Inspiring Conversations with Empress Efunsadé of Root + Honey

Today we’d like to introduce you to Empress Efunsadé.

Hi Empress, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’m a black woman raised in Detroit, first and foremost and I’ve had the privilege of also being brought up in the city’s Pan-African community — surrounded by elders, culture, and deep reverence for spirit, tradition, and community. That foundation shaped who I am. I was taught early on that beauty, wellness and spirit are not separate — they all come together to form the way we care for ourselves and each other.

My journey began as a quiet whisper — an inner knowing that there was more to beauty, more to wellness, more to life. Over time, that whisper became a call to return — to the earth, to spirit, and to the ancestral ways that have always lived in the bones. Root + Honey was born out of that call, rooted in both personal healing and communal remembering.

While working in my former salon home(s), I kept having experiences where I was being called to show up as more than just a stylist. Spirit would speak through my hands, my words, the energy in the room. People would sit in my chair and leave feeling lighter — not just because of the hairstyle, but because something deeper had moved. I wasn’t trying to “be deep” — it just happened. People would open up, cry, get clarity. I realized I was doing spiritual work in the chair, and that changed how I saw everything. I started leaning into that more fully, not hiding that part of myself. That’s when I realized: I can’t separate beauty from spirit. For me, it’s all one. That’s when I understood: my gift is deeper than hair. I’m a vessel. And I had to stand fully in this. We needed it.

Throughout my journey in the beauty industry, I’ve went down many paths. I am multi-licensed as a result and I am thankful for my unique path. I am a textured hair specialist, esthetician, published makeup artist, educator, herbalist, and spiritual medium. There has never been a day that I wasn’t who I am today.

Root + Honey started during a deeply personal and universal season of healing and collective remembering. Observing the collective movement through emotional, spiritual, and physical shifts, and I remembered how we cared for ourselves and each other back in the day- through dreams and my communication with spirit where I was instructed to employed tools and practices that spoke to the fullness of who we were as a people — not just products, but medicine. Spirit led me to start making my own teas, incense, oils, and herbal washes. These weren’t just things to sell — they were things that have always worked to kept us grounded, present, and whole.

Being poured into by elders and community rooted in African spiritual traditions taught me to honor the sacred in everything — especially in how we care for ourselves and each other. Root + Honey is an extension of that. It’s my way of offering tools and rituals that support our holistic well-being — products that feel good, smell good, and do good for the body and the soul.

Through my spiritual practices, I reclaim the ancestral gifts that have always lived in me bringing them to the forefront in every interaction. The gifts found me and called me to show up fully — not halfway, not part-time, but fully as a spiritualist, medium, mother, stylist, facialist and creative. That took courage. Root + Honey was born out of ancestral legacy— saying yes to who I really am, and showing up with honesty and intention.

Root + Honey is my offering. It’s a thank you to my Creator and the ancestors who walk with me. Every product, every ritual, every community space I create is rooted in that gratitude. This isn’t just a brand — it’s a spiritual practice, a legacy, and a living prayer.

I do this for my own wellness, for my children, for my people, and for anyone finding their way back to themselves.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not a smooth road — but a meaningful one. The journey has been full of deep lessons, growing pains, and moments where I had to choose myself even when it was uncomfortable.

One of the biggest struggles was learning to trust my gifts. Being a spiritualist and holding space for others isn’t something you just turn on — it’s something that requires you to show up fully, even when you’re still healing yourself. There were times I felt unseen or misunderstood because the path I walk isn’t traditional. I have had to learn how to stop shrinking, stop explaining, and just be. It is still a work in progress every day.

There’s also the reality of being a mom, a wife, and building a soul-led business from scratch. It’s a constant dance between pouring into others and making sure I’m pouring into myself. You have to find balance in the chaos. One of my forms of resistance is to rest when the world says hustle, and hold my vision even when I couldn’t see the full path forward.

But every challenge pushes me closer to purpose. Every detour brought me back to my roots. And even in the hardest moments, Spirit made it clear — I’m not doing this alone. I’m guided. I’m protected. And this work is bigger than me.

So no, it hasn’t been smooth. But it’s been sacred. And I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

As you know, we’re big fans of Root + Honey. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Root + Honey is a soul-care sanctuary and micro salon rooted in remembrance of self, spiritual wellness, and holistic beauty. Based in Detroit, we specialize in textured hair care, scalp therapy, intuitive spiritual work, brow artistry, henna adornment, and handcrafted herbal products designed to support emotional, physical, and energetic well-being.

It’s a space where beauty meets ritual — where caring for your hair, skin, and self becomes a sacred experience. What makes Root + Honey different is the way everything is done with intention. Whether I’m treating someone’s scalp with herbal infusions, offering a spiritual tending, shaping their brows, or creating a custom tea blend — it’s all energy work. It’s all rooted in deep care, cultural remembrance, and respect for the whole person.

Our product line includes blood-building teas, herbal headwashes, incense cones, and medicinal hair + scalp remedies — all handmade with reverence for nature and spirit. And through Soul Sundays, our monthly virtual series, I hold space for community conversations around healing, rest, ancestral connection, self-worth, and reclaiming joy.

I’m most proud that Root + Honey remains true to its purpose: it’s not just a business, it’s a living altar. A space for restoration, spiritual alignment, and sacred beauty — especially for Black folks who often hold so much.

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to me is living in alignment — with spirit, with purpose, and with the truth of who I am. I care deeply about showing up authentically, doing work that’s rooted in integrity, and creating spaces where people feel seen, safe, and cared for.

I move with the understanding that I’m not just here for myself — I’m here as part of a lineage, as a mother, as a medium, and as someone who’s been trusted with gifts meant to serve. That responsibility matters to me. It’s why I don’t take shortcuts, why I pour intention into every product, every client experience, every offering.

I’m also deeply committed to honoring us — our softness, our beauty, our grief, our joy, our healing. We carry so much, and we deserve spaces that give us permission to just be. Root + Honey is my way of holding that kind of space, and that work will always matter to me.

At the end of the day, what matters most is legacy. Not in the sense of ego or achievement — but in knowing I used my gifts well, stayed true to my path, and helped others remember their own power along the way.

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• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therootandhoney/