Say by Yani Turns 4! Let's Celebrate Growth, Roots & You

Rooted in Purpose: 4 Years of Say by Yani

I used to wonder if my love for the earth—plants, botany, hair, agriculture—was a little… odd. As a 10-year-old girl growing up in New York City, I didn’t know many others who were as fascinated by photosynthesis as they were by box braids. But that was me. Quietly curious. Always observing. I’d braid my dolls and then head outside, drawn to the soil and the sunlight like the seeds in my grandmother’s garden back home in Jamaica.

That garden is where I first fell in love with the science of growth. I’d watch her hands work the soil and listen as she explained how things bloom, how to hold on to what’s valuable, and how to release what’s no longer serving the harvest. I didn’t know it then, but she was teaching me about hair retention long before I had the words for it.

By 15, I was doing hair—officially. And later, in college, I ran a business called Yani Styles, blending creativity and care into every style I offered. But my curiosity never stopped at the surface. I wanted to know why things worked, how they worked, and how I could make them work better. That question followed me everywhere—even into my role at DC Water under the Obama administration, where I had one of the least glamorous jobs imaginable: wastewater treatment.

But I didn’t mind. I was surrounded by scientists turning waste into Class A biosolids, and I was fascinated. I finally had a space where my brain could wander freely—where I could observe the cycle of decomposition and regeneration and secretly connect it back to the science of hair, growth, and healing. It was there I realized: everything is connected.

Later, I learned that my ancestry is rooted in farming—generations of Jamaicans who worked the land, lived in harmony with the soil, and understood the wisdom of plants. When I began making my own products, it didn’t feel like a business move. It felt like a return. A remembering. A merging of science, spirit, and self.

Now, as Say by Yani celebrates five years in business—and four years of product creation and transformation—I understand more than ever that this isn’t just hair care. This is legacy. This is science. This is earthwork.

We’re rebranding, scaling, and expanding, but one thing remains: our connection to the earth. Whether it’s the lavender I grow in my garden or the formulas I craft in the lab, everything is rooted in the belief that nature knows best—and science shows us how.

Thank you for being a part of this soil-to-scalp journey. Thank you for growing with me, trusting the process, and supporting a business that’s deeply grounded in purpose.

You see, who you are—and who you’ve always been—is no accident. Hugging trees and studying plant roots may seem strange to some, but for me, it led to my destiny. And if there’s anything I’ve learned from the land, it’s this:

Follow your passions. Nourish them.
And let them grow wild.

With deep gratitude and grounded in sheer joy,

One Love
Yani Says