After selling the Black Entertainment Television network (which she co-founded with ex-husband Robert Johnson) in 2000, Sheila Johnson embarked on an entrepreneurial journey that has seen her become one of America’s most powerful black women. The Illinois native is the country’s first black female professional sports owner—she heads the Washington Mystics and has pieces of the Washington Capitals and the Washington Wizards—and her 2-year-old Salamander Hospitality LLC in July made a splash by acquiring the Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club in Palm Harbor, Florida. Salamander also owns the 5-star Woodlands Resort and Inn in Summerville, South Carolina, and its flagship resort property is under construction in Middleburg, Virginia. The company’s management arm runs the Royal Cosmopolitan Hotel in New Orleans and the The Colosseum in Blacksburg, Virginia.

HOTELS: Was hospitality something you always wanted to try, or did it just happen?

JOHNSON: It started with a piece of land, a little under 400 acres (162 ha), that I bought in Middleburg, Virginia. After I settled on the property, I realized that with the view and the sheer beauty of the property, it would be a great place to build a hotel. I never wavered from that commitment, and sometimes in your journey you hit the jackpot. My jackpot was finding [Salamander President] Prem Devadas, who has helped me shape my company and build it. I saw an opportunity after acquiring this property. I really sort of stumbled into the business, but I have always enjoyed entertaining guests, so hospitality was a natural for me.

HOTELS: What are your goals for Salamander?

JOHNSON: More than anything, we want to be able to present to the public a quality and affordable luxury experience that offers a unique experience that is unlike anywhere else they will go. We are moving along. We have a lot on our shoulders right now, and as opportunities arrive, we examine them and decide what we are going to do. We are not in a footrace to the finish line here, and it should be noted that we are about quality and service—we are not about the greed of acquiring huge amounts of property.

Our latest endeavor was acquiring Innisbrook golf resort, which I am so excited about. We are putting a significant amount of money into bringing that property back to the great golf course that it used to be. I have never seen a property with such great bones. It is a great golf course and has great conference centers. The only thing missing is a spa, and I am determined to get that in there soon.

HOTELS: What do you look for in potential hotel investments?

JOHNSON: First of all, when I look at a property, like when I went down to Innisbrook, you want to see what about this property is so special. In many instances, I don’t want to say the properties were neglected, but they did not keep up with the special aspects of the property, and you want to see how you can make it better. You try to find out why they were so neglected. I talk with people about what happened to the property. I do my due diligence. Sometimes it takes weeks; sometimes it takes months. You have to look under the rocks and do a thorough investigation. But more than anything when I go to look at a property, it starts to speak to me and I think, 'I can turn this property around.’

HOTELS: How does running a hotel compare with running a sports team?

JOHNSON: The similarity is being able to provide your fan base or your clientele with the best quality of service. You have to really respond to the needs and wants of those people. You want to give them a unique experience that has not really been defined elsewhere. I keep an eye on whether I am filling the seats, because if you are, you know you are doing a good job. It is the same with a hotel. You want to find that niche appeal and find what is going to really appeal to those people, and if you find that, you have the answer in the palm of your hand.

HOTELS: Do you consider yourself a pioneer of sorts, or do you not think much about that?

JOHNSON: I really did not think about it at first. When I bought the sports teams, that dawned on me immediately, and that I think is a very special and unique opportunity. With the hotel industry, I really did not think about it, but the deeper I get into it, the more it has been brought to my attention. But it is something that should happen, and I feel like a pioneer, and I hope I can inspire more women to get in the trenches and do this.

HOTELS: In general, what does the hotel industry do well and what can it do better?

JOHNSON: So many hotels start off with a splash and then they get complacent, and their services go down. Hotels need to pay attention to the quality of their service. There is a niche market for flagged hotels, and people like to stay in their comfort zone with hotels that are branded. I do it, too—if I am in a foreign country, I will stay at a Four Seasons because I know their quality. What we are trying to do here is create boutique uniqueness, to create that 'specialness’ where travelers seek us out.