Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sierra Johnson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Sierra thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

ELA was just a thought I had one day, and I did not have any idea about how I was going to execute it. It was the year 2020, I just had major surgery, and the world was shut down due to COVID 19. I had some health issues, and I was trying to figure out a way to heal myself naturally. Initially, I wanted to be a yoga instructor and have a yoga studio, and I would partner with other professionals for different services such as massage and chiropractic. By the summertime, I was taking free workshop classes for entrepreneurship. I was talking to a close friend about what I wanted to do, she was already in school for Massage Therapy, and she said she thought I would be good fit and suggested that I schedule a tour at the school. I was enrolled in massage school by April 2021. Let’s fast forward to Graduation in March 2022, that’s when the thought became a goal, I knew I could accomplish, and I knew I made the right decision, and I knew I could achieve it. I decide to have a wellness center that offers all natural and holistic services with having the option of using our mobile services to accommodate individuals who have active schedule and cannot find time to come to a physical location. I wrote down everything I needed in order to get started, thought of a name and searched about any state laws. codes, rules and regulations. I took the necessary steps by registering my business, having liability insurance, getting all of my documentation in order. I took a risk and launched, even though I felt I was not ready. Here we are and it is 2025, we are pleased with how far we have come. Even though it has been a long road, we are determined to keep growing and making a difference wherever we can.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Alafia! (Peace), My name is Sierra Johnson and welcome to my passion. I am a licensed massage therapist and founder/owner of ELA House of Wellness, a holistic health and wellness company. I have been in the health, beauty, and wellness industry for over a decade. I started out as a licensed cosmetologist but after having some health issues, I developed a passion for holistic healing, and it led me to pursuing a career in massage therapy. I am also a certified Reiki practitioner (Level 1 & 2) and meditation therapist. ELA offers a number of services such as massage therapy, stretch therapy, reiki, meditation, sound and healing vibration, and alternative solutions that can be added to your everyday life. Our goal is to educate and bring awareness to the community. We want to provide support and have a sense of community and connection through the way we care for everyone. We want everyone to know that this a safe space for people to come and receive the healing they need.

At ELA, we want to teach individuals how to reduce stress, pain, increase productivity, and how to enhance your overall well-being in your everyday life because we all know life can get very busy sometimes. We want to show you how to prioritize your health and self-care. I always say to my clients “if you are not ok, then how can you help anyone else when you are operating at your best”. You must maintain your health, whether it is mentally, physically, emotionally, or spiritually. We would like to give some tolls or daily practices that will help improve your self-care routine, or assist you developing a self-care routine.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

You spend most of your life being groomed to do what everyone else wants you to do or trying to be who they want you to be. Being made fit into this box you know you do not fit in because you know you are so much more. The lesson I had to unlearn was being someone that I am not in order please or make someone else happy. I had to learn how to be my authentic self unapologetically. I always knew I was different, but I never comfortable enough to be myself. The fear of not being liked, being bullied, and ostracized held me back in many ways. I used to feel like life was passing me by and I was not living, I was just existing, and I spent so many years figuring out who I was, where was my life headed, and what I wanted to do with it. Eventually, I did reach a turning point, and I had a breakthrough, and I can honestly say that massage really changed my life. Being in that environment and being around other like-minded individuals opened me up in ways I never imagined. It was the beginning of my healing journey of discovering who “Sierra” really is. I had to live my life for me and no one else. I had to do what is going to make me happy. I had to live and speak my truth.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

There was a time when I did not have one client. Not one appointment being scheduled or calls and inquiries being received. At one point I wanted to give up and I was starting to doubt everything. I had begun to think ” maybe this is not a good idea”, but deep down inside I knew it was. I prayed and asked God to “show me what to do next, to send me a sign or something”. Then 6 months had come and gone, and out of nowhere I get asked to do women’s empowerment event and I gained my first three clients from that event. I knew right then that I could not give up and I had to realize that it takes time build a solid business, clientele and that everything happens in divine order and divine timing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://elahouseofwellness.org
• Instagram: @ela_house_of_wellness