04 | Katahlia Blue, Salon Strategist & Natural Hair Stylist

Aug 31

MEET EXPECTING CEO KATAHLIA BLUE, SALON STRATEGIST & NATURAL HAIR STYLIST

Hollywood loves to show us the intensity of labor and delivery, but the movies tend to gloss over the post-partum period (except Tully, that’s why we love Tully). Women everywhere have been shouting from the rooftops how much of a disservice that is! I couldn’t help but think CEOs especially need to hear stories of real-life post-partum experiences… if only to give us a glimpse of the range of experience. Expecting CEO Katahlia Blue is the perfect person to do just that.

Katahlia Blue is a Natural Hairstylist, Salon Strategist, woman of faith, & mom of 2 beautiful boys. During our Expecting CEO chat we discussed being a single mother in business, the physicality of post-partum, and rediscovering the strength in your body.

WHERE IS SHE IN HER EXPECTING JOURNEY AT THE TIME OF RECORDING?

1 3-year-old
In business for 2+ years

WHEN THINGS DON’T GO ACCORDING TO PLAN

Having a fool-proof plan to navigate your pregnancy and post-partum experience is… not a real thing. Sure, we all go into the experience with expectations, but what actually happens tends to look a little different from what we envisioned.

Blue’s expectations were challenged as soon as labor started. While she’d prioritized her health throughout her pregnancy and planned to have an unmedicated birth… this didn’t quite turn out that way. “I thought I was gonna have a natural birth and I ended up having to have a C-section and it was 22 hours of labor. And it was just, it was very traumatic,” she said.

And it wasn’t just unmet expectations that presented a challenge. Blue remembered how physically challenging recovering from labor and delivery was for her. Not only did she have a 6-week recovery window from the procedure, but she also ended up with a 25-degree spine curvature due to the pressure on her spine (Blue’s short y’all!). She envisioned a short recovery phase physically, but that was not her experience at all!

Despite being in physical pain, Blue girl bossed a little too close to the sun and went back to work in 2 months instead of 3. She was totally transparent with me saying, “I wasn't ready, to be honest with you. I was not ready.”

CHOOSING YOUR PRIORITIES FROM MOMENT TO MOMENT

With a fresh c-section scar and dark stretch marks to commemorate her journey, Blue entered the post-partum stage. It was during those first few months that she learned the new dance of choosing your priorities from moment to moment and the importance of having a support system. The pressure really kicked in once she started phasing work back into her day-to-day schedule.

Blue expressed the constant mental struggle of deciding which to-dos were truly a priority. Even with support to watch the baby, there was a level of guilt associated with every decision made. Drafting a promotion email meant she’d need to separate herself from the family to be able to focus. Seeing a client in person would require her to leave the house. Not to mention continuing to prioritize her partner…

She laughed a bit saying, “It's just… you're really trying to figure out who deserves your attention all day, every day. You, you really are. You start feeling like, okay, well I'm not, I'm not holding my son long enough. Yeah, well maybe I should go have sex with my husband or maybe, well, no, I'm just gonna take a nap. You know what? I'm just not gonna shower today. You're literally choosing what your next move is all day long.”

CONFIDENCE IS KEY, IT’S ALSO HARD

As the CEO of an online education and coaching community for other hairstylists, Blue knew that she’d have to show up and be visible. It was more challenging than she expected.

It was a struggle to come to terms with the extra weight, the boobs, and just feel at home in her body.

For a while, Blue focused on losing weight. She’d been athletic her whole life and felt confident that she’d have that ‘snap back’ we all hear about. When that didn’t happen, Blue had a come to Jesus moment with herself and decided to show up anyways.

Her advice to other women struggling with body image? If you want to lose some weight, do it, but accept the fact that you will always be a work in progress. She told me, “You need to be accepting of every stage and every point so that you can actually be happy.” Today? She laughed saying, “I'm comfortable, you know, within my body and how I look, I don't care about people seeing my little roles or my extra meat under my chin. You know, you gonna get what you gonna get.”

GRATITUDE AT THIS STAGE

Blue reflected on the gratitude that she has for her friends and family, but especially for the community she’s built among other entrepreneurs. It’s this community that’s helped her to feel seen, encouraged, and motivated to show up fully as a CEO.

She laughed saying, “[without my entrepreneur community] I’d probably just focus on my vanity.”

FEATURED EXPECTING CEO AFFIRMATION

Today’s Expecting CEO affirmation is:

I see things differently and I am willing to trust the small voice guiding me.

Remember, an affirmation is only as powerful as the practice it’s attached to. We encourage you to post this somewhere you can see it today, use it as your meditation mantra, or even use it as a journal prompt!

Expecting CEO journal prompt:

What happens when your own expectations and desires shift as you navigate pregnancy? Reflect on what you thought you wanted… versus what that little voice in your head is leading you to instead.