We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Janell Johnson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Janell, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?
The legacy I hope to build is one of perseverance. I think people will remember me always doing the things I said I would and not backing down from challenges and obstacles. I hope people remember me for being supportive and sharing the knowledge and experience I’ve gained over the years I’ve been a business owner.
Janell, 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?
My name is Janell Johnson. I’m the owner of Suite 828 Co. Home Decor and Suite Belle Boutique. I started off in the fashion industry as a designer and Merchandising Consultant. I enjoyed helping people kick start their fashion careers. I hold a bachelors from Delaware State University in Textiles and Apparel Studies and two Masters (Marketing, HR) from Wilmington University. Initially, I planned to attend college in the interior design field. This is where my love for home decor came from. I finally launched my home decor product based business in February of 2020, right before the pandemic hit. Two years later, I felt like I wanted to grow and bring other businesses along. I opened Suite Belle which is a boutique which features multiple Black women owned businesses under one roof. We are a niche store, so all of the brands and products are based in the natural skincare, hair care, bath and body, cosmetics, intimates, swimwear, candle. and home decor industries. We carry products for men as well. This allows us to collaborate, cross market, and have a physical location for the businesses to sell from. We hold events as well, most of which we collaborate with the business owners to offer a little more to our customers. Our customers have a one stop shop for their self care needs in a small and intimate setting.
I’m most proud of the sisterhood and collaboration aspect of Suite Belle. The vision I had for it was a space for us all to just feel good and support each other. Sometimes customers stop by just to sit and chat with us for a while and we love that we have that connection with them. Our brand partners work really hard on their products so to see them gain regulars from people trying them out at Suite Belle is the most fulfilling part of it all.
I think what sets Suite Belle apart from others is the experience. It’s not just shopping. We offer wine and water, our customer service and product knowledge is top tier, and we love to make our customers feel like they are a part of our family.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
The best source of new clients for us has been word of mouth and social media. Our customers always share their experience on social media, post their products, and attend our events. This has generated the most clientele for us. Often, people come in and say “My friend shared your business on *insert social media platform*, and I had to come by!”. Or they received one of the brand partner products as a gift and come back to restock.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
Outside of a $3,000 loan that was later forgiven, Suite Belle was and is still self-funded. From using money made from my 9-5 and other streams, to using income taxes, it all came out of pocket. Now, the business is paying for the overhead and expenses itself.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.suitebelle.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/shopsuitebelle?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suitebelle?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janellnjohnson
Image Credits
Products featured in these photos are those of Suite Belle’s brand partners.