Story by Liesel Schmidt
While her eight and a half years in the Air Force may not have encouraged individuality, they did equip Monifa Caines with exceptional organizational skills as well as a deep sense of honor and desire to pursue excellence. All of that has been invaluable in launching and managing her business, Queen of Spades Style, as she fills the roles of CEO, CIO, CFO, Shipping Manager, Customer Service Manager and Social Media Manager. “I have to be very organized to perform all the roles in a one She-E-O shop,” Caines says.
As a passion-turned-business, Queen of Spades has the foundation for any great venture: purpose. “Queen of Spades Style started first from necessity and quickly turned [into] something that I was passionate about,” Caines explains. “After a lot of contemplation, I decided to stop using a chemical relaxer to straighten my textured hair because it constantly left burns on my scalp. I had this same lye-based cream applied to my hair every month for decades to hide my natural hair pattern, appear ‘professional’ and to assimilate into what the beauty standard is. Then one day, I decided I was going to stop hurting my scalp every month to make others feel more comfortable about my hair. While I was growing out my natural hair, [I] could not find one hair accessory that was made for thicker hair textures. I went to different stores and started to purchase supplies to make my own hair accessories for my hair—head wraps, head bands, hair combs and hair pins that were colorful and celebrated thicker hair textures. I realized a lot of other women had the same issue I had with finding accessories for their own hair texture. I want to help women accentuate their beauty regardless of their hair texture and live their authentic selves with a lot of style.”