Transforming Dreams Into Reality: My Story as a Custom Collaborative Graduate and Entrepreneur
Cohort 12 Graduate Lisa Finney
My name is Lisa Thomas-Finney, also known as Hathar. I am lovingly called Mama Lisa by so many adults and young people that I interact with along the way in this life. I take that as a sign of love and respect towards me. I accept it lovingly and with great gratitude and appreciation. I am a mother, a grandmother, a godmother, an Auntie, and a great-aunt.
I have been on a long journey, and at 56 years old, I realize there is always time to actualize your dreams. The Love of Fashion and enhancing the beauty in people brought me to Custom Collaborative, and I am now a proud graduate of Cohort 12.
I developed a love for sewing, fashion, and beauty at a young age. I started doing hair, specializing in braids and extensions, when I was 11. To me, taking care of people, especially those in need, felt like second nature. I later became a Home Health Aide and a Certified Nurse's Assistant.
Fashion was a source of bonding between me and my grandmothers. I learned how to sew and pattern-making from my Grandmother Gloria. She was a remarkable, talented seamstress who created beautiful garments. She even made men's clothing, which I learned can be very challenging. Grandma Gloria and Grandma Sylvia both taught me about knitting and how to crochet. I would feel the greatest sense of pride and joy in my accomplishments when I finished a garment or scarf & hat.
I knew I always wanted my own business in the future. Through the years, I operated my business from home, making and selling tube tops, skirts, bathing suits, lingerie, and outfits for exotic dancers. I was the Spandex Queen, the easiest fabric to work with. My outfits were quite in demand, which was rewarding for a single mother. Of course, raising a family and working regular jobs and school to upgrade myself to earn more, I didn't get to continue my dream of having my own business.
Years later, I discovered Custom Collaborative through my NYCHA Reese email in a list of programs and job training offerings. The training and mentorship I received have been priceless. All of my children are grown up and out on their own, which gives me time to do Custom Collaborative and be reinspired.
We went on lavish trips to museums and met with fashion designers and other professionals in the fashion industry. The workshops and trips led by the industry professionals gave clear insight into understanding the business, and they were very exciting and informative.
Joining Custom Collaborative helped me bring my brand, My Human Nature Beauty, back to life. I also started the Kulture Kouture label. I now credit my success to the formation of both brands.
The Kulture Kouture side of the brand is exotic fashion, unique, and influenced by a mix of cultures, including some of my own: Caribbean, African/Kemet, Indian, Native American, and Panamanian influences mixed with shabby chic American.
Custom earrings for Kulture Kouture
It features Spring and summer lines: tops, shorts, summer dresses, two-piece outfits, some with matching headpieces, and sneakers/shoelaces in African print and sequins.
Donation is a vital part of my business. We donate many of our garments and accept donations of gently used gowns and dresses for proms and graduations of Middle School and High School seniors, as well as suits and ties for young men. Let's assist our future so they can keep making accomplishments in life.
Custom Wig for My Human Nature Beauty
My Human Nature Beauty is a lace wig brand specializing in full lace wigs for all types of human hair and synthetic braids. My company is focused on donating quality full lace wigs and medical wigs to individuals diagnosed with auto-immune disorders that cause severe hair loss, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, and cancer patients who have lost their hair because of chemotherapy treatments.
Both women and men who are victims of domestic violence and have severe or noticeable cosmetic damage as a result suffer from lowered self-esteem. With that comes deep-rooted depression, sadness, and fear. I have seen this and experienced it myself in the past. I absolutely love helping a person rid themselves of those feelings of worthlessness. Making someone feel beautiful again and look like themselves again generates feelings of confidence and hope. It makes one regain the strength not to give up and fight for their life; an aura of new beginnings is felt, and that person can feel good or better about themselves. Now, they can continue to make life better for their families. That's what My Human Nature Beauty/Kulture Koutore is all about.
My Human Nature Beauty logo is the beautiful, colorful, vibrant butterfly. The butterfly not only represents magnificent, delicate beauty but also change. A butterfly makes a metamorphosis within its life, shedding the old. It evolves from a caterpillar, from crawling to flying and soaring high—a new life. It sees the world differently, and the world sees it differently also.
Represent!!