Juwan Deshawn, The Spiritual Cosmo, Embraces Spirituality And Authenticity In All Things

Matthew chats with spiritual cosmetologist and healer, Juwan Deshawn, on how their spiritual gifts, once a source of isolation, have become integral to their work in the beauty industry. Juwan offers services that go beyond haircuts, including numerology, color magic, and Tarot readings, all rooted in the belief that energy is key to creating authentic beauty experiences.

Juwan and Matthew delve into the challenges and rewards of merging spirituality with a professional career in beauty. Juwan reflects on their journey to self-acceptance, their experience of being a "black sheep" in their family, and the significance of their non-binary identity. They discusses the importance of creating a safe and supportive space for clients, where they can explore their own spiritual paths while receiving personalized beauty services. The conversation highlights the need for authenticity in the industry and the powerful impact of genuine client connections.

Beyond their work, Juwan shares their love for dancing, roller skating, and listening to audiobooks as part of their self-care routine. They offer advice on how to separate from external noise and embrace one's true self, both in business and in life. With a focus on perseverance, self-awareness, and joy, Juwan encourages listeners to be the loudest, most authentic version of themselves as they navigate their own journeys of self-discovery and professional success.

Transcript

Matthew Landis: 0:01

Welcome to season three of the VIP Suite at IMAGE Studios, the podcast exclusively designed for independent beauty, health and wellness professionals, brought to you by IMAGE Studios, the luxury leader in the Salon Suite industry. I'm your host, Industry Expert and certified business coach, Matthew Landis. In each episode, we will bring you insightful interviews with solo entrepreneurs who have forged their own path to success, from stories of triumph to practical tips and strategies for growing your client base and building your brand. This is the place to thrive and take your Salon Suite business to the next level. Joining me on the VIP suite today is Juwan Deshawn at IMAGE Studios in Alameda, California. Welcome Juwan, thank you.

Juwan Deshawn: 0:47

Thank you so much. It's nice to be here.

Matthew Landis: 0:49

I am so excited for this interview.

Juwan Deshawn: 0:52

Yay. I've been checking out your Instagram, checking out a little bit about what you're about. So can you please tell our listeners. A little bit more about you? Absolutely. Hello. Listeners, Hi. I'm Juwan Deshawn. I am the Spiritual Cosmo around town. A little bit about me is I grew up in Arizona, the second oldest out of like, nine siblings.

Matthew Landis: 1:22

Wow, that's a big family,

Juwan Deshawn: 1:25

Big family, big family, all different personalities. And I grew up the more spiritual one, the one that was very tapped in from a young age, growing up in that family, being the second oldest, and developing my gifts, and, like, leaning into that. A lot of my younger siblings always, you know, kind of like outcasted me. They, you know, named me, the black sheep, the weird one, you know, that type of business growing up. And it never really offended me, because I was like, I just like this. This is it doesn't feel anything different for me. So I'm just gonna continue to lean into it. And so I just grew up being able to see things, being able to know things, being able to feel things, but in that same breath, always having like, no one to like, lean on, no one to like, confide in, and to like, you know, express myself with. So it kind of felt like alone, but it never like made me stop. It just made me kind of, like, go inward more. And then it also started to make me feel different from everybody else you know when you're going to school and all those type of things, like knowing and feeling these certain things, and there's nobody else that you can reach out to. You still feel alone most of my life. I just did my own thing flowed my own way and try to figure it out, but it was very tough, very, very tough once I had the courage to leave Arizona and come out here to live my most authentic life unafraid unapologetically, is when, like, I actually felt comfortable in my own skin, and I went to beauty school because it was something that I've always wanted to do. I've always wanted to do when I was a child, but wasn't able to fully do that because of where I was at and where how I grew up. And so becoming a cosmetologist was one of like my passions back then, and then being spiritual was also something that I am. And so I was like, How do I combine the two? Because I want to be my most authentic self, you know? And so that's when Spiritual Cosmo came about, being able to play on the spiritual aspect and also the cosmetologist role, and bridge those two together, which was so beautiful.

Matthew Landis: 3:43

Tere's so much to pull from. There so many different avenues to go down. You know, I can relate a little bit. I I never, I never felt like a black sheep in my family because, you know, I'm gay, for those of you that didn't know, but I never felt like a black sheep because I came from a family of black sheep, and so I sort of just felt like the rainbow sheep, I suppose. But that feeling of loneliness, that feeling of being alone, how did that lead you to down this spiritual path? Because I think sometimes that can seem like a sort of sentence of loneliness and sorrow, but in a way, it can also be a gift, in that it leads us to search for what it is that makes us happy and it helps us, I think, really be forced, to figure out who we are in a world where we feel not like the others.

Juwan Deshawn: 4:39

Absolutely, like you were, you hit it spot on, because it was literally like a jolt of like, you need to figure out who you are. Like, I had to, like, figure out why is so fast as a young child, seeing things so differently and seeing the world around you like differently, it forced me to like, grow up really, really fast. It forced me into certain situations that I didn't want to be a part of being so young. And so, yeah, it really did force and change me to be who I wanted to be. And because of that, the loneliness part of it was also like a blessing in disguise, because, like, when I got to, like, this peak of, like, my gifts, I was, like, around, like, my early 20s, probably, and it was just so heavily, like, around me and so, like, I couldn't, like, turn it off, or, like, shut it down. It was so much that I I literally felt as though, like I was insane, like I was going crazy. I was like, all these things are happening to me. All of these things are coming to me. I'm hearing so much and seeing so much that I, in turn, am starting to believe what people were telling me when I was younger, that you're crazy, you're this, you're insane, you're that. And so I had to check myself into an institution around that time, because it was just so intense for me. And I'll tell you, checking myself into the institution was one of the best things that I've ever done for myself, not only because it cleared up things, but there was somebody in there who really changed my life. I was in there, and I sat down with a psychiatrist, you know, because they have, you know, give you a little evaluation of like, why are you in here? And he was like, So, tell me what's happening. Tell me what's going on. And I literally sat there, and I talked to that man for like, I want to say, 15 minutes from beginning to end, of like, where I was from the beginning of my journey to where I am now. And this man stopped me almost when I was almost finished with the conversation. He was like, you do not belong in here. I was like, wait, what like you I'm telling you all this stuff. Like, what do you mean? He's like, No, he's like, You do not belong in here, because you are speaking full sentences, and the way that you're describing things is so, like, eloquent, and it's so, you know, brought to a point where I can understand what is, what you're talking about. The people who are belonging here, they can't form sentences. They can't, you know, really talk in the way that makes sense. He's like, but you are making sense. He's like, what I think it is, is that you may just be tapped in more than you know and more that you are aware of. And he said, I think you need to dive into that. And if it gets too overwhelming, you have the capability to be like, Hey, this is overwhelming. Let me take a step back. He's like, start to dive into that and learn your gifts. He's like, because I feel like you were just somebody who was very gifted. And it was the first time in my life that anybody ever validated that part of me. And so that really changed my life. It really put me on and I was like, unapologetic. I'm like, I'm going to show up spiritual and do and see and say when I need to say it, you know. And it took a lot, a lot to learn how to maneuver that, because not a lot of people are ready for that. Not a lot of people were ready for that back then, you know, knowing certain things and hearing certain things, they weren't ready for it. And to this day, people are still kind of like, I don't know about that, but like, I had to learn how to maneuver when and how to say certain things to certain people to see if they are ready for the information. And so, yeah, that journey was very, very long, very, very lonely up until that point. Wow. Well, you look like you really have taken that and you're and you're really powering forward.

Matthew Landis: 8:44

Oh, yes, I love that. Now your Instagram says you use they them pronouns, yes. It says you are African American, you are a witch healer and you are two spirit. Could you tell our listeners what those mean?

Juwan Deshawn: 9:00

Yeah, so they them are the pronouns that I prefer. It took a while to understand, like, what I who I was and what I wanted to identify as. That was, like, a really big, big struggle for me. Growing up, my household back then, was labeled a Christian household, or, like, upcoming in the church, and it just never really sat with me. And so there was specific things that we were told, the way that we should dress and the way that we should look like for me, anyways, because I was the one that was like, I want to like, be out there, I want to be eccentric, I want to be different, but like, for me, it just felt like I kept being put in a box, and so, like, I was like, I don't like this. This is not me. And then, like, the roles of like, male and female and me being this person, was like, they both equally look cool. Like, why can I just pull from each of those? But growing up, back where I grew up, like it was not. Something that was brought to light was kind of frowned upon to be feminine. You know, as a male, male presenting person, growing up, I just always knew that, like, I didn't really define as one or either it was a moment in my life that was like, Maybe I'm neither, and I'm just supposed to just be, who knows, like, one of those things. But then, like, as I'm starting to, like, evolve with the world, because the world starts to evolve as well, and things starts to come about, you start to learn new ways to identify that. When that came out, I was like, Oh, my God, that's what it is. It's they, them. Like, that's literally me,because it doesn't put me in a box of male or female, and just puts me in a category of like, Hey, you are you? And I'm like, Yes, that's me. So those are my preferred pronouns, and of course, African American, black, obviously, that's my heritage. That's what I've learned. And I did like, a few African ancestry tests just a while ago about like, you know, my lineage, which is really nice. I have a really lot of great lineage. And one of the really, really key things that I learned about on my paternal side was that we are descendants of Pharaoh remises The third so I thought that was super cool. I was like, Okay, well, that's cool. I was like, That makes a lot of sense to this whole spiritual, like, you know, aspect of it. I'm like, that's cool. And being being a witch healer. So one of the titles that I prefer to use is which, but healer is also another word to describe a witch as well, because that's what they represent. To me, they're healers. They use herbs, they use crystals, all the things. It's not like what Hollywood has like made it out to be where it's like, oh, they're ugly and they're, you know, dirty. They use, like, blood, eyeballs, fingernails, and create these potions. I think that's just like the way Hollywood wants to depict them when they're absolutely different. And the reason why I say this is because I've had like, a past life regression. And a past life regression is literally, like, you going through a hypnosis and being able to, like, bring forward some of your past lives that you went through and things that you might need to learn, or, you know, things that kind of connect. And so going through my past life regressions, most of the lives that I've lived were witches, and they were like, really beautiful women. And one of the most important things that I I took from it was that she lived in a really beautiful house. Everything was just like, super spotless clean, just great. She had, like, this big cauldron in her living room, and the way that she would create and make her potions is she would dance around her cauldron. It wasn't like she needed to throw or drop anything, and it was just literally her moving her body. And the way that she would move, you could see the cauldron just kind of like create what it needed to create. And she would take these potions that she would make, and she would take them down to the market and sell them to people who needed specific healings, right? And whatever they would ask of her, she would go back, and she would just dance around her cauldron to create that potion, or that elixir for them. And I was like, That makes a lot of sense, because, like, I've never went to school for dancing, and somehow I know how to dance my ass off. And I'm like, Oh, that's interesting. And this world, I kind of feel like I'm still that way. I still am here to heal people, still here to help people spiritually and guide them along their journey. And I'm trying to figure out now, in this stage of life, how do I do that when it comes to what I have here in this world? So that's what I'm learning now.

Matthew Landis: 14:18

You also said that you're a Two Spirit, yes, which is something that I'm fairly familiar with, but our listeners might not be, yeah.

Juwan Deshawn: 14:28

So Two Spirit is something that I kind of like shied away from for so long because, like of all of the other indigenous people who connect with two spirit and all the other like tribes who like, have their own variation of Two Spirit. And pretty much Two Spirit is like, embodying like you. For me, is embodying like your your masculine and your divine, your divine masculine your divine feminine energies, and they're like, encapsulated inside of you, and they like, are just a part of you. And so it's not like a separation of the two. It's not like this side this side. It's like, literally, a very blended alchemistic energy of the two that is encapsulated inside of you, and you're able to utilize both of them in your day to day life. And that's how I'm kind of seeing it, as there's all different types of variations of what Two Spirit means to to different, like, cultures and all that. It took me a while to get to this moment, because, like, I'm like, I want to make sure it resonates with me, and how it like, connects with me, and not trying to take from somebody else's culture and make it into mine. And so the way that I am channeling the Two Spirit is like, I know, without a shadow of a doubt, like both of those energies reside inside of me. And there's times, if you see on my Instagram, where I'm dressed up in, you know, makeup and hair and nails and all the things. And then there's times where it's just like, I'm like this, like, just, you know, no hair, no nail, no makeup, anything. But it's still, you can still see, like, the two without having to see the separation of them. Like, even when I'm dressed up in, you know, the makeup and hair, you can still see the masculine form of the body and the muscles. And then when I'm not in that part of it, you can still see, like, the soft features that I, you know, have, and and all that. And so I'm trying to figure out, what is that perfect balance for me, and understanding my own perfect balance and living that authentically. And that's what two spirit it is for me that's beautiful.

Matthew Landis: 16:48

Yeah, I've studied a lot about this. I have a very good friend who does a lot of spiritual work. You know, one of the things that I take away from it is that the indigenous cultures from on this continent, a lot of them, and other continents too. There are African cultures with very similar belief systems. There wasn't this sort of binary, and there wasn't this sort of like, this is what boys do and this is what girls do. They understood that for the group to really thrive and flourish, that everybody had a unique gift, and everybody has unique perspective, and that what we do as a culture or as parents or whatever we want to figure out what it is that makes you unique, and what talents and gifts and strengths you can bring that will help everybody thrive, yes, and so it's not just this binary, like, I'm going to put you into a box, and yes, you're going to grow up and be the person that I'm going to tell you who you should be. Yeah, I'm going to figure out what you were meant to be, and I'm going to, I'm gonna really feed that, and I'm gonna grow that, and I'm gonna make that flourish.

Juwan Deshawn: 18:06

And I love that because, like, in like you said, the indigenous cultures and the African cultures and all the other cultures, like Hindu and stuff like that, they all have like, the third gender or two spirited people, and they use those people as like their healers and like their shamans and like the people that, like, you know, kind of like predicted the things that were necessary for them. And it's like, well, why have we shied away from that? If that's what something that we were so gung ho on using back then to like help us as our cultures rise and thrive. It's been you kind of like, pushed in the background and neglected, but like these, these people, we were utilized in ways to help with our cultures and to make them stronger.

Matthew Landis: 18:55

You know, the resistance to that is fear, and sometimes there's that fear of letting that light shine brightly. You know, I think you mentioned in your journey that for so long that you you held it in.

Juwan Deshawn: 19:09

Yes.

Matthew Landis: 19:10

Because part of you was afraid of it.

Juwan Deshawn: 19:13

Absolutely.

Matthew Landis: 19:14

This segues into hairdressing and business. I know this is a weird it may seem like listener, but I was at a party once, and this guy who was, you know, he was pretty bar gone, but he's he said something that really stuck with me, this person that I've never met before, never seen again, just out of the middle of nowhere. He says, hairdressers are the shaman of modern culture. Oh, yes. I was like, what? And he sort of explained it, and I thought, I'm buying into this, like I'm seeing this. And what I love about what you have done is you really see that, and you have combined the two. Because we, I think people in the beauty, health and wellness industry, whether you're a hairdresser, a nail artist or a esthetician, we touch people, we connect with people. We are sometimes the only people in someone's lives who, who, who put their hands on another person. And that's what we do. We heal and we make those connections with people. And so I do think that it's, it's a real thing, yes, and I love that you have been able to create something really unique and special and wonderful that takes that and just runs with it. So you have two businesses within your studio, but they're both. They're connected. Yeah, maybe it's not a binary, I don't know, tell us more about your businesses and how you've incorporated all that.

Juwan Deshawn: 20:47

Because of like, trying to understand who I am and trying to, like, live that authentically. There was moment in time where I was at other spaces, you know, other salons and working there, but it was like, we accept you, but under this condition, and it got kind of like tiring to like, have to deal with that. Why can't I be my completely full self? Like, I want to be able to to laugh, I want to be able to dance, I want to be able to express. I want to be able to heal. I want to be able to make you. To make you look good all in the same breath. But it got really tiring, and I was like this, this is not it. What can I do to combine the two so that I'm doing exactly what I'm meant to do for who I'm meant to do it for? And so when the the opportunity presents itself to me. One of my friends let me know. Like, oh, hey, you should look into IMAGE Studios. So I was like, perfect. I'll look into IMAGE Sudios. Called up IMAGE Sudios, and because of the spiritual work that I do, I was talking to Karen, and I was like, Hey. I was like, before we even think about me coming down to see the spaces, I need to make sure that you have a suite that adds up to a number three, because the number three is, like, my life path number and so like, I wanted to make sure that there was a suite that added up to a three, that was going to be able to, like, be my place. And that was, like, the first thing I was like, Hey, this is all spiritual for me. So like, before we move forward. Do you have a suite that adds up to three? Because I don't want to waste your time and I don't want to waste my time. And she was like, we actually do. We have suite 120 and suite 111, and so I was like, oh, 111, that's the one I'm coming to see. That one. Let's do it. So, wow, yeah. I was like, because I built up this part of myself, like, I know what's meant for me and what's not, and so I don't want to waste time. I'm like, let's go. Let's go. Let's go. So, because it was there, went to see it, brought my husband with me, and just was like, Okay, this sit. This is the spot I see, the vision. I see everything I see, what I need for this to get to the place of, like the work that I do, as you said earlier, like people come to us knowing that, like we are going to take care of them, and my important thing, that kind of took me away from, like, all the other spaces and all the other salons that I was it was like I wasn't motivated by The money. I'm motivated by the people and the passion that I have for people, and so when coming into my space, it's more about like you being able to be in a safe space and to know that without a shadow of a doubt, not only is your hair going to be taken care of, but your your worth is going to be broadcasted. Your reflection of you is going to be kind of brought to the forefront, like I want to talk to you. I want to understand you. And other places that I was at did not give me the capacity or the ability to be able to communicate with my guests in the way that I needed to communicate with them, because there are, like, time is money, time is money. Get it, go, go, go, go. But I'm like, that doesn't connect with me, because I want to build this relationship with somebody, and I want them to know that I'm here for them and not just for their money. And so because of that, that's how that came about. Like, when people come to see me, they get a full experience. They don't just get their hair done. They get to open up. I get to know where you're from. I get to understand like the things that you have gone through to make you who you are in your life now, and the things that you may be holding back from, and the things that you may be afraid of to kind of face and rise above to move forward in your journey, right? I'm there to make sure that you get back on track and that you're not kind of just staying in limbo, or just kind of like allowing things to just go I mean, which is great. It's a okay. To have, like, the reigns not so held tightly, but we want to have some kind of direction. And so for me, I want to make sure that I provide people with that sense of like, wow, not only did I get my hair done and it looks amazing, but I feel renewed. I feel encouraged to move forward and do the unthinkable.

Matthew Landis: 25:26

I come back to that person that was in the institution that sort of moved the science in the road for you, right? And I think we get to be that person for other people. And I love that you approach your business with that holistic point of view. I think that's really such an incredible, beautiful thing. I'm sitting here thinking, why don't more people do this? And maybe a lot of us do. We just aren't we don't realize that we're doing it.

Juwan Deshawn: 25:56

I honestly believe there are a lot of people out there that's doing it, but I feel like the intention is not aligned with, like, the purpose. Because, like, yeah, people are coming in, you know, people are, you know, giving their life stories and, like, sharing their life stories. But a lot of the time, most of the people are focused on making sure, okay, did I put this? Did I do this here? That I'm doing this here? Am I doing this right? Because they're being watched, or, you know, they're under this like scope of, like, their salon. And so their salon has like this level of like, I want to say like worth that. They are looking for you. So they have like that, and they're like, they're making sure that you equate to that worth level. And so because of that, their mindset is like, Am I doing what's right for this salon, making sure this business is like, thriving and but not also knowing that you are an individual, and that business would not be thriving without you. So in order for you to be at your best, you need to, like, really take a look at yourself and, like, make sure that you are building yourself up. You are important for that business. They need you. So when you go inward and be like, I'm actually important here, and you take the time to, like, develop yourself, you're able to take that time to develop the people that are in your chair because, like, people want to come back to somebody. They're having an experience with a good experience. I have always said for the past, like five years now, energy is the new currency, and people are starting to be drawn to people who they really vibe with and they connect with. It's not about how many years you've been a stylist. It's not about how many you know, classes you've taken all the technique that you have. Like, yeah, that may equate to something. But like, if you are shit, excuse my language. If your energy is not, like, at the point where I feel connected to you and I feel drawn to come back to you, it's a no go. People are relying on energy. Now I love that, and I hope people are bold enough when they aren't feeling that energy to move on. Mm, hmm. And you know what? It's so funny, because, like, I tell everyone in my chair when, when they first sit down, I'm like, Hey, this is a safe space. I want to let you know that first and foremost, before we move on to anything, this is a safe space. If there's anything that you're seeing, anything that you're feeling, anything that you are noticing that you are not comfortable with. You have the the voice, your voice is valid, and you need to speak up, right? You have the capability to let me know that you feel some type of way. And that way we can either figure out what it is, or we can, you know, move. We can cut our losses. I'm not somebody that's going to hold somebody and make them mine like no, people are not possessions. We don't own anyone. And so we have to allow people that grace and space to connect with people who they feel connected to. And there's people that have come to me how I haven't seen again. It's because, like, we just didn't connect in that way, or they just weren't ready for what I was offering. You know, and we have to be gentle with that too.

Matthew Landis: 29:07

Yeah, I appreciate that. I love that you said energy is the new currency, because I do think that the world has gotten so noisy with our smartphones, sort of bleeding us everywhere all the time. It's just so much clutter in our brains and in our hearts and in our souls, and when someone comes to to us in our studios, that's a time to sort of get off of the treadmill and reconnect to that sort of energy, to ourselves and for the our client, that's their opportunity to sort of reconnect and put the focus back on them, and for us to help facilitate that and guide that. And I think that's incredible.

Juwan Deshawn: 29:50

Absolutely, because I do feel that we are self care providers. We're there to make sure that we are focused on making people look and feel their best.

Matthew Landis: 30:01

What services do you offer in your studio?

Juwan Deshawn: 30:04

I offer when it comes to hair, like, it's so funny, because I tell people this a lot, like going to Beauty School is expensive.

Matthew Landis: 30:11

This business is expensive. I tell people it is a really expensive career to follow. I hope, I hope people understand that.

Juwan Deshawn: 30:20

So expensive! And so like, when I was in beauty school, like I was like, into everything. I'm like, let me learn. Let me learn. Let me learn. So when it comes to hair, I do not hinder myself on not doing anything. I pretty much do everything when it comes to hair, like, I'm like, I spent so much money to learn this, I want to make sure that I have the skill set to do this further down. I'm not somebody that wants to, again, put myself in a box or have just a niche and just do that. That's just not me. That's not how I roll. I want to be able to be, you know, utilized for anybody who needs it? Because, like, there's people out there who are still struggling, trying to find somebody to do a service that people just aren't comfortable or willing to do, and no shade to them. But for me, I'm like, Hey, I'm your person. I got you. I can do that. Yes, yes, I'm willing to do that. But of course, we have consultations to make sure that people are the right fit for that. You know, that's the smart thing. So when it comes to hair, baby, I do it all. It's it's done. My favorite thing to do when it comes to hair is haircuts, because it's that, that type of feeling that puts me in a trance. I don't know if you ever seen the movie soul. It's a Disney movie soul. It's about like that trans state when you're doing something so good, it puts you in that meditative state. That's what hair cutting is to me, because there's a precision to it. You have to be laser focused. You have to make sure you are like in the zone when you're cutting hair, because, like, when you cut hair, you can make mistakes, you know, and so that's my, that's my that's my zone, that's my little sweet spot I love.

Matthew Landis: 32:05

I always tell people doing hair is a bit like conducting a symphony, because you are creating something musical and magical and artistic. But there is also math involved. There's expectation involved, there's emotion, there's psychology, there's physicality. It is a full body, full spirit thing, yes, and to stand there and do that, you have to be able to think and do left right brain, all of that all at the same time. I think sometimes people that I meet kind of minimize it to cutting hair, I'm like, Oh, it is so much more than that.

Juwan Deshawn: 32:43

Yes, oh yes. It's a big book. When it comes to my spiritual services, I offer a lot. The main thing that I try to focus on with people who are like coming into their spiritual awakening and wanting to get into their spiritual purpose. The first thing that I really try to guide them towards is, like, numerology and color magic. Those are my two things that I really like, am, like, so invested in when you're first, like, trying to delve into that because, like, it's something that is only done once, and then, like, I've given you the tools and you It's in your hands after that, right? And numerology is basically just like your numbers that are designed to you from your birth, based off of your day of birth and based off the name that you have chosen to go by in this world, all of that encompasses like numbers that help you and guide you along your journeys, numbers that you may see out in the world, numbers that you may like come into contact with. Like I said, I'm a life path number three, and so in order for me to like be at image studios, I wanted a suite that was a number three. Because if my life path number is a three, then my suite number is a three. That means that that energy is working for me and not against me. And then those numbers have colors that are associated with each number, and those colors are the colors that help attract the things that you need in your life. So being a light path number three, the color associated is three is yellow. Yellow is always around me, as you can see, like listeners, yellow walls, yellow drawers, yellow sweater, yes, yellow is something that will always be around me. I love the color. I utilize numerology and color magic as, like, the first step because, like, it's just like your blueprint on, like your purpose and how to live it out, and that's given to you, and it's only done once, and then after that, it's in your hands to either take it on and allow the world to influence you with color and numbers, or, you know not. And then the other services I do are Tarot services. So I do regular Tarot services, couple tarot readings, inner child tarot readings. And then I do, like psychic prediction readings for 369, and 12 months. Some people like to look far ahead. Be like, what's happening this year for me. And I'm like, perfect. Let's look into it. And so it gives you, like, an overview of, like, what to expect for those months that are coming up and some challenges and things that you may need to be aware of. Tarot is something that helps you understand your intuition. It helps reconnect you with your intuition. It's not something that's going to literally predict your life, like from point A to point Z. It's not going to predict everything. It's going to give you insights on things that you already know to be true about yourself but you have just forgotten. And so I use Tarot as a tool to help you reconnect with what you already know to be true. That's what Tarot does.

Matthew Landis: 35:55

I like that perspective, because I have to say, it's always sort of scared me a little bit, because I think sometimes I believe in self fulfilling prophecies too. So, you know, I I would feel very comfortable seeing you, but sometimes I'm like, I'm a little bit scared because I don't want seeds planted in my brain that don't belong there.

Juwan Deshawn: 36:14

Absolutely. And like, honestly, a lot of people are in your shoes, and you know, it all just comes about with, like, what we have been conditioned to understand and think about, like having your mind open or having a different perspective into seeing something understanding that Tarot isn't set in stone. You have the ability to change it based off of your own actions. So like you said, self fulfilling prophecies, right? That you believe in that's pretty much what Tarot can be for you. If it's something that you're seeing, you're like, actually that energy I don't like. You have the ability to change that based off how you decide to show up when that happened. And so it's nothing that is ever set in stone, you still have the power to set the direction of your course and your path. Yeah? Because we live in what free will, we live in choice. We have those options for us to choose for ourselves and to live, live free. Yeah. Now, do you offer these in person exclusively, or do you do this online as well? I do both. So I do in person and I also do virtual definitely.

Matthew Landis: 37:29

So how would somebody make an appointment with you? Because I'm like, Okay, I'm going to make an appointment.

Juwan Deshawn: 37:35

I am putting a link back up on my Instagram because they had to reconstruct it. So I'm re putting my link back up so that you're able to definitely get that. But would you let our listeners know what your Instagram handle is? Yes, my instagram handle is the Juwan Deshawn. That's@thejuwandeshawn.

Matthew Landis: 38:04

Okay, I'm going to ask you some other questions real quick. It sounds like you're having fun in what everything that you do, but besides your businesses and besides what you do in your studio, what other things do you do for fun? What other things bring you joy and happiness in your life?

Juwan Deshawn: 38:23

I love to dance like dancing is something that, like I just, I just like my body moving when my body is just like being able to just move and about and Dance and shake and do whatever Jive rate, you know, all of that, like that, just like fills my cup. Like it just, it doesn't even have to be, like, at like, a party or an event. I can just be in the living room, just like, you know, moving and just feeling like I'm creating something, because, like, I've seen it in, you know, my regression. So I'm like, I wonder, if I do my body like this, what am I creating? No, it's just like that energy. Um, I also am a roller skater. Like roller skating. I have skates. I've been skating since I was like 11 years old, on like, you know, the regular roller skates, not blades. I'm not a roller blader, but roller skater. I like the quads. Those are, those are my favorites. So I love to go out and skate. I'm a big audible person. I love listening to Audible books. I love listening to Audible books.

Matthew Landis: 39:24

Give us a few recommends.

Juwan Deshawn: 39:26

Oh my gosh. Okay, so, like, I'm very into queer novels, for sure. Obviously, one of the titles is Off Base. It's like a military like, you know, soiree, somebody who's like, secretly, like, in the closet in the military, and doesn't want to be found out. And he meets this wonderful person that the like, kind of like, has this thing for, but it's like, I don't want to have this thing for this person, but I do so it's like, really good. It's one of those. Another one is As I Am. l like that one is literally like my favorite, because it goes into this person's life who has dealt with a lot of trauma growing up, especially with his family, he finds somebody else who's also had, like, some struggles in their life, not with family, but just had struggles in general. And like, they find each other in like, at first they don't want to meet because they're very PTSD issues, and so it's just like, I know it just touches my heart, because I'm like, Oh man, trauma is real, and I feel like a really good audible book has a really good narrator, and the narrator for as I am series. His name is Tyler Stevens, and his voice is amazing.

Matthew Landis: 40:45

Oh, yeah, the narrator can make or break an audiobook.

Juwan Deshawn: 40:48

Yeah, sure, absolutely, yeah.

Matthew Landis: 40:51

What advice would you have for our listeners in being more authentic in their businesses?

Juwan Deshawn: 40:57

I love this question so much, and then, like, almost brings a tear to my eyes, because, like, I've always wanted to, like, be a spokesperson, spokesperson for people. The number one advice that I would give somebody about being more authentic is really separating yourself from the noise, because there's so much projection out here in the world of like what you're supposed to look like, how you're supposed to sound, where you're supposed to be, at your age, and the things that you're supposed to have. And when we have so much of that noise being projected at us, we go inward and we look at ourselves and we we feel bad about who we are, how we sound, what we look like, what we don't have, and then we internalize all of this, like hurt, pain and aggression that's been projected on us, but it's not really ours. It's something that has just been projected onto us to make us feel bad about ourselves. And so I would say, remove yourself from the noise and literally sit with yourself and think about all of the ways in which you are wonderful, all the ways in which you have shown up, all the ways in which you have done so much for other people and the goodness inside of yourself. And try to figure out, like, how does that relate to where you want to go? And think about your end goal, right? What is your end goal? I'm not saying go to your end goal. Think about your end goal. And when you have an end goal in mind, that's it. You already know you're going to get there. There's no question about it, you're going to get to that end goal, but then you have to allow yourself to enjoy the journey to get there, which means that you're going to have ups, you're going to have downs, you're going to have potholes, rainy storms, but you're also going to have rainbows, you're also going to have sunflowers, and you're also going to have all the things that are meant for you, but you have to persevere, and you have to keep going, and you have to make sure that you are the loudest one in the room. So what does the road ahead look like for you? Oh, that is so good. That's a really good question, because, like, the road is still being paved. You know, there's that end goal in mind, but like, I am seeing, like there's moments in life where, like, I want to detour, I don't want to detour, let's, let's, let's go a detour. So I've been doing a lot of detouring right now in this stage of my life and finding other passions and other things that I want to explore, see and do before that end goal actually comes. So again, like, I'm enjoying the journey, but like, right now I'm like, hey, it's time to detour. Let's take a different route. Let's find something new to do. So that's what it looks like for me right now, enjoying the detours.

Matthew Landis: 44:04

That is beautiful and Juwan, I am so grateful that we got to have this time together. I am so thankful that I got to meet you, and I am looking forward to talking more with you in the future, because it's just been delightful.

Juwan Deshawn: 44:20

Oh, oh, thank you so so much. That makes me feel so good. I've been like sweating bullets here, but I've had such a good time being on here. Like this is great. What you are doing is really wonderful. And I feel like it's needed. This is needed for people like us, inside and out, to be able to, you know, showcase ourselves, and be able to, like, help somebody out there, listening, feel something, and know that you're not alone. So thank you.

Matthew Landis: 44:52

Thank you so much for joining me on this episode of The VIP Suite. I'm Matthew Landis, and I hope you found the insights and inspiration shared today truly valuable for your journey as a Salon Suite entrepreneur and independent beauty, health or wellness professional, don't forget to follow us on Instagram@imagestudios360 and if you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe to the VIP Suite on your favorite podcast platform, so you never miss an opportunity to connect with our vibrant community and to discover more incredible stories and strategies. We love hearing from our listeners. If you have any questions, topics, suggestions, or want to share your own success story, feel free to reach out to me at matthew@imagestudios360.com. Remember, dear listener, you are the heartbeat of the beauty, health and wellness industry. Your dedication and passion make the world a better place. One client at a time, we'll be back with more engaging and inspiring conversations in our next episode. Until then, take care. Stay inspired and continue to create your own VIP Suite. For more information about becoming a part of the image studios luxury Salon Suite community, visit our website at imagestudios360.com