The Secret: Set Your Own Bar for Success

By Cristina Cleveland · Published November 11, 2014

Introduce yourself!

Hi my name is Tiffany Nicole also known as NaturallyTN or T.Nicole. I am a Native American and Trinidadian naturalista from Queens, New York who resides in Florida. I am also the founder of Love Embrace Inspire, Inc. a non-profit organization designed to motivate encourage, uplift and inspire young women to walk in their purpose and divine destiny. I am also the founder of LEI Lady Magazine, an online magazine that is a branch of the organization. I love natural hair, music, dance and just being around positive, inspirational people.

How long have you been natural?

I’ve been fully natural now for 3 years, since September of 2011 and prior to chopping off my relaxed ends, I transitioned for 11 months before I couldn’t take it anymore! Lol!

What’s your daily hair routine?

My hair routine varies from day to day depending on styling and my schedule. When I first went natural I had a very thorough routine, now it’s based off of a look I want to achieve or even if I have the time to prep my hair. But one thing I can say stays consistent is keeping my hair moisturized. It’s a must for me. I deep condition at least 1-2 times a month and moisturize every night using my favorite hair moisturizers, oils and of course H2o.

What are your favorite products?

Well my hair LOVES Cantu Shea Butter’s Leave – In Conditioning Repair Cream mixed with my favorite oil, Castor oil. I usually apply this for moisture, the mixture also works well for twist-outs styles. As far as shampoo and conditioner, my hair absolutely loves Clear’s Cleanse & Nourishing Ultra Shea Butter shampoo & conditioner. It really leaves my hair feeling clean and moisturized! Prior to shampoo, I soften my hair with 100% raw Shea butter mixed with Castor oil for about 10 minutes and then shampoo and condition it. Especially if my hair is super dry.

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What’s your nighttime routine?

At night, I moisturize and seal which locks in moisture while I sleep. I usually twist my hair in sections applying the Cantu Shea Butter’s Leave – In Conditioning Repair Cream and a heavy oil like Castor if I want a weighed down twistout look or Coconut oil if I want to achieve a more fluffy twistout look. I then cover with a silk scarf or sleep on a silk covered pillow.

Do you ever get tired of natural hair?

No! Not to the point that I would go back to a relaxer! But I would say, my hair has grown tremendously in the last 1 year and the longer and fuller it gets, the more time consuming it gets! So I find that I am finding ways to stretch out styles and lock in moisture for longer periods of time. I love being natural and I would not go back but I have found that as my hair changes so will my routine, how much time I spend maintaining it and keeping it healthy.

When did you start vlogging?

I started vlogging back in December 2012. I enjoy making videos and sharing my experiences with natural hair. There will be more to come as we enter into the New Year, so stay tuned to Love Embrace Inspire TV and NaturallyTN on YouTube!

How did you become a successful guru?

Well first I will say that I don’t consider myself to be a guru, but someone who desires to inspire others with what I know and the experiences I have gone through. To encourage and motivate anyone who is struggling with their natural hair journey. I am always open to sharing and inspiring for sure. I believe success is defined by not how many subscribers and followers one has, but success is when one has reached their goal and for me, when I read the comments under my videos and see that my goal of inspiring and motivating has indeed been done, I feel that yes, I am a successful vlogger.

Do you have any advice for new natural hair vloggers?

My advice would be to determine what you want to achieve from vlogging. You set your own bar of success so that when you reach it, you can feel good about your achievement. It’s all about motives, if your desire is to inspire others it doesn’t matter how many subscribers you have, what will be the most rewarding is knowing that you’ve made an impact helping others.

Any upcoming projects you’d like to tell us about?

Yes! I will be hosting my first event under my non-profit Love Embrace Inspire, Inc. called “When Girl Meets Curls.” on November 15th in Orlando, FL. This event will consist of a Q&A segment with our Curl Talk panel, demonstrations and giveaways! I am so excited to be able to connect with Central Florida naturals who have a desire to want to learn more and to get connected to the experts in their area! We have guest natural hair salon experts, bloggers and vloggers on the panel.