Meet Stephanie Johnson

We recently connected with Stephanie Johnson and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Stephanie with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?

I was raised by a family of hard workers so it’s difficult to say if it’s a genetic trait or a learned behavior. My grandfather was very much a self-made businessman. He started in the mail room and ended up running an international engineering firm, as a psychology major no less, for more years than I can count. He traveled the world yet would show up at 6am on a Saturday to help work on our fixer uppers. And the coffee had better be on! That was always kind of our “thing.” Buying old houses and fixing them up. It was partially out of necessity, and partly because we enjoyed the process. Well. I didn’t love it as a kid. But I do think that’s where my love for bringing the old back to life and finding character and charm in the flaws started to develop. Give me a paint brush and a hammer over a laptop any day. So, my grandfather started it all. I can’t tell you how many times I heard the phrase “Go to work and do your job” as I was growing up. It’s just the way it was.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I was never that person who knew what I wanted to be as a child. My memories mostly consist of all things creative. Making clothes for my dolls; building houses in my yard out of sticks and stones. In high school, my favorite classes were hands down art and broadcast communications. But back in 1997, it was common knowledge that you couldn’t really build a solid career in the art field unless it was graphic design, which was in the middle of a boom.

When I enrolled in college I chose to major in Visual Arts and Communications with a focus on fine arts, but still not really having a clue what I would ever do with that. After 13 years working in communications for a large non-profit in Pittsburgh, I returned to my hometown and began working for an agency that provides services for adults with intellectual disabilities. Ten years later, I am the director of human resources for that agency.

While helping people is a passion, my heartstrings will always feel the tug of the creative and I’m genuinely my happiest when I am redoing or decorating my home or giving breath to something old.

In 2017, I decided to make custom denim jackets for my nieces and nephews for Christmas. A local business owner saw them posted on social media and asked me if I would be interested in selling them in his brick and mortar. I made nine pieces and dropped them off thinking that would last him the summer. They were gone in two days. In a few short years, I had pieces that were showcased at New York Bridal Fashion Week, the Rock Steelers Style Fashion show alongside Kiya Tomlin’s designs and had a feature in Table Magazine.

During the pandemic, I started sourcing vintage, one-of-a-kind denim jackets and bringing them back to life. Through my brand, Billie Jean Denim, my goal was to thoughtfully craft sustainable, hand-made, wearable art. Each piece is unique and tells a story of past roads traveled, backstage passes, and future statement making moments. If you stop and think about a denim jacket that has been around since the early 1960’s… can you imagine the places it has been and the stories it could tell? I listen to each piece and do my best to try to tell them.

I partnered with Cord + Iron, my primary stockist in 2022, to launch Rebel Goods which offered curated vintage home and interior decor online. The goal was to grow that business into a brand that would also offer interior design consulting focused mostly on small, local businesses in our community. As their business grew and I tried to balance my career and two small businesses, burn out set in pretty quickly. None of us wanted to compromise the care and quality we put into sourcing, styling, photographing and delivering beautiful home decor to our customers. We put a hold on our virtual storefront this summer, not wanting to say goodbye, but perhaps goodnight for now?

We’re still dreaming and growing. As well as pausing and catching our breaths. And ultimately just wanting to put something good out into the universe that will better our little corner of the world.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I believe the rising tide lifts all ships. So instead of competing, find out how you can work together with other people in your community. Find other artists or small business owners and talk about collaborations and cross promotions. You’re potentially doubling your audience and making your community a destination as opposed to just a one stop shop.

I have learned that success can be measured in a lot of different ways. I’m in a small town. I’m a small fish. And I’m okay with that. Would it be amazing to see a big name rocking one of my jackets in a street style pic? Hell yeah. But it’s just as cool to spot one at the local coffee shop. Let your heart guide you. No matter where you end up, you’ll know it’s where you were meant to be.

And then I would just say that being able to be honest with yourself and allowing time to pause and take a break if you need it. That’s not failure. Failure to me would be forcing myself to keep going when it’s detrimental to my mental health and creative process.

It’s so important to believe in yourself. And to not compare yourself to anyone else. There’s always going to be someone out there who is doing the same thing or something similar to what you’re doing. And some of them may be doing it better. That doesn’t mean you should give up. It just means you have to find your audience and hone your skills so that your product or your art represents you and the energy that you put into it.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

I was somewhat painfully shy and fearful of trying new things when I was little. So, I wouldn’t. Then I’d be filled with what I now know is anxiety and regret about not doing what I wanted to do. Or what I thought I wanted to do.

In middle school all the girls were talking about cheerleader tryouts. I was too shy to sign-up, but then I cried after the fact, probably feeling left out. My mom was able to talk to the coach and get me in half-way through the practices, and a day before the try outs. I worked on the routine the entire day trying to catch up and then at the last minute decided I couldn’t go through with it.

Similarly, I told my parents I wanted to take ballet. So again, my mom got me into a class that had already been in session a few weeks. She went all in and put mirrors and a ballet bar up in my bedroom so I could practice. When I went to the first class, I vividly remember the instructor telling us to get up on our toes. I was doing my best to be on my highest tippy toes and thought maybe I looked like I knew what I was doing. Everyone laughed at me. We weren’t in toe shoes, but in my mind, and my little jewelry box, the ballerinas were ALWAYS on their tippy toes. I refused to go back.

I know my parents weren’t happy in either of those scenarios. The ballet class is something my mom and I laugh about to this day, because after I quite my mom took the bar down from my bedroom and I was devastated. I went on to discover that those just weren’t my things. My dad coached me to be a good softball player and all-around athlete, and I had a strong appreciation for art, fashion, and music.

So, I would say that the most impactful thing my parents did for me was to advocate for me. And to allow me to be who I was, despite their frustrations. They let me try and fail…or to not try and cry. And to learn and grow. They never pushed me- unless they knew I needed it. And they never made me feel like I was any less for not trying or succeeding at those things. I guess you call that unconditional love, and I am certainly blessed to have that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://billiejeanx.com/
• Instagram: @billie_jeanx_denim @rebel.goods @steviej_13
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/billiejeandenim

Image Credits

April Ohl
Alyssa Allworth