We recently connected with Shanae Davis and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Shanae, you’ve got such an interesting story, but before we jump into that, let’s first talk about a topic near and dear to us – generosity. We think success, happiness and wellbeing depends on authentic generosity and empathy and so we’d love to hear about how you become such a generous person – where do you think your generosity comes from?
My generosity comes from my life experiences. I’ve been blessed to have encountered a few key people that I know god sent to teach me this exact lesson. How to be generous, kind, and selfless. These people always seemed to appear in my times of need and desperation. For example, when I was 20 years old, I struggled with finding a job after having my daughter. I remember praying for god to make a way. Soon after, I met a woman at a hair salon that I used to frequent. She saw me crying and asked me what was wrong. I told her that I was having a hard time finding work and an even harder time providing for myself and my daughter. I asked if she knew of any jobs that were hiring. She told me that she didn’t know of any, but that she would reach out to her friend who was a principal in the Department of Education on my behalf. I was hopeful that she would but I didn’t get my hopes up just in case she didn’t. She kept her word, and a few months later I was working and able to provide for myself and my daughter. Her obedience to Christ allowed her to keep her word and follow through with this generous act by way of reaching out to her friend to inquire about work for a complete stranger. She didn’t know it then, but what she did for me set the foundation for who I am today and who I will become in the future. I am an avid believer that if you can do something kind or generous for someone, no matter how big or small, you should absolutely do it ! You never know how much of an impact a small bit of generosity can have on someone else’s life. Always remember that generosity comes in many forms. It doesn’t always have to be monetary. You can show generosity by lending a listening ear, giving a hug when needed, or simply sharing a few words of encouragement.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My name is Shanae Davis. I’m the owner and operator of Cotton Candi Colors the brand. Cotton Candi Colors got its start as a community nail salon in the heart of Crown Heights Brooklyn, at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The salon served as a community hub where individuals from all over could come and get a hot meal, clean clothes, a listening ear, beauty services, and even lessons in the nail and tattooing trade. The salon serviced the community for about three years before closing. I made the decision to close the salon about a year ago on May 31st, 2022. This decision was a difficult one, but definitely one for the better. This decision came about after realizing that it was time to make strides towards my true dream which is opening up an educational institution for artist and creatives just like myself. Cotton Candi Colors is currently in the process of transitioning from well known salon to full service trade school. Cotton Candi Colors, which was once know as “CottonCandiColorsNailSpa” will soon open as Cotton Candi Colors University by June 2024.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Looking back, the three qualities, skills, and areas of knowledge that were most impactful to my journey was learning first to give myself grace. This allowed me to remaining tactful and motivated through all my adversities. Most importantly, it positioned me to ensure that I never forgot to pray and give god the glory that he deserves. I’ve learned that it is okay to start over, and that its okay to feel like you’ve failed. What’s not okay is failing to pray, pick yourself up, and try again. When god is positioning you for greatness he will move things around and cause things to happen. What may look like a failure on the outside just may be the training ground for something great. My advice for entrepreneurs in the infancy stage would be to always put god first and allow him to lead you. You must also put in the work to achieve the things you want. Be a life long learner and never think that you have all the knowledge you need to be successful. I’d also advise someone on this journey to never feel too proud. It is best practice to reach out to those who are more successful and further ahead of you that may be able to teach you the tricks of the trade.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I love partnering and collaborating with people. I don’t have a specific group of individuals that I exclusively collab with. I love working with fun new people from all walks of life. In the past I’ve partnered with models, stylists, artists, photographers, musicians, influencers and actors. Each collaboration afforded me a new experience and amazing connections that helped grow my portfolio. I am able to do what I love which is create amazing, unique nail art. I love the creative freedom and inspirations I get from working alongside other creators. I’m always down for a good collab!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cottoncandiu.org
- Instagram: @cottoncandicolorsuniversity
- Yelp: Cotton Candi Colors LLC
- Other: Tic Toc: @cottoncandicolorsuniversity
Image Credits
Photo credit: Cotton Candi Colors LLC.
