Today we’d like to introduce you to Aisha Ridgnal-Johnson.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Aisha. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born and raised in the city of Chicago. I came from a long line of entrepreneurs… my Mom had several nail salons, my Dad had restaurants and a very successful construction company. I went to college on a pharmacy scholarship and decided to drop out, get pregnant and married at the age of 19. I lost my Mom at the age of 21. She left a three-year-old daughter that I decided to raise with my son. Before my mom passed, she told me to go to hair school because that was my passion, but to make sure that I went to the best school, which is Pivot Point, so that’s exactly what I did! After working in the field as a professional cosmetologist for six years, I opened my first salon, The Beauty Bar salon Chicago.
During this time, I got divorced, remarried and had two little girls. My husband and I started a moving and delivery company that allowed to run trucks in five states. One of our major contracts was with Ashley furniture. Everything was going great until we lost the Chicago contract, house went into foreclosure and we had nowhere to go. We still had the Atlanta contract, so we decided to move here. I still traveled back and forth to Chicago to manage my salon and service my clients. I focused so much on my business in Chicago that my clientele and family in Atlanta suffered. I had been a professional cosmetologist for 16 years and mentored several stylists along the way, so I decided to go to school to become an instructor. After finishing the program, God blessed me with a 6,000 sq ft salon and an 8,000 sq ft restaurant right next door to each other! I am currently loving Atlanta and looking forward to opening a cosmetology school in the near future!
Has it been a smooth road?
Of course, when you are blessed highly favored the enemy tries to throw you off track. But with God, the sky is the limit, I pray and ask Him to guide me along the way. Everything that I ask for he gives me in divine order!
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Our #1 focus is to give jobs to people in the community. I’ve learned that a lot of stylists on Old National don’t have a license, which is another reason I have to open a school. We are bringing an upscale environment to the Southside, healthy hair is my passion! I like to be different. When customers see my salon, they know they are getting a quality service. My restaurant is the same. We are providing a safe environment for the people in the community to come enjoy themselves and get an amazing meal, Chicago style lol.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Absolutely, Atlanta is the place to be for young Black professionals!
Contact Info:
- Address: 5425 Old National Hwy
5435-37 Old National Hwy - Phone: 4045004476 6788306543
- Email: superflystylist@gmail.com
- Instagram: @superflystylist
- Facebook: Aisha Ridgnal Johnson
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