Meet Hope Johnson | Halo’d By Hope (Hairstylist)

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hope Johnson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hope, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
“Be who you is, not who you ain’t; Cause if you is who you ain’t, then you ain’t who you is.”

Besides the fact that this quote originated (as far as I know) from my hometown church Pastor in Montgomery, Alabama, a vessel who showed me unconditional love as I was his own child, I ultimately adore this quote because it carried me through my success as not only a college graduate but a business owner in the beauty industry.

One of my primary goals in not only keeping my business running but life as a whole is to be myself every day of the week. Authenticity is rare nowadays in a world full of “Wanna Be’s.” My whole thought process towards it is this: the reality of it all is exactly what it is, therefore I am exactly who I am & no one else. Yes, I have my struggles; yes, I have odd food cravings & hobbies; & yes, I may make questionable decisions at times; however, all of these aspects of myself is what makes me as beautiful as I am. And knowing just how beautiful I am is what actually makes my job as a hairstylist even easier because it makes me work more diligently at showing others their own one of kind reflection.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Halo’d By Hope is my beauty brand that I also consider as art because of the various hair styles & services offered to ensure the most angelic, relaxation experience one could have.

Inspired by my name (Hope) and people always telling me my spirit of calmness & serenity always managed to calm them down, I decided to walk by faith & take the risk to begin my work as an entrepreneur. Oddly enough, being an entrepreneur was never on my bucket list; I actually like to work in the background of things. However, God had other plans for me & He reveals to me each day why He’s brought me down this path.

I’ve learned to communicate more effectively & have overcome my fear of “talking too much.” I’ve learned that you are in fact your biggest advocate & if no one else believes in you, you must believe in yourself. It wasn’t easy and some weeks are much better than others but I love what I do & I love the woman it’s creating me to be.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
While I’m currently located in Graham, NC, I spend a lot of time in Greensboro & Raleigh. I would most definitely take my friend to Greensboro where I’m the day time we’d visit spots like The Rich Girls Museum for cute pictures and Underground Rich Studios for some fun musics We’d wrap up in Downtown Greensboro for a night on the town; maybe eat some Bourbon Bowl then walk down the strip and bar crawl from Box Car to the Quarter even down as far as Pura Vida. The latter part of their visit would be spent in Raleigh where we’d have brunch on a rooftop and try different oriental spots like Budacai. We’d visit the nature falls and even attend a poetry slam hosted in Raleigh for a little pizazz.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to, first, thank God for instilling in me the gift of art with my hands and creativity within my mind. To my mother, who I send every finished style to & calls to say how much she loves each one; to my friends & loved ones, who repost the hairstyles I not only do on them but on others & tell me they’re proud of me every chance they have; & to my clients, whose smiles keep me from giving up on my own talent: Thank y’all beyond words. I’m overly grateful & blessed because of you all.

Website: https://halodbyhope.as.me/

Instagram: @halodbyhope