Today we’d like to introduce you to Perrishea Johnson.
Hi Perrishea, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
When I was a kid, my favorite stores were Michael’s craft store and the beauty supply store. My mother and grandmother are both talented hair braiders and aside from watching them stand behind familiar clients’ for hours in their kitchens and living rooms, I also had a cousin who owned a beauty salon.
On Saturdays, we would pack up and head to the heart of Jefferson Street where I would watch my grandmother and auntie get their hair crafted into the most outstanding styles. This was the late 90s and early 2000s and the beauty salon culture was a staple for the black women I knew. It’s where they went to recharge, catch up on the city’s news, and most importantly beautify themselves for the weekend and the week ahead. Those environments helped to shape my love for hair and styling.
By the age of 14, I was braiding my hair and all my friends. I was also consistently crafting with my hands; through ceramics, painting, and lanyard making. I have a deep love for arts of all kinds and even spent some time at a performing arts school.
Fast forward to adulting, after becoming a college dropout and a young mom, I found myself trying many jobs to build a “stable career” I found no passion in the things I was doing. When COVID hit, I decided to embark on a full-time entrepreneurial journey, so that I could find fulfillment as an artist and be home to raise my children at the same time.
I created The Black Essence shop and began handcrafting locs jewelry while building a community online. It quickly snowballed into me making all sorts of jewelry and learning new techniques as I went along. I am currently working on expanding the shop’s reach and participating in festivals and markets outside of Tennessee.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Entrepreneurship is everything but smooth. Especially when it’s just you working as the creator, marketer, fulfillment center, etc. It seems like every time I find a groove and things are flowing right, I have to pivot and change directions to expand or even maintain. It’s taught me a lot about myself and my resilience. You never know your limit unless you push yourself and I’m constantly pushing to and past my own limiting beliefs about myself and what I can accomplish.
One of my greatest struggles is realizing that as I change, it’s ok to change the things I create too no matter how much others love them. Sometimes people fall in love with the things that we create and the way that we show up and when the inevitable time comes that we transform into someone new, it can be difficult for others to catch on and support the new. The greatest lesson I’ve learned from that is to honor myself 1st and the rest will follow.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I consider myself to be creative with a strong passion for all things entrepreneurship and personal development. I currently am most known for being the designer behind The Black Essence brand. I handcraft loc jewelry and other body adornments using copper & gold wires, gemstone beads, and crystals. Some of my best sellers are my sunshine hoop earrings, Rose Loc Jewels, Lemurian Seed Crystal Loc Jewels. and custom loc jewelry sets.
I’m also known for my knowledge of holistic healing methods and have acted as a sit-in doula for natural births. I’ve had 2 of my own including a free birth at home, where my partner and I delivered our daughter ourselves without any intervention. People often reach out to me for physical and spiritual health advice, mainly concerning motherhood and children. I am currently working on the beginning stages of creating a platform where mothers can connect and grow together through holistic healing and spiritual modalities.
I’m most proud of the fact that I didn’t allow fear to keep me from trying something new. I didn’t allow my lack of experience to keep me from falling in love with my craft. Most important I am very proud to call myself an artist.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Discipline is the characteristic that has and will continue to propel me forward in life. When I write down the visions I have for my life, create a plan, and follow through, I always see the fruits of my labor. In addition to that, cultivating spaces for myself where my creativity can truly thrive is very important.
Making time for yoga, time in nature, prayer, and exercise are all very important for me to maintain a sense of mental stability to juggle all of the tasks and responsibilities I have. My success is very much determined by how well I care for myself.
Contact Info:
- Website:theblackessence.store
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblackessenceshop/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TBEssenceShop
Image Credits
Chole, TInk, Kelly, Alex, Mark, Shanti, Lynn, and Lex
