

Meet The SHEeo: Mimi Johnson Of Poppin' Beauty Boutique The Glamatory
With the rise of more and more black women breaking away from traditional 9-5s to become their own bosses, the CEO is getting a revamp as the SHEeo. In the Meet The SHEeo series, we talk to melanated mavens leveling up and glowing up, all while redefining what it means to be a boss.
The Glamatory is an Atlanta-based beauty boutique featuring exclusive brands, makeup artistry services, and a high-end beauty atmosphere. Inspired by Johnson's love for make-up and a desire to be her own boss, The Glamatory specializes in vegan and cruelty-free products and exceptional beauty services that compliment all skin tones and ethnicities. The company has been featured in ESSENCE and InStyle magazines, has made multiple appearances on The Real Housewives of Atlanta, and boasts celebrity clientele including Angela Simmons, Kenya Moore, Missy Elliott, and many more.
In this week's feature, meet Mimi Johnson of The Glamatory.
Courtesy of Mimi Johnson
Title: CEO of The Glamatory
Year Founded: 2014
Location: Smyrna, GA
# of Employees: 6
30-Second Pitch: "Life is an experiment meant to be conducted fearlessly. The Glamatory empowers all people to embrace this bold and beautiful experiment called life with vegan and cruelty-free products and exceptional beauty services, which enhances their beauty and confidence. The Glamatory was born out of my own trials and errors, successes and failures, standing as a celebration of the grace, grit, and resilience found within us all."
What inspired you to start your brand?
My son. Though I love makeup and how it allows me to make people feel beautiful and confident, I knew that I needed to also think of my future and what my exit strategy would be. I wanted to create a legacy and wealth for my family, as well as those around me. I see that happening with The Glamatory.
"I knew that I needed to also think of my future and what my exit strategy would be. I wanted to create a legacy and wealth for my family, as well as those around me."
What was your a-ha moment that brought your idea into reality?
One of my clients always asked me to get her the makeup that I was using, and most of the time I was mixing to get the right colors! And it hit me, why don't I just have my own and also support other brands that are dope? I can make money doing makeup as well as selling the right products.
Who is your ideal customer?
Anyone who finds significant value from the products and services that we offer. From the client who is shy with makeup to the super glam faces, we embrace and appreciate them all!
What makes your business different?
Not only do I strive to produce shades that are complimentary to ALL skin tones and ethnicities, we also make a conscious effort to care about the formulations of our products and not incorporate harsh chemicals.
What obstacles did you have to overcome while launching and growing your brand? How were you able to overcome them?
Being an entrepreneur, I feel like there's always an obstacle. I think brand awareness is always a big hurdle. Getting people to organically buy-in and become loyal. There's not a perfect formula for this besides consistency and authenticity. I strive to make sure my products and services are a reflection on me.
What was the defining moment in your entrepreneurial journey?
Man, there's so many! Probably having full circle moments by working with celebs like Da Brat and Missy Elliott, or seeing a feature on ESSENCE and InStyle. Or even seeing myself on TV doing makeup on the Real Housewives! Or having people like Porsha Stewart come into the store and shop! Those moments are definitely highlights that I think about whenever I feel like giving up! I must be doing something right and God has allowed me to get this far. So I've got to keep pushing!
Where do you see your company in 5-10 years? (The ultimate goal?)
My ultimate goal is to be able to have The Glamatory brand in major stores and perhaps a few Glamatory locations in 3-5 other cities!
Where have you seen the biggest return on investment? (i.e. marketing, ads, vending, social media)
Word of mouth and networking. Nothing is more powerful than connecting with people directly and supporting one another. That's power. Second, I would say social media if you are consistent with your aesthetics, posting, and engagement.
"Nothing is more powerful than connecting with people directly and supporting one another. That's power."
Do you have a mentor? If so, who?
I have several. I have what I call my own advisory board. Where I'm weak, I have found someone who is strong and that I can be vulnerable with.
Biggest lesson you've learned in business?
That success does not happen overnight. You keep going until it's YOUR TIME!
Anything else you would like for people to know, or take away from your entrepreneurial story?
I'm from the inner city of Kansas City, MO. I don't come from money. I got myself through college. I'm a single mom of a child with special needs. And I'm still here "Grinding Pretty"! I said all of this to say, it may seem impossible, but by faith, perseverance, and a tribe of people who love and support you, you can do it too!
For more of Mimi and The Glamatory, follow her on social: @theglamatory and @mimijonline.
Smile, Sis! These Five Improvements Can Upgrade Your Oral Hygiene Instantly
This article is in partnership with Sensodyne.
Our teeth are connected to so many things - our nutrition, our confidence, and our overall mood. We often take for granted how important healthy teeth are, until issues like tooth sensitivity or gum recession come to remind us. Like most things related to our bodies, prevention is the best medicine. Here are five things you can do immediately to improve your oral hygiene, prevent tooth sensitivity, and avoid dental issues down the road.
1) Go Easy On the Rough Brushing: Brushing your teeth is and always will be priority number one in the oral hygiene department. No surprises there! However, there is such a thing as applying too much pressure when brushing…and that can lead to problems over time. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush in smooth, circular motions. It may seem counterintuitive, but a gentle approach to brushing is the most effective way to clean those pearly whites without wearing away enamel and exposing sensitive areas of the teeth.
2) Use A Desensitizing Toothpaste: As everyone knows, mouth pain can be highly uncomfortable; but tooth sensitivity is a whole different beast. Hot weather favorites like ice cream and popsicles have the ability to trigger tooth sensitivity, which might make you want to stay away from icy foods altogether. But as always, prevention is the best medicine here. Switching to a toothpaste like Sensodyne’s Sensitivity & Gum toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth will help build a protective layer over sensitive areas of the tooth. Over time, those sharp sensations that occur with extremely cold foods will subside, and you’ll be back to treating yourself to your icy faves like this one!
3) Floss, Rinse, Brush. (And In That Order!): Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Well, the same thing applies to taking care of your teeth. Even if you are flossing and brushing religiously, you could be missing out on some of the benefits simply because you aren’t doing so in the right order. Flossing is best to do before brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. After a proper flossing sesh, it is important to rinse out your mouth with water after. Finally, you can whip out your toothbrush and get to brushing. Though many of us commonly rinse with water after brushing to remove excess toothpaste, it may not be the best thing for our teeth. That’s because fluoride, the active ingredient in toothpaste that protects your enamel, works best when it gets to sit on the teeth and continue working its magic. Rinsing with water after brushing doesn’t let the toothpaste go to work like it really can. Changing up your order may take some getting used to, but over time, you’ll see the difference.
4) Stay Hydrated: Upping your water supply is a no-fail way to level up your health overall, and your teeth are no exception to this rule. Drinking water not only helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth, but it also washes away residue and acids that can cause enamel erosion. It also helps you steer clear of dry mouth, which is a gateway to bad breath. And who needs that?
5) Show Your Gums Some Love: When it comes to improving your smile, you may be laser-focused on getting your teeth whiter, straighter, and overall healthier. Rightfully so, as these are all attributes of a megawatt smile; but you certainly don’t want to leave gum health out of the equation. If you neglect your gums, you’ll start to notice the effects of plaque buildup, which can irritate the gums and cause gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Seeing blood while brushing and flossing is a tell-tale sign that your gums are suffering. You may also experience gum recession — a condition where the gum tissue surrounding your teeth pulls back, exposing more of your tooth. Brushing at least twice a day with a gum-protecting toothpaste like Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum, coupled with regular dentist visits, will keep your gums shining as bright as those pearly whites.
Megan Thee Stallion Shares The 'Intense' Workout Routine That’s Got Her Snatched
One thing about Megan Thee Stallion is that she’s going to motivate you to stay active. From afar, she seems like the perfect gym bestie, and up close, it looks like her workouts would have us gasping for air. But hey, she doesn’t call her routines “bootcamp” for nothing.
After an extended break from social media and the public eye, the Houston Hottie is back sharing the high-energy workouts that are keeping her lean and she’s happy to report that “the results have been resulting."
The 28-year-old rapper dropped an Instagram Reel, detailing the workout routine that’s putting her endurance to the test. With the help of her personal trainer, Megan has one word in mind when it comes to her progress and that’s: “Consistency.”
The “Savage” artist has been traveling, making “hot girl moves," and after returning from a trip to New York, she expressed that her trainer is pushing her to keep the same energy back in the gym.
“I had just gotten back from New York and I told my trainer, ‘Look, friend, I was having a time. Can you please take it easy?’” Megan said. “He said, ‘Hmm, I’ve seen you doing all that hot girl s—, so what you need to do is get in that gym and have that same energy.’”
Her trainer then instructed her to do jumping squats with an exercise ball and resistance band around her legs for an extra burn. “I put my thing down, flipped it, and reversed it and that’s what happened. This sh– burned like a motherf—,” she teased in the video’s voiceover while executing both forward and backward jumping squats.
It’s clear that when it comes to Megan’s fitness, her trainer doesn’t play around about pushing her to her limits. In the next set of her cardio moves, we see the Grammy-winning artist jumping rope and moving on to a combination of mountain climbers and lateral jumps over a speed hurdle.
“Right here, that’s when I realized: I’ve been saying my trainer’s crazy but I know he’s really, really crazy because he must think that I’m trying out for the Houston Texans or something,” she joked.
To finish her workout, Meg hit two more barbell exercises, one being a set of cleans with 10-pound weight plates on the barbell. She then closed out by doing lunges with the barbell racked on her shoulders.
Of course, the best way to close out a workout is to nourish yourself with a balanced meal. Meg showed off her delicious post-workout plate with salmon, a sweet potato, and assorted veggies.
With so much of her public life being shared on the internet, it’s nice to see her letting us in on her progress in a fun and motivating way. “I just want to be transparent with y'all. Working out hurts, but it’s really a mental thang, so go do it!”
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Featured image by Taylor Hill/Getty Images