Though it’s been a struggle to keep a small business afloat in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, Robinson is determined to remain positive and achieve her dream of breaking barriers between communities.
A Father’s Day Message For Dads Of Young Girls
Like many women-owned businesses, Loveable Baby Shop began from Robinson’s desire to work and be present for her daughter Kailey. “When I started Loveable Baby Shop, I started in my living room. It was just a business that came to me…I wasn’t sure where it was going to go. I had Kailey and I didn’t want to go back to work and leave her, Robinson says. “So I started to look at jobs that a mom can do and it just started from there. It’s kids clothes so many of my clients wanted to touch the clothes and feel them because people are sensitive when it comes to kids clothes. I reached out to my cousin who has a barbershop and I asked if I can use a portion of it and I was literally in his barbershop for 7 months until I got this storefront. “For those 7 months I was able to make enough money to open my own store in January only to close it in March and it’s been a rollercoaster ride. I honestly feel like I didn’t get a fair shot to do what I wanted to do and I feel like right now what’s stopping me is funding. I still haven’t gotten any relief or PPP.”
Father-Daughter Hair Classes
Robinson introduced a unique class just before COVID began: an opportunity for dads to learn how to do their daughter’s hair. Because of COVID, she never got the chance to get the classes off the ground. “I teach Kailey’s dad how to do her hair,” she says. “I feel like it’s so important for dads to know how to do hair because it just takes the strain off of mom. In every family dynamic, it should be dynamic. I was raised with my father doing my hair growing up and that’s why I implemented this. My dad played with dolls growing up despite the stigma around boys playing with dolls and he ended up having 5 daughters and he did all of our hair: washed and braided it. He was pretty slow when he first started…over time he became really good at it and he ended up teaching me how to do my hair.
The Power of Hair
“I feel like hair is culture. Hair is powerful. I do believe that hair sets your character and who you are. It can set the tone the same clothes do. It’s a costume and you can switch around.” Most of Robinson’s personal hair products are products that she makes herself. When her daughter Kailey was a baby, she had a cradle cap and kept losing her hair. Kailey’s Collection and the hair products started with her. “I visited my mom and my grandmother in Jamaica,” she says, “and they told me to mix ingredients, and over time I developed everything.”
A Community and Safe Haven
Robinson is committed to pouring every success she sees straight back into the shop in an effort to create a community that feels like a safe haven. “It doesn’t matter if I’m Jewish, I’m Black, I’m Hispanic, this is somewhere where children can unite. Even in the clouds in the shop’s logo…all children are represented and welcome. We learn stigma based on our homes and cultures and it’s okay to have respect for your own culture but you have to understand other cultures as well. I try to make sure I have a little something for everyone that walks in. There’s no specific culture inside here.”
A Timeless Father’s Day Message
This message spreads Robinson’s philosophy about Father’s Day, as well. “Let’s celebrate our dads as we do for our moms. You rarely see any big thing going on for Father’s Day but we get all the excitement for Mother’s Day. For Father’s Day, you don’t see much going on. I can’t speak for every culture but I think we don’t celebrate our men enough. Everyone wants to feel special and appreciated. “It will help in every aspect of our lives to treat people how you want to be treated. That could be Father’s Day, that could be being a parent and being respectful to your kids, and overall that’s what this world needs. Love and respect. I know it’s cliche but love and respect go a far way. If we first love ourselves and put ourselves in someone else’s position we would never do certain things…hate starts from within.” All Things Hair would like to thank Petagaye Robinson and Loveable Baby Shop for taking the time to share their Father’s Day Message.
