Meet Saniyyah Sahar Griffin

Today we’d like to introduce you to Saniyyah Sahar Griffin.

Saniyyah Sahar, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My story is filled with triumph, pain, redemption second chances, forgiveness, and self- acceptance. I was born in Far Rockaway, NY and by the time I was two years, the first of many moves to come had occurred. My mother moved across the country to Los Angeles and my earliest memories of childhood take place in a little house on 22nd Street in South Central LA. Growing up a little brown girl during the ’80s and 90’s in Los Angeles had its ups and downs. Take a journey with me, of how I turned my love of hair and black people into a life of up’s that will only continue to progress.

At the age of 19, I moved from Los Angeles to Atlanta, GA. On a cold night in January 1998, I found myself alone in a huge airport, in a new city that I’d heard was filled with great music, beautiful people, plentiful jobs and cheap rent. With $15 in my pocket, I journeyed into a world of self-discovery alone, in a big-small city down south. In Atlanta, I found a tribe of people that loved my adventurous spirit and passion for life and we called one another family. I spent many holidays with my new family. Christmas of 1998 I sampled a friend’s Mango Body Butter from a company called Carol’s Daughter. This luscious blend of creamy moisturizers had me hooked at first scent and I had to find out where I could get more. I became one of what seemed like a cult following of Carol’s Daughter loving customers, ordering products from the founder Lisa Price’s website and giving her handmade products away as gifts to as many people as I could.

During my 14 years in Atlanta, I worked many different jobs. I started at Ticketmaster as a ticket agent, answering the 800 number and filling ticket requests for callers all over the southern region. Next, I developed an incredible skill as a waitress, working at a restaurant/bar called The Shark Bar right on Peachtree St. in Atlanta’s midtown area. My first night there was Usher’s birthday party who was the hottest R&B singer at the time. I saw Erykah Badu, OutKast, LA Reid, Babyface, Ludacris (who was Chris Lova Lova at the time) I knew then I was on the right track. I landed in this new city and landed a gig working in the hottest spot in the city. I made a lot of money, partied very hard and made life-long friends in the process. In search of stability, health insurance and opportunities for growth, I started working for Starbucks. Mind you, this was 1999, before they became the behemoth we now know. I stayed with Starbucks for four years, opening stores around the Atlanta area, while even managing two stores at a time. It was there that I began to invest in learning how to be an effective leader; taking every leadership development class they would offer. I wanted to be the best manager, leader and community engager I could be.

After Starbucks came to end, I found myself working as a Marketing Coordinator for a non-profit arts organization called the National Black Arts Festival. My four years there helped develop my marketing skills, which came naturally because I loved connecting dots, informing the community about all the wonderful and talented musicians, playwrights, visual artists, dancers, singers, and jazz musicians that were coming to Atlanta during the ten-day festival our organization was responsible for producing every year. I worked with some of the most dynamic arts programmers in all of the country. I learned from watching them in meetings and listening to them negotiate million-dollar deals to sponsor the festival every year. I became even more fearless during those years and knew I could achieve whatever I put my mind to. I just had to figure out what my thing was.

In 2009 when ‘The Great Recession’ was coming to an end, many employees were furloughed and I found myself attempting an entrepreneurial venture to help small businesses create email marketing campaigns and use their websites to generate more income. After six months, and zero clients I was struggling to pay rent. I began to wait tables again and then I found out Carol’s Daughter was opening a retail store in Atlanta. I knew that this was a brand I was passionate about because I had been a loyal customer for almost ten years. I applied for a position with them maybe twenty times. I called everyone I knew with connections in Atlanta in the beauty industry to put in a word for me, to no avail. I met a young lady in a Dillard’s department store who was managing the Carol’s Daughter counter there and she gave me her Regional Managers business card. BOOM! I was one step closer. I applied again this time copying this Regional Manager on the email. The very next day, I received a call requesting that I come to an interview for the position of retail manager for the Atlanta location. I had no money, but a good friend who believed in me bought me a new pair of heels so that I felt super confident at my interview. Of course, I shined and was invited to be interviewed the next day by the founder of Carol’s Daughter, Lisa Price herself. I was so excited and nervous at the same time. I had met Lisa Price about five years earlier at a Natural Hair Beauty Show in Atlanta where I bought her book. She signed it for me and I brought her a gift back before the festival was over to thank her for sharing such an incredible story of her journey. After she finished interviewing me, I reminded her of that meeting five years prior and she remembered. With tears in her eyes, she told me she still had the gift I had given her that day. It took two months for me to hear back from them after that day, but I became the new retail manager for the Atlanta location. It was a wonderful time in my life because strengthened my belief in myself and my gifts. I hired some of the brightest young people and connected with them in a very real way. I learned from them and they encouraged me to dream bigger.

I brought my leadership skills from Starbucks, my marketing experience from National Black Arts Festival and my fearlessness to the position and excelled. I traveled all over the country with Carol’s Daughter, helping to produce marketing events and engagement booths at various festivals and hair shows. One of the highlights of my time with Carol’s Daughter is when I helped create the sales team for the pop-up shop for Essence Music Festival in New Orleans, LA. This was such a success that I was asked to move to New York City to accept a new position with the company.

Only three weeks into the new position, in the city I was born, my father passed away and I found myself back in Atlanta, making peace with what was one of the hardest moments of my life. When my father passed, it was as if the breath had been taken from my lungs, I was expecting the world to stop and everyone to care that my father had taken his last breaths. But the world didn’t stop and I had to return to work. When I came back from my too short of bereavement leave, I was asked to open and manage the brands first (and now defunct) hair salon. By this time, I had made it a habit to say yes, even if I had never done it before I knew the only way I would learn and grow was by doing things I had never done before. I managed that salon, the operations of the retail store, and the people. I took the initiative in learning all I needed to learn to be a successful hairstylist and entrepreneur, but I didn’t know that then.

After managing the salon for about a year and a half, I decided to resign and attend cosmetology school. I can remember a few nay-sayers asking how I could make such a stupid decision. How would I expect to make it in New York quitting my secure salaried position to step into the unknown? The answer is I didn’t know, yet I had a vision for my life and a strong desire for freedom…FREEDOM to say what I wanted, wear what I wanted and travel when I wanted. Those were top priority for me at that time. I had always loved styling hair, but those years with Carol’s Daughter made something very evident to me, that I had a special gift to listen and respond lovingly.

There was a new generation of young black and brown women and men coming into a new kind of affinity for their natural hair. The hair conversation has always been nuanced and painful for black people in America. As I sold hair products and had conversations with women, many would lead to tears and hugs of support for the decision to wear their hair the way it grows out of their scalp. I wanted to support these women and girls generously. From behind the chair and at the shampoo bowl, I’ve found trust is built.

Now ten years after that interview with Carol’s Daughter, I am a highly sought after natural hairstylist and educator. I’ve done hair for some of today’s biggest celebrities from Ava Duvernay, Chloe x Halle, to Lena Waithe and Tika Sumpter. What sets me apart is my commitment to excellence, authenticity and education. I want each and every client to feel as if she has gained something more than just a pretty hairstyle when she leaves my chair. I want to leave each client with a gift that will help them on their journey to self-love, self-discovery and authentic self-expression, just as that first tin of Carol’s Daughter body butter has for me even to this day.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There have been many obstacles and struggles along the way. Many were the result of the trauma I endured in my life as a young girl. I ran away from Los Angeles at 19 years old, never having truly dealt with that pain. I also was afraid to live my truth that I was a gay woman, for much of my life. This “hiding” spilled over into every area of my life, where I lived from a place and felt that who I was, was somehow not good enough. I finally told the truth of who I am to myself and my friends and family almost five years ago. I’m grateful that I have now found the tools and support to help me heal and not cause more pain to myself or others. I struggled with low self-esteem, fear of my greatness and some of those things still linger to this day. In a world where everyone’s life is on full display on social media, it’s easy to begin to compare our lives to those of others. I am so grateful to now have friends who support me, can uplift me when needed and continue to be a source of encouragement. I give thanks for my therapist, who is monumental in helping me see the beauty of my life, including my struggles and obstacles which have all helped make me a more resilient, compassionate, and determined person.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am a licensed hairstylist (cosmetologist) and I specialize in textured hair: curly, kinky and wavy hair. I am most proud of the monumental growth I have seen since I returned home to Los Angeles only three years ago. Going from making $9 an hour as an apprentice, to styling Ava Duvernay’s hair for GQ Magazine in support of her 16 Emmy nominated film, “When They See Us,” is huge to me. I’m so very proud of myself, to see my work on television and in print is something I dreamed of. Creating a safe and special place for my clients to be treated with love was important to me going into 2019. I am so grateful to have landed at my current location, High & Tight Barbershop, which is an LGBTQ safe space, veteran-owned and my Natural Hair Sanctuary is housed there. What sets me apart is the warm environment, the resources I share, how I care for the hair and teach each client how to do the same. 

What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was such a beautiful child to be around. I wanted to sing, act, dance, recite poetry and read to whoever would listen. I loved being outdoors and could always be found with a book in my hand. I sang in every talent show in elementary school and enjoyed making others laugh.

Contact Info:

• Address: Saniyyah Sahar’s Natural Hair Sanctuary
  @High & Tight Barbershop
  4759 W Washington Blvd.
  Los Angeles, CA 90016
• Website: www.saniyyahsahar.com
• Phone: 718-514-0305
• Email: saniyyahsahar@gmail.com
• Instagram: @saniyyahsahar

Image Credit:
Ava Duvernay and When They See Us cast from GQ Magazine photographer Awol Erizku

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