Successful Partnerships: Channon and Daniel Johnston

- By Nick May, Photography by Savannah Dean

Daniel and Channon Johnston are locals. Like, woven-into-the-fabric locals. When they say they’re from Panama City, they mean it. They are able to chronicle their early years, staffing one of the beach’s famous summer tourist attractions or working at their family’s legendary barbecue joint.
Daniel, who grew up skating the sidewalks and alleyways along Panama City’s Historic Downtown corridor, is the founder and owner of Relief Skate Supply (previously located next to C&G Sporting Goods). It’s a retail store, specializing in skateboarding gear and everyday apparel.
His wife, Channon, started Hue; a full-service salon and boutique that also offers massages and facials, in addition to specialized hair services.
Together, Daniel and Channon own and operate Main Street Buildings, overseeing the rental of a set of newly-renovated apartments, located just above where their businesses now reside, at 229 Harrison Avenue. The Johnstons hope to see downtown populated with homes and “mom and pop” businesses like their own one day.

PC Living: How did the two of you meet?
Channon: [laughs] PC Living: Why is she laughing?
Daniel: She laughs at everything.
Channon: We met through friends, eight or nine years ago.
PC Living: Do you have any kids?
Channon: Yes, a seven-year-old boy named Jack.
PC Living: Do you have any special traditions or rituals for Valentine’s Day?
Channon: We normally just go to dinner the day before or the day after.
Daniel: We skip the madness.
PC Living: What was your first job?

Daniel: Well, my stepfather started Smitty’s Barbecue, so I worked there helping with catering when I was eleven, and then I started working at the restaurant every week when I was 12, until I was about 17.
Channon: My first job…my parents opened up this business on the beach, called Cliffhanger. It was a rock-climbing wall and I would just help them check people out.
PC Living: Who was the first to go into business, out of the two of you?
Channon: Daniel.
Daniel: Originally, I started working at a skateboard shop in Lynn Haven, called Xtremely Board, and eventually became part owner of it. I’ve been in retail 16 years. At a certain point, I decided it was either time to buy it out or start my own thing.
Channon: I started doing hair in 2005, and then I opened the salon in 2011, so about five years ago.
Daniel: She opened up her store about a month after I opened mine. I wanted to be downtown, because that’s where I grew up skateboarding.
Channon: Yeah, and I started coming down here more and loved it, so I decided to open up near him. It was something I always wanted to do-have a salon. When Daniel and I met, we were so like-minded in that sense.
PC Living: Do you go to each other for advice?
Channon: Yes, I ask him all the time. He has more experience than I do, because he’s pretty much been doing it for 15 years.
PC Living: How does it work on a daily basis?
Daniel: I get up early, take Jack to school, and then I’m here about eight o’clock to start my day. Channon’s usually about an hour behind me.
Channon: I come in and start about nine or ten.
Daniel: We basically do our own thing.
Channon: We do get to go eat lunch together and see each other throughout the day.
Daniel: She won’t leave me alone. [Laughs] We also have an adjoining back patio, so we have this whole area that her employees and my employees share.
PC Living: How do you handle disagreements or objections about the other’s business?
Daniel: Kicking and screaming [laughs].
Channon: We haven’t really had too many disagreements.
Daniel: We just make it work.
Channon: Yeah, we just think about it and talk it out. You know, there’s some things that he might want more, and I’ll be like, “fine…” We always work it out.
Daniel: If she’s really passionate about it, I kind of just let her take over.
Channon: He pretty much lets me take over most of the time, yeah.
Daniel: But when I’m really passionate about something, I just tell her that’s the way it’s going to be, because I let her get her way pretty much every other time. [laughs] PC Living: What’s one business principle you’ve learned from the other?
Channon: Daniel has taught me to never let anyone change my mind.
Daniel: I’m hardheaded. I’m a skateboarder, so people have always told me that I can’t do stuff. She’s taught me to stay focused, stay on track. She’s the go-getter.
Channon: If he asks me if we should do something, I’m like, we’re doing it!
Daniel: She’s handled a lot of the business side with the contractor. When someone asks me something, I’m usually like, “Dude I don’t even know. Go ask my wife.” She definitely inspires me every day.
PC Living: Is it tough to keep the business talk to a minimum at home?
Daniel: She gets something in her head, and doesn’t know when to turn it off…
Channon: Yeah, I can’t stop until I actually do it.
Daniel: I usually tell her, this is it, you have five seconds, and that’s it. When I leave, I’m done. I’m like, okay, that’s more than I want to talk about. Let’s do something fun.
PC Living: How many employees do you each have?
Channon: I have 13 employees who work for me.
Daniel: It’s usually just me and another guy. We have a skate team, so they’re always here helping out, but it’s pretty much mom and pop.
PC Living: What are your individual strengths and weaknesses working together?
Channon: Our weakness is our stubbornness, for sure.
Daniel: And our strength.
Channon: Yeah, another strength is doing stuff together. Together, we can accomplish more. Teamwork makes the dream work! [laughs] PC Living: Have there been any special achievements in your business that would not have happened had it not been for the other one being involved?
Channon: We wouldn’t have been able to purchase this building.
Daniel: I was a skateboarder downtown, so going from being a renter to an owner and being able to invest back into downtown was awesome. Another thing is bringing some living back downtown.
PC Living: What are your goals both personally and for your businesses?
Channon: We want to try to purchase another building downtown and redo it. We want to do this again and hopefully with more apartments.
PC Living: How about individually?
Channon: I don’t know, my dream was what I just did with the salon, so…
Daniel: I’m just trying to maintain, as of now. Keep my sanity, [laughs] but any time there’s a building or something downtown or something comes up, that’s when our eyes light up. For myself, I’m super happy where I’m at, trying to bring more retail downtown. We want to be a positive influence on the area.
PC Living: Do you have tips for couples in business or going into business together?
Channon: If you’re going into different businesses, keep it separate and stay sane. If it’s together, have your roles and respect each other’s opinions.
Daniel: I would just say, good luck. [laughs] It’s a lot of work.

Relief Skate Supply is located at 229 Harrison Ave, Panama City
reliefskatesupply.com
Hue Salon is located at 231 Harrison Ave, Panama City
huesalonandboutique.com