Sequel Salon is the next chapter in my journey, but it all began with Tabu Hair Studio, my first salon, and my baby.

When I was about 17, I was driving my brother’s lowrider when I met a girl.

She asked if it was my car, and with a big smile, I said, “Yes.” The truth? It wasn’t.

To borrow that car, I had to cut a deal with my brother, The Crow.

Before he handed me the keys, he looked me dead in the eye and said,

“Dude, you better not stink it up.” “Stink it up?” I asked. “What do you mean?” He said, “I don’t want my girlfriend thinking I’m cheating.” I laughed and said, “But you are cheating anyway.” He just shrugged and said, “Yeah,” like it was nothing.

Then he handed me the keys. The deal was rough. Twenty dollars, a full tank before and after, wash the car five times, and polish every single spoke on those chrome rims. If you’ve never polished wire wheels, trust me, each one is a job, about an hour per wheel, and there were four plus the spare. Worst deal ever, but when you’re 17, common sense usually takes the night off.

I picked her up, opened the door, did it right. The second I got back in the driver’s seat, I blurted, “What stinks?”

She said, “It’s not me.” I said, “I know it’s not me. Maybe it’s your perfume?”

Not my finest moment. She nearly ended the date right there. All I could see was the twenty dollars, the gas, the washes, and those rims flashing before my eyes.

Somehow, she stayed. We cruised around Santa Paula.

I tried for a kiss, denied. Later, tried again, same result. Finally, I asked,

“So, what’s the name of your perfume?”

She said, “Why? So you can give it to your worst enemy?”

“Come on.”

“Tabu.”

I said, “Taboo? Like the porn movie?”

She rolled her eyes and said, “No, you sicko. Tabu. T-A-B-U.”

I said, “You know what? That’s actually a pretty cool name.”

That one date cost me twenty dollars, two tanks of gas, five car washes, and a whole lot of rim polishing, and still no kiss. But it gave me a name I never forgot.

That’s how Tabu Hair Studio got its name. And years later, the next chapter became Sequel Salon.

Every great story deserves a sequel. If you’re curious how Sequel Salon got its name, ask me the next time you’re in my chair. I’d love to tell you.