Feanna Smith was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where she began her career in the beauty industry. After completing cosmetology school, she worked in a hair salon and steadily built a loyal client base. Early on, she opened a small salon in her basement, which she ran successfully for three years. As her clientele continued to grow, and realizing the need for a larger space, Feanna opened a full-service salon in the city of Philadelphia near University City. As owner and operator for 15 years, she built a strong reputation as a stylist and maintained a thriving and successful business.

Despite her success, Feanna felt called to make a change. Desiring to expand her career, she was drawn to make a move to California and gave herself a goal of one year to prepare. She relocated to California with her baby daughter, leaving behind a stable and successful business, and starting from scratch in a new environment. The transition was difficult, but through persistence and hard work, she re-established herself in the industry.

Once in California, Feanna began working at the prestigious Elgin Charles Salon, led by the first Black hairstylist in Beverly Hills. This opportunity allowed her to work with celebrity clients and exposed her to high-level industry work. It also opened doors for her to begin working in film and television.

Feanna eventually transitioned into working in the entertainment industry, including work in fashion shows, photo shoots, movies and television. A major career milestone was her five year stint as a stylist for a tv show produced by Byron Allen Studios in Culver City.

Feanna continued working on various film and television projects while also building a high-profile celebrity roster. Her client list includes Naomi Campbell, Tasha Smith, Tichina Arnold, and Tisha Campbell. She also worked on the tv courtroom series Relative Justice, which was produced out of Lexington, Kentucky. Most recently, Feanna received what she considers one of the greatest blessings of her career—working on the long running daytime drama General Hospital. This role fulfilled a lifelong dream of being on a studio lot daily with a consistent cast and crew. She describes the environment as supportive and family-like. This past year she also had the honor of being nominated for an Emmy Award for hairstyling, and the exciting experience of attending the ceremony with her peers, coworkers and cast members.

Approximately five months ago, Feanna’s life took an unexpected turn. Feeling a bit unwell she went to the doctor. What initially presented as pneumonia developed into pleurisy, accompanied by severe pain and recurring fluid buildup in her lungs. She was hospitalized multiple times and underwent procedures to drain the fluid. Following further testing, she was diagnosed with stage four pulmonary cancer and informed her that the disease was terminal. While she has not been given a prognosis, she is currently undergoing treatment aimed at extending her life.

Today, Feanna approaches life with deep gratitude and perspective. Her primary focus is spending meaningful time with her daughter, who is now an adult and studying to become an airline pilot. Feanna speaks openly about faith, resilience, and the importance of presence, love, and purpose in the face of uncertainty.