From Group Economics to Online Business

It was on October 6, 2024 that Ashley Johnson got the surprise of her life. Entrepreneur and Owner of Slutty Vegan Pinky Cole was given $10,000 from SheaMoisture to support her group economic efforts. Cole helps individuals bring their entrepreneurial dreams to flourishment by sourcing graphic designers, feedback, and more from her social media audience. This time around, Cole had the goal of helping an individual who was a non-entrepreneur become an entrepreneur. She selected Johnson making Johnson the fourth business in Cole’s group economic experiments.

Once Johnson was selected by Cole and was immediately put to work. Johnson has a decade of construction industry experience working on projects ranging from healthcare to higher education and office. For years, she’s wanted to create more access for women in construction and now she’s doing so through the help and support of Cole.

“I wanted to create the space for the next generation of women that needed a guide and need someone to walk them through the path of construction,” said Johnson.

As a first-time business owner, Johnson now owns Scaling Women in Construction (SWIC), an online membership-based educational platform for both women looking to be in construction and women already in construction. Cole’s social media audience created the name of the business, the design of the logo, trademarked the business, provided headshots, and so much more to help Johnson on her entrepreneurial journey. The SheaMoisture grant was used as seed money to launch SWIC.

SWIC will allow Johnson to help educate women on how to grow in the construction industry.

“Helping every woman in the business elevate just not beyond being a service provider but eventually into ownership and equity, and really getting the fruitages of construction because there’s a lot to be made here,” said Johnson.

SWIC Launch Party

Cole hosted a launch party for SWIC so Johnson could celebrate with friends, family, and her online supporters. The launch party was held on December 2, 2024 at Cole’s establishment Bar Vegan inside the Ponce City Market in Atlanta. SWIC’s platform officially launched on November 30, 2024 and already has 10 paid members.

“I appreciate this moment,” said Johnson.

“I have over a million followers and I couldn’t have found a better person,” said Cole about selecting Johnson.

Cole said that Johnson makes entrepreneurship look easier and that she was just a vessel for Johnson to bring her idea to life.

“You ever just know someone who just got it?” asked Cole. “Ashley got it!”

SWIC Membership Benefits

The SWIC platform is still in its beta stage with memberships being $50 a month or $600 for the year. Membership prices are expected to increase.

Paid members will have access to the online platform which will include monthly sessions, workshops, courses, webinars, and more. The platform is backed by AI.

SWIC will offer its first course called, “The Chief and Playbook” which will provide guidance on how to become a general contractor. More courses will be available as the platform continues to expand. In the future, members will have opportunities to get paid to teach courses on the platform.

SWIC will also serve as a connector for women in construction to share ideas, feedback, and mentorship. In the morning before the launch party, Johnson sent out a text message to the first members to encourage them through affirmations.

“I’m trying to rebrand what it looks like to be a woman in construction,” said Johnson.

SWIC will occasionally host in-person sessions. Johnson also plans to create a SWIC advisory board to ensure the platform reaches its full potential.

“Pinky has taught me, if I can say it in one word, is to move. Whatever it is, just make a step, make a bite, take a slice, whatever it is just move. Just keep moving and the momentum will build,” said Johnson. “A lot of times I think you get stuck in your mind about things and you don’t make that first move. The first step is the most important step.”