Chosen Beauty Salon & Supplies Unisex Hairstylist

For Felicia Johnson, founder and hairstylist at Chosen Beauty Salon & Supplies, hairstyling isn’t just a career, it’s her calling. “I believe, like everyone else in the world, I was chosen for a certain path. Mine is hair,” says Felicia. “That’s why the business has its name. I was chosen to make a difference in the community and in people’s lives, in their physical appearance and how they feel about themselves.”

Originally, Felicia started in her cousin’s salon when she was still a teenager in Liberia. Felicia then continued hair-dressing within her family circle. Weekly she would braid her nieces, siblings, and neighbor’s hair. She continued this practice on her children’s hair throughout their entire school years. Felicia then began styling hair for clients in their homes in the Ottawa area as well as working in professional salons before moving to Ajax to manage her friend’s salon.

In 2014 she decided to open her own salon in Pickering. “This establishment was opened by faith,” says Felicia. “When I started this business I had no good credit and no other income apart from what I had earned while managing my friend’s salon in Ajax.”

“Chosen Beauty Salon started off with a small amount capital, with no fixtures or financial budget,” Felicia reminisces. “In reality, this is not the right path, but because of my faith and perseverance, I took on this challenge and by the grace of God this establishment was open.”

“I moved here because I like the area,” Felicia says, “I had the opportunity to start something of my own here, so I did. It’s been a very welcoming community. People are coming in more and more, mostly from word-of mouth. It’s the service I provide, the quality of my work and the way I treat my clients that gets people coming in.” Having the hairstyling skills and not having financial and overhead experience can be very challenging, Felicia is certain this will be vital importance in her next other future business adventure.