Meet Reonna Johnson: VP / Director of Growth Strategy & Community Builder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Reonna Johnson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Reonna, do you have any habits that you feel contribute to your effectiveness?
I’m a creature of habit. I’ve woken up at 5am for years. The early wake-up allows me to focus on myself. I spend time in the morning gathering my thoughts, organizing what I’ll focus on for the day, sitting in silence for a bit with my coffee, reading spiritual guidance books to help me stay grounded, then I’ll eat breakfast and exercise. I do all of this before 9am. There’s no confusion on what I’m focused on for the day. And I’ve already grounded myself by taking care of my physical, mental and spiritual needs.

These habits have helped me manage my time more effectively. Being a creature of habit, I schedule just about everything. I have an electronic scheduler for work, but I also have a handwritten day-planner for personal projects and personal care appointments. I make sure I reconcile both calendars daily. I complete a task for my professional work, passion project and personal care each day.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I never quite knew what I wanted, so finding the right career path been a challenge.

There were times when I took the safe route – go to college, get a good job and hopefully work your way up – and other times I just said “F** it, I’m going to create cool stuff, keep my life and bills simple and that’s it.” Sometimes I think I might have even gone further in my career if I simply committed to one route or the other, but honestly, I think both helped shape my career.

With the safe route, I had to overcome imposter syndrome. As a Black woman existing and working my way up in predominantly White spaces, I tried to mold myself into a version of myself that made other people feel comfortable. It took some time, but I finally realized that I was subconsciously playing the corporate game according to some unpublished rulebook. I wasn’t challenging anything; I just wanted my paycheck.

The more I became rooted in who I was and what I wanted in my personal life, the more I felt comfortable taking up space and showing up authentically in my professional life.

I am most proud of the communities I’ve built in the past few years. Three’s a Crowd started in 2018 with less than ten people. It’s now grown to over 150 Black creatives who are committed to making powerful change in our respective industries. Not only has the community grown but we’ve started initiatives like IN FOR 13, which is a pledge mandating the advertising and marketing industries to increase the number of Black leaders to 13% (reflective of US population) by 2023.

I’m also proud of my gardening community, Better Hoods & Gardens. It started as a few planted flowers but quickly grew into a gardening space for all of my neighbors. Together we grow and harvest fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs. Better Hoods & Gardens has turned an apartment complex filled with strangers into a true community. It’s brought generations of neighbors together to share.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well, for a weeklong trip, I’d have to breakdown into the following:

Weekday daytime: I live in Leimert Park, so we’d have to walk around the neighborhood, review people gardens, visit the park and check out the local and cultural businesses.

Weekday night: Dinner at Alta, or another local restaurant that’s cool but not pretentious, like Miz LaLa or Post & Beam, followed by a stop at the art gallery Band of Voices in the West Adams area.

Weekend daytime: First stop – Culver City Arts District to check out a gallery opening or some other event. We might also do something outside like skate at Venice Beach, hike Runyon Canyon, visit a beach in Malibu or walk the Culver City stairs.

Weekend night: For a “bougie” night out we might get dressed up and venture to the Westside. If the Hammer Museum has an event, we could cruise there and if not, we’ll pick a fancy restaurant to people watch, catch a few celebs and shoot the shit. Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There have been quite a few people in my life who saw a spark in me before I saw it in myself. Some people encouraged me to bloom into my full self, while others criticized, challenged and often judged me. I credit my success to all of them.

The person who stands out to me the most and stood in my corner before I even knew I had a corner was Don Spetner, a seasoned senior executive who I worked with early in my career. I was always drawn to his leadership style. Regardless of his high-ranking status at the company, he seemed to find a way to connect with everyone. I remember him balancing corporate meetings with community meetings for Saban Clinic and LaGrant Foundation and taking tons of informational interviews from recent college grads and professionals that needed career advice.

Don and his wife, Laura Goodman, saw something in me early on and have invested in my personal and professional growth for over a decade. While Don groomed me for success in the workplace, Laurie encouraged me to use my voice and become a mentor for girls who looked like me; she said I was interesting; she told me I had power. They poured into my life over and over again. I didn’t realize it back then but looking back on the last 15 years, I wholeheartedly believe that I would not be the woman I am today without these two very special people.

And of course, I must give a shoutout to my sisters and mom. They know me best. They’ve seen me morph into the woman I am today and have loved me unconditionally. They’ve called me out on my bullshit, celebrated me when I needed an “atta-girl,” and loved me through any heartaches and setbacks. It doesn’t matter that they don’t understand what I do professionally, they just know I’m happy and celebrate how far I’ve come.

I also have to shoutout my elders, Hank Jones, LaLa Jones and Uncle Eddie. Although they have all passed on, I still remember what they told me: Stay grounded, take care of your family/community, see the world, live amongst your folks, stay in your own lane and get your lesson.

Lastly, the folks who criticized, challenged and judged me, I appreciate them too. When I was younger, I would internalize any and all feedback – “you’re too talkative, too opinionated, too loud, too vocal, too strange, too ghetto, too Black, too ambitious, too weird, too square, too unpolished, too broke…” It sounds crazy now but back then, I desperately wanted to just blend in.

It took some time but through spirituality and retraining my thinking, I eventually learned to fight past those narrow-minded opinions and be unapologetically me. Some of the same things I was criticized for I now see as my superpowers and I take the opportunity to lean into each one.

Website: https://www.threesacrowd.black/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threesacrowd.black/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reonnajohnson/

Other: IN FOR 13 – https://www.pledgeinfor13.com/ Better Hoods & Gardens https://www.instagram.com/betterhoods_andgardens/?hl=en

Image Credits
Three’s a Crowd group image | Glenn Anthony McGowen Three’s a Crowd meeting (Reonna talking) | Glenn Anthony McGowen