Meet CJ Johnson | Startup Advisor & Content Creator

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

Hi CJ, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Taking risks and swinging for the fences is a way of life for me. I’m a firm believer that fast action will always bring you results. Playing it safe and conservative usually produces stagnation and self-doubt. But if you leap into the unknown, win or lose you’re one step closer to achieving success. As I’ve gotten older and grown my family I take more calculated risks using my past experience and forecasting. I like to think of life as a game of chess where I’m making one move to impact two more down the line.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve made a name for myself being a bit of an influencer marketing/social media guru and becoming an influencer myself. That really separates me from most because I get to be a part of both sides of the industries in so many different ways. From hosting a lifestyle travel series to creating a digital marketing arm for a tech startup. It wasn’t easy. Success doesn’t come easy. But, once you understand your process and put massive action into your work you will always find success. I learned the art of patience and motion. What that really looks like. I always tell people to imagine themselves as an immovable object. External factors don’t phase you. Yet at the same time you are an unstoppable force. Be unrelenting in achieving your goal by any means. So many times we want to rush the process to move things along quicker. But what if instead you trusted the process? You can be patient yet find another avenues to keep building/growing to achieve your desired outcome. Finding the balance in that is challenging but I’ve found that comes from experience. I want the world to know my name and remember it. Hopefully, I can be a source of added inspiration to you by you discovering my story. With that discovery comes knowledge that hard work does pay off. Being a kind person and paying it forward does work. Your dreams can come true so keep fighting to make it come true. Anything is possible.

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.
If it was a week long trip I would show them the beautiful versatility in nature that Los Angeles offers from our beaches, hiking trails, to even the Joshua Tree desert. There are plenty of amazing places to eat especially in Koreatown and DTLA. By night, I would show them the great nightlife we have in WeHo, DTLA, Echo Park, and Santa Monica. So many different vibes. So much to do.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Firstly, I would be nowhere without my family, friends, colleagues, and supporters. The wisdom and love I’ve received over the years has been the backbone of my success. So that’s a long list of names to mention. Instead I would love to recommend a great book for inspiration that I always enjoy re-reading. It’s The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.

Website: www.cjjohnsonjr.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/cjjohnsonjr
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/cjjohnsonjr
Twitter: www.twitter.com/cjjohnsonjr