Sitting on a stool in the bustling nutrition shop she co-owns with her sister, Chloe Johnson Stokes seems blissfully unaware that for most 23-year-olds, owning one business — let alone two — is anything but typical.
The Johnson family has long been a fixture in Meridian’s business scene. Still, Stokes chose a different path, pursuing a nursing degree at the University of West Alabama, where she earned her Associate of Science in Nursing in 2022 and completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in August 2024.
While at the university, she stumbled upon Twisted Tiger tea shop in downtown Livingston, Alabama.
“I always saw the potential to grow the business and make it a more appealing atmosphere for college students and the community,” she recalled.
With determination and her savings, Stokes and her sister, Emma Grace Johnson, purchased the shop in 2023, rebranding it as Livingston Nutrition. Recently, she stepped up as sole proprietor of a second location, Lakeshore Nutrition, at Dalewood Shore Lakes in Lauderdale, where her mom also offers yoga classes.
“Having a lot on my plate motivates me,” she said, reflecting on her mother’s suggestion to open another shop. “I was all in.”
While Livingston Nutrition has thrived for over a year, Lakeshore Nutrition has only been open a month.
“It’s a different market at Dalewood, and people aren’t out and about like they are in a college town. We’re still figuring out what the community around us wants,” she said. “Recently, we introduced coffee as an option, and people seem to love it. Our goal is to help the community thrive.”
Stokes and her husband, Brad, recently bought their first house in Dalewood after relocating from Gulf Breeze, Florida. While in Florida, she drove to Meridian bi-weekly to work as an emergency department nurse at Ochsner Rush Medical Center. To her surprise, managing her businesses from afar turned out to be less complex than Stokes anticipated.
“Maddie manages Livingston Nutrition, and she is fantastic, while Sarah has been my right-hand person at Lakeshore Nutrition. She, along with my dad, his crew, and our landlord, put in hours of hard work before opening the Dalewood location. Their help has relieved a lot of pressure off me,” she said.
Balancing her demanding roles as a full-time Emergency Department nurse and a business owner fuels Stokes’ passion and energizes her.
“I love the marketing aspect of running a business,” she said, her eyes lighting up. “And I enjoy working nights at the hospital. However, I’m still figuring out what I want to do in life.”
As she navigates the busy intersections of nursing and entrepreneurship, Stokes remains excited for the future.
“I’m grateful I can explore my passions with Brad by my side and my family encouraging me to pursue my dreams,” she said. “Knowing I have a support network to help me face any challenges ahead makes me truly happy.”