education and corporate America as a black woman is truly an experience. In earlier years, I opted to wear wigs and extensions more often because I did not want to be seen as unprofessional. Looking back, it saddens me that I had to unlearn seeing my natural self as unprofessional. Despite the sadness, I am extremely grateful to love what I see when I look in the mirror. Outside of work, my self love journey has brought me joy.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi again to those who have read my other articles! Hello to anyone connecting with me for the first time. I am Harley! I was born and raised in Chicago. I am a former teacher turned serial entrepreneur. My current primary business is a crochet company founded by myself and my mother in honor of my fallen sister. Learning more about crochet while literally making my own clothes has been an amazing experience thus far! I’m a lifelong student hoping to learn all I can while I am here.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My sister Ganell; may she rest peacefully. Since I was a little girl my sister used to call me a star. When I asked her what she meant, she would walk me to the mirror in her room and say “You are going to be famous one day. You have so much talent”. At that point in my life I wanted to be a lawyer because that’s what everyone else said I should be. I’ve always wanted to be a performer. My sister saw that in me even when I wasn’t brave enough to own it as my truth. It breaks my heart sometimes that she’s not here physically to see my dreams unfold.
When you were sad or scared as a child, what helped?
Music and daydreaming were my ways to escape the heaviness of reality. When I could not get to my MP3,CD or cassette player (yes, I’m old) I would literally sit in a corner and close my eyes. If a blanket was available, I would put it over my head and mentally escape into the life I wanted. Those daydreams would eventually become naps. When I woke up, I would feel better. That always helped me. It still does even as an adult navigating bills and other things.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What’s a belief you used to hold tightly but now think was naive or wrong?
I used to think that if I was kind and considerate of others that they would be the same to me. Life has absolutely taught me that I was naive to think that. I am honestly still learning to navigate through detaching from this thinking. What I am doing to help myself is reflecting on my kind acts.
As I reflect, I ask myself would I still do the act if the person receiving it could or would never return the favor. In some situations, the answer is yes and I go forward with the act. In the situation where the answer is no, I take accountability for not being genuine and I do not move forward with the act. I’m hoping this level of honest reflection will help me fully unlearn this belief and help me show up more authentically.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What pain do you resist facing directly?
The pain of having no biological children. I often joke about being happy to be an auntie and truthfully I am happy. However, there are moments where the pain of knowing that my legacy ends with me is almost unbearable. I choose not to face the pain because I feel like the people in my life might see it as disingenuous since I usually celebrate not having children.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://stan.store/harleyhendrixx6
- Instagram: https://linktr.ee/Harleyhendrixx6
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@harleyhendrixx614
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