By Freda Freeman
Correspondent
RALEIGH – Wendy Johnson has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, master’s in public health nutrition, and a Ph.D. in public health nutrition and health policy. She has taught at colleges in North Carolina and Maryland, worked as a scientist for the National Institutes of Health, and worked in corporate affairs for Gerber and Nestle.
Steering in a new direction, Johnson now owns a Midas franchise.
After retiring in 2021, Johnson read about the need for tradespeople and decided to buy a business. She figured the automotive repair industry was recession proof because “people will always need their cars.” In September, Johnson opened a Midas shop on Capital Boulevard.
Johnson acknowledges she had to overcome the hurdle of being in a nontraditional field. “I’m definitely in a man’s world. The guys are surprised; several want to know why. The women are like ‘girl power.’ It’s definitely different. I said, ‘Lord, just let me make it six months,’ and now, I’m, ‘Lord, just let me make it to September and I’ll have a year under my belt.’ I have no intention of leaving, but it’s hard, very hard,” she said.
Just as Johnson trusts that she has surrounded herself with the right people for the job, she wants the community to trust in her. She said she works hard to earn and keep her customers’ trust. “When I went to get my car fixed, if I liked the people, I went back. I had to have a relationship with my mechanic. That is what I’m trying to instill in my shop. People are depending on you to get their family back and forth, to get back and forth to work, so you are important in their lives,” she said.
Running her own business has gained Johnson a higher level of respect for Black entrepreneurs. Competition is stiff, but Johnson is encouraged by the reception she gets from Black customers.
Demetrius Crandall, who recently stopped by Johnson’s Midas shop to have his car checked before heading home to Maryland, said he thinks anyone who goes there will leave a satisfied customer.
“Yes, it’s correct to say I’m a customer after meeting her. We’re looking to move to North Carolina. I told her, ‘you know what, I need a mechanic down here, a service shop, you’re going to be it.’ …Just to see a Black businesswoman owning anything, I’m here to support her,” he said.
Store manager Ray Suerez said there was a shift in the work environment when Johnson took over. He said she fosters an environment where the employees want to come to work.
“There are more women out there that can run a good business like this and run it in a great environment. I think a lot of the customers see that as well. She’s out there, she talks with the customers when they come in, she shakes the customer’s hand, she introduces herself as the owner of the business,” Suerez said.
Johnson said she also wants her shop to be known for giving people a second chance. She will consider hiring people that others may not.
“We know so many of our people have been disenfranchised by the prison system, so I wanted a place where people could get a trade, have a good living and get on with their life,” she said. “I start from the premise that people are good and, in the right setting and right situation, we can help them. We can’t throw people away.”
