Today we’d like to introduce you to Tijuana Johnson.
Hi Tijuana, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Born in Dallas, Texas, I knew at an early age I wanted to be a boss. I had a knack for making money even as a child, by selling candy, toys or even my friendship time. The importance of having a job was always told to me, but I was never truly happy working for others. The love of quality time with family was my driving factor in becoming a business owner. After creating several businesses, I believe I’ve found my true calling as the owner and CEO of Nitty Gritty Notary, a notary public business created in 2021, and has since grown into so much more.
Nitty Gritty Notary was created while I was on injured leave with barely any income and an eviction hanging over my head. I was already a commissioned notary and needed to leverage that little stamp and make money, fast. I invested in several loan signing courses and after a few weeks, I received my first loan signing gig. I was so nervous, but I did it! I did it scared, broke, and hungry for success! I then added ink card fingerprinting, wedding officiating and process serving to the business. I enjoy helping others and controlling my own schedule. Even though I work more hours now than I did when I was working for someone else; there’s satisfaction in knowing all these hours will pay off, and I keep the profits.
Nitty Gritty Notary is M/W/SBE certified and will soon become a member of the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce and a few other Chambers of Commerce. We’ve also created the Notary Academy, an online “school” that contains different courses where others can learn how to begin and thrive by providing the same services we do. I teach everything I’ve learned and even the things that were left out of the courses I spent so much money on. I want the struggling single mother or father, the retired grandparent, or anyone to create income and not worry about how their bills will be paid.
I have so many hopes and dreams for my business! I’m working towards landing some contracts for the fingerprinting portion of my business. I would also love to become a direct loan signing agent for a few great title companies. I want to create jobs for people like me; someone with that hunger to learn and the love of people. I love everything I do because I get to meet different people daily. Some are so awesome and even if they aren’t, I always learn something from them too. There’s so much more, but you’ll have to wait and see.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Yeah sure, smooth with a lot of rocks, detours, speed bumps and more on it! One struggle during this journey was not having enough money to buy certain items I needed. All my equipment is second-hand and has some sort of issue, but I make it work. My car is in desperate need of repairs and I’m praying it holds up until I can afford to take care of it. I’m sure some people judge me as a businessperson and wonder why I don’t have a nicer car or better equipment and other things, but hey, I’m getting there. I get the job done and that’s what matters. The other struggle is getting people to support what I do. For any business owner, I know this can be an issue and it can hurt, but we must learn to focus on the ones who do support us. The beauty is in the journey, and I look forward to telling my story to others. If we concentrate on what we don’t have we can never visualize what could be, so I’m choosing not to focus much on the negatives, just handle them when they pop up and keep it moving.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Nitty Gritty Notary provides in-office and mobile services throughout the DFW metroplex. We are known for our knowledge, flexibility, and great customer service as well as the ability to perform work during hours most will not. What sets us apart from others is the number of services we provide and how helpful we are to all our clients. We are licensed, bonded, and have a clean and clear background. We are most proud of the great five-star reviews our business has received. We’ve had clients travel as far as 45 miles because of our reviews and because our business is woman owned. Our presence has filled a void in the southern Dallas area, and we are proud to serve this community!
We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Going through the fingerprint training was stressful and I thought I was horrible at it. Every time I had to turn in a practice card I’d completed on a family member or friend, I just knew the instructor was going to shake his head and say this woman is not going to do well. I really thought I was going to be terrible at this service. Now, it’s my favorite of them all! When I receive a call and for a fingerprinting appointment, I do a little dance.
Pricing:
- Ink Card Fingerprinting $47 and up
- Notary Public Course $27.99
- Wedding Officiant $50-$100
- Process Server $85 and up
Contact Info:
- Email: tj@nittygrittynotary.com
- Website: www.nittygrittynotary.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/nittygrittynotary
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/nittygrittynotary
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCajCFH4BkGttK8e4-8HrioA
- Other: https://g.page/r/CZvoQaAH8MF7EAE
