Meet Ashante’ Montgomery | Owner of The Loc Movement Natural Hair Salon and Love Movement Therapy and Coaching, PLLC

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ashante’ Montgomery and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashante’, as a parent, what do you feel is the most meaningful thing you’ve done for them?
I believe the most important thing I’ve done is to maintain a desire to put myself in a position to be fully free and available to my son – physically, emotionally, and financially. My previously chosen professional career became very overwhelming and I felt myself becoming more and more burnt out. I made a decision that before I got to the point of no return, I would begin transitioning into a lifestyle that would provide freedom for the both of us. I’m not fully there yet, but starting my own businesses is definitely the beginning of that. Recently I walked away from the part time job I had pursued to supplement income while building my businesses, but it was even more taxing than how I was managing before. So I had to make a decision to step out on faith and make the move that would benefit the growth of my own personal agenda and, in turn, help me work my way to the freedom I’ve been seeking. And now I look up and I realize….it’s really happening.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
What sets me apart is I’m currently building two businesses which may seem totally unrelated but in actuality have a great deal in common. My first business is The Loc Movement – a natural hair care business specializing in Sisterlocks™️ and other loc services for natural hair. I’m excited to share hours with my clients supporting and uplifting one another while servicing their hair care needs. We learn so much about one another and share our personal insights as to how to move through this thing called life over hair care and conversation. My second business is The Love Movement Therapy and Coaching, PLLC – a counseling agency that provides counseling services to individuals, couples, and families. Additional services will include life and relationship coaching for individuals and families experiencing life transitions such as separation, divorce, and custody evaluations.

I began my journey as a loctician after watching my own personal loctician’s success and progress in her journey into full time entrepreneurship over the last 9 years of me knowing her. She has truly been an inspiration and I watched her achieve this while single parenting. Post divorce, after becoming a single parent myself, I realized I wanted to be fully available to my son and creating a lifestyle of entrepreneurship was the only way I saw that I could achieve the level of freedom I desired while also escaping the burn-out I began experiencing in my career field. With that being said, I’ve worked hard to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and did not want those efforts and skill-set to go to waste. So I decided to utilize my education and professional achievements to further uplift individuals and families through pursuing a business in private practice counseling. This was my motivation for creating Love Movement Therapy and Coaching, PLLC. Needless to say, my experience as a divorced, single mother as well as my history of working in family court services were major contributing factors to my vision for this business. Both businesses allow me to use my own personal gifts to pour into others as well as contribute to causes I feel strongly about – people’s ability to embrace their full natural selves without giving into society’s pressures and to help contribute to our society’s population of healthy, well-functioning individuals, families, and children.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My favorite spots in the city are in Downtown Dallas – Deep Ellum for good food, restaurant and bar-hopping, and live music; the AT&T Discovery District for great food options, people-watching, outdoor meetups and hang sessions, and a great energetic buzz; Klyde Warrant Park for lounging, picnicking, and food trucks; and the Reunion Tower for a great view overlooking the beautiful city of Dallas. There are so many great brunch spots but one of my favorites as of recent is Snooze an A.M. Eatery. Dallas has three locations and one of my favorite menu items is the Abri-ca-lav-ra mimosa….so smooth and full of flavor!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My first shoutout is to LaReese Cooper, owner of The Loc’d Life located in Plano, TX. She is not only my own personal loctician, but the person who I’ve watched grow and succeed as a loctician and single mother over the last 9 years. She was my motivation for pursuing a business in Sisterlocks™️ and continues to be my mentor and a major contributor to the growth of my business. My second shoutout is to Kayla Jackson, LCSW-S, owner of Triumph Counseling Group, PLLC. She is the reason I’m here on Shoutout DFW. Kayla and I first worked together almost 7 years ago in our professional social work career, and we have continued to support and encourage one another over the years professionally and personally. I salute her for her progress in the field and what she pours into others in her daily professional and personal life.

Instagram: @thelocmovement

Linkedin: Ashante’ Montgomery, LCSW, MPA

Facebook: @thelocmovement

Image Credits
Clients of The Loc Movement