Shaylla hails from Lexington, KY. Growing up in the 80s and 90s, she adored playing with Barbies but yearned for a doll that mirrored her hair type. Seeking the straight hair of her black Barbie and friends, she persuaded her parents to let her Granny, a salon owner, give her a relaxer to straighten her hair at the age of 11. From that point it took her about 12 years to do the big chop and fully embrace her natural hair texture. Despite her career in Human Resources without formal cosmetology training, Shaylla's passion for hair runs deep – a trait passed down through generations. Watching her Granny Laura and Cousin Rhonda excel in hair styling fueled her love for the craft.

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Shaylla has the gift of encouragement and enjoys empowering women and young girls to reach their full potentials. One day she and a friend were casually talking, catching up on life, then her friend shared that girls didn’t want to play with her daughter b/c her hair was too “puffy.” This conversation would lead to one of Shaylla’s greatest passions, Puffy Girls Club, which combines her gift of creativity, passion for all things natural hair, and empowerment of women and young girls.

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Shaylla has gone on to create “Wash Day Conversation” an IG Live Series, Puffy Hairfirmations® which are hair affirmations for girls with textured hair, her first children’s book, “My Crown is Me,” and a host of products on the puffygirlsclub.com website! Shaylla invites you to explore the website and subscribe to her mailing list for more information.

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Shaylla is now based in Nashville, TN with her husband, Justice Smith, and three young children – Justus, Victory, & Lyfe. Shaylla enjoys spending quality time with her family doing various crafting projects, playing in the park, and hiking.