Mandi's Life Update + How Celebrity Hairstylist Lacy Redway Turned $10 Braids Into a Six‑Figure Career

This week, we’re heading back into the Brown Ambition vault for a powerful conversation with celebrity hairstylist and image maker Lacy Redway. Lacy may not always be in front of the camera, but you’ve definitely seen her work.

From red carpets to fashion campaigns and TV and film, she’s shaping the way Black women show up on screen and in the culture. In this episode, we get into: • Growing up as a Jamaican immigrant, being the “foreign kid,” and learning to do her own hair after a bad relaxer left it broken and damaged • Braiding classmates’ hair for $5–$10 in middle and high school and realizing, in hindsight, that she was already a young entrepreneur • How she transitioned from doing hair in school to assisting in salons, working on photo shoots, and building a real portfolio in the pre‑Instagram era • The behind‑the‑scenes reality of being one of the few Black stylists backstage at fashion week—and why Black models would literally wait in line for Lacy to do their hair • What it actually looks like to take yourself seriously as a business: investing back into your craft, getting representation, and positioning yourself for bigger brand and editorial work • How rates really work in fashion and celebrity styling, why there’s no union protecting hair and makeup artists in her lane, and how that impacts pay and job security • The power and pressure of being an “image maker” for Black women, and why getting the hair right can make or break a character or campaign We also talk about the evolution of Black hair care, the shift from relaxers to curls and coils, and how much access to education and products has changed since the 90s.

If you’re a creative, service provider, or anyone trying to turn a skill into a sustainable business, this conversation will give you both inspiration and a real look at the money and power dynamics behind the glam. Tune in to hear how Lacy built her career, claimed her value, and continues to advocate for herself and other artists in an industry that doesn’t always see their worth.

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