Sheila Johnson’s third act

Note: This story first appeared on Travel Weekly

MIDDLEBURG, Virginia – As a woman of considerable means, Sheila Johnson has the luxury of choice.

The 75-year-old billionaire could choose to spend the majority of her time anywhere in the world, be it an overwater bungalow in Bora-Bora or a superyacht along the sun-drenched Amalfi Coast.

But instead, Johnson spends much of her life here in this small, rural enclave located roughly 50 miles from the nation’s capital, where she’s anchored a growing hotel brand.

This picturesque hamlet of rolling hills and horse stables is home to the Salamander Middleburg, a 340-acre resort that opened in 2013 as the first branded property in Johnson’s hospitality empire, Salamander Collection. The 168-room resort, home to both a sprawling spa and equestrian facilities, has become a magnet for Washington elites and other leisure travelers seeking a countryside escape.

The property’s success has been a catalyst for growth. Today, Salamander Collection operates six properties, including the Hotel Bennett in Charleston, South Carolina; Half Moon in Montego Bay, Jamaica; Aspen Meadows Resort in Colorado; and Innisbrook, a golf resort in Palm Harbor, Florida.

The group’s most recent addition is the Salamander Washington DC, which joined the fold in late 2022. Formerly operating as the Mandarin Oriental Washington DC, the 373-room property is close to wrapping up a top-to-bottom revamp, trading in Mandarin Oriental’s ornate, Asian-inspired aesthetic for a lighter, brighter and more contemporary look.

BET and walking through fire

Salamander isn’t the first empire Johnson has built.

Although she began her professional life as a violinist, Johnson’s rise to prominence began in 1980, when she and her then-husband Robert Johnson launched the groundbreaking TV network Black Entertainment Television (BET), addressing a glaring void in media representation for Black audiences.

Main entrance to Salamander Middleburg in Virginia

BET made history in 1991 as the first Black-owned company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Johnson broke another barrier in 2001, when the network’s $3 billion sale to Viacom made her the first Black woman in the U.S. to reach billionaire status.

Since then, her list of accomplishments has continued to grow.

Johnson is the only Black woman to have a principal shareholder stake in three professional U.S. sports teams: the NBA’s Washington Wizards, the NHL’s Washington Capitals and the WNBA’s Washington Mystics. She’s dabbled in the world of cinema, executive producing several documentaries and feature films, and she’s also known for her philanthropy, lending support to global humanitarian organizations like Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere, or CARE, an organization fighting global poverty.

Most recently, Johnson added published author to her resume. Last year, Simon & Schuster released “Walk Through Fire: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Triumph,” which delves into both her triumphs and hardships.

Many of those stories are deeply personal, including her parents’ divorce, a 33-year marriage marked by emotional abuse, the loss of a child and her battle with depression.

Professionally, Johnson details her struggles with self-doubt and the challenges of overcoming institutional racism as a Black woman in business.

But as the title suggests, Johnson has emerged from these trials stronger and more resilient. It’s a powerful theme reflected not only in her memoir but also in the Salamander name.

It stems from her farm near Middleburg, once the property of former Rhode Island governor Bruce Sund-lun. His wartime exploits — surviving a plane crash in Nazi-controlled territory and escaping to France — earned Sundlun the nickname “Salamander,” for the amphibian’s mythic ability to endure fire. That symbol of resilience and survival is a theme throughout Johnson’s memoir, and her life.

Creating connections

For Johnson, Salamander Collection represents more than just a successful and highly resilient business venture. The company is also a testament to her passion for creating spaces that foster connection and celebrate diversity.

This commitment came into sharp focus when Johnson sat down for an interview at the Salamander Middleburg in mid-August.

Hotel Bennett in Charleston, South Carolina

The interview coincided with the resort’s fourth-annual Family Reunion food festival, a four-day ticketed event celebrating Black culture and contributions to the culinary world. Johnson serves as the event’s co-host, alongside the event’s headliner, Chef Kwame Onwuachi. The partnership between Johnson and Onwuachi has flourished, expanding to the Salamander Washington DC with this fall’s launch of Onwuachi’s newest restaurant, Dogon.

Drawing roughly 1,000 attendees, this year’s festival featured an impressive roster of Black culinary talent, including TV personality Carla Hall and celebrated restaurateur Alexander Smalls.

“I stress diversity,” said Johnson, as she sat on a patio overlooking the Salamander Middleburg’s immaculate back lawn. “It’s important for me as an African American woman to be able to prove the point that we are so embedded in this country and that we need to be celebrated. Salamander is a place of celebration and love, and everyone just gets inspired when they come here.”

Throughout the Family Reunion, inspiration came in many forms. The event featured Michelin star-worthy lunches, wine tastings, spades tournaments, cooking competitions, musical performances and panel discussions on topics like women’s financial independence and preparedness.

To call this particular blend of luxury hospitality, meaningful dialogue and diverse representation unique would be an understatement.

“We’re using this resort as a vessel to be able to think out of the box and curate some of the best experiences ever,” Johnson said. “I mean, what we’ve been able to do here the past four years [with the Family Reunion] is unprecedented. No one in the whole country does what we do.”

The Salamander experience

Johnson and her team appear to have mastered the art of experiential hospitality, setting Salamander apart in a crowded industry. But innovative experiences and programming aren’t the only ingredients in the company’s secret sauce, Johnson said, pointing to personalization and community engagement as key pillars.

“It’s not just coming and checking in,” she said. “I always ask my front desk, my general manager and the management team to do a little bit of homework. See what these guests really like. What should we put in their rooms when they come in? Should I be there to greet them, especially if I know them or we have a connection in some way?”

For Johnson, however, guest satisfaction isn’t the be-all and end-all. She champions what she calls the “double bottom line” approach — a business model that aims to achieve both financial returns and positive social impact.

Aspen Meadows Resort in Colorado

“We always have to reach out into the community,” Johnson said. “I have to go into these communities, whether it’s giving speeches or raising money for charity or a school — I have to be there. That’s really, really important.”

Johnson’s commitment to diversity has also emerged as a key differentiator at a time when the broader hospitality sector’s enthusiasm for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs has started to fade.

“DEI is drying up quickly,” she said. “I’ve known many people that have been hired for DEI and they’ve now lost their jobs, because [their companies are] just checking a box. There’s a certain culture that has to be demonstrated within companies, and if you’re going to do it, do it right. Do it with passion and authenticity, because if you don’t, people can see right through it.”

Looking toward Salamander Collection’s future, Johnson remains committed to growth, but not at the expense of the high standards she’s set for the brand.

“Every week, we get presented with ideas, [but] I want to find a place that I know not only we can build our brand but also where I feel comfortable and the staff feels comfortable getting into the community and doing what we’re doing here,” she said. “If it’s not the right fit, it’s not going to work.”

That’s not to say that Salamander Collection takes a one-size-fits-all approach to expansion.

“I don’t like cookie-cutter ideas, because then it’s boring,” Johnson said. “Every one of our properties is different when you walk in the door, but you can still feel the Salamander presence and what our value systems are about.”

The promise of hospitality

Given the Salamander Middleburg’s proximity to Washington, the discussion inevitably touched on political matters.

“I’m in my third act: first as a concert violinist, teacher and orchestra director; second [was] BET. And third, now, I’m in the hospitality business. This is the happiest part of my life.”

Sheila Johnson

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Johnson is acutely aware of the impact that the upcoming election could have on the country at large.

“We’re entering the most contentious election year ever, I think,” she said.

Despite this, Johnson remains optimistic about the future, particularly when it comes to the next generation of voters and leaders.

“For the first time, we are reaching that younger generation,” she said. “They’re the future, and we have got to bring up a new power base.”

During one evening, the election was thrust into the spotlight as Johnson took the festival stage to read a letter from vice president and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.

In the letter, which was addressed to the event’s attendees, Harris thanked Onwuachi and Johnson for celebrating the contributions of Black hospitality professionals and showcasing the industry’s progress toward a more inclusive and equitable future.

“To all those convened today: Your creativity, innovation and dedication help create prosperity and opportunity throughout the industry and across our nation,” Harris wrote. “A hospitality industry is vital to strengthening our economy [and creating] welcoming spaces for communities to come together.”

It’s that ability to bring people together that seems to keep Johnson hooked on hospitality.

“Meeting all of these incredible personalities and different people coming from all over the country — for them to come here and see what I created, this is what gives me so much enjoyment,” Johnson said.

Indeed, it’s the happiness of others that appears to be Johnson’s greatest reward. During an onstage conversation with CBS News contributor Nancy Giles, Johnson told the audience that it’s her latest stage of life as hotelier that has brought her the most joy.

“I’m in my third act: first as a concert violinist, teacher and orchestra director; second [was] BET,” said Johnson. “And third, now, I’m in the hospitality business. This is the happiest part of my life.”

Johnson said she hopes that this three-act journey, with all its highs and lows, can serve as an inspiration to others. She dedicated “Walk Through Fire,” her memoir, to “all the women who’ve walked through fire and lived to tell about it.”

Addressing the audience, Johnson elaborated on this metaphor.

“We have all walked through some kind of fire,” she said. “It may be little flames, it may be big flames, but we have all experienced adversity. It’s the only way you can grow. You need to learn to fail. Don’t quit there. If that path isn’t going to work, learn to walk another path.”