We were lucky to catch up with Mary “Reign” Daniels recently and have shared our conversation below.
Mary “Reign” , thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
After a failed young marriage, I remarried my first husband, believing love and time could fix what was broken. But when the relationship turned dangerous, I made the hardest decision of my life: I ran. I packed up my teenage sons and escaped to California—chasing safety, not stardom. We ended up living in a homeless shelter for a short time. It was then that I learned the true meaning of sacrifice and resilience.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I didn’t set out to become an inventor, a beauty innovator, or a Hollywood insider. I was just a girl from Detroit, born into a blue-collar family, where survival was the goal and dreams were a luxury we couldn’t afford. I was a high school dropout, a teen mom, and by the time I turned 25, I was a single mother of four boys—and a salon owner.
I built my first business with nothing but grit, faith, and the kind of work ethic you develop when there’s no safety net. While I hustled to build a life for my family, I buried my childhood trauma deep—because healing didn’t fit into the schedule when bills needed to be paid and little mouths needed to be fed.
In 2015, life as we knew it came to a screeching halt. I chose to leave my home and over 20-year career as a hairstylist and salon owner and start life over, from scratch. My sons and I moved 2000 miles away with 2-suitcases each. We were lucky enough to find a family shelter that took us in for a few months as I tried to figure things out. By day, I worked just 16 hours a week at $9.99 an hour. By night, I dreamt of rebuilding. And somehow, even while living in a shelter, I found my way into the very heart of the entertainment industry. I was styling celebrities by day and secretly sleeping on a shelter cot by night. That duality—survival and success, pain and purpose—would become the foundation of everything I built next.
I earned my place in Local 706 and rose through the ranks to become a Hair Department Head for major TV and film productions. I was nominated for an NAACP Image Award. I became a personal stylist to Hollywood’s elite, a product development expert, and Head of R&D for a global haircare company. I invented three beauty products, earned multiple provisional patents, and soon will launch a comprehensive course teaching others how to turn experience into enterprise.
But Reignfall™—my newest venture—is the most personal yet.
The Reignfall Hair Shield was born from a problem I kept seeing: after all the time, money, and effort we put into our hair, we were ruining it during our skincare and makeup routines. It’s a multifunctional headpiece that can be used during skincare routines to protect your hair from sprays and product fallout. I invented a solution that protects hairstyles in real-life situations—because women like me don’t have time for do-overs. We need beauty that works as hard as we do.
This brand isn’t just about a product. It’s about reclaiming your crown.
It’s about honoring where you’ve been, and refusing to let your past define your power.
It’s for every woman who has had to start over, who has fought for her family, who has sacrificed herself to hold everything together.
Reignfall is for the survivors. For the strivers. For the women who rise again and again—because their crown is not just on their head, it’s in their soul.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Character. I’ve always believed and taught my children that talent might get you into a room but your character is what will keep you there.
Humility. I’ve been a hairstylist since I was a teen, I think I’m pretty good at it. However, I’ve never proclaimed to be the best at what I do. This allows room for growth. I consider myself to be a life long student of my craft. There’s ALWAYS a new technique, tool or technology and I’m curious to learn all about it.
Compassion. My astrological sign is Cancer. I’m a nurturer to my core. I feel the need to take care of my “folks”…lol. I want everyone to be “Well”, to feel loved. It’s important to me that the people around me feel comfortable, welcomed and again most importantly loved. I genuinely care about their lives.
These 3 characteristics directly contributed to this new endeavor of mine. I take great pride in my work as a hairstylist and I wanted my client’s hair to be cared for properly even during makeup and skincare routines. Reignfall was born to do just that.
The best advice that I can give for someone to improve on these characteristics would be to consider how you’d feel if you were in someone else’s situation. Be kind and accountable. Strive for greatness. And always remember that people may not remember what you do or say to them but they’ll always remember how you made them feel.
Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
My biggest areas of growth or improvement over the past 12 months has been discipline and time management. I had gotten so comfortable in the routine of my life as a hairstylist in the tv/film industry, that the new responsibilities that came along with Reignfall were frightening to me. I had to be disciplined. I had to learn so many new processes. I had to navigate so much new territory that it almost scared me away in the beginning. I realized that the more I procrastinated the farther away my success would be. I quickly realized that the ONLY way it could happen was for ME to get it all done. I was fortunate to have the right people in my corner to help and encourage me and for that, I’m grateful.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.reignfallhairshield.com
- Instagram: Reignfallsystem_
Image Credits
Miya Horcher
Kym Nicole
Hyperwave Media
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