Today we’d like to introduce you to Shaneka Johnson.
Hi Shaneka, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My journey began through adversity, but it unfolded through restoration. After leaving an abusive relationship and returning home to Maryland, I felt disconnected from myself. One day, I told my mother I didn’t feel like who I used to be. Her response was simple: “Get dressed the way you used to. Do your hair, put on your lipstick, look in the mirror and smile. You won’t feel it at first, but in time, you will.” That ritual became my way back to myself.
Wanting to offer that same sense of renewal to others, I began volunteering at a women’s shelter in Baltimore, offering brow shaping and makeup services. There, I met women from every walk of life. One evening, as I was preparing to leave, a woman begged me to do her makeup so she could take a photo to send to her children—to show them she was okay. That moment stayed with me and forever reshaped my understanding of beauty. I saw how something as simple as looking like yourself again could restore dignity, hope, and connection.
I went on to teach makeup classes at the shelter, guiding women as they focused on caring for themselves in spite of their current circumstances. In one class, a woman doubted her ability to participate, and before I could step in, the room filled with encouragement. The women prayed over her, guided her hands, and reminded her of her worth. In that moment, I realized beauty could be a shared language of healing.
That realization led me to pursue esthetics, and eventually, my path brought me to Georgia. While makeup had been my foundation, brows—something that had always come naturally to me—became my focus. Once I leaned into that calling, everything aligned. Brows became not just my specialty, but my medium.
Today, my work is about creating intentional spaces where people can slow down, feel safe, and reconnect with themselves.
Through brow care, I offer moments of stillness, conversation, rest, and restoration. I hold the trust my clients place in me with deep reverence.
My goal has always been the same: to help people love what they see in the mirror—and feel whole in the process.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The journey itself hasn’t been hard in a way that people often expect. I’ve been blessed with an amazing clientele and with steady growth that’s taken me from booth renting to my own storefront. What I’ve learned, though, is that my ongoing work has been staying true to my purpose and ensuring it shows up in my client interactions in a way that feels subtle, natural, and intentional.
I never want my work to feel transactional- to myself or the people who sit in my chair. I don’t want to feel like I’m just doing brows.
When a client tells me they couldn’t imagine going anywhere else because they would miss the experience, or that this space feels like their special moment of rest, it reassures me that I’m on the right path. But holding space for others in this way is emotionally generous, and because of that, I have to be really intentional about my own self-care so I can continue to show up fully.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a Licensed Esthetician and Brow Specialist. I specialize in natural and restorative brow care, but my work goes far beyond the mirror.
What I do is create moments of stillness- spaces where people can rest, be seen, and feel cared for. I’m known for the calm, intentional energy I bring into every appointment and for treating beauty as something that should feel nurturing rather than performative.
What I’m most proud of is that my clients don’t just return for the results- they return for how the space makes them feel.
That’s what sets my work apart: beauty as an experience of care, not just a service.
What makes you happy?
What makes me happy is alignment—when my personal life and my work feel rooted in the same values.
On a personal level, my happiness comes from the simple things: quiet mornings, meaningful conversations, being present with my family, and permitting myself to slow down. Those moments of stillness are essential.
In my work, my happiness comes from connection. Seeing someone relax the moment they sit in my chair, or knowing they’ve found a space where they can truly exhale—that’s deeply fulfilling.
I’m most content when I know my work is serving a purpose beyond aesthetics.
Ultimately, what brings me the most joy is knowing I’ve created a life and a business that reflect who I am. When the way I live and the way I work feel honest and intentional, that’s happiness to me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thewellbrow.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewellbrow
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewellbrow
