Today we’d like to introduce you to Kandice Johnson.
Hi Kandice, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My journey into hair started long before KJ Beauty ever had a name. Back in middle school, I began experimenting on my own hair, not out of ambition, but out of necessity. I was tired of leaving salon chairs without the look I’d asked for, so I decided to figure it out myself.
What started as trial and error quickly became something more. I found myself drawn to the creative freedom of it all: trying new styles, dyeing my hair different colors, chasing the next skill to master. Hair became my canvas. As I got more comfortable, I started doing hair for family, then friends, then strangers, and something shifted. Watching my work bring genuine joy to someone else’s face turned a hobby into a calling.
By my freshman year of college, I was styling my peers’ hair for free or next to nothing, just to keep building my craft. It didn’t take long before my clients started pushing me to take it further, to make it official and start a real business. So I did.
The timing mattered. I’d noticed that haircare and beauty maintenance were becoming increasingly expensive, a real burden when you’re a college student on a tight budget. I saw a gap and made it my mission to fill it: quality styling at a price my fellow students could actually afford. As one of the only braiders on campus, I quickly became the go to.
By my sophomore year, that hustle had a name: KJ Beauty. What began as me fixing my own hair during covid in my room mirror has grown into a thriving clientele built on returning customers, word of mouth referrals, and genuine connection. Today, I run a business I once could only have imagined, proof that sometimes the thing you start just to solve your own problem becomes the thing that defines you.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, not at all. When I first started, I didn’t have the proper space or materials to do hair. I had to save up just to get the basics, things like a salon chair, carts, and products. On top of that, since I was going back and forth between home and campus, my location changed often, which made it hard to stay consistent. There were stretches where I had to pause doing hair altogether to focus on work and school.
I also live with scoliosis, so standing for long periods often came with real pain. As I got quicker and more efficient at my craft, that helped, but it was something I had to push through in the early days, learning to work faster and smarter while still taking care of myself.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Currently, I serve as the Marketing Coordinator and Early Talent Lead for a company in Baltimore called Fearless Institute. In this role, I lead marketing campaigns, run our social media platforms, produce graphics and content, and work directly with founders to shape their marketing strategies. I also handle event planning and co-lead our ambassador program for college students, Fostering Aspiring Minds (the F.A.M. Program).
Beyond that, I am the founder of an upcoming organization called Kreative Koncepts, my Baltimore based creative lifestyle brand sitting at the intersection of art, fashion, and culture. Through Kreative Koncepts, I plan to offer custom clothing drops, creative direction, graphic design, and original art, all in service of creating space for the Black community to be seen and celebrated.
My nonprofit arm, The Kreative Kare Project, turns that same creativity into community care, from art education for Baltimore youth to hands on give back events for local families. For me, Kreative Koncepts isn’t just a brand. It’s a movement built on the belief that art heals, empowers, and connects us all.
What I’m most proud of is my ability to keep growing and my will to learn. I received my Bachelor’s in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from Bowie State University, and I plan to work to get my MBA.
What sets me apart from others is my creative mind and my ambition to give back and help elevate my community alongside me. I love helping others and building my community up, it’s at the core of everything I do.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I do view myself as a risk taker. I like to expand my knowledge and see where things take me. I believe life is about taking risks, whether that’s putting yourself out there, having uncomfortable conversations, or turning an idea into a business. You just have to do it.
That mindset wasn’t always there for me. I used to be shy and scared to try new things, but I realized that taking those risks is how you grow in every aspect of your life. Starting KJ Beauty was one of the biggest risks I’ve taken, turning something I loved doing for friends and family into an actual business, with no guarantee it would work.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule/0cd6492f
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kandyreann/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kandice-johnson-289752266/
- Twitter: https://x.com/kandyreann?s=11&t=evB9HQ5RXP8aUA8x0r8u_g
- Other: https://kandicejohnsonportfolio.netlify.app/#/
