Today we’d like to introduce you to Yolanda Johnson.
Hi Yolanda; so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My journey to entrepreneurship began while I was in college. I am originally from Boulder, Colorado, and as a young black girl growing up in a predominantly caucasian space I experienced first-hand how intrinsic ethnic haircare is to self esteem. Making this association early in my life prepared me so that by the time I got to college, I could recognize, respond and develop solutions to fill these gaps for myself and others. After much trial and error, I realized that the more acquainted I became with my hair, the more I felt like I understood myself. My peers must have picked up on my vibe because they began turning to me for their adornment needs, eventually leading me to my first beauty business as the hair stylist on campus.
Some 14 years after college, I was still as dedicated as ever to perfecting my craft. My consistency had promoted me to become a traveling natural hair stylist, where I met this amazing family who was looking for help with haircare for their adopted daughter. She was a toddler with notable medical conditions whose parents had been struggling to find the right support to care for her hair. At our first appointment, my client’s mother was bursting with questions. We discussed culture, products, tools, and basic styling. After a while, her mother began really opening up to me, revealing some of the challenges they had faced with finding haircare help. She explained that they had reached out to countless salons and barbershops and, in most cases, were met with judgment, embarrassment, and ridicule. And with tears in her eyes she revealed that there were so many families just like theirs who were struggling to find a safe place to learn about haircare. That one appointment was all it took for me to make a decision that would change my life. From that point on, I made it my mission to help people own their beauty through hair exploration but there was one condition. No matter how long it took or how hard it got, I would not stop until every person who needed a personal haircare experience had it. And by December 2020 (24 years after college), Integrated Roots International® was born.
You wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been fairly smooth?
Being an entrepreneur has its fair share of challenges but for black female entrepreneurs the challenges are even greater. From gaps in access to capital to inconsistencies in financial literacy to facing cultural, educational and social stigmas the oppositions are seemingly insurmountable for black female entrepreneurs who are fighting for a chance at the American Dream and none of us are exempt. Over the past 25 years that I have spent building my dream career I have had my fair share of challenges. I’ve had to manage full time employment, raise a family, fight and beat breast cancer and I even faced homelessness. As if that weren’t enough I became a widow, a single parent and caregiver for my two aging parents all while continuing my education and starting a business in the midst of a global pandemic. My journey has been far from smooth but that sweetens the reward and I believe the best is yet to come.
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” – Nelson Mandela.
As you know, we’re big fans of Integrated Roots International®. What can you tell our readers who might not be as familiar with the brand?
Integrated Roots International® is an assimilation of cultures through responsible haircare by honoring the roots of the scalp and our respective heritages. The concept for our company is derived from the black haircare experience and was initially created to support, maintain, and fortify haircare practices for black youth and blended families. Our specialized services reflect the mantra, “It takes a village to raise a child.”
Integrated Roots International® is the first cosmetology-based educational coaching and consulting firm in South Carolina providing customized coaching services. We provide private and commercial services including personal care, public health, and DEI training and programming. Our services are available in-person or virtually statewide. Out-of-state services are also available upon request for an additional fee.
Integrated Roots International® has your back:
- Backed with 25 years of styling experience
- Backed with 10 years of haircare coaching and training individuals and families
- Reaching over 600 youth and families in multiple states and nearly 2000 South Carolina youth with haircare education
- Backed with licensed education
- Backed with an acclaimed competitive stylist
In 25 years of styling I have found that most people have experienced various emotional traumas related to caring for their hair, such as low esteem, fear, and, for some, an uncertain sense of belonging. I also discovered that most people, particularly children, experience some measurable degree of injury ranging from severe hair damage to moderate scalp infections. Not only do our services raise awareness to the growing challenges presented by DIY haircare but we encourage more and more people to speak out about their experiences with DIY haircare and haircare-giving and reach out for available support.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Traditionally, I’ve tried to play it safe by making more calculated moves or doing things by the books so to speak. If there is one thing that being an entrepreneur has taught me it’s that life without risk keeps you at risk of not reaching your full potential. I took a huge risk in starting Integrated Roots International® when I did. My family was in a new place and we had just lost my husband, and the world was in turmoil because we were in the middle of a pandemic. I didn’t have any of the tools that I had before that I thought made me successful, but one thing that remained was that I still had a vision. I knew the potential in Integrated Roots International®, and I was committed to doing the work to achieve it. Being open to taking risks forces you to believe in something which then forces you to take action. You may not hit every goal that you set along the way but I promise you will hit something because the only way to guarantee failure is to do nothing. I had to believe in myself before I ever asked anyone else to and taking risks taught me how to do that.
Pricing:
- Complementary “no commitment” consultation (30-60 mins)
- Happy Hair Hour $150.00 (virtual)
- Deluxe Consultation $350.00
- Private coaching for individuals starting at $260.00
- Private coaching for families starting at $760.00
Contact Info:
- Website: www.integratedrootsinternational.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/integrated_roots_international?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/integratedrootsinternational?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/yolanda-johnson-2275454
- Youtube: @cjscorner1119
Image Credits
One Moment One Shot Photography – Rodney K. Gary StudyHall7AM-Art & Media – Leroy D. Gibson Integrated Roots International® – Yolanda Johnson
