Meet Yolanda Johnson

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Yolanda Johnson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Yolanda, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
I tell people all the time that I did not have to look very far to find my purpose because my purpose found me. In my early 20’s while still in college I fell in love with taking care of myself by teaching myself how to style and maintain my hair. I learned from having the experience of getting my hair done throughout my childhood and watching others do it.

Eventually, what began as a desire to educate myself on how to properly care for my own hair, quickly developed into a passion for guiding others through the same process. From basic grooming to advanced styling such as braiding extensions into my hair I spent countless hours learning how to care for myself through caring for my hair. I spent even more time on others and before I knew it, I had become the campus stylist. While my experience with hair care in college was inspirational, it would be a few years later before I discovered my true purpose in it all.

After college, I went on to become a mobile braider. In time, I would expand my offerings to include haircare management coaching which really opened a whole new market for me, and for over a decade provided styling and coaching services at a statewide level.

.As a cosmetologist, I have truly been blessed with the fortitude to build a brand that is rooted in self-love and self-preservation. I have worked behind the chair, I have been a coach, and I have even won an international hairstyling competition, but nothing that I have done compares to founding and building my own company from the ground up – Integrated Roots International®. I have come a long way from being the campus stylist and I continue to let my purpose lead me because it empowers me to turn even the toughest of challenges into motivation.

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?
I am a loving mother of three fabulous young men. I am widowed and I am the primary caregiver for my aging parents. I am a 35 mm black and white photography enthusiast who dreamt of being a famous singer as a young child. As life would have it, I became a hairstylist instead.

As I mentioned before, I am the owner and founder of my own company Integrated Roots International®. We are a cosmetology-based educational design and consulting firm that partners with businesses, government, and nonprofit organizations to provide healthy and sustainable experiences in personal care through our specialized deliverables.

I may bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to each one of our products and services, but it is our dedicated customers that bring out the quality of our efforts. Our customers are by far the most special part of what we do. We have offerings at every learning level and our customers are proof of what is possible with the right knowledge, tools, and training. They have more courage than most and are willing to face barriers that even some professionals are not ready to tackle. They are truly an inspiration and give meaning to what we do.

 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?

In 25 years of combined professional experiences, I have developed a superior acuity for communication. From troubleshooting client grievances to public addresses, I am an expert at connecting with people through the written and spoken word and producing results. I am a notable composer credited for pieces such as annual reports, strategic plans, talking points, and website and newsletter content.

Additionally, I am a seasoned professional speaker featured in public showcases such as panel discussions, national webinars, national and international podcast interviews, and even marketing ads. Simply put, I have a knack for connecting with others. From culturally diverse interactions to multidimensional exchanges, I will find the most creative and effective ways to relate to people.

For those who aspire to develop their communications skills my advice is to practice – practice well and practice often. Seek out opportunities to exercise your communications skills, you will be surprised at how easy it is to catch on. If you get stuck on an idea don’t burden yourself to start from scratch just use tools like YouTube and other social media platforms, they will make it easy for you especially if you are a beginner.

I cannot leave out Artificial Intelligence, generators such as ChatGPT and Gemini (formerly Bard) are game changers. Although AI can be intimidating at first, once the initial angst subsides you will find that they are superior in efficiency and accuracy. Finally, just have fun with it. Communication is all about connection. Consider the top three – five characteristics that make you relatable and find ways to use them to engage with others. You may just surprise yourself.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

If you are a business, government, and nonprofit organization that is interested in piloting any combination of our products, coaching and training services then Integrated Roots International® wants to collaborate with you. Partnership with Integrated Roots International® provides innovative, sustainable healthcare options for communities. Tell us how we can support you. To fill out our form at (https://www.integratedrootsinternational.com/contact) for a complimentary one hour consultation or contact us TODAY at:
Ph 303-435-8436
[email protected]

Contact Info:

Image Credits
– Hannah Nelson, The Arteza Collective by Hannah – Leroy Gibson, Study Hall @ 7 A.M. – Yolanda Johnson, Integrated Roots International®

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