Meet Stephanie Johnson: Entrepreneur/Creative Director

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

Hi Stephanie, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
My thought process behind starting my own business was really me just wanting to create a brand that stood for something more than just clothing. I wanted to incorporate positivity and realness within my business and not just produce clothing that was like any other brand.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I created the brand H.A.N.D Da Brand in 2020. It was an idea of mine to start and small little streetwear brand, and of course expand it, for a while. The acronym H.A.N.D stands for Have A Nice Day and what sets my brand apart from other brands is what it represents. It’s not only a reminder to Have A Nice Day but it’s also a statement for promoting positivity and basically showing people that no matter what goes on today, tomorrow, or in life in general, enjoy the day and everyday you live. I think enjoying yourself and being yourself go hand in hand with fashion. It was not easy getting to where I am today, I still have a long way to go but I know that if I push through I will persevere. If it’s one thing I learned on this journey is that it goes a long way when you’re authentic and that’s something that I’ve always remembered and try to keep in mind when thinking about the business. I want people to know the brand and know the person/persons behind the brand. I plan on not only expanding the brand professionally but also exploring my options as an entrepreneur in other creative fields I take an interest like creative direction, modeling, and STYLING (styling project coming soon 😉 )

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m a very chill person and those are the type of people I hang around as well. If my Bestfriend was visiting Atlanta the first thing on our itinerary is definitely mimosa LOL. I would take her to a nice little brunch spot like Breakfast At Barney’s or The Real Milk & Honey. After that we’re going shopping. I’d take her to some of my favorite vintage/consignment shops like Full Circle ATL, or GoodTimes ATL then we could hang out on the beltline and have lunch and at night we could go to a drive in movie, to my favorite bowling alley, to a hookah lounge, or even go to Andretti’s. I’m a kid at heart and so are the people I hang with so clubbing wouldn’t be our seen something chill and fun would be!

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’d like to dedicate my shoutout my close friends and family, of course, who have always supported me and to my partner in crime @liksk8hoe who motivated me to jump start the business. I’d also like to dedicate my shoutout to one of my best friends @amy.kouv who has been an influence for me when it came to me wanting to start my own business as well as always sharing her gems with me.

Website: Handdabrand.com

Instagram: 1ksteph

Twitter: 1ksteph

Facebook: Stephanie Johnson