Meet Ms Johnnie Walker | Music Executive and nonprofit leader

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ms Johnnie Walker and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ms Johnnie, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Being in an industry that I loved, yet I saw very few people who looked like me; and when trying to learn more about the industry and develop my career, there were few female mentors that I could turn to. I also recognized the lack of female voices on panels at music conferences… I felt it was time for a change… time for women to be more visible and to be heard, so we created the National Association of Black Female Executives in Music and Entertainment. At the time, many of us were not referred to as executives so I decided we didn’t need anyone to tell us we were executives… we knew our value and the importance of what we brought to the table, therefore “executives” played a prominent role in defining the organization’s mission and its name.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My career started in Country music. I was a Country Music DJ in Mississippi. Female and the only Black air personality at the station. I am most proud that I was able to convince my General Manager to let me play Black Music on the country station. A 2-hour show was so popular that it evolved into a 6-hour Black Music show on a Country radio station. Though it was great, I knew greater awaited me and the show empowered me to move on. I became an air personality at KJMS in Memphis and often questioned why women were not in more decision-making positions.. It was often a joke, but I was serious and eventually became the Program Director of KJMS. It was not easy… but we took the station to number 2 in the ratings, which was a huge success for me as well as the station!

I was able to overcome challenges because My Dad would always tell me to believe in myself… “go back” … try again! One thing he taught me was every time someone tells you NO, flip those letters and no becomes ON… so you go back, because now it’s on! I carried that with me for years and still do today!

My brand stands for the empowerment, inspiration, and education of women. Women are often misunderstood, overlooked, and denied opportunities in the workplace. Through our brand NABFEME, we initiate empowering discussions, which enables us to teach and inspire through networking, seminars, and visibility.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Two individuals, though both are no longer with us deserve the most acknowledgment as they both played very important roles in my career trajectory. I was a DJ, turned Music Director, turned Program Director at KJMS in Memphis, TN. Wes Johnson was the Def Jam rep who called on me for airplay and artist support. That relationship grew and led to him introducing me to Russell Simmons which was my entry into Def Jam Recordings. Mike Bernardo was an executive at Columbia Records and she too knew me from my career in radio. I was a newbie at Def Jam, a very male-dominated company and she often encouraged me, gave me tips, and guided me on how to handle myself in that environment. When I was promoted to VP… she was my first call. She walked me through everything and gave me that “executive” direction which enabled me to not only hire the best staff but successfully lead that staff and the department. Her tutelage empowered me to great lengths and I knew I would be successful in my role at the company.

Website: www.NABFEME.org, www.Women Who Jam.com and www.MsJohnnieWalker.com

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