We’re looking forward to introducing you to Shakira Kali. Check out our conversation below.
Shakira , a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What are you chasing, and what would happen if you stopped?
What I’m truly chasing is God’s purpose for my life, to walk in obedience, to use my gifts for His glory, and to fulfill the calling He placed within me. I believe every step I take is guided by Him, and my work is an extension of that obedience. If I were to stop, I wouldn’t just be walking away from a dream, I’d be walking away from His will. The vision would remain, but it would become a reminder of disobedience. For me, surrendering to God’s plan is the only way forward, because His will is greater than my own.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Shakira Kali, and I am a licensed hairstylist, creative entrepreneur, and servant of God based in Detroit and Atlanta. While I’ve been blessed to work in the beauty industry both behind the chair and on major productions, my journey has never been just about hair. From the beginning, I’ve seen my work as a ministry, an opportunity to pour into others, to help them feel renewed, and to remind them of the beauty God placed inside of them. I carry the belief that when you sit in my chair, it’s not just a service, it’s an experience of healing, affirmation, and connection.
What makes my brand unique is that it is deeply intertwined with my faith and my story. I’ve walked through grief, loss, and seasons of doubt, yet through it all, God has kept me, molded me, and positioned me to use my gifts in a greater way. I’ve learned that the very things that were meant to break me became the foundation for the purpose He planted in me. That purpose is what I now call Deeply Rooted, a rebrand that is more than a name. It represents being grounded in faith, breaking generational cycles, and growing in the soil of God’s will, no matter the storms.
Deeply Rooted is not just a brand, but a movement, a reflection of how God can take our pain and turn it into purpose. Alongside the brand, I am also writing a devotional journal under the same name, which invites others to walk with me through scripture, reflection, and healing practices that encourage spiritual grounding and emotional wholeness. My prayer is that this work inspires others to not only see themselves differently in the mirror, but to also grow deeper in their relationship with God, becoming firmly planted in who He created them to be.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
God saw me clearly long before I ever saw myself. Even in seasons where I questioned my worth or couldn’t recognize the purpose within me, He already knew the plans He had for my life and was guiding me toward them. Alongside Him, my grandparents played a powerful role, they prayed over me, instilled discipline, and reminded me of who I was and whose I was. They often saw strengths in me that I was too young or too uncertain to recognize. Later in life, my late fiancé Joseph also became that mirror. He believed in my potential and spoke life into me when I couldn’t see it for myself. Together, God and the people He placed in my life became vessels to remind me of the vision He had already written over me.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering taught me lessons that success could never reach. Before the wins, before the recognition, and before the reaping of seeds I’ve sown, suffering was the soil God used to prepare me. It taught me resilience when life knocked me down, patience when things didn’t move on my timeline, and compassion for others walking through pain. It revealed my deepest weaknesses but also introduced me to God’s greatest strength.
Through grief, disappointment, and doors that closed in my face, I learned that success without character has no foundation. Suffering showed me how to bend but not break, how to trust God even when I couldn’t trace Him, and how to recognize His voice in the middle of my storms. It was in those seasons that I became deeply rooted, learning to anchor myself in prayer, in scripture, and in faith, rather than in achievements or titles.
By the time success started to come, I had already gained something more valuable, wisdom, humility, and unshakable faith. Suffering taught me that my story is not just about rising, but about staying grounded in God no matter what the journey looks like. It showed me that true success isn’t measured by what I gain, but by how much I can endure, grow, and still give God the glory.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
The project I am most committed to, no matter how long it takes, is the relaunch of my grandmother’s nonprofit, Positive Lifestyles. My grandmother was a woman of faith, discipline, and vision. Positive Lifestyles was her way of teaching people that change is possible when you trust God and commit to a better way of living. She poured her heart into helping others build stronger foundations, break old cycles, and live with integrity. Even when I was too young to understand the depth of her work, I now recognize that it was ministry, it was about planting seeds of transformation that would grow beyond her lifetime.
Just as I created a foundation to honor Joseph’s legacy, I feel equally called to continue what my grandmother started. She often reminded me, “You may know my story, but you don’t know my journey.” That quote has stayed with me because it speaks to the unseen sacrifices, prayers, and battles she endured to build something meaningful. Positive Lifestyles is a reflection of her journey, and it’s my responsibility to ensure that her vision doesn’t fade.
This isn’t just about restarting a nonprofit, it’s about honoring my grandmother’s legacy, keeping her spirit alive, and extending the impact of her work into future generations. I know it won’t happen overnight, but I am committed, even if it takes years. Building something that lasts requires patience, obedience, and faith. And I believe God has entrusted me with this assignment. Positive Lifestyles connects directly to my own rebrand, Deeply Rooted, because both are about healing, growth, and staying anchored in God’s will.
Even if the world doesn’t see it immediately, I will see it through. Because continuing Positive Lifestyles means honoring Joseph, honoring my grandmother, and most importantly, honoring God.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What will you regret not doing?
What I would regret most in this life is not fully walking in the assignment God gave me. I know He placed vision, creativity, and purpose inside of me, and if I were to let fear, doubt, or distractions silence that, it would leave me with a void that nothing else could fill. To not move in obedience to His will would mean carrying the weight of knowing I stopped short of what He destined me to do. Success without obedience means nothing, but obedience, even through struggle leads to a legacy that outlives me.
I would regret not completing the work my grandmother started with Positive Lifestyles, because her nonprofit was never just an organization, it was a ministry, a lifeline, and a reflection of her faith. She lived by the words, “You may know my story, but you don’t know my journey,” and I would regret not carrying her journey forward so others could experience the transformation she poured into so many. I would also regret not fully honoring Joseph’s legacy by showing up boldly, as he always believed I could, and by using my gifts to uplift those who feel forgotten, overlooked, or broken.
On a deeper level, I would regret not using my story…the grief, the trials, the healing, and the resilience to remind others that they are not alone and that God can use even the hardest seasons as preparation for greater purpose. I would regret not finishing my book, Deeply Rooted, or building the movement behind it, because I know it is more than pages or a brand. It is my testimony. It is the vessel God has given me to help others plant themselves firmly in Him and to grow despite the storms.
If I don’t pursue these things, I would not only be denying myself the fullness of who I was created to be. I would also be denying others the hope, healing, and light that God intended to flow through me. That would be my greatest regret. Not the setbacks, not the losses, not the time it takes to get there. But knowing that I was called, equipped, and chosen, and still chose not to answer.
Because at the end of it all, my greatest desire is to hear the words of Matthew 25:23: “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” That is the reward I am living and working toward, and the affirmation I never want to miss.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.shakirakalistyles.com
- Instagram: @shakirakali
- Linkedin: Shakira Kali
- Facebook: Shakirakali
