#MyKpenkpeshie: Managing Director of LaMudi, Akua On Her Natural Hair Journey.
I had just walked out of the #Mobex2015 when I spotted Akua Nyame-Mensah, Managing Director at Lamudi Ghana walking quickly to her car. As a fellow blogger at Blogging Ghana, I have for quite some time admiring her long twist outs which for the longest time I thought was kinky twists. She shares her story with me on #MyKpenkpeshie.
Can you share what you do, career-wise?
Akua: I run a real estate website called LaMudi with a team of 15 people where we do sales and marketing behind it. We create a lot of content such as how to find property, what to look out for and we do a lot of work with agents and developers to educate them on how to do things online properly and to build trust online.
How long have you had your kinky hair?
Akua: Well, since 2010 actually.
Gasp! No wonder you are able to pull off great twist outs!
Akua: It actually started when I was a senior in college and I decided I no longer wanted to spend money on keeping my hair relaxed. And for the longest time I hadn't had my hair relaxed till I moved to the U.S that's when I actually started relaxing my hair. I grew up in West Africa so i never had to relax my hair till I got to the US.
Whats your maintenance regime like?
Akua: I am super low maintenance. I hardly comb my hair. I only comb it when its wet so my is either in twists or in a high puff because its easy. Also I get it in a protective style which most is the kinky twists. I prefer the kinky twists as the other protective styles dry my hair.
See More: How Shari Maintains Her Dreadlocks.
How was societal reaction to your change to natural hair?
Akua: For my industry a lot of people are surprised when they see the puff but I don't think they interact with me any differently. I think my hair is very professional. Sometimes when I have a big 'fro out I do see some people looking at me. Especially when I walk into a meeting. I actually went into an investment firm for a meeting a few days ago and everybody was staring at me. And I was thinking to myself, 'It can't be my dress because my dress is extremely long for once. So it has to be the hair.' I had it in twist outs then. A lot of people were looking!
If your natural hair were a Ghanaian dish what would it be?
Akua: (Laughs!) Thats a really interesting question! It would be Jollof! A lot of people are wary when they see it but when they touch it they are like 'Wow! Its really soft!'
