Meet Chanel Rhodes

We were lucky to catch up with Chanel Rhodes recently and have shared our conversation below.

Chanel , so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
I keep my creativity alive by cultivating my favorite out-of-the-box ideas. I truly believe God has blessed me with a creative mind, and I find joy and success when I apply my ideas in the best spaces. Every day, a flurry of ideas crosses my mind, and I carefully select the ones I want to bring to life. When I start projects, I know there will always be a trial-and-error phase in the development stage. Once I overcome that, I take my time to breathe life into my idea, refusing to rush the creative process. I learned that patience is a virtue and the more time you put into an idea the better the result.

To me, being creative means maintaining an open mind and disregarding external critics. Embracing my out-of-the-box mindset, even if society deems it ‘weird,’ is something I take pride in. My ‘weird’ is my creativity, and my creativity is my passion. As my mom wisely said, “If you’re not living with passion, then you’re not living at all!” So, I’m determined to live a life filled with passion.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I am blessed to have a well-rounded life with several interests. Not going to lie, there’s not a whole lot of time for a social life, but I am so grateful to be able to live my life with passion.

My Story:

Horses have captured my heart since childhood, yet the lack of Black representation in the equestrian world was very discouraging to me as a child. Around the age of five, I asked my mom if Black people rode horses, and she ignited my passion by confirming that we indeed rode. Guided by my mother’s strength, sporadic riding lessons deepened my love for the sport. At twenty, I plunged into the equine community under Cliff Salter’s training, my first figure of Black equestrian representation. Now, I am a student of Jasmine Wheatley at J. Rochelle Farms; she specializes in transforming Thoroughbreds into champions. Jasmine’s expertise spans English riding and barrel racing, and she introduced Mane Tresses to the professional show ring. I’m now a proud horse owner of a paint horse named “Lady,” and because my mother also wanted to get involved, she obtained an Off The Track Thoroughbred named “Gabriel.” Lady and Gabriel are both versatile in English and Western riding styles.

Business:

It all started with an art project. I was motivated by the influx of Black equestrian content on social media. A prototype horse wig was intended for the project’s debut, yet it failed on filming day. My fiancé (now husband) encouraged me to install extra scraps of loose hair into Lady’s mane. He filmed the installation process, and the art project was named Afrocentric Pony. Lady, my “four-legged business partner,” tried all my prototypes, helping me share Mane Tresses on social media. Post Afrocentric Pony release, media outlets like Young Black Equestrians approached me for interviews, fueling my horse wig venture. After lots of blood, sweat, tears, failure after failure, and 50-60 prototypes, I launched Mane Tresses on January 25th, 2021. Mane Tresses has earned features in notable publications and platforms.

Career:

In Elementary School, I was a loner who used to sit in the cafeteria alone at a table and draw pictures of Disney characters and horses. Little did I know, I was drawing out my destiny in that very cafeteria. Now, as an adult, I have the honor of being part of the Disneyland Horse-Drawn Streetcar Management Team. Dreams really do come true at Disneyland. I love my position and look forward to continuing to learn and grow with the company and its horses.

Non-Profit:

The V & H Griffin Foundation is named after my dear departed grandparents, Virgil and Helen Griffin. All the support and kindness they showed me is what I strive to share with others. I am also grateful to all the friends that I have made during my journey in navigating the equestrian world. Many of them have poured into my life without requiring repayment. I wanted to pay that support forward, and I have a desire to increase representation in the equine world. So, I started a non-profit geared towards exposing the public to the equestrian world. The ultimate goal is to open a ranch with J. Rachelle Farms in Orange County, California; this will house our 18 horses that can be utilized for the program. Together, we will serve different communities by inviting people of all ages to learn about the equestrian lifestyle as well as develop their agricultural skills. My non-profit will offer sponsored riding lessons, teach people how to grow their own food, and raise certain farm animals. We will also hold unique events to help raise money to support our cause and assist other non-profits. Mane Tresses will also be used to help our audience and participants have some fun!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I believe that everyone possesses an area of interest, a passion, or a particular enjoyment. My advice to someone on the journey to becoming their best self is never to give up on their dreams. Every worthwhile endeavor takes time, and with time comes failure, which is crucial for development. When you encounter failure (because you will), fail forward. Don’t give up; persevere and fight to reach your goals. Through failure, you’ll discover more about yourself. Develop your talents, maintain a positive mindset, ignore the critics, don’t be afraid to be a ‘Weirdo,’ and don’t allow time to confine you. Many of us set goals with specific timeframes in mind, but what happens when we fall short of that window? Will you give up, or will you try again and again and again? When you arrive on the other side after conquering those hurdles, nothing can stop you. This also gives you the special opportunity to encourage and help develop others. The next generation is counting on us!

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I would love to collaborate with productions in the entertainment industry. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve wanted to act. Fortunately, I’ve had the privilege of being interviewed
on major TV networks and programs, featured in commercials, stunt double in a music video, magazine shoots, mini-documentaries, and many online articles. Most of these projects featured my Tobiano, “Lady,” and my “Mane Tresses” horse wigs. The dream is to
collaborate with companies interested in using horses in their productions. Also, I would love it if Lady and I could mascots in applicable spaces. A few others have immortalized us as characters. We have been featured on a candle, a painting, and different
types of art renderings. On my social media sites, Lady and I have been blessed with such wonderful comments like, “You look like a princess and her unicorn,” or “You guys remind me of Horseland.” I believe there is an opportunity not only to spread representation
in the equine world but also to show people something they may have never seen before.

ALSO! I would also looooovvveee to work with Beyoncé. Her clothing line and latest album had a huge touch of cowgirl and horse in it, and I honestly believe that I can
create some beautiful horse wigs for her. It would be an honor for my products to be used in a photo or video shoot with her someday. If that ever happens, I would be so grateful. Most of all, it’s BEYONCÉ, The Queen Bee; I want to meet her!

I would also like to collaborate with large horse shows like Cavalia and Equitana. Mane Tresses can provide wonderful custom wigs for night shows. The wigs can be made
with lights and glow-in-the-dark material.

I know that this is past tense but it would have been wonderful to collaborate with the 2024 Olympics, NBC and Meg Thee Stallion. They released a commercial that had a
horse with extensions, Mane Tresses could have made something special for them.

As I progress in my business, career, non-profit work, and engagement in the entertainment industry, I have set several goals for myself. Since elementary school, I have
been teased about my heavy voice; however, I believe it is well-suited for television, cartoons, and narration. I’ve been told that many times as well. I would love the opportunity to voice characters and narrate productions. In short, there are several people
that I would like to collaborate with and meet. Although not everyone on my list is someone in the entertainment industry, I’d love to meet people that I admire and learn from. They come from many industries and backgrounds. But what they have in common
is their tenacity to not quit. I’ve listed their names below:

Judge Lynn Toler
Beyoncé
Jay Z
Kirk Franklin
Tyler Perry
Kelis
Denzel Washington
Oprah
Roland Martin
Bob Iger- I can do a decent Mickey Mouse impression
Ken Patrock
Gabrielle Union
Niki Minaj
TD Jakes
Issa Rae
The Rock
TYT
Dr Rashad Richy
Lupita Nyong’o
Letitia Wright
Denai Gurira
Angela Bassett
Drake
Future
Fallon Taylor
Wranglers
Stevie Wonder
Kerry Washington
Taraji P
Alfre Woodard- her daughter is a popular equestrian
Janet Jackson
Minister John Chi
Judge Mathis
Johnathan Majors
Tom Hiddleston
Jamie Foxx
Roland Martin
Minister Evelyn Joshua
David and Tamala Mann
Seth Mcfarlan
Michael J Fox
Ryan Reynolds
Chloe and Hailie Bailey
Rihanna
Viola Davis
Zendaya- She rode a horse that wore my hair pieces in a Lancôme commercial
Steven Spielberg

This list is only a fraction of the people that I would love to meet and collaborate with. This is me sowing a seed! Thank you, Bold Journey!

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Amber Espinoza- photographer of me with the cream colored horse in a yellow shirt (approved to used) Amanda Lopez- photographer of red ombre hair with snoop hoodie (approved to use) Megan Coates- pictured running home on her horse(purple and green). She purchased this picture and allowed me to post it Abbey Lynn- both Rodeo Queens Andy Garces- All others

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