We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Annelle Johnson Elder. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Annelle below.
Annelle, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
I took a chance and a risk for a better life. I left Albany, NY, and headed to the south with hopes for a more positive life with two small children: ages one and five years old. I was a young mom struggling to find her way out of abusive relationships including domestic violence, drugs and a lack of resources. I had a lot of work to do being a drop out along with now an estranged spouse. Admittingly – I can say moving to GA changed the trejectory of each of our lives. As a mother i knew the impact of pain, dsyfunction and not bneing born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I endured double digit hurdles but I was determined to land on my feet. Although neither of my parents raised me;I love them both. But as I have shared with others. “Just because a broken heart stops bleeding, Doesnt mean it stops hurting”. So as i continue to say, I had to get started with making our new life. The system is nothing nice, welfare is what we called it in Albany, NY in the 80’s. Section 8, Food stamps, Wic, and standing in food pantry lines to feed my children and myself. I feel some of my habits as a younger woman have contributed to some of my aliments as a senior citizen. I did have 15 salons, as a contractual Master Cosmetologist-doing hair for those diagnosed with dementia/alzheimer disease along with providing professional salon services for the Charter Children’s home in Atlanta, GA. I was picking the wrong men, and trusting the wrong people while my overwhelming feelings of abandonment were very painful and real . I began to shift onward and upward after deciding to make better choices as i took self inventory to attempt to put all of these feelings in the proper places within. I told you ,I had work to do! Things were looking up for all three of us. Education; Prayer , commitment and trusting again changed my life forever. I choose to be better instead of being bitter. The risk I took helped to heal and allowed me to place my broken pieces within my heart in the proper spaces within. Self work is the very hardest thing ; in my opinion that there is to do Thank heaven I made it and so did my daughters. They were the wind beneath my wings, the energy I felt was depleted & drained from life struggles. My daughters eyes were so innocent and beautiful so, when I looked at them my babies gave me the strength; Love and courage to try to live a good life we all desevered & needed, God gets all the glory for my success.
Annelle, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I was raised my Nana, Ms Marguerite Johnson. she raised me from the time I around was 7 or 8 years old. She was a single middle aged black women who was a landlord and an employee for NY Telephon company. Being that Nana was a landlord with 4 studio apt above our living quarters. I was shpwn hopw to interact professionally with teneants, contractors, I was taught at an early age how to fill out rent receipts, money orders and checks. I gre up to become I licensed real estate appraiser, along side my husband Mr. Elder. As far as the master Cosmetology side and owning the salons, I think that part came from my mom because she loved makeup and pretty clothes, My mother was a very creative lady, she had a vision for things and so do I. The Alzheimer / Dementia residents I had the complete pleasure of loving on, becoiming friends with and watching them come alive and remembered how they once looked as younger people taking a glance in the mirror. In my mind dealing with folks with those illnesses. is an assignment from the most high. We must still treat them with dignity, respect and professionalism, because when we do not, our real integrity shows. While working in both professions as a Salon owner and Appraiser, Home Inspector and Mobile Notary. Did I remeind you the girls were still young and were teenagers by this time. So we were busy. My proudest moments are in my quiet times- I can rest peacefully, laugh out loud, be self suffient, living in a nice home paid for, driving the car of my dreams-which is paid in full too, and with reasonabily good health, being able to have traveled exstensively, being a self published author, when I was a highschool dropout, with 2 children and a failed marriage.. My heavenly father blessed me to raised my daughters and see my grandchildren while spending over half of my life with my husband Mr Leroy A Elder. My husband is my friend and I will love him to the end of time.
Let’s move on to buying businesses – can you talk to us about your experience with business acquisitions?
Yes, I have done 2 acquisitions over the years. Both were beauty salons, one was an existing- thriving business in a senior living highrise. The stylist which sold me her business sold it for $400.00 and said I could pay her in installments. The existing business, had clientele, inventory, fully furnished salon, with shampoo bowls, mirrors, and it was in a basically all white enviornment and a much older generation of folks. I was a young black girl stepping in a position that was not built for a weak link. I handled it like a champ. The seller was a white woman that said to me she would know the rigt one for the clients and I was the one. It was interesting. I didnt have many clients for a short spell, and once the word got around about how pretty the hair styles were that I’d done- business picked up. Another was my inititation into being a contractual Master Cosmetologist and walking in the front door of the world of Alzheimers patients and many others with physical, mental, and emotional challenges. This was a ride of a lifetime. When a illness which doesn’t discriminate takes controll of a community of people culturally diversed is mind blowing to say the least. Think about trying to teach someone their name and re introducing them to their family members, to me is just heart breaking,. Once I got past the newness of the assignment, I looked at my job as all these different flowers a variety of colors, shapes and sizes that needed TLC along with compassion ans respect. A couple of decades had passed and I was still loving on this community of residents, as the twisting and turning of wheelchairs on a daily basis began to wear my body down. Timing is interesting as I was shifting into new horizions….
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
The chidrens home was another contract, I had dealing with younger children in with ADHD, HIV, and a wide range of emotional and mental challenges. Alot of the children I provided human services for as far as hair, and nails were very interesting. Many shared their feelings of abandonment as I did and confusion from family situations and or being within a system of group homes,counseling sessions, jails, and hospitals. I was able to bring my daughters to all of my salons and I felt as the lessons would sink in from the kids personally being able to interact with the children that were my clients. I cared deeply for each of them and would add them to my prayer list. As I had so m uch I was still aspiring to complete. I was heading in a great direction (UP).. I felt so good leaving the childrens home one day, and counting my earnings, I counted $800.00 in cold cash mixed with checks. I mean honest money made by a high school drop out who mhad two children, a single mom, mentally burdoned with a bag full of questions and disappointment. I had taken some GED Prep classes, got my GED, enrolled in Cosmetology school, graduated top mof my class and on the deans list. As I was rolling on and getting our lives together and in stable housing in a nice neighborhood, I was still taking more classes and working as a medical secretary for two major hospitals in GA , DEkalb Medical center which is now Emory Hospital and Grady Hospital. So I have worked around people all of my life,in one capacity or another.
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Image Credits
Book cover Images taken by Adrian Thomas & Divine Studios INC..