By: Sinclaire Johnson
Kevin D. Johnson, CEO of Johnson Media Inc. and author of The Entrepreneur Mind, is no stranger to the world of entrepreneurship. In 2000, Johnson created his first business, OmniPublisher, while he was just a sophomore at Morehouse College in Atlanta and became the owner of one of the first online content management companies. Later, he expanded his company’s vision to include marketing and media and has worked with major companies and corporations such as Porsche Cars North America Inc, Burger King, and the Atlanta Hawks.
This past week, the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Institute hosted Johnson during their second annual Motivational Author Talk, sponsored by the H. J. Russell Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Johnson spoke about his past experiences starting as a young entrepreneir, motivated students to get a jumpstart their business ventures and shared seven key steps to take in working towards becoming an entrepreneur.
“There is a big difference between knowing what is possible and having the courage to ask for it,” said Johnson, discussing his third principle, Think Big. “Know what you are worth, and don’t be afraid to ask for it.”
During the Motivational Author Talk, Johnson also talked about some of the harsh realities of being an entrepreneur. “To be an entrepreneur, you have to be able to embrace risk and discomfort,” said Johnson. “Know that there will be failures, but you have to be able to pick yourself up.”
Johnson also emphasized the importance of collaboration and support in his principle, Build a Great Team. “Team up to speed up!” Johnson said. “You have to put yourself around people that will support your goal.”
According to Johnson’s book, “no entrepreneur has succeeded without some type of mentor figure.” He emphasized that young entrepreneurs should “choose a mentor that fits into your plans. If you want to own hotels, then logically, you need to find a mentor that is a hotel owner!”
Throughout the talk, Johnson stressed the importance of starting the journey as entrepreneur as soon as possible.
“How long would you wait to become a millionaire if you knew it would take 10 years?” Johnson said.
Missed this event? ENI plans events intended to educate students, faculty, staff, and other university affiliates on topics relating to entrepreneurship and innovation. For more information about our upcoming events, head over to our events calendar!
