We had the good fortune of connecting with Shanlee Johnson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shanlee, what do you attribute your success to?
I think my answer would have been a little different a few years ago. It would have been more along the lines of staying focused, not giving up and working really hard toward your goal. Although I still find this very important, I also believe that taking time for yourself, away from your business can actually help you achieve more goals and keep your ideas and creative outlooks fresh. I think success has a lot to do with adapting to challenges and staying open to new opportunities while looking for new ways to stay competitive with current trends in the market.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I started my first business in 2013 as a brick and mortar children’s store in Washington, DC called Little Birdies. We’ve grown so much since then and added a private label clothing brand in 2017 called Pineapple Sunshine. I think the key to overcoming challenges is to establish a solid base for your company and not try to grow faster than the business’ ability to remain stable. Our first store was a small space on a side street. After a few years, we graduated into a larger space on the main street in Georgetown. When seeing the success of that location, we added more stores. Fast forward to 2020, we had to reassess the business and go in a different direction. We are now more focused on e-commerce and selling wholesale for our private label clothing brand. Along with so many other businesses, we had to get creative and make changes to adapt to the new normal.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love stopping by Brentwood Country Mart for coffee on the weekends and shopping around the plaza. They have a really nice selection of boutiques, restaurants and novelty shops. I’d tell my friend to stay at the Firehouse Hotel in the Arts District and grab a cocktail at their hip poolside bar. For restaurants and more shopping, you really can’t beat the fun vibe of Ventura Boulevard in Venice Beach. You can spend all day there. Take a walk on the beach and watch the skaters at the skatepark.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I am continuously inspired by Esther Hicks and Brené Brown for uplifting self-talk. I can always go back to them for daily inspiration. For more business leadership, one of my favorite books is called “A Deliberate Pause” by Larry Robertson. A book about deliberately pausing and taking a fresh look at entrepreneurship. I also have a rockstar group of small business friends that are always open to bouncing around ideas and problem solving.

Website: www.shoplittlebirdies.com and www.pineapplesunshine.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlebirdiesboutique and https://www.instagram.com/pineapplesunshinekids

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanleejohnson

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littlebirdiesboutique and https://www.facebook.com/pineapplesunshinekids

Image Credits
Credit for headshot: Erin Fabio Credit for kids photoshoot: Raven Vasquez

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