This week on the Mompreneurs podcast, Baldie Con founder Felicia Flores speaks about conquering hair loss and gaining strength through community. Joining host Nancy Redd, the beauty philanthropist, alopecia warrior, and mother of two opened up about grief and how she turned a painful chapter into purpose.
As the mastermind behind Baldie Con, the annual gathering celebrating “people living bald and bold,” Flores has become a leading voice for “baldie” positivity, spreading joy and creating a safe space for women and children experiencing hair loss to come together and celebrate their beauty.
Flores had experienced hair thinning with the birth of her first daughter, but a devastating loss caused her to lose her crown entirely. Her second child, her “angel daughter,” passed away at just four months old due to a rare condition. “It took a huge toll on me. It took a huge toll on my hair,” she said. “All my hair literally fell out when that happened, and it just never grew back.”
Life didn’t pause for the grieving mother—whose first child was four at the time—to process losing her baby. “I had to put grieving on the backburner because I had to take care of my child,” she said. “I don’t have time to stop and grieve. I have to keep going.”
“I had to function in this new norm of having to grieve a child, raise a child, and work to pay bills to survive.”
When Flores was diagnosed with alopecia, she tried the recommended treatments—including topical creams and painful injections—but nothing worked. Overwhelmed by failed treatments, Flores reached a turning point. “I was done. It came to a point where it was like, I have to be able to accept the fact that I have alopecia and my hair may not grow back,” she said. “How do I make myself feel good about where I am and how I am viewed in this society?”
“I Turned My Pain Into Something Positive“
With time, Flores has been able to process that difficult chapter and appreciate how she and her family emerged with courage and resilience. Since then, she welcomed another child, her son, who is now 12. “I’m so grateful to God that we’re managing and we pulled through. Some beautiful things have blossomed from that moment of me losing my hair because of that traumatic experience,” she said. “I decided to turn my pain into something positive.”
She was inspired by the community of women she’d discovered online who were also living with hair loss. “I found a group of ladies who inspired me. And when I finally took that wig off and was able to accept me for me and realize that I wasn’t alone in that … that’s when I said, I can do this.”
Flores immersed herself in the community, going to events and speaking with people about their experiences. Inspired by their strength and stories, her vision for something bigger started to take shape. “People need to hear this. People need to know that they’re not alone,” she said. “We need something to celebrate this bravery that we’re going through … And that’s when I said, we need something for all of us to come to so we can get information, empower each other, learn, and build a strong community that can lean on each other. That’s how Baldie Con came about.”
“I Was Tired Of Hiding Behind A Wig“
Further along her journey, Flores decided to let go and embrace her “new normal.” She recalled, “I was at a point in my life where I was trying to date. I was tired of hiding behind a wig. It was cumbersome, I couldn’t do a lot of things; I didn’t swim, I didn’t do rollercoasters, I didn’t do a lot of things because of the wig.”
Her daughter encouraged her to open up about her hair loss journey as part of a social media challenge—and the response was overwhelming. “My daughter really pushed me out there,” Flores beamed. “And she feels so good about it … It’s just been a positive experience since.”
“If You Build It, They Will Come“
In 2022, Flores launched the first Baldie Con at the Grits and Eggs Breakfast Kitchen in Atlanta. The inaugural gathering was small but impactful. Early on, Flores funded Baldie Con herself, trusting her vision and the impact it could have, and secured a trademark to establish a strong foundation. “I knew this was going to be big,” she said.
Since that first conference, Baldie Con is now looking forward to its fifth year, promising an even more spectacular weekend of empowerment, education, and celebration. Since outgrowing previous venues, Baldie Con will be held at the Westin Buckhead for 2026.
Baldie Con 2026 will feature a robust agenda spanning four days of engaging workshops, vendor experiences, interactive panels, music, festivities, fashion, and more. “The ladies couldn’t be more excited about it,” said Flores. “I want them to come away with a feeling of purpose. I want them to know they are special, and not to forget who they are.”
Baldie Con uplifts the kids too. In addition to youth programming through their nonprofit organization, Baldie Con offers a chance for young people to see “doctors, artists, filmmakers, lawyers, models, TV broadcasters—so many people that they could look up to and say ‘Hair doesn’t define me and hair doesn’t have to limit me as well,’” said Flores.
“There’s Beauty In Being Bald“
It’s all about reclaiming confidence, connecting with one another, and affirming: bald is beautiful. “Baldie Con creates a safe space for them to feel comfortable in themselves,” said Flores. “By coming to Baldie Con, their confidence is raised and they know that they could conquer the world.”
“Having Baldie Con and putting these ladies on the world stage to show their beauty is one of the ways that we hope to change society’s norms of what beauty ‘should’ look like and introduce them to something new, refreshing, and just pure beauty.”
For those who are going through hair loss, Flores offered support, “Whatever phase you are in, you are not alone. Get with the community—whether it be Baldie Con or other baldie groups out there—that can help you overcome some of your questions and challenges. Get with the village, because we’re here for you.”
Don’t miss out on the full conversation. Watch this episode of Mompreneurs above.
Catch New Episodes Of Mompreneurs Every Week
Welcome to Season 4 of Mompreneurs—where we spotlight brilliant Black women who are building their businesses and raising their families with strength and style. Join host and New York Times bestselling author Nancy Redd as these inspiring mompreneurs share their stories and the lessons they’ve learned along the way. Catch new episodes of Mompreneurs every Monday on MadameNoire’s YouTube channel or listen to the podcast online on the Urban One Podcast Network.
