Today we’d like to introduce you to Sharlotte “Shay” Johnson.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Sharlotte. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Great, so the beginning… I was born, December 9, in Xenia, Ohio, the first-born of two children. My younger brother and I spent our formative years in Ohio until I was five years old. My parents were born, raised and educated in Mississippi during the 50s and 60s. When they graduated from Alcorn A&M and got married, they moved to Ohio where they both worked at Wilberforce University. In 1976, the family moved to San Antonio, Texas after a life-altering tornado in Xenia. The tornado in Xenia completely flattened our neighborhood, and the decision was made to move to Texas.
After 5 years in San Antonio, we moved to Dallas, Texas, Pleasant Grove/Buckner Terrace in 1980, to be exact. I remember so vividly…I was ten, and Dallas was this big city that would forever be the home-turf for me. But, listen, when I arrived in Dallas as a 10-year old, I was skinny, tall, dark, long, pointed Indian nose, and spoke proper English. Oh my gosh, I remember being bullied in elementary, middle and high school, terribly for those things. However, because of what I was experiencing as a young girl, my retreat was always to dive into music, reading and writing. I could literally spend full afternoons after school, ear pressed to the radio or playing records, and write all the lyrics to my favorite songs. I had notebooks full of lyrics. Of course, at that time, I didn’t quite know how these loves would translate into my adult experience.
I’m a product of the Dallas Independent School district. Edna Rowe, John B. Hood, and, I am a graduate of Skyline High School, where I excelled in reading, speaking and writing. I was a Silhouette and a member of the Speech and debate team for two years. I was an active student, a shy student, and very self-conscious about my intelligence and the status of my parents. I came from a family where it wasn’t “if” you’re going to college, it was “where” are you going to college. So, my brother and I didn’t have any choice in that matter.
After earning an academic scholarship, I began my collegiate career at Alcorn State University, my parent’s alma mater. However, the distance was brutal, so I returned to Texas and pursued my higher education at Prairie View A&M University.
Now, understand that my love for music, literature and writing began early with my dad. His genre knowledge and exposure was so vast. My love for radio was grown on the campus of Prairie View A& M University as a Mass Comm/PR major. I began my career in public relations as a PR/Marketing intern at Rap-A-Lot Records in the early 90s. While at Rap-a-Lot, I worked with industry magazines (Source and Vibe) to prepare articles on artists and coordinated album release and listening parties. My first album release event as an intern was assisting with marketing the “Til Death Do Us Part” album by the world-renowned Geto Boys. Her first professional writing assignment was writing music pitches for magazine placement for The Fifth Wad Boys, also signed to Rap-A-Lot. You would think that after more than a year at the label, and all of the excitement. I also earned an MS in Educational Administration from Texas A&M University-Commerce. I was established as a lifelong member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. on November 17, 1989, at Theta Gamma Chapter on the campus of Stephen F. Austin University.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think a good number of my struggles and obstacles along my journey have been subtle reminders of who I am, authentically, and who’s I am, realistically. Like I referred to earlier, I was bullied as a child, however, my family support system and a few awesome girlfriends truly helped me develop the confidence I needed to heal and overcome that stage in life. I think the next challenge, even though beautiful, is that I was a single mother for all but three years of my daughter’s 23 years and she turns 24 in November this year. From 1995-2011 things were idealistic, good, and I was in a career that I truly believed was all that I wanted and needed. I was in education for over 20 years, working as a teacher, Ombudsman, recruiter, Employee Relations specialist, and trainer. On April 29, 2011, I was laid off from Dallas ISD. From May 2011, and, for the next 3 and 1/2 years, I built Opulent PREM and worked in my business every day. But, understand, that there were so many times in the beginning when I had no idea how I was going to provide for my daughter. I’ve never been that one to ask my parents, friends, absolutely no one for help. Pride and self-inflicted embarrassment can sometimes be a terrible thing.
I lived those 3 and a half years off the retirement I had built from working in the district. Even so, I kept my home, my car and I maintained some semblance of the lifestyle we had been accustomed to over the years. Not truly understanding where my “help” truly comes. I struggled with a lot of the same things many young, beautiful, African American women and girls deal with often. Struggles like, “good enough” syndrome, colorism- am I too dark; weight, body acceptance, confidence in my abilities and gifts. As a business owner, I also struggled with people who stole from me, either intellectual property or didn’t pay me my worth. I struggled with my authentic voice. As a woman of color, I struggled (and still do) with wage equality and being taken seriously as a businesswoman. People sometimes tend to look at the outer covering and try to hit you from different angles to get what they want out of you. I’ve had men undercut me, low-ball me for services, or flat out expect me to do “business” with them for free. I’ve had women use and do the same thing. But those would have to be some of the challenges I’ve had to overcome in business.
The one thing I have learned about obstacles and challenges is this: If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you. Often, we want obstacles, challenges struggle to be a lot less intense or hard. It just doesn’t work like that. I’ve learned that as a woman of color, struggles and challenges are what builds us into greatness. I’ve also learned that we are some much stronger together, than we are competing against each other.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
My work, again, is rooted in service. I have always had a love for helping and educating people. Real Estate and Public Relations are two lanes that allow me to do that passionately and make a living doing it. Opulent Public Relations & Event Management (Opulent PREM) is a public relations firm and event management firm based in Dallas, Texas, established in 2009 by me. At Opulent PREM we utilize both traditional and digital PR approaches in public and media relations to expand client brands and reach client sales growth goals. We are experienced at obtaining increased brand exposure and awareness for our clients using customized strategies, developing attainable metrics and media placements and, coordinating events such as; listening sessions, showcases, fundraiser galas, pop-up shops, exclusive parties, grand openings, meet and greets and conferences.
Working as a publicist in the entertainment vain here in Dallas, afforded me the opportunity to connect with some exceptional artists, producers, models, DJs, photographers, planners, promoters, influencers, and the whole spectrum. I would name-drop, but they know who they are and who I am to them. Building Opulent Public Relations & Event Management into a boutique startup agency has allowed us to engage and serve clients not only in Dallas, but in Atlanta, Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles, the Bay Area, and more.
In October of 2016, I committed to returning to real estate, as well, and in May of 2017, I renewed my real estate license. After a strategic, 2-year exit strategy, on May 24, 2019, I resigned from my full-time employer to again pursue real estate and public relations as a full-time entrepreneur. Currently, we are working on some pretty big things for our clients, who vary in their lanes of business and reach from fashion, to education, to acting, to entertainment, to philanthropy and politics. As far as real estate, I specialize in serving professionals, executives, professional athletes, and singles to buy, lease and invest in real estate. I have a special affinity for single parents and singles. I think this is because I purchased both of my homes as a single person, on one income, and it was two of the better decisions I’ve made. I’m currently an active realtor at United Real Estate-Dallas. I’m also a notary, so very soon we’ll be rolling out our service menu for Mobile Notary and Loan Signing Services. Additionally, I am the current Fundraising Gala Chairperson for Yes THRIVE, a nonprofit focused on providing under-served and underexposed urban males to the collegiate and workforce opportunities in S.T.E.M. (www.yesthrive.org). Our current clients include: Cristina Birdsong (Publicist/Entrepreneur/Activist); Crystal Lott (Education/Entrepreneur/Activist); Pink Lucy (Couture Dress Designer/Education/Entrepreneur); Hair Scentz (Fragrance product for women’s hair). Most recently, we had the brief honor and privilege of providing our services to Jonathan Traylor (Contemporary Gospel) was signed to Motown Gospel on September 1, 2019.
Overall, I’m focused on working with and educating my community and beyond on those things they don’t know, or those things they’d like to expand their knowledge on. The thing that sets Opulent PREM apart from other like firms is that we are led by Service! We are also unique in our offerings. We don’t do “cookie-cutter”. We have systems and processes, both internally and externally. Public Relations is about Relationships! So, we build, grow, and maintain relationships with people.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I fondly look back on my career in education, most recently the last 4 years at Dallas Can Academy. I genuinely love my babies (they’ll groan at me calling them that). I taught high school English to some of the most inspiring students in this city. No matter what they were dealing with in their young personal lives, they gave me their best. They allowed me in! They allowed me to teach and connect with them beyond English. They made me better. I lost 5 students from the Can to violent crimes, and just felt like I could and needed to make a greater impact outside of the classroom walls. My babies need me!
In business, my proud moments came from those who knew me from 2011-2014 from my work, and are now excited for me to have taken the steps to re-enter and reclaim my spot as THE publicist and realtor to go to for everything community and urban brand. There are so many things over the years that I’ve been proud of when it comes to the Opulent brand. I’m currently most proud of the fact that after being a solo-preneur for the eight of the ten years of existence, we’re now scaling to a team to further propel Opulent PREM as a full-service PR agency startup. I’ve been favored with a team of savvy public relations and marketing pros, and supportive advisors that keep me honest and accountable. I have to mention and give “props” to my Business Development Manager, Chrishaura Haynie, aka, Chrissy Da PR. My advisors are professionals in project management, taxes, IT Mobile Architecture, Veteran Affairs and business consulting. My advisors reside in Dallas (Keon Morning, GMB and Keiza Brown, Tax Experts) and New York City (Anthony Benson, MediaHuntePR).
Pricing:
- Discovery Call-30 minutes FREE
- Pick My Brain Strategy Session- 1 hour $97
Contact Info:
- Address: 2101 Cedar Springs Rd, Suite 1050, Dallas, Texas 75201
- Website: www.opulentprem.com
- Phone: 214-347-0574
- Email: SJohnson@opulentprem.com
- Instagram: @opulentprem
- Facebook: Opulent PR & Event Management
- Twitter: @opulentprem
Image Credit:
Kentrell Stepney and Shedrick Collins
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