Janelle Johnson
Woman of Faith & Fashion
Woman of Faith & Fashion
by Rodney Wayne Branche
Copa Style Magazine's Publisher/CEO
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Copa: Where are you from?
Janelle: I am from Hampton, Virginia. I usually follow that response by saying, “And, no, I did not go to Hampton University.”😊 Copa: How was life growing up in Hampton, VA?
Janelle: To be quite honest with you, I can only describe it as blessed. I had and still have wonderful supportive parents. It was understood, never said, but understood that mediocrity was not an option for me. The standards for living were relatively high in our household, but I was a very motivated child and never needed much “parental-pushing” to succeed. Hampton is a historic area with a heavy military experience. For example, there is Fort Monroe, Fort Eustis, and the Norfolk Naval Base is nearby. With Jamestown and Williamsburg being so close by, there is a rich sense of history. It is a tourist area. However, I would be remised if I did not speak about the awful legacy of slavery and the landmarks that remind of us of that dark period. My mother is a graduate of Hampton University (it was Hampton Institute back then). I have fond memories of her taking me to see Emancipation Oak and teaching me the history lesson about Emancipation Oak. |
Copa: Have you always been a great communicator?
Janelle: First, let me thank you for suggesting that I am a great communicator. I firmly believe that we learn to communicate and gain our communications skills from our family interactions. I place great emphasis on family because the basis of who we are and how we operate in the world comes from the foundational experiences and the support we feel from our families. In my family, we were very open to communicate about our feelings, our thoughts or the struggles we may face. We operated as a very strong unit. It doesn’t mean that we were perfect, but we are strong communicators. I think that is one of the reasons that we are still close today. We use words to communicate how we feel. In some families,people use behaviors to convey how they feel. Therefore, I believe we first learn how to communicate by our early interactions within our families. Also, my undergraduate degree is in communications with an emphasis in Broadcast Journalism. I am sure that helps too. |
Copa: How did you end up in the Washington, DC area?
Janelle: After graduating high school in Hampton, Virginia, I earned a track scholarship to the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. After two years in Illinois, I decided to transfer to George Mason University with a full scholarship in track and field. That was my introduction to the Washington DC Metro area. After graduating college, I landed a job with a radio station in Hampton, VA as a radio announcer and after a year, I decided to switch careers. It was the height of the dot.com boom, and I landed a position with a tech consulting company. I’ve been in the DC Metro area ever since. What is amazing about Washington DC is the diversity of industry. Here we have a plethora of government agencies, nonprofit organizations and the private companies. Some industry analysts have suggested that the Washington DC area can be immune to extreme hardship when there is an economic downturn because there are different industries in the area. The diverse representation of the population makes Washington DC a great area not only to visit but to live. Copa: How would you describe your special 'relationship with God?'
Janelle: I believe that everyone can have a special relationship with God. The great thing about God is that He loves everyone. Scripture records that he is “no respecter of persons.”With that, yes, I do believe I have a special relationship with God because he understands my personality and unique gifts. My faith is rooted in Christianity. I became a Christian at five years old. My father was a pastor and as you can imagine, I grew up in church. Christian ideals and principles were always reinforced in our home. Even though my father was a minister, I was always felt that I had a relationship with God separate and apart from who my father was and his vocation. I always felt that God was with me and His protective presence covered me. At five years old, I decided I wanted to be a Christian. I remember watching Christian programming as a child and felt that a relationship with God should not be reserved for only adults. Children should also have a right to have a relationship with God. Even as a child I believed in equality. 😊My mother has often joked that I always had an independent streak. I always felt that there was nothing that I could not accomplish if I kept God first in my life. I always felt like no matter what challenges I faced, that my faith in God would carry me through it. 
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Copa: What is your philosophy on faith?
Janelle: I believe faith is that engine that keeps driving you to pursue that which is calling you into purpose. Sometimes to accomplish great things you only need a little faith. I believe that there is something innately hardwired in us to believe in someone greater then ourselves. That feeling can only be fulfilled with God. Sometimes people try to fulfill that void with substance abuse or other harmful indulgences.I wholeheartedly believe there’s a certain part of our humanity that can only be fulfilled with a relationship with God. When discussing matters of faith or faith traditions, I believe it should to be discussed with a great degree of sensitivity. When you’re talking about someone’s faith, you’re talking about their reason for living and their reason for showing up in life. 
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Copa: Let’s speak about fashion for a moment, when did you develop your special sense of style?
Janelle: Believe it or not, I learned about fashion by watching the beautiful women at church. I remember Sunday mornings being like a majestic fashion show. The women were adorned with these beautiful hats and beautiful clothes. I learned how to wear hats by watching the women in church. I am a southern woman at heart and believe that there is something stately and feminine about a woman wearing a beautiful hat, especially in church. Quite recently, I read an article about Andre Leon Talley, former editor of Vogue Magazine, who proudly admitted that he learned about fashion by watching women in church.
In full disclosure, I will admit that my parents were a bit strict. I would spend a lot of time at home reading, specifically reading fashion magazines. I learned about hair, makeup and clothes by watching and reading magazines. My mother was a strict disciplinarian and believed it was fitting to exhibit proper decorum and appropriate attire. It is with gleeful nostalgia that I remember sometimes coordinating my mother’s outfits for church on Sunday mornings. I’m proud to say that those outfits would garner her the most compliments. Those were some of my proudest moments.
I believe there’s a strong correlation between your faith and your fashion because how you present yourself can be a strong indication of where and far you go in life. How you present yourself is indication of where you believe you’re going.
The time you take to prepare and present yourself can have a tremendous impact on the type of audiences that you are exposed to and it’s also an indication of how much you believe in yourself which is also rooted in your faith.
Janelle: Believe it or not, I learned about fashion by watching the beautiful women at church. I remember Sunday mornings being like a majestic fashion show. The women were adorned with these beautiful hats and beautiful clothes. I learned how to wear hats by watching the women in church. I am a southern woman at heart and believe that there is something stately and feminine about a woman wearing a beautiful hat, especially in church. Quite recently, I read an article about Andre Leon Talley, former editor of Vogue Magazine, who proudly admitted that he learned about fashion by watching women in church.
In full disclosure, I will admit that my parents were a bit strict. I would spend a lot of time at home reading, specifically reading fashion magazines. I learned about hair, makeup and clothes by watching and reading magazines. My mother was a strict disciplinarian and believed it was fitting to exhibit proper decorum and appropriate attire. It is with gleeful nostalgia that I remember sometimes coordinating my mother’s outfits for church on Sunday mornings. I’m proud to say that those outfits would garner her the most compliments. Those were some of my proudest moments.
I believe there’s a strong correlation between your faith and your fashion because how you present yourself can be a strong indication of where and far you go in life. How you present yourself is indication of where you believe you’re going.
The time you take to prepare and present yourself can have a tremendous impact on the type of audiences that you are exposed to and it’s also an indication of how much you believe in yourself which is also rooted in your faith.
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Copa: What is your definition of image where it relates to projecting personality and purpose?
Janelle: In the age of social media and airbrushing, the definition of “image”can be a misleading term. However, I believe your image is what you project and what you project should be aligned with your purpose.
Discovering your purpose directly impacts your image because when you walk in your purpose, your authentic self and the “Who” of who God created you to be shines brightly. When people do not know their purpose, they project images of what they think they should be or what people want them to be. That image is utterly inauthentic, unproductive, and a waste of time.
One of my favorite theologians said, “The graveyard is the wealthiest place because there are people who died without fulfilling their purpose and never discovering their true potential.”
Janelle: In the age of social media and airbrushing, the definition of “image”can be a misleading term. However, I believe your image is what you project and what you project should be aligned with your purpose.
Discovering your purpose directly impacts your image because when you walk in your purpose, your authentic self and the “Who” of who God created you to be shines brightly. When people do not know their purpose, they project images of what they think they should be or what people want them to be. That image is utterly inauthentic, unproductive, and a waste of time.
One of my favorite theologians said, “The graveyard is the wealthiest place because there are people who died without fulfilling their purpose and never discovering their true potential.”
Copa: At what time did you decide to become a Pastor?
Janelle: I am not a pastor, but I serve on a ministerial staff. I was licensed to preach in 2008 and officially ordained in the AME denomination in 2012. I am a reverend.
I struggled with becoming a preacher. Like so many others, I saw preaching as very masculine. I can distinctly remember hearing my paternal grandmother say to me when I was about seven years old, “You know baby, preaching is just for the men.” Even though I was exposed to a lot of female preachers, I often saw women abandon their femininity when they served in that capacity.
Because I am a very feminine woman, I did not want to abandon my femininity. Then one day as I was meditating and praying, it dawned on me that I did not have to abandon my femininity to serve as an ordained minister. I can be powerful, effective, fashionable and feminine.
Janelle: I am not a pastor, but I serve on a ministerial staff. I was licensed to preach in 2008 and officially ordained in the AME denomination in 2012. I am a reverend.
I struggled with becoming a preacher. Like so many others, I saw preaching as very masculine. I can distinctly remember hearing my paternal grandmother say to me when I was about seven years old, “You know baby, preaching is just for the men.” Even though I was exposed to a lot of female preachers, I often saw women abandon their femininity when they served in that capacity.
Because I am a very feminine woman, I did not want to abandon my femininity. Then one day as I was meditating and praying, it dawned on me that I did not have to abandon my femininity to serve as an ordained minister. I can be powerful, effective, fashionable and feminine.
Copa: What does the future hold for the interesting life journey of Janelle Johnson?
Janelle: What does the future hold for Janelle? Well, I do not believe in putting limits on what God can do. So, I will say this: Whatever doors God opens for me, I’m going to walk through them.
In the immediate future, I am focused on continuing the following: My federal government career as a Career Professional working in the Office of the Secretary of a cabinet level agency, serving as a commissioner as the Vice Chair of the Prince George’s County Human Relations Commission, and serving as an ordained minister (on the ministerial staff) at Reid Temple AME Church.
Also, on September 15th, I will speak at a Women’s Conference in Maryland with the theme “A Spiritual Makeover: What are You Hiding Under Your Make Up.” At the conference, I will speak about seeing yourself the way God sees you andwill also speak out against domestic violence. Having experienced domestic violence one time, I am passionate about helping people see themselves as deserving only God’s best. If you instinctively know that you deserve God’s best, you will not remain in a relationship or marriage where someone abuses you emotionally or physically.
I wrote a book entitled, Is He Spiritual: You Deserve Only God’s Best. In the book, I detail about a one-time domestic violence experience I had and the wisdom and insight I gleaned from the experience. I also talk about a life-changing and powerful experience at the 2016 Democratic National Convention while on that intensely emotional journey.
I do believe my purpose is to help people see themselves the way that God sees them...as more than conquerors and bursting with abundant potential.
Finally, I will live out loud my life’s theme: Love God, Serve Humanity and do it all in style.
Janelle: What does the future hold for Janelle? Well, I do not believe in putting limits on what God can do. So, I will say this: Whatever doors God opens for me, I’m going to walk through them.
In the immediate future, I am focused on continuing the following: My federal government career as a Career Professional working in the Office of the Secretary of a cabinet level agency, serving as a commissioner as the Vice Chair of the Prince George’s County Human Relations Commission, and serving as an ordained minister (on the ministerial staff) at Reid Temple AME Church.
Also, on September 15th, I will speak at a Women’s Conference in Maryland with the theme “A Spiritual Makeover: What are You Hiding Under Your Make Up.” At the conference, I will speak about seeing yourself the way God sees you andwill also speak out against domestic violence. Having experienced domestic violence one time, I am passionate about helping people see themselves as deserving only God’s best. If you instinctively know that you deserve God’s best, you will not remain in a relationship or marriage where someone abuses you emotionally or physically.
I wrote a book entitled, Is He Spiritual: You Deserve Only God’s Best. In the book, I detail about a one-time domestic violence experience I had and the wisdom and insight I gleaned from the experience. I also talk about a life-changing and powerful experience at the 2016 Democratic National Convention while on that intensely emotional journey.
I do believe my purpose is to help people see themselves the way that God sees them...as more than conquerors and bursting with abundant potential.
Finally, I will live out loud my life’s theme: Love God, Serve Humanity and do it all in style.
~Copa