JosAnne Sampson and Ladrea Bailey, co-founders of Two Strand Salon, share how they built a beloved Baltimore salon where clients feel at home, stylists feel supported, and every chair invites you to relax.

What started with two women meeting in a Baltimore salon grew into a friendship, a business, and a brand built on faith, communication, and years of figuring things out together. After working side by side for eight years, Jo and Drea launched Two Strand Salon in 2017. Since then, they have opened a second location and built a culture so strong that clients book months in advance and travel from miles away just to be in the space.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why they call one location “grandma’s house” and the other “rich auntie”
• How a Craigslist listing, prayer, and perfect timing led them to their first salon space
• Why client choice remains at the center of their business model
• What it took to lead a salon through COVID, expansion, and consistently full books
• How grief, family values, and communication shaped both their friendship and business
• The story behind the Two Strand name, logo, and the meaning of being “two strands of one entity”

Jo shares why service is part of her purpose, both inside and outside the salon. Drea talks about building a business with her best friend, working through conflict, and creating a workplace where nobody feels like they have to perform for the boss. Together, they explain why their team, clients, and community all matter.

This conversation is for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, Black-owned businesses, salon culture, friendship in business, or the real work behind building something people genuinely love. Sometimes success looks like a big moment. Other times, it is built one hard day, one prayer, one conversation, and one decision to just keep show’n up.

Website: Two Strand Salon

What if the thing holding you back is not your past, but the story you keep telling yourself about it? Derrick Williams sits down with Justin Blair, founder of Thor Fitness and a lifestyle coach who turns fitness, discipline, and hard lessons into a blueprint for real change. Justin opens up about going from 300 pounds to building a life centered on growth, mentorship, and service. He breaks down why physical transformation only matters if it rewires your mind, how one failed first client nearly stopped him, and why people who make lasting progress stop making excuses and start taking ownership.

You'll discover:

• Why "one percent better every day" is more than a slogan
• How discipline becomes the bridge between goals and results
• the difference between being a victim of your circumstances and using them as fuel
• Why Imposter syndrome can be a sign you're leveling up
• How setbacks can become the reset that changes everything

Justin also shares the raw reality of rebuilding after rock bottom, taking work that wasn't glamorous, and refusing to let one chapter define the rest of his life. Derrick pushes the conversation deeper into resilience, identity, and the pressure Black men face to keep moving forward no matter what. If you've ever felt stuck, unworthy, or one mistake away from giving up, this conversation will hit home. It's an honest reminder that growth rarely looks impressive while it's happening, but every step forward counts. Perfect for anyone who needs the push to keep showing up and keep going.

In this episode of Just Keep Show'n Up, I sit down with Jamal Roberts to talk about what it really takes to keep moving forward when life gets hard. We discuss fatherhood, coparenting, personal setbacks, and the reality of hitting weight loss plateaus. Jamal shares how he stopped relying on motivation and instead built daily systems and routines that helped him stay consistent, even on the days he didn't feel like showing up.

We also explore the power of vulnerability, accountability, and accepting that growth is often uncomfortable. Jamal reminds us that resilience isn't about avoiding challenges. It's about creating habits that carry you through them. If you've ever struggled to stay consistent or wondered how to keep going when motivation disappears, this conversation is full of practical lessons you can apply to your own life.