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

Ratissia, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

I love being a business owner, its hard work but I love the freedom to move and make decisions as I please. I still work a part-time job but my employer is awesome, I never feel like I have to choose between my business and work because I work with other creatives and they understand the beginning stages of getting a business off the ground.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I started Dirty Blossom in 2013, I was living in Chicago at the time going to school at Columbia College for fashion business. During the beginning I was just focusing on vintage clothing and in 2016 is when I sparked an interest in floral design. I worked around the corner from a small grocery store and I started working in there floral department learning the ins and outs of the business and it was a match made in heaven lol. Most recently I’ve been focusing all my energy into perfecting my design skills and selling home goods.

One of the main things I’m proud of is being able to adapt and grow my business anywhere, I’ve created community in so many places and I love that for my business. I want to encourage more people to treat themselves to flowers just because and always celebrate the small wins.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I’m always listening to podcast and a few of my favorites that talk about business that I listen to on a regular are The She Did That Podcast, Balanced Black Girl and Side Hustle Pro. Side Hustle Pro is definitely one of my favorites for business because she interview women entrepreneurs who have turned they’re side hustle into they’re main job or some just enjoy having extra income and don’t intend on becoming a full-time entrepreneur, so its nice hearing how they balance it all. I’m always inspired hearing the people stories, it encourages me to keep going. A few of my favorite books are The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan ( Great business book), The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho this book is great if you need a spiritual push.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I’ve built my audience on social media by being consistent and interacting with my audience. My advice for anyone starting is to be consistent and post regularly. If you do need a social media break let your audience know instead of just going ghost, I’ve made this mistake multiple times and lost followers and potential clients, also post reels and show your face people love putting a face to the name. My last bit of advice is to not take social media so serious, have fun with it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.dirtyblossom.co
• Instagram: Dirty_Blossom

Image Credits
Ratissia Johnson Marley Billie D