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

Hi Johnnetta, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I started Imaracosmeticz after I survived domestic violence and sexual assault. I didn’t want to just give my brand a “regular” “common” name so I took the time to find a name with meaning. “Imara” stands for “strength and prosperity” which is something that I didn’t have at the time but I was speaking it into existence and I wanted the people who use my brand to not only cultivate their outer beauty but also their inner beauty as well. Also, the purpose of Imaracosmeticz is to help women not only speak positivity but to also believe it.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Imaracosmeticz is more than cosmetics. The brand itself will be setup to expand into more domestic violence and sexual assault shelters to help women not only feel beautiful about themselves but to also assist them with finding their new place in society as a new, strong woman.

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.
If my friend were to visit Houston, I would start the morning with breakfast at the Breakfast Club. After we leave the Breakfast Club, I would then take them on a tour of the city. Lunch would be seafood on the Kema boardwalk and dinner will be at Ruth Chris. The night would end downtown.

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 would like to give a shout-out to Ms Mya James of the Mya James foundation. Mya has been very instrumental in pushing me to keep going when I wanted to quit. Mya’s foundation has also helped me and my daughter when times were hard. I also want to give a shout-out to my daughter for being there with and for her mother. Me Keira Stoker and Debra Carver. Both ladies were my very first customers and have continuously support me before anyone else. Last but not least, Artist George Phelps of Skytrues who is a phenomenal artist who assisted in some of the artistic direction for my first official model shoot for my brand. Skytrues is also an awesome brand of custom art and designs.

Website: www.imaracosmeticz.com

Instagram: http://www.Instagram.com/msjohnnetta42

Image Credits
Model Photos : Calvin Brockington Artistry

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