We were lucky to catch up with Dammon Johnson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Dammon, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry?

Thank you for having me. One of the biggest missteps I see in Corporate America is the way it often strips empathy out of the customer and employee experience. There’s a disconnection—where helping a client with something as simple as a clear error becomes an uphill battle behind a series of approvals, firewalls, and policies. It creates unnecessary tension between doing what’s right and what’s “allowed.”

On the internal side, many corporations focus more on profit margins and streamlined operations than the well-being of the very people keeping the engine running. Team morale can’t be fixed with pizza parties or cake in the breakroom. People need to be paid livable wages, supported with growth opportunities, and feel seen—not just as workers, but as whole individuals.

I’ve seen firsthand how this disconnect burns people out. We need systems that value human dignity over hierarchy. I genuinely admire those who’ve stepped away from those limiting structures to chase something more fulfilling. Sure, I’d love financial freedom, but not at the cost of becoming invisible in someone else’s dream. I’d rather build something of my own—even if it takes longer—because that’s where purpose lives.

Dammon, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Absolutely. I come from a big family and grew up surrounded by hair salons and church pews—two spaces where creativity and performance were always alive. I’ve always been a natural entertainer, and while my spirituality has evolved over time, that foundation still grounds me.

Over the years, I’ve become a multifaceted creative: a drag performer, singer, songwriter, fashion designer, hairstylist, makeup artist, graphic designer, video editor—you name it. If there’s an artistic skill, I’ve probably taught myself how to do it out of necessity and passion.

I offer a wide range of services through my website, naomiwynters.com, and there’s even more I haven’t listed yet. I’ve built everything brick by brick, often because I couldn’t afford to hire a team. When you don’t have the money, you either give up or you learn—and I chose to learn. That self-sufficiency allowed me to create a drag platform that blossomed into a record label, an event production company, a haircare business, and a wig line. Everything is connected by my dedication to showing up for myself and turning creative vision into reality.

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

So I started Drag as a side hustle and that turned into a full-time career for me as a lot of times other jobs I took on ended up being part-time jobs where there wasn’t enough money coming in. However, with Drag, I was able to work multiple shows in one night or even I was able to travel somewhere and make more money than I was making locally which is able to afford me Groceries, paying my rent, paying my light bill,. Drag was that thing that came into my life that I did not quite know I needed. Drag also came in. It is just supposed to be something as extra pocket money, but because I was dedicated to the art form and to developing my craft, it turned into a career that I’ve been able to travel the country with performing Alongside celebrities, as well as develop other skills like my hair skills, my sewing skills, and even ultimately for me to step further into becoming a singer, songwriter and putting out a hair care bread and wig line. This wasn’t easy because there was a lot, not a lot of notoriety at the time that I started performing. I had to continue showing up for myself, even when losing talent competitions, which were what you did as a beginner to even getting low in bookings as a beginner, but once I started hosting my own shows and headlining my own events, as well as producing them that open a lot of opportunities for me once I start winning pageants, and I started improving on my looks in performance says and so much more that also granite many more door doors so the biggest thing that I can say that allowed me to achieve these milestones was showing up for myself and being present to the best of my ability I’ve had many times of being homeless without any money, unable to pay bills not sure anything is coming from couch surfing and Drag was the only thing that brought some kind of my income in for me that allow me to do anything and because of that I’m able to confidently do almost everything if not more that I do now and feel confident in it because I know even if I fail, I’m dedicated and I’ll continue to show up to improve on where I feel I was lackluster

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Black, queer person—even when that identity wasn’t widely accepted or celebrated.

I’ve done the work: the glamorous work, the hard work, and the behind-the-scenes, no-glory kind of work. And through that, I’ve built trust—not just in my talent, but in the safe spaces I’ve created. I know what it’s like to feel unseen, unheard, or uninvited. So I’ve made it a mission to welcome others, to make sure they feel acknowledged and protected, even if the world tells them they don’t belong.

Creating that kind of environment takes boundaries, self-awareness, and a lot of internal work. But the result is a space where people feel free to be authentic without fear. If someone is uncomfortable with that kind of honesty or vulnerability, I’m not afraid to remove myself or set firm boundaries. At the end of the day, I’m here to hold space for those who need it—and that’s what’s shaped my reputation: resilience, authenticity, and community.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Naomiwynters.com
• Instagram: @dustedbydammon @naomiwynters @twistedcrownbeauty @wynterwonderlandproductions
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1EixGhXCjg/?mibextid=wwXIfr
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dammon-j-04a323193?trk=contact-info
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@naomiwynters?si=dnhpDtW-oceY95dI
• Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/98UXA6gguHjYiqo8qq

Image Credits

Although, I own the rights to all these images

-black rose photography (Morgan le shade)
–Dario krakower photo
-Dammon Johnson Photography (me)