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Upon first listen, I was hooked!  As I began to become familiar with Nappturalite Radio, I immediately began to gain quite a bit of respect, admiration and inspiration from its founder, Dawn Yerger.  She is the mind behind Nappturalite Media - parent company of Nappturalite Radio, Naturalpreneur Central and more.

It is my privilege and honor to feature a woman of this caliber on All Tressed Up.  She posesses vision, tenacity and keen business sense.  Please take a few moments to get to know Dawn Yerger.

What led you to start a radio show focused on natural hair?

Well, many people don't know this, but I had two other radio shows and I was the co-host on another radio show before I started Nappturalite Radio. Those shows did well, and I enjoyed producing them and getting to interview well-known experts. When I went natural back in 2009, I was co-hosting the Jaye Today Show (hosted by Jaye Reliford). She asked us about how our weeks went and I shared that I had just done the Big Chop and how I was learning all this new info about going natural on YouTube. The next thing we knew, it was the end of the show and we had talked about natural hair the entire time! I told Jaye, "We should do a whole show on natural hair!" She agreed and Nappturalite Radio was born. I figured that I was having so much fun learning about natural hair, that other people would too if I could share what I was learning with them.

Did you go to school for or have a background in radio?

No, I don't have an educational background in radio. I just like to talk and ask questions! I've always been that way ever since childhood. I did minor in Communication for awhile during undergrad, but that's about it.

Why do you feel it is important for natural hair to be a topic on the radio waves?

I feel that there are so many angles to natural hair - social, historical, relational, physical, spiritual, and emotional. Radio is a great platform to give people the opportunity to interact on these topics. Also, it allows those listening to hear from and speak to those that they would otherwise only read about or see on TV.

Is there any exciting news ahead for Nappturalite Radio?

Yes! We just brought on a new co-host! Actress and comedienne, Kim Coles has recently joined our cast! Kim is a lot of fun and she loves natural hair. She's learning about natural hair just like many of our listeners, so it's going to be awesome to see what she'll bring to the show.

We also have a new web TV show titled, All Curls Allowed, which will focus on natural hair care for kids. This will be a great way for parents and kids alike to come together and learn about natural hair. We must begin instilling the love of natural hair in our children at an early age, and we've got some fun and educational ways to do that on the show.

Aside from us, who are your other syndication partners?  We would love to give them a shout out here.

Our Syndication Partners are awesome! Some of our other partners are Nina Ellis-Hervey AKA BeautifulBrwnBabyDol,  Sasha-Shae Shaw of Afroniquely You, Cassidy Blackwell of Natural Selection, Adrienne Brown of Me, My Hair and the City, Laquita Thomas-Banks of All Naptural, and Jojo T. of Curly Nu Growth!

Is there any particular reason why you selected Sunday as your live show date?

Sunday evenings are days where people are more laid back, resting up for the week ahead. And yet, they are looking for something to entertain them, without leaving home. I felt like Sunday evenings were a great time to give listeners something that entertains and educates, and pumps them up for the week ahead.

Tell us more about Nappturalite Media.

Nappturalite Media is the parent company of Nappturalite Radio, All Curls Allowed TV, NaturalpreneurCentral.com, and NaturalHairGiveaways.com.  Nappturalite Media is dedicated to engaging with and providing quality content for those interested in natural hair and the natural lifestyle. We've got some more BIG things coming from Nappturalite Media, live events and more resources! You'll hear more about that very soon.

When did you begin your natural hair/natural living journey?

I technically went natural in June 2009. I had gotten may last relaxer the month before. I was a faithful salon attendee, every 2-3 weeks. I had to keep my short hairstyle looking fly. However, I had also started working for myself (the 2nd time around) and my budget was very limited, which meant that I couldn't keep up with my hair appointments. This made me frustrated and depressed. I complained and complained (to myself) that I couldn't get my hair done, and I swore that as soon as I had the money to do so, I would be going right back the shop.

One day, God stopped me and said, "Stop complaining about what you don't have and embrace what you have." That was my turning point. I never looked at my hair the same way again. I'm so grateful for that moment, because without it, I certainly wouldn't be doing what I'm doing now. I thought that by not being able to get my hair done, that something was being taken from me, but I was actually given a huge gift.

In Nov. 2009, the day after Thanksgiving, I did my Big Chop. I haven't looked back since! Going natural has truly caused me to look at all areas of my life differently, and find out what I need to embrace and upgrade.

What advice would you give to someone looking to work for themselves?

Know what your God given gifts and talents are, and find a way to use that to become a solution for those who are looking to solve a problem. Position yourself as an authority. Construct a sound and strategic plan for your business, and make sure you include a realistic revenue plan with multiple streams of income.

More on Nappturalite Radio: Web | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter | Online Community

Thank you, Dawn!  Your work, vision and efforts are highly valued and appreciated.