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VECOYA

@vecoya

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Event Curator
Empowering Women through #NaturalHair & Beauty
Enjoying the journey 💕💚
Follow @lthywdc
#lthyw
📍Washington, DC

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Thank you for capturing the vibes Brother. 🙏🏾

📷: @realurbanlife_

#Chapter40

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We want to tell you about @vecoya, founder of @lthywdc.

She saw a problem a lot of young women in DC were facing, they loved fashion, beauty, and hair, but nobody was showing them how to turn those passions into an actual career. So she built Love Hair The You Wear as a community to change that.

For the last five years she’s been showing up on campuses and giving students something most programs don’t, career clarity. Not just “follow your passion” advice. Real, tangible pathways from the things they already love into the careers they can actually build.

When our founder @justcallmehicks met Vecoya it made complete sense. Brittany lives at the intersection of retail, fashion, beauty, and the university ecosystem. She understood exactly what Vecoya was building and why it mattered, especially for HBCU students who deserve to see themselves reflected in every room they walk into.

So together they’re doing something special for Homecoming this year. An experience designed by women who actually know this community, built for Aggies, by people who understand what Aggies care about. Not a random event. Something that actually feels like them.

We can’t say too much yet. But trust us…you don’t want to miss it. 👀

Stay tuned. 💜

#GHOE #NCAandT #TheReset #WOCWorldwide #LTHYW LoveHairYouWear HBCUMade NCAandT GHOE HBCUHomecoming CareerClarity BlackWomenInBusiness WOCCommunity BeautyFounder FashionCareers HBCUProud AggiePride

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Didn’t mean to end up in this room 😂

But I’m grateful @vecoya talked me into it.

A fire near Hudson Yards and an unexpected train delay changed our plans.

Somehow we ended up in Alex’s legendary 10 am Saturday class that is apparently never open…

…for my first @onepeloton ride EVER 😭

I don’t have anything to compare it to but I’m 👏🏾 in 👏🏾 shape 👏🏾 - safe to say it humbled me 😂

The point is, I stopped believing that every great experience has to be carefully curated a long time ago.

Sometimes the right rooms find you.

Sometimes your best experiences aren’t “curated” at all.

Or you don’t quite know what you’re getting into but you say yes 🤎

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If you’ve ever met an Aggie…you understand 😂

We know.

We don’t mean to.

We’re just really proud of our school…

And we really loved our experience.

It just…happens 💙💛🐾

We’re also not sorry 😬

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9 Years In! I’m more in love than I ever been.

Here’s to forever! 🥂

Happy Anniversary My Love!❤️

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No matter what the conversation was about. 💁🏽‍♀️

Somehow...

We’re bringing it back to GHOE, Aggie Pride, and why you should’ve gone to an HBCU.

You’re welcome 💙💛

#aggiepride #hbcusmatter #ghoe

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The power went out…

The next thing I know, a full-blown concert broke out in the living room. 🎤😂

No lights.
No microphones.
No problem.

SN: Y’all come get your nephew. He hasn’t been the same since the Michael Jackson movie. At this point, he thinks he’s on tour. 🕺🏽🤣

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People see the thing.
But the system behind the thing is what matters.

People see the event. They don’t see the years of relationship building that made it possible.

People see the promotion. They don’t see the reputation that earned it.

People see the property. They don’t see the ownership structure.

People see the engagement. They don’t see the conversations, compromises, and commitment that sustain the relationship.

People see the business. They don’t see the processes, partnerships, and infrastructure holding it together.

The visible thing gets the attention.

The invisible thing creates the outcome.

These moments are a good example.

Our first event was a brunch in 2018 at The Ludlow House in NYC… self-funded by me and my co-founder. Just 24 women.

No sponsors. No team. No playbook.

Just the belief that community matters and a willingness to do the work.

The following year, we curated 7 events in 5 cities, hosting hundreds of attendees and growing our listserv to more than 5,000 people.

Most people would look at that growth and assume it came from social media, marketing, or luck. The reality is much less exciting.

It came from relationships.

Showing up consistently.

Following up (a lot).

Making introductions.

Creating value before asking for anything in return.

That’s why I’m increasingly interested in architecture over aesthetics and optimizing everything for longevity.

Because beautiful things fail every day when the structure underneath them is weak.

But strong systems create consistent results long before anyone notices them.

P.S. Too many people to tag! Sorry if I forgot anybody. You can @ me 😬🥰

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Our babies sang their little hearts out in church today. 🥺❤️

Watching them praise God and serve with confidence was a moment we’ll cherish forever.

We couldn’t be prouder. 🙏🏾

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Last month I went with @vecoya to The @hueaffair NYC! We frolicked, played, worked, brunched, facial'd, Peleton'd, and most importantly we got to support the one and only @browngirlmktg 🤎🐐

As someone who’s spent years attending industry events in beauty, apparel and tech, here's my advice for making the most of them:

1️⃣ Do your homework. Who do you want to see? This is easier to answers when you know who's hosting, speaking and sponsoring. Sometimes I reach out before of the event to let someone know I’m coming to see or support them because events are unpredictable. Preparation is important so you don’t miss the moment ✨

2️⃣ Be intentional. Managing an events calendar for your industry and expertise can be expensive and time consumer. So be discerning with where you place that energy, time and money. Are you there to learn? Meet people? Support a cause or friend? Find partners? Having clarity about why you're there makes it easier to recognize an opportunity and feel good about your investment.

3️⃣ Be a contributor, not just a consumer. Share the event. Buy the product. Send an encouraging message to the host if they’re in your orbit. Or if you have an idea to improve the experience, share your feedback (tactfully)👀! If you’ve ever hosted anything, you know this is always appreciated.

Some of my biggest opportunities started with accepting an invitation and showing up to support someone else's vision - not build my own 🤎

What do you do to prepare for an event - big or small?

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Supporting people. That’s it. 😂

Last month, we pulled up to support our friends @hueaffair and captured this moment. In this video is years of conversations, introductions, opportunities, events, ideas, wins, setbacks, and support exchanged between three founders.

We’re all at different stages of our journeys. Different businesses. Different goals. Different seasons of life.

But one thing we’ve always had in common is a willingness to show up for each other before the businesses, the brands, the events, and the ideas were popular.

Before the sponsorships.
Before the headlines.
Before anyone was paying attention.

@iamcandacevictoria was one of the first people to ever sponsor a @wocworldwide event. And @vecoya has shown up to just about everything we’ve done - big or small.

I’ve learned that your best opportunities in life - the ones that help you grow, stretch, learn, and ultimately succeed… rarely come from networking.

They come from consistently supporting good people doing meaningful work over a long period of time.

The partnerships will come.
The sponsorships will come.
The invitations will come.

But those are all byproducts - not the reward.

The relationship is 🤎

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Community isn’t the thing that happens at the run. It’s the thing that gets you there.

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