We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Deniesha Johnson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Deniesha below.
Deniesha , we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
I found my purpose through a lot of trial and error if I’m honest. I have known for quite some time that I wanted to be an entrepreneur and dabbled in a lot of different things such as Event Planning, I considered getting my cosmetology license after I finished business school to open a salon and spa, I wanted to open a clothing store specializing in items for baby boy to the teen boy. I also developed an app for a ride-share business and was a producer, writer, and showrunner for the small independent production work I created.
None of them stuck, however, as I was always drawn to my artistic roots & creative spirit, I thankfully landed making custom greeting cards and event stationery during the pandemic as a way to keep busy during a bit of a scary time. Over time, I was encouraged to make it a full-fledged business. It was here that I learned what my true purpose and calling is; My purpose/my why is to build a business to create a legacy, provide employment opportunities for my community, to have a work/life balance, and to be an inspiration to people of color and women business owners coming up behind me.
How I can see this despite the many endeavors I tried, was through my daughter’s eyes. Like me, my youngest is very creative and artistic. Because we are so close, she watches everything that I do, so much so that now anyone who visits our home is getting a beautiful card that she’s made for them. She is a thoughtful little girl and I love her heart… she mirrors a lot of what I do and the idea that I could one day pass my business down to her is such an amazing dream I hope to make reality. I feel compelled to give back to the community by offering opportunities for jobs, philanthropy, and scholarships.
I also believe that for our community to grow and thrive, we must pour into one another; this is where I want to provide internships for up-and-coming young professionals but also share my knowledge with other business owners so they can gain the benefit I have obtained if not exceed beyond me. Ultimately my purpose is so much more than what I do or make, it is how I give of myself, it is about community, and it’s about legacy.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Hello! My name is Deniesha Johnson, I have two major roles that I hold in life, the most important one is that I am a single mother of two beautiful girls and the second is I am an entrepreneur… which took some getting used to saying.
For a while, it was hard for me to claim the title “entrepreneur” as I felt like I wasn’t quite where I wanted to be with my business to claim that title. Not wanting to play the comparison game but I felt like I had imposter syndrome trying to call myself that out loud… Entrepreneur because I don’t have a store or in a Target yet. The title entrepreneur sounds so weird yet a little unfathomable. But the reality is, that I am the owner of a successful greeting card and stationery boutique; yes, we’re still growing but all in all, I am an entrepreneur!
The goal to one day become an entrepreneur all started in College at Florida A&M University where I earned a
Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration emphasis in Marketing and Entrepreneurship in 2005. Since then, I had just about tried my hand at every business idea you can think of but in May 2020, is when this business became the calm, I needed during the COVID-19 pandemic. I was able to use it as an outlet to be creative and share my gifts, all while I gave a little love & kindness in every card I made. Initially, I started making custom cards and stationery years before, but mostly as an added service to my event planning business going as far back as 2010. Over the years, even though I stopped planning events, I continued to make cards and event stationery on special occasions for close family & friends to make them feel special and that’s when I quickly learned that it was another great business venture.
My business is named D. Johnson & Co. Greetings, and it is a greeting card & stationery boutique catering to the culturally specific niche primarily for African Americans and other people of color because representation matters. At D. Johnson & Co Greetings, our focus is to share creativity and love in handcrafted one-of-a-kind, custom, collectible cards of the finest craftsmanship and artistry quality. We also make custom event stationery that not only helps brand your event but also showcases your personal style to your guests, made uniquely for you!
I create collectible keepsakes, something like artwork. These are tangible items provided to countless people in the community that not only affirm and confirm the social & emotional connection between the sender and the recipient, but my greeting cards provide a mantra if you will, increasing the recipient’s well-being as their loved one celebrates them.
Despite my degree, I have 36 years of art & design background as a natural artist who has done paintings, drawings/sketches, sculpting, and has taken some interior design/architecture courses in college; in the last few years since starting my business, I have become a self-taught graphic designer making one-of-a-kind greetings. With that, I have over 15 years of experience in Business as a Sr. IT Project Coordinator/ Jr. IT Project Manager and can utilize those skillsets to stay organized and pick up on the details needed to make beautiful stationery designed specifically for the customer.
While my cards are found mostly online and at a few local stores here in Minnesota, this year I am working on expanding my brand into a larger wholesale market across the nation. What I ask of the readers, is if you believe that D. Johnson & Co Greetings should come to your city or be found at your favorite boutique gift shop, please email me the name of the shop you suggest so I can work on coming to a city near you.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
There are probably four qualities one should have when pursuing an entrepreneurial path: passion, resilience, faith, and a deep confidence or belief in yourself.
I start by suggesting one should have a deep passion for what you are doing because that sense of love and admittedly a bit of obsession over that thing, will keep you motivated to push through some of the hardest obstacles that are ahead of you on this journey. From that, one will need to be resilient because being an entrepreneur isn’t for the faint of heart. You have to be able to withstand a lot of no’s, letdowns, hardships, and struggles. But as long as you hold onto your resilience you will overcome it. As Aaliyah sang, “If at first, you don’t succeed, dust yourself off and try again”. That is one song that I sing during these times to keep myself motivated.
This brings me to the next quality to have, a deep confidence and/or belief in your vision, the product, the business, and the plan. So many things will come into your path that can deter you or convince you to just stay complacent. It’s so easy to go back to what’s familiar and what doesn’t challenge us, but growth comes from the challenges and change is always a welcome friend in this world.
And while some people don’t believe in a higher power, I do. I have a strong belief that I CAN do and WILL do all that I put my mind to with the help of God. Having a deep faith and belief in that helps to keep the dream alive. Knowing that he gave me a vision… the whole world doesn’t have to see it like I do but he opens the doors and the eyes to the folks that do need to see it and believe in it the same as I do. It is because he says it’s so! So, I walk in faith that the vision I have for my business will someday become my reality and in the last almost four years, I have been so surprised by yet filled with gratitude for how far I have come.
The best advice I have for folks who are developing or improving these qualities and skills in their early stages of entrepreneurship is to network and make sure to keep like-minded yet supportive people around you. You want people who are going to say your name in the rooms you’re not in and people who are going to lift you when you feel bogged down by the heaviness of the journey. Entrepreneurship is likely a lonely road to travel, especially when you start it on your own but having people around who are encouraging you, and sharing with you so that you win too is how the community of business owners grows stronger.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
I have two dear friends right now that I speak to consistently. One is a busy working mom and wife; the other is an entrepreneur like me who is growing his brand. Between the two of them, they not only speak life of encouraging, motivating, and inspiring things reminding me of my greatness, talent, and skills. But they sometimes challenge me to push myself outside my comfort zone.
As they have two very different perspectives, they both help me to stay positive and to keep going. Despite the challenge or the moments of doubt, they find a way to help me out of that mindset.
My mom friend is more of a practical, realistic, and responsible mindset. She knows what I have tied to this dream and gets that I need to accomplish this for myself and my children. But she’s not as much of a risk-taker as I am. Her encouragement to stick with it during tough times is a simple reminder that if nothing else, I need to remember she believes in me.
While my entrepreneur friend is logical and understanding of those things, he keeps me optimistic and holds me accountable for the things I say I want to do in my business. Even if it’s a call every few days to see what I’m working on or what I have on my to-do list. Especially because as I said, being a solo-preneur gets lonely and the two of us run ideas past one another or have conversations that help us develop the next plan. I find it to be very helpful. We also share information that is both helpful and useful with each other via social media, texts, and email. The most valuable is that we bring each other up in the rooms the other isn’t in to further push our brands along. This usually helps when I’m overcoming a challenge, and he sees a solution in a space I wasn’t necessarily invited in, and he thinks I would be a great value add there.
He is more day-to-day from the perspective of someone else in the trenches and relates better to the challenges and hardships. Most of the time, I just need them to be sounding boards or more often than not, just great listeners while I vent out my frustrations or sometimes even cry about the challenge I’m facing.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.djohnsoncogreetings.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/d.johnsonandco_greetings/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/djohnsonandcogreetings
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/66692650/admin/feed/posts/
Image Credits
Photo of me is credited to Desiree L. Wells (@dashcamshoots). Photos of my work credited to me.
