Today we’d like to introduce you to Iola Johnson.
Hi Iola, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My name is Iola Johnson 💙. I was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and at 19 years old, I moved to Maryland in March 2017 in hopes of creating a better beginning for myself. My childhood was not easy. I grew up experiencing foster care, adoption, neglect, and different forms of abuse. At only 15 years old, I also took on the responsibility of helping raise two of my younger brothers until I was about 18. I come from a very large family with 10 brothers—six biological and four through adoption—so growing up taught me responsibility, independence, and how to keep going even when life was difficult.
One thing that has always been a part of my life is hair. In my family, I have always been the one doing everyone’s hair, and there is still an ongoing joke that I am the “family hairstylist.” That love for hair eventually grew into my own business, which I established seven years ago. Today, I am a traveling loctician and braider offering a variety of natural hair services for children and adults, men and women. I genuinely enjoy what I do, especially seeing the smiles on my clients’ faces once I finish their styles. That is one of the most rewarding parts for me.
I am also the proud mother of an amazing four-year-old son. He has become one of my biggest motivations for taking my business to another level. Over the past two years especially, I have become much more serious about growing what I have built. I have established my own website, social media presence, and systems for my business, and I continue working to improve my craft and expand my clientele. My son even gets to be one of my little models because I am always practicing different styles on his hair.
When I look back at where I started compared to where I am now, I am proud that I was able to turn something I have loved for years into something of my own. My story has had many difficult chapters, but they have also shaped me into the mother, business owner, and woman I am today. My goal now is to continue growing my hair business, create something successful and lasting for myself and my son, and keep doing something that truly makes me happy.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Has it been a smooth road? Not at all\. There have definitely been a lot of challenges along the way\. Between today’s economy, raising a toddler, and learning how to navigate co\-parenting and life on my own, there are always obstacles to overcome\. As a business owner, I also have to stay consistent even during slower seasons, especially in the summer when I often balance my hair business with a full\-time job until the back\-to\-school rush picks back up\.
Juggling motherhood, bills, my business, relationships with family and friends, and trying to stay healthy and grounded can feel overwhelming at times\. However, I continue to push through and stay consistent no matter what season I am in\. My faith plays a huge role in my strength, and I truly get my guidance and resilience from Jesus Christ\. Even through the challenges, I am grateful for how far I have come and the place I am currently in\.
When I look back at where I started compared to where I am now, I am proud that I was able to turn something I have loved for years into something of my own\. My story has had many difficult chapters, but they have also shaped me into the mother, business owner, and woman I am today\. My goal now is to continue growing my hair business, create something successful and lasting for myself and my son, and keep doing something that truly makes me happy.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Wisdomshairboutique ?
WisdomsHairBoutique is a natural hair business that I have built around versatility, convenience, and making my clients feel good about themselves. I am a traveling loctician and braider, which means I bring my services directly to my clients. I service children and adults, men and women, and I love that my business allows me to work with so many different people and hair types.
I specialize in locs, braids, and natural hair care. My services include starter locs, loc retwists and styles, knotless and boho braids, silk presses, twists, braided natural styles, deep conditioning treatments, and children’s styles. I also offer wash and blow-dry services with many of my appointments because I believe the health and care of the hair is just as important as the finished style.
One thing that sets WisdomsHairBoutique apart is that I don’t limit myself to just one type of client or one type of style. I really enjoy being versatile. I can have a child in my chair for a natural braided style, do a man’s loc retwist next, and then have a woman getting knotless braids or a silk press. I want my clients to know they can come to me for different stages of their natural hair journey and that their entire family can be serviced as well.
I also take pride in creating a comfortable and personal experience. Being a traveling stylist gives me the opportunity to provide services in an environment that can feel more convenient and comfortable for my clients, especially families and parents with children. I want people to feel like they are being cared for and not like they are just another appointment on my schedule.
Brand-wise, I am most proud of how much more established WisdomsHairBoutique has become. What started from something I naturally loved doing has grown into a real business with my own website, social media presence, booking systems, service menu, pricing, and returning clientele. I have put a lot more intention into my brand over the last couple of years, and I am still growing.
More than anything, I want people to know that WisdomsHairBoutique is built with genuine love for hair and for people. Seeing someone’s reaction when they look at their finished style will always be one of my favorite parts of what I do. Whether I’m working with someone’s locs, creating a protective style, doing natural hair, or styling a child’s hair, I want every client to leave my chair feeling confident, cared for, and happy with their hair. 💕
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Over the next 5–10 years, I see the hair industry becoming even more connected to social media, content creation, and personal branding. People aren’t just looking for someone who can do their hair anymore—they also connect with the stylist, their personality, their work, and the overall brand behind the services. Because of that, content creation is something I definitely want to incorporate more into WisdomsHairBoutique.
One of my biggest goals is to merge content creation with my hair business. I want to create more hair tutorials, transformations, educational content, and behind-the-scenes videos while continuing to grow my clientele. I also see myself working with hair and beauty brands through partnerships, brand deals, product reviews, and collaborations. I think combining those opportunities with the services I already provide could open up multiple streams of income and help my brand reach people outside of just my local clientele.
As my business continues to grow, I would eventually love to either establish my own salon or expand the traveling side of my business into a true mobile salon. Instead of using my personal vehicle, I could see myself having a customized work van that allows me to travel to clients while providing a professional salon experience wherever I go.
Overall, I want WisdomsHairBoutique to continue evolving with the industry instead of staying in one place. My goal is to grow every year, reach more people, create new sources of income, and make more money each year than I did the year before. In 5–10 years, I want to look back and see that I turned my talent for doing hair into a much bigger brand and business than I ever imagined. 💕
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wisdomshairboutique.square.site/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAdGRleAUddK5wZG9mAmZkaWQWUO1xCvQeBnSsS7rVcChgmyUOnwbpcGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDzEyNDAyNDU3NDI4NzQxNAABp8JVzuOx3-cXr_WvGEFa1sdqsNT4L_daWA8yxELRd7ocu0551EgzHAJyHe-3_aem_YORCOBQB8xZWvOU-s15yXA&utm_id=97760_v0_s00_e0_tv3
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisdomshairboutique_?stkn=MWtzajlzcWdxMXNjOA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
