EL DORADO, Ark.-It was the moment that Crystal Johnson knew she had become more firmly planted on the path toward fulfilling what she believes is a God-given assignment.
The El Dorado News-Times reports that Johnson, an El Dorado native and owner/creative director of online women's clothing store CHIC Strands Boutique, and her team had arrived last summer to the Our House homeless shelter in Little Rock to offer free makeovers to the women there.
The crew had also planned to interview a female resident for a promotional video highlighting a major project that CHIC Strands is looking to launch later this year.
Johnson said the interviewee had to leave for work, and another resident-a 45-year-old woman who had come to Our House from Texas a week and a half earlier-sat down with the team for a makeover.
Then, unprompted, she began to tell her story.
As stylist and makeup artist Sabrina B. deftly worked on the woman's hair, the woman detailed the experience of how she had escaped an abusive relationship with her boyfriend and had arrived at Our House with only the clothes she was wearing-scrubs she had gotten from the hospital.
"It was verbally abusive at first, and then it became worse. He got on drugs, and he took everything I had. My house. My vehicle he totaled. He took my dog. He took anything that you would use for beauty products and my clothes," she recounted.
From the outset, the Our House resident stated resolutely that she was starting her life over-inside and out.
A doctor had recommended that she seek out an assistance program that would help her reclaim her self-esteem. She took the advice, which led her to Our House and Chic Strands.
The interview and chance encounter signified a moment of divine reckoning for Johnson, who was so emotionally overcome that she had to take a break from filming the video to collect herself.
"She wasn't even supposed to be in the video. She told us that 30 minutes before we got there, she had prayed to God to make her over, spiritually and physically," Johnson said.
"She just started talking and told us how it made her feel better. That was confirmation for me that this was my purpose, and I was on my way to doing what I'm supposed to be doing. I thought we were just going there to do a makeover that day," Johnson said.
A 2007 graduate of El Dorado High School, Johnson earned a degree in business administration, with an emphasis in human resources, from the University of Arkansas in Little Rock.
Not long after graduating from UALR in 2012, Johnson said it became clear that she was not interested in holding down a desk job and decided to go into business for herself.
Her love of fashion stretches back to a childhood obsession with Barbie Dolls and their stylish wardrobes.
As she grew older, friends and family often turned to her to help them put together just the right look for various occasions and events.
In 2013, Chic Strands was born.
Johnson took her talent for coordinating bold colors and unique prints to Internet to help others develop their individual style with "class and pure dopeness."
She opted for an online boutique rather than a brick-and-mortar retail store to help cut down on overhead costs that come with business start-ups and to be able to broaden her customer base far beyond Arkansas.
Chic Strands quickly struck a chord with women across the globe. Johnson said the company ships orders to more than 15 countries.
While the rapid rise of the company and international recognition were rewarding fruits of the labor that Johnson had put into building Chic Strands, she found herself still searching for inner-purpose in early 2015.
To fill that void, she only had to fall back on Chic Strands' mission: to enhance and embrace the lives of women through their style and appearance, so that it may permeate inward and elevate their self-esteem.
"The idea was me wanting to combine two things I'm passionate about," Johnson said.
A love of helping others and a particularly soft spot for girls and women who suffer from low self-esteem and self-confidence sparked another idea for Johnson.
"I despise the fact that women underestimate their worth and come from a place where they're not happy with themselves because of bad things they have experienced in life, whether it be relationships, a bad childhood or they were battered," she said.
"I want to encourage them and let them know that despite what they've gone through, they're still somebody. They still have worth," Johnson continued.
Working with families who have been forced to turn to homeless shelters and programs that assist victims of domestic violence in Arkansas has motivated Johnson to help as many women as possible.
This year, Chic Strands plans to take its mission on the road with a fashion truck that will travel to cities across the country helping women rebuild their self-worth and shed insecurities that are preventing them from living their best life.
A fundraising campaign is under way to purchase a truck and outfit it with the necessary equipment and implements to offer hair and clothing services for transformative makeovers.
"A portion of our sales in each city will go to a shelter or other organization in that area that helps women in domestic abuse situations or who suffer from a lack of self-love," Johnson said.
In cities where it's permissible, Johnson said Chic Strands will also visit shelters to provide free makeovers for female clients.
The project is slated for a fall launch.
What city will Chic Strands visit first?
"We will start in El Dorado. I want the first stop to be my hometown," Johnson said.
So far, Chic Strands has reached 30 percent of its fundraising goal through online donations, money that has been mailed in and other means.
"There is no deadline. We'll take money until the project is done. This summer, we have some other plans to raise money," Johnson said.
After hearing the story of the Our House resident and seeing her self-confidence boosted with Chic Strands' help, Johnson walked away with her own makeover on that summer day in 2015.
"That's exactly how I want women to feel. I think this is my assignment from God-to encourage people through His message and His word and let them know that they have Him to turn to and you don't have to look like what you've been through," Johnson said.