PHOENIX — Through writing her memoir, Sheila Johnson said she came to view her life in three acts.
The first when she was a struggling young artist, a violinist. The second act as a young wife and mother who helped launch BET, one of the most successful TV channels in operation. Her third, which she likened to coming out of a chrysalis, as a remarried woman who took a dream of a resort and turned it into a full company.
Johnson, founder and CEO of the Salamander Collection, spoke at the recent Lodging Conference to accept the Peggy Berg Castell Award during a fireside chat.
“What is more, I've tried to build an environment at my company that, more than anything, empowers women and provides them for a very real pathway of success,” she said. “I try and recognize talent and support all young people, both men and women, to become the very best versions of themselves and create growth opportunities and upward mobility for the best of them, so that they, like me, might find a home in this incredible industry.”
One of the most important pieces of advice Johnson said she can give is to not be afraid of making mistakes and, more importantly, not to regret them. Mistakes are how people evolve and progress professionally.
“Secondly, we must embrace adversity,” she said. “Adversity builds courage, and courage is the root of change. Wounds build wisdom, and wounds only heal with the truth. Develop the courage to speak up, because we as women in this industry must understand that we must never back down from making our voices heard.”
She also advised to staying true to personal values, having a sense of purpose and trusting one’s own instincts.
“Be very careful who you bring around into your environment,” she said. “Make sure that the people that do come around you respect you and believe in you, and they don't come in with their own agenda.”
Starting Salamander
After selling BET, Johnson said she was trying to figure out what to do with her life. She moved out of Washington, D.C., to Virginia’s countryside, finding herself in Middleburg where she saw the potential in a 340-acre property to become a hotel. The town itself was in financial trouble, and she saw her new venture as a way of helping the community as well.
“I knew immediately that if I built this resort, it was going to become the economic engine that was going to really help the town,” she said.
It was a struggle, though. Early on, Johnson said she knew she would encounter roadblocks. After hosting a party for the resort, she saw signs alongside a road that said “Don’t BET Middleburg.”
“It took 10 years,” she said. “It was the fight of my life. I thought the divorce was rough. Just getting the entitlements to be able to build this resort was an eye-opening experience. It was not only about my gender, but it was also about my race, and it was something I had to fight through, and I had to make it work.”
During this, Johnson hired Prem Devadas as president to help serve as another voice for the project. Hiring the best team was a crucial move, as she was still new to the hospitality industry. The leadership team is still with her.
“I don't give up easily on anything,” she said. “I had done a complete feasibility study, and I knew that if I built it, people would come, and that's exactly what has happened.”
She opened the 168-key Salamander Middleburg in 2013, the first of several luxury hotels operating across the U.S. and in Jamaica. The most recent to open is the 373-key Salamander Washington D.C., formerly the Mandarin Oriental Washington D.C.
Another change Johnson made in the town was to a local gun shop that displayed a Confederate flag in its window.
“It didn’t sit well with me,” she said. “So, what did I do? I bought it, because I needed it to not exist anymore.”
The gun shop is now a market in the town.
Being a mentor
Johnson said she loves being a mentor, and for her, that means putting in the work. She has been teaching hospitality and sports at the University of South Carolina. She also put 50 students from under-served communities through the Harvard Kennedy School.
Because she prefers to get involved more than just writing checks, Johnson said she takes mentorship to a different level.
“They call me Mama J because I am there with them most of the time,” she said.
Johnson said she believes in creating a safety net for students, to be there for them to share their problems and help them through. She would have them stay at her resorts, go on retreats and meet with role models, such as the late John Lewis, a U.S. congressman, and Mellody Hobson, president and co-CEO of Ariel Investments and the chairwoman of Starbucks.
Some of these students went on to join law firms and become doctors. They have families now, and she stays involved in their lives.
“That's a different kind of mentorship that is purposeful,” she said. “I just don't like someone calling me on the phone, ‘Give me some advice here.’ I need to know who you are. I need to know what motivates you. I want to know how I can really change your life.”
For new hoteliers
It’s important students come into the hotel industry with their eyes wide open and lots of energy, Johnson said.
“I’ve seen more students not make it in this industry because they don’t understand work,” she said. “It’s not just 9 to 5. It is 24/7, and you’re going to live and breathe this industry.
“You want to become vested with whomever you’re going to be working with. You want to understand their value system. You want to understand and get to know everyone in management. Really put yourself out there and make sure that this is what you really want to do.”
As a hotel owner, Johnson said she is sometimes in the office until 2 a.m. for a project. There are so many things that are involved in the industry, so young hoteliers need to make sure they know what they’re doing when they start their careers.
Learning the ropes is the only way they’ll be able to evolve and progress up the ladder, she said. Owners and other executives watch employees carefully, and they can recognize talent as well as slackers.
“What we will do is we embrace that talent,” she said. “We will take you under our wing and help you evolve and really move up the ladders in this industry.”