MopTop Blog
Why I LOVE Partnering with Whole Planet Foundation
Kelly Foreman Founder, Owner, and Creative Genius behind MopTop Junk-Free Haircare Whole Planet Foundation is a non-profit organization established by Whole Foods to help alleviate poverty. They distribute microcredit loans for entrepreneurs living in poverty so they can create a business, support their family and make a better life for them and for future generations. 88% of recipients are women and the loans are provided to those in 71 countries, including the US. Since 2005, WPF has funded 2.8 million microloans. While we cannot control when, where and what circumstances we were born into, we can control how we respond and how we use our resources to positively impact others. I started working with Whole Foods in 2014 and was introduced to Whole Planet in 2017. The spirit of empowering and supporting those that are willing to work hard is at the core of almost every person I have worked with at Whole Foods. I am a small woman-owned business and I found myself in need of support. I applied and became a part of the Local Producer Loan Program through Whole Foods and it has helped me grow my business in a way I wouldn’t have been able to on my own. When I was introduced to Whole Planet Foundation, I could not help but jump in and get involved. It’s amazing to me how easy it is to help, and being an Econ Dork I think through…How can this have a lasting impact? I believe people make choices in life based on how they feel about themselves – there are no socio-economic or geographical barriers that change that. I have a vision of empowering people and giving them the tools they need to effect real change by creating and recognizing their own value. For my business, I believe a GOOD HAIR DAY CAN CHANGE THE WORLD… if you can see how beautifully you are created and value that, you will make better choices. With Whole Planet Foundation, we get the opportunity to give back and support international businesswomen get out of poverty … Do you realize that as little as $200 can really make a difference in so many lives? Recently I got to participate in the 1st Power Her Potential event in Austin on the rooftop of the Flagship Lamar store. It was an amazing day! Approximately 360 people attended and in excess of $10,000 was raised. The day was filled with inspiring speakers, fun workshops, and candid panel conversations. There were cool items raffled off like a Vitamix, bikes, MopTop & FuzzyDuck goody basket, etc. Working with Whole Planet Foundation lines up with three of MopTop’s core values: Do the Right Thing Have a Servant Heart Empower each other Every aspect of the Power Her Potential event was empowering and uplifting! It’s amazing what we can accomplish together if we just stop, take a minute to step outside of ourselves and look at how we can make a difference and then actually DO IT. If you are inspired and empowered by this story, please help us support more micro-loans by purchasing our products at participating Whole Foods near you. Click the link to find your store – https://moptophair.com/where-to-buy/. Thanks for partnering with us to help make a positive difference and supporting the passion of Whole Planet Foundation and MopTop.
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Camera Shy, Not a Lie!
Kelly Foreman Founder, Owner, and Creative Genius behind MopTop Junk-Free Haircare Last Friday I had a mentor turned very dear friend Sandra ask me if I would be willing to share my story on her FaceBook live. It’s amazing how far I have come (more on that later!). As some background, Sandra and I met at a national women’s conference. Her company is Charisma on Camera and she was a Keynote Speaker. As my business was starting to grow, I could not shake the nudging feeling that I was being called to find my voice and speak more publicly. For many people this may not be a big deal, but for me, it was crippling. You see my business is based on my belief that people make choices in life based on how they feel about themselves. The messaging from my past that had imprinted itself on my brain was that I was not enough, not pretty enough, too frizzy, fuzzy, brillo and the list goes on… Despite my fears, I signed up for Sandra’s intensive 5-day course. With the surge of popularity and importance of using videos to tell your story, Sandra taught us every aspect of being on camera and video production to produce quality videos on our own. She worked us HARD! She is one of the most intense, intelligent and strong women I have ever met. She’s the coach that won’t let you wimp out! At the end of the course, we were going to shoot a video that we could use in our own businesses. She started videoing us on day one as she wanted us “to get used to a camera being in the room”. I tried my best to always position myself “out of the shot”, but on day three, it was unavoidable! We were to take turns on the stage doing mini-interviews. When it was my turn I was on the verge of panic and the flood of emotions had my heart pounding, I thought people could see how hard my heart was beating by the pulsing in my neck and I’m sure I was white as a ghost! She said the same calming statements she had said to a few others that had gone before me, then she asked me to tell her about my business. Off camera and in a small group I could talk out loud, but… She knew my story, she knew my passion, she knew my people. I froze, I could not speak. And then I melted, I broke… the moment she was looking at me trying to figure out what to do seemed like an eternity, but probably only a split second. She broke the uncomfortable silence and asked me if I had my book. I asked her if she meant my Frizz Intervention Book. I told her yes and she asked me to tell her about the book, but really she wanted me to clearly see my why and my who I serve. That was it! Once I refocused on my why I service and my who I serve, I can do ANYTHING! That light bulb moment!!! It’s not about me, it has never been and that in itself is so freeing. Each and every one of the precious souls that feel the way I felt CAN feel differently. They can embrace how beautifully they are created and go on to do what they are called to do. A Good Hair Day can Change the WORLD! Tell me about a time a Good Hair Day EMPOWERED you to be BOLD and do something you never thought you could!
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The Gift of Belonging: Embrace Your Natural Beauty
Kelly Foreman Founder, Owner, and Creative Genius behind MopTop Junk-Free Haircare Last week I blogged about the primal need humans feel to connect and “belong”. I have continued to reflect on this concept over the past several days, especially at a time of year when there are so many gatherings and so much emphasis put on being a part of the festivities – whether it’s family, friends, neighbors or colleagues. But as we all know, what may appear to be jolliness from the outside can sometimes mask a sense of isolation, a lack of belonging, a low self-worth. For this reason, I am moved to revisit this topic and share a bit more of my own story. When I was a child of 9 or 10, I remember having a conversation with a grown-up about my appearance. This is an age when you become more aware of who you are and how you belong or fit in. I asked this person, “Do you think I’m pretty?” and did not receive an answer, so I asked again, as young kids will do. “Do you think I’m pretty?” A long pause followed, and then the answer: “You’re a natural kind of pretty, not model pretty." Translation: you are NOT pretty! I was crushed. As a girl, I thought looks defined me. Let’s be honest – we all want to be pretty, and as much as we say, “You’re beautiful, exactly the way you are created,” we tend not to believe that deep down when someone says it to us. By that point in my youth, the mean girls had already started to circle and even some boys had started to chip away at me and who I thought I was. The hair-related name-calling had also begun. “Fuzzy, Brillo, Poodle… MopTop”. I decided I would focus instead on other things – school and kickball, and the freedom of running. I was not great, but at least I felt I was better off there than on the scorecard of what I thought I looked like. My mother was BEAUTIFUL, and where ever we went she drew appreciative looks. My father was also handsome. I felt out of sync in my own family. And once I started listening to the mean girls and boys, I felt I did not fit in at school either. It’s tough to be sorted and judged on something you have no control over, and which the world places so much value and worth on. It wasn’t until I was older and more experienced, and less reliant on others to tell me how I should feel about myself that I was able to find true belonging, in my own skin, and on my own terms. And it wasn’t based on outer appearances – it was based on character traits – integrity, courage, humility, imagination, inventiveness, bravery, kindness. Last week I also introduced you to Brene Brown , a research professor at the University of Houston and prolific author, who has spent the past 16 years studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy. One excerpt from her book “Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone” especially resonated with me. “True belonging is the spiritual practice of believing in and belonging to yourself so deeply that you can share your most authentic self with the world and find sacredness in both being a part of something and standing alone in the wilderness. True belonging doesn’t require you to change who you are; it requires you to be who you are.” (Brown, p. 40) I have sought the sense of belonging for a long time. (For me, it has often revolved around hair!) I believe people make choices in life based on HOW they feel about themselves. Everyone is on a journey and when they are able to embrace who they are created to be, then and only then can they hear that they truly are BEAUTIFUL exactly the way they are created, and that they’ve always belonged. I'll leave you with a beautiful thought from Maya Angelou: “You are only free when you realize you belong no place – you belong every place – no place at all. The price is high. The reward is great.” Embrace your natural beauty!
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The Best Gift This Christmas: The Gift Of Belonging
Kelly Foreman Founder, Owner, and Creative Genius behind MopTop Junk-Free Haircare I both love and dread this time of year. The busyness, the gifts (my love language is NOT gifts, it’s time!). I never know what to give when gifts are involved. Every year I make a family calendar featuring pictures from the previous year’s photos in the coinciding months. I’m NOT a scrapbooker – this is about as crafty as I get and it helps me keep track of the memories as well as create a great gift for those “hard-to-purchase-for” people. Tackling this project takes a huge amount of time and is truly a labor of love. It gets me into a pretty reflective space, too. This will be the third Christmas without my mom. I miss her so much. I catch myself picking up the phone to call her about something funny one of my girls said or did and realize she’s not there on the other end. She was FIERCE about the holidays and how we celebrated, so specific on what we ate, and that we were ALL there together. She was so intent on reinforcing the message that we love each other and we “belong” – there was no question of “fitting in”. This time of year there we are all inundated with social gatherings. I’m what I call a social introvert… weird description, I know. I LOVE being out, and meeting and connecting with people, but I get overwhelmed and anxious. The worst part – I panic and forget names. I could tell you everything about who they are and how much I like them and their family, but *POOF* and the name is gone. This is my regrettable Achilles heel, because people want to be seen and known and called by name. Most of us thrive on human connections and have a primal need to belong. We naturally “sort” ourselves and others into where we “belong”… and yet I have never really felt I belong. I’ve just finished reading “Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone”, by Brene’ Brown, and it really struck a chord with me. I so identify with this woman and her experiences growing up. I think we have walked the same roads and shared each other’s shoes! The only thing that could make me like her more is if she shared a similar hair story! This book is so rich and deep that I will not do it justice in what I share with you, so I encourage you to check it out for yourself. Or give it as a terrific stocking stuffer! Know that you belong… and embrace your natural beauty!
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Be Resilient... And Be Your Best You
Kelly Foreman Founder, Owner, and Creative Genius behind MopTop Junk-Free Haircare I was reading an article from The Wall Street Journal this morning and couldn’t help but to think of you. “The Secrets of Resilience.” The article essentially debunked the notion that you have to be given everything perfectly to get ahead. It’s more about using your resources, standing firm, and working with what you have. I hate the question “Don’t you hate your hair?” Always implying you want what you don’t have and what you have isn’t good enough. That simply is NOT true. We are all created different and beautifully, no mistakes. It seems to me we are called to be who we are, and the best version of that, so here’s my letter to you. Dear Resilient Woman, Whether you’ve tasted success or just begun your journey, you know how hard it is. You’re all too familiar with those apparently hopeless moments. It doesn’t matter if you started from the bottom or got a head-start, failure is inevitable and essential on the way to success. No one “made it” by luck, by circumstance. Mila Kunis didn’t wake up one morning to find she was an A-list actress. She took classes upon classes in LA after leaving the Ukraine with her family at age seven with no more than $250. Take heart! With your steady spirit, you will not emerge from these trials fruitless. You are more than a rubber band. You don’t just snap back. You pick yourself up and reach higher than before. These setbacks are nothing but blessings. Reminders to everyone out there that you are no frail damsel. You may not have had any say in where you started… but where you finish is up to you. Embrace your natural beauty, Kelly
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MopTop Thanks You This Thanksgiving with Extra Savings
Our fundamental goal at MopTop has always been to be a part of your hair care solutions and provide you with fresh, natural options, especially for those (like me!) who have struggled with seemingly untameable hair, until we figured our hair out… or someone helped us to do so. But for me, the heart and soul of MopTop is as a mission-based business. I am so thankful for the opportunities we’ve been given to promote our values (family first, working Moms, serving others, embracing natural beauty) and also the platform we have to talk about what we are striving to help end (bullying, domestic violence, childhood poverty). I encourage each of you this Thanksgiving holiday to dig deep for what you’re most grateful for beyond the material gains of this world, and help make a difference in an area that has great meaning for you – be hospitable, be generous, be kind. Spread kindness and a sense of community, and the spirit of Thanksgiving. I am particularly thankful for a healthy family (broken toe aside, but still thankful it wasn’t my whole foot!), my daughter safely home from college for the Thanksgiving break, and the awesome MopTop clients and customers we are delighted to serve every day. I am also thankful for good deals, and blessed to be able to GIVE a great deal to our customers! Enjoy a 25% discount off our products during our Black Friday to Cyber Monday sale, Nov. 24-27. Use promo code CYBER25. Embrace your natural beauty! Kelly
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MopTop's Kelly Foreman on Embracing Her Natural Beauty
As we wrap up our series on anti-bullying during October’s Bullying Prevention Month, I wanted to share the following, which was submitted to us by a teenager about her experience – we’ll call her Hope. It’s exciting to know that teens are also engaging in the conversation and, better still, finding empowerment in embracing their natural beauty. Hope’s Story (age 16): A lack of compliments doesn’t settle well for one with a lack of confidence.It isn’t always what’s said that hurts but oftentimes what isn’t, and other times both. I’ve been wearing my hair natural all my life, all my life I’ve stayed far from flat irons and even shears, nothing more than a trim. It was nothing I ever really thought all that much about, it was just me. So when my mom offered to take me to get my hair straightened I figured it’d be fun! A nice little change for the night just to shake things up. And besides, I had a haircut planned for the next day to clean up my ends, nothing drastic. As anyone who’s ever seen curly hair knows, shrinkage is real. So, my already long hair went butt length and apparently that’s hot. According to the boys at our school dance that is. I spent my three hours there surrounded at all times being reminded how no one realized ‘how hot I was till tonight.’ Which I took all as compliments, till I got home, and started thinking, and asking myself why no one had said that before. Why no boy had even said you look nice today. Until my hair was straight. To put it simply I was mortified. And every bit of normality and comfort I found in my natural curls was gone. So the next day I changed my plans. Instead of a trim, I cut it off. Not all of it. But I might as well have. Embarrassed at the fact that I had it, I cut my hair off. I had volleyball banquet right after and I assumed that people would like this better. It was another change so why wouldn’t they? Well I was wrong, apparently I looked like Lisa Simpson. But honestly, that’s ok. Because I learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what you change about yourself there will always be people who are mean. It’s a sad truth, but it’s the truth. But a more important truth is this. I am beautiful. I am confident. I am perfect just the way I was made. I don’t need to change myself for anyone. And most of all, I rock short hair.
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An Anti-Bullying Story: A Story of Faith and First Impressions
The first thing you notice about a person is their face and the second is their hair, unless it’s particularly distracting (and then it IS the first). You have about 3 seconds to make a first impression. In a nutshell, our first impressions are sorted into two categories – “Acceptable” or “Unacceptable”. We learn this at a very young age. Think about how young children look at the world and how they fit into it. They are not self-conscious or embarrassed. They are open and accepting, and they learn quickly whether or not they are accepted. But the “acceptability” factor really starts to hit home for girls around age 9. I have three girls and it’s what I know best (not trying to leave out boys)! After they reach this season, everything changes and their self-confidence is chipped away little by little as their self-worth is defined more by “the world”, and the definition of beauty becomes less attainable. Several years ago, we conducted a MopTop Frizz Intervention for young people in the Dallas area. We did interviews and asked the participants what they liked about their hair, what they didn’t like, and what they hoped to learn. We took “Before” photos, videotaped the interview, taught them how to work with their hair to get the best results, and what products to use, then took “After” photos. That’s where I met Faith (not her real name), who was a 13 year old 7th grader. She was just precious and had an exotic look about her, like a young Sophia Loren. Beautiful, luscious Botticelli curls, braces, and the sweetest smile… but her eyes were sad. During the interview process Faith broke down, and we had to stop the interview. We had reached the question of what she didn’t like about her hair. Faith had been suffering hair loss. This was not due to health or hereditary – it was due to stress. Stress that was created by some very mean kids. One tormentor in particular liked to hurl expletives at her, telling her she was ugly, had frizzy hair, and had a hawk nose. These hurtful and harmful words had deeply affected the way Faith saw herself and believed others to also see her, crippling her in social situations, and resulting in hair loss. Faith was old enough to understand the words, the intent, and the malice, but too young to be equipped to effectively respond, ask an adult for help, take a stand. So that’s what we attempted to do for Faith and all the other young people attending that Frizz Intervention – to build up their confidence with kindness and compliments, and equip them with how to work with and enhance their hair, to free them from at least one self-perceived “flaw” – in short, to give them a really great hair day and drive home how great they already were! The freedom to not have a fight their hair, and to embrace their natural beauty. That was the goal! Flash forward – Faith’s confidence bloomed over time and she went on to become an accomplished dancer and an officer in her high school’s drill team. I ran into her a few years ago at one of my daughter’s dance competitions. I was sitting in the bleachers and I noticed this stunning young lady with gorgeous Botticelli curls, and then I noticed her poise and confidence. What an excellent and rewarding first impression after not seeing her for some time. Faith is in college now and THRIVING! I believe people make choices in life based on how they feel about themselves and I believe a Good Hair Day can change the WORLD… and I can’t wait to see what Faith does in her life. One of three young people are bullied every year. A recent social experiment conducted by Burger King showed that only 12% of customers in a restaurant intervened on behalf of a child who appeared to be a victim of bullying. Remember… take a stand. Intervene. Make an impact. Be part of the 12%!
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Let’s Stop the Bullies Together: Raise Awareness, Share Anti-Bullying Resources
Poodle. Brillo Pad. Dog. MopTop. These are just a few of the names I was called during my childhood and teens, which deeply affected how I felt about my hair (hated it), and also eroded my confidence and self-esteem for years after the taunting and name-calling ended. You know that expression, “Been there, done that, got the t-shirt?” Mine has been, “Been there, done that, got the yearbook to prove it!” (see insert) I used to wonder why teachers didn’t take a more active role in protecting me from the bullying, but to be fair I really think the issue was a lack of resources, rather than true indifference. Enter social media! It’s exciting to see the way everyone comes together to collaborate and create a repository of positivity when there’s a place to do it. Check out Pinterest for some of my favorite ideas that teachers can use in the classroom to spread the right messages, make kids think, and help start conversations in support of National Anti-Bullying Month in October! Pick your favorite, then share with a friend. Embrace Your Natural Beauty! Kelly
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