Embracing a Bold Vision: The Intersection of Faith, Community, and Success with Robert H. Johnson Jr

When Robert H. Johnson Jr., a man marked by his fervor for Christ and his departure from the corporate world, sat down across from me, the air buzzed with anticipation. His story, a testament to faith's power to steer one's course, unraveled through our exchange, revealing the profound impact of a nurturing upbringing and the boldness required to follow a divine calling. Our dialogue, steeped in gratitude and a shared mission to inspire, is an ode to those who dare to dream and to the strength found in a community that echoes one's deepest aspirations.

As the conversation unfolded, it became apparent that building a supportive network and continuously enriching oneself with knowledge are not just steps but leaps towards personal fulfillment. Robert and I journeyed through the concept of team over individual genius, emphasizing the underrated might of community recognition and collective wisdom—a lesson I learned firsthand through my podcasting voyage. We delved into the transformative effects of education in all its forms, from traditional mentorship to the vast repository of "YouTube University," championing the idea that a growth mindset is the bedrock of true success.

The culminating theme of our heart-to-heart touches on a vision of success interwoven with faith and determination, challenging the oft-held notion that wealth and spirituality cannot coexist harmoniously. Robert's insights shine a light on the idea of prosperity as an extension of God's plan, not a deviation from it. Our shared aspiration is for you, the listener, to embrace a bold vision—one that believes in boundless possibilities and the enduring legacy each of us is called to leave behind. This episode isn't just a conversation; it's a clarion call to live out loud, with purpose and unyielding faith.

Feel free to explore his websites @ 
Robert H. Johnson Jr.

Founder, RHJ Consulting Group, LLC- Info@rhjconsultinggroup.com

www.rhjconsultinggroup.com 

http://www.LinkedIn.com/in/roberthjohnsonjr

https://www.instagram.com/iamthecorporatedropout...

Chapters

• 0:23 Conversations With a Corporate Dropout
• 13:36 Building Community and Educating Yourself
• 26:43 Seeking Understanding in Personal Growth
• 38:43 Finding Success Through Determination and Faith
• 49:23 Creating a Bold and Inspiring Vision

Transcript

Speaker 2: 0:23

Hey, hey, hey, everyone, this is Keanu, your creator and your host of Q4christ. I want to say thank you to everyone that has liked, you shared, you commented, whatever you've done. I'm so excited and I'm so happy. Okay, I tell you and I always say this that I do not take this kindly about being a vessel for Christ and I want to make sure that I do it to the best of my ability, okay, so, anyways, I am excited about this Because, as you know, I have been speaking with individuals that are Q4christ.

Speaker 2: 1:00

Okay, basically, those ones that are consistent to the calling that God has called them, those ones that are not going to give up what God has called them to do, and those ones that are just sticking to her back, or two and two. They are writing the vision, they are making it plain and they are also internalizing it in their heart, where they can say you know what? I'm going to do this regardless. So, anyways, today I'm so excited to have my guests on here. I have the special and extreme special honor to be speaking with Robert H Johnson, jr. I got a recipe. I added in Jr, because you know some people, they get you comfy. Okay, right, right.

Speaker 2: 1:47

So, anyways, look, we just talked about this. So, anyways, how are you doing today, Mr Johnson? I'm going to call you Mr. I am corporate dropout. I love that. I'm going to be honest. I want you to go into details about that a little later. But how are you doing today?

Speaker 1: 2:05

Absolutely. First and foremost, thank you for having me for Q'd for Christ. I am super excited to be here today and your energy is infectious, it's inspiring and I know we're going to have an amazing conversation. So I'm doing absolutely great and I am grateful. Right, I am having a conversation with an amazing person who is just filled up and committed to the purpose that God has called you to, and so I always am excited to have conversations with people like us.

Speaker 2: 2:36

Oh, my God, I'm so excited. Look, I want to tell people how I ran across you. Okay, I'm not going to say ran across. I had one of my colleagues and one of my team member and my family member, carlton Young, and I had him on here and he was like I'm going to introduce you to Robert, and I said, okay, but when I saw you out here, I said, look, I'll take the first initiative to give him a message, because he was talking so highly of you. You know, shout out to CY. But he was talking so highly of you and I said what's going on? I need to meet him myself, you know, and I sent you a message and here we are. So I'm excited about that. So, anyway, what I'm going to do, I am going to say a quick prayer before we go further. That way we can have enough time to just sit up here and go, so everybody can know how you thank you for Christ. Okay, so I'm going to say a quick prayer and then we'll go further, all right, all right. So, family, father, I come to you first.

Speaker 2: 3:46

I want to say thank you, thank you for this time that you have carved out. God, god, we just thank you for this moment, god. We don't take anything for granted. That you have done in our life, god, thus far, god, and the things that you have done in the past and the things that you're going to do, god, we know that you are amazing and sitting there watching us, god, god, we ask you to just sit your presence in this conversation, god, god, allow us to be able to speak, what someone needs to hear. God, god, we just thank you now for your love and your grace.

Speaker 2: 4:17

God, I thank you for Robert being on here. God, it's been a time with me. God, god, we just thank you now because we know that something he's going to say that is going to bless someone, god, god. So we just thank you now, god, god, we ask you to hide us behind the cross so your work can come across, god, and so we thank you in this moment, god, we thank you now just for even taking away the nerves, god, even taking away anything that is not like you. That will not get us further, god, and so we just give you a name to praise, god, we give you a name to honor and we give it all to you. It's in Jesus' name that I pray, amen.

Speaker 1: 4:53

Amen.

Speaker 2: 4:54

Hallelujah. I love it so anyways, anyways, anyways, oh, my God, I'm so excited and I said the nerves because I'm, you know, I'm nervous, but I am. I feel like that the Holy Spirit is going to do something incredible, and I think that's, I received that and believe it for this conversation.

Speaker 1: 5:10

I feel the Holy Spirit is going to do something incredible.

Speaker 2: 5:17

So, anyways, I would love for you to just kind of go into details who Robert H Johnson Jr is. I mean, you could give the long version, you could give the short version, but please make sure you explain to me what you're going to do and make sure you explain the corporate dropout, because a lot of people don't understand that to its entirety. And I love it. I love it. So just who is Robert H Johnson Jr?

Speaker 1: 5:45

Thank you so much. Well, robert H Johnson Jr is just a little black boy from Miami, florida, born of a single parent who did her best to provide for me what she didn't even have, right. So I'm a product of love and I, because of that love it gives me confidence in who I am to be the person that God called me to be. Right, there's something powerful and amazing about love, and so many people unfortunately don't know what real, true love is, and this is a platform that you've created where we can send that love and life back out to people. And so, again, that's why I'm so grateful to be here, and I'm just a person that grew up without not necessarily a blueprint, not necessarily an example of who I have become in my real life. Right, like my mother, was a phenomenal example of hard work and dedication and faith. Right and my grandmother and the nucleus the small nucleus of our family, but grew up in Miami, florida, first person in my family to go to college, first person in my family to get into corporate America, first person in my family to start their own business, and it's been a journey and there's a lot that we'll get into throughout our dialogue and discussion, but ultimately, in 2017, I decided to make the leap and become the corporate dropout.

Speaker 1: 7:17

I am the corporate dropout and I heard it in a meeting. It was my last day on the job and someone said, oh, you're going to be a corporate dropout. I said you know what I absolutely am, and it stuck with me. Now, what I want people to know, that doesn't mean that you go out and quit your job tomorrow, right? A corporate dropout, first and foremost, means that you understand that you have been given a God given gift, anointing and talent to navigate throughout this world with and that is for his glory, right. So I embraced that once I got it for myself and understood it and recognized it in the many tables in the rooms that I sat at and in that.

Speaker 1: 8:03

Not everybody comes into the corporate space with that level of faith and willingness to be vulnerable and transparent about your faith. One thing I'm never going to do is hire who God is to me, because God has not hidden me to the world. Do you know what I'm saying? And so I am the corporate dropout. First is recognition that God has given me something that no man owns. That is my gift to present to the world. Second is someone who was willing to be disciplined, driven, dedicated and committed to the purpose and the vision that God has given them. Third is the person who's willing to write the vision right, make it plain and just run with it. Walk, crawl, walk until you can run Again. Don't quit your job when you haven't started crawling Right, when you haven't started walking. Strategy is key. Why is it a serpent gentile as a dove is the corporate dropout? Because I have established what God has given me. I have respected and valued and leveraged it to establish what I feel today really is freedom.

Speaker 2: 9:08

I love that. I'm going to be honest because I was thinking about this in the car, because you know you've heard of college dropout and all that stuff. When you think about corporate dropout, it means that you had the tenacity to start on your own. You know we all, all the time, are working for other companies and making memories. We have that inside where we have something, like you said, god has placed on the inside of us where we could be like I can do this myself, I can move forward and not to minimize anything, what you had learned from the other companies, it's just a simple fact that when you get that quickening, basically, and you say you know what, this is what I'm going to do. So how did that look like when you got that quickening and say you know what? Not bumpy off?

Speaker 1: 10:12

Listen, listen, it was close to that. I agree so much, right? Well, what you just said, at the end of the day, your corporate experience actually is valuable, right, because you have a gift and you don't know necessarily until you what the gift is, until you identify it and then when you put it to work. So you go into these corporate spaces putting the gift to work and guess what. You will find out quickly if your gift is maximized or minimized in this space. And sometimes where your gift is minimized is where you're needed the most, because that means that people see your light. That means that they might be afraid, intimidated or uncomfortable, because you know who you are.

Speaker 1: 10:54

Right, at the end of the day, that quickening for me was when I came to myself, right, remember, job came to himself and says wait, I've been accepting, you know, minimal, when I am the child of the king. We are children of a king who has given us the gifts to create wealth. Right, and wealth is not singular. And so for me, when I recognize that my wealth was in jeopardy and let me tell you what this means my health, my mental well-being, right, even my physical well-being. You will get sick staying in spaces and places that do not value and, in fact, minimize you.

Speaker 1: 11:33

So the quickening for me was when I turned 40 years old and that's just started to get burnt. I was getting burnt out, I was getting short tempered and that's not necessarily who I am and then I went to the doctor and found out my stress levels were up, my blood pressure were up, was up, and I said you know what I'm called to. More than this, and I have also been preparing for this A wise man stores up, right, a wise woman stores up. The reality is, the first step is the quickening, it's the awareness. I'm excited about this thing, Something God has called me to, something bigger. And if you haven't gotten 40 yet, all you all listening out there today, just you wait and see. I want you to get it sooner, but there's something that happens when you turn 40 years old when you recognize wait, you know I actually love me, I like me.

Speaker 1: 12:29

Exactly, exactly. And because they don't doesn't mean that I need to stay here or that I'm any less than it just may mean that I need to make the leap and go forth. And it's a journey, and so the quickening for me was the combination of my wealth being in jeopardy, and I believe wealth starts with your health the health of your mind, your body, your spirit, your relationships Right, and when those things start to erode, you got to get back to yourself very, very quickly, and for me it meant making the leap to become the corporate job out.

Speaker 2: 13:09

I love that. I love how, when you said that wealth is plural, like it's, you know, a lot of people think that wealth is just money. No, it's not. Okay, you got to be whole. All right, money is good, don't get me wrong. But if you're not whole, if you are, an empty cup can't pour and I heard that just the other day, and not I heard, I've known it all the time.

Speaker 2: 13:36

But if you're emptied out and you go into these places to work and you post a show up as your best self, how are you gonna do that when you are emptied out and drained out from doing somebody else's job? And, like I said, one thing that we have to know is when you get that spiritual agitation, or when you get that agitation is like, okay, and now you got the revelation, it's like you know what. I need to do something. Okay, I need to move because God has called me to something else. And I'm so excited because when I did this, when I got this quickening to do the podcast, I was like, well, god, I don't know what it is Like-.

Speaker 1: 14:21

Sometimes you don't.

Speaker 2: 14:23

I don't know what it is, god, I had no clue. On a podcast, I was in business school and my niece was like, oh, you should do a podcast auntie, like that. And I'm like, how are you talking about? And so, but one thing that I did is I had to unite with someone and I got with some people that knew all about it. I did my studies or whatever. So who did you kind of unite with when you was like I'm dropping out, I'm corporate dropping out. I like that, I'm for you to work with.

Speaker 2: 15:01

So who did you kind of unite with when it was time for you to say, okay, let me figure out my way?

Speaker 1: 15:08

Yeah, that's such a great question because I didn't wait until I jumped to begin collaborating and creating my community. The big mistake that some people make when they decide or recognize, or they get the quickening and they're ready to take the leap is that they haven't done the work of building and cultivating and nurturing relationships so that when you do make the leap, at least you have somebody to call, not having somebody to call to say, hey, I made the leap. I'm about to lean into my gifting, my anointing, my calling. That's one of the most isolating and lonely experiences, right, because you're like.

Speaker 1: 15:43

I did all of this because God called me and told me to do this. Well, listen, god also called us to be wise as a serpent but gentle as a dove. All of the pain and the frustration that you're going through on that job is meant to serve you for a greater purpose. Share those stories and give God the glory and use them as nuggets and lessons that you take to your corporate dropout phase, your entrepreneurial phase, right, and so for me, I learned very early on in my career that relationships will take you farther than your resume. I want to repeat that Relationships.

Speaker 2: 16:21

Repeat that for somebody in the bank. They didn't hear.

Speaker 1: 16:23

But the people in the back, because I was in the back at one point In some rooms. I'm still in the back right, but relationships will take you farther than your resume. In fact, les Brown told me personally I had the beautiful privilege of meeting someone that I saw as an icon, who's also, by the way, from Miami, florida. He said best known is better than best, best known is better than best. What that means is you can be working your fingers to the bone, doing a really, really great job, but if nobody knows who you are, if you don't know the people that need to know you, or the people that you need to know to go to the next level or when you're ready to make that leap, it's going to be that much longer up a road.

Speaker 1: 17:06

And so, for me, community started many years ago and I will say this that every opportunity at a certain point in my career was offered or referred to me because of a relationship. I've gotten at least eight jobs, and I've probably had 10 jobs in my whole career in terms of different companies. Maybe less than that, I'm sure, but I've at least had eight jobs that were Robert, I'm at this company or I'm in this new position. What would you like what would you think about coming over to this team or to this company? And so I wouldn't have had those options if I wasn't building my tribe.

Speaker 2: 17:50

Right right.

Speaker 1: 17:52

And the last thing I'll say is to hand it back over to you and building community. Remember, community is a group of people who have something in common, that found out about that commonality through curiosity.

Speaker 2: 18:04

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 18:05

Listen, if I don't ask and have conversations with you about you, I can't find what we have in common. So if I'm not curious without judgment, curious without fear, I can find commonalities right. We just talked before we kicked off the call you're from Macon and the name Robert H Johnson and my grandfather's from Georgia, and he may be like we have something in common. And now that we found the commonality, we build in connections and community.

Speaker 2: 18:37

Exactly, ain't nothing like having a great community. I mean the thing about it Pasadena is always teaches and I speak of Pasadena because that is my mentor. I mean Dan is Dan and that is my pastor now that I moved here but he always say you only go. You don't go as far as your dream, you go as far as your team Team. And so a lot of people think that they can do it by themselves and all that stuff.

Speaker 2: 19:08

And I tell people yeah, I might be doing my podcast by myself, but God is going to send the right people when it's time. So I want you all, whoever is listening, don't be afraid to do it yourself. But also, like he said, you have to develop these relationships. You have to make sure that you're doing what it takes to get there. Okay, and a lot of people don't think that, okay, they think they're really, really smart enough.

Speaker 2: 19:40

But for me, when I learned, like I said, I had to educate myself on it. So when you get to the point where you're trying to educate yourself, that's when you do really start to meet people. Because you're educating, you're inquisitive about where you're going. A lot of people feel like, oh, I know, I know how to talk and it's so crazy. It's so crazy because I was just talking to somebody today, just before I got into the house, and I said he was like you know, I want to start a podcast. And I said, well, do you have your niche? Like you know who you want to talk to, you can't just get on the microphone, just be like I want to start talking.

Speaker 2: 20:24

I think I can do it, I want to do it. No, it don't work like that. So education I want you to just speak on education just a little bit, on how educating yourself is one of the most important things besides relation. You know making relationship, but one of the most important thing is educating yourself on where you're going. So if you could just speak on that just a little bit, so people can understand how educating yourself is just more important.

Speaker 1: 20:53

Yeah, education is critical. Once you have the quickening and you recognize, you have the relationships, you're unifying and you know you're uniting with people to move your vision forward. You have to be a learner. Leaders are learners. They say readers are leaders. Yes, but guess, what Reading is doing is being curious and educating yourself.

Speaker 1: 21:13

In today's world, no one has an excuse about not knowing something, google being a chat GPT. There are too many resources at our access that give us no excuse to say I can't do this because I don't know. I promise you, every single day I'm learning something. Every single day I'm reading something, I'm watching something, I'm learning something. I'm growing, because healthy things grow, growing things change. Change brings challenge and if you're not prepared with the education and the knowledge, you won't be able to meet that tomorrow challenge with yesterday's knowledge. We live in 2024, not in 1984, 94 or 2004. Things have changed drastically, and so I love that.

Speaker 1: 22:02

One of your pillars as being queued up is education Excellence. Here's a framework that I wanna give that I coach and can teach people. Excellence is a result of three E's Education, the first, experience, the second, and exposure, the third, if you wanna show up excellent, know your stuff. Meaning I'm informed, I'm educated doesn't mean you gotta have a college degree, doesn't mean that like they're billionaires, millionaires, thousandaires that never touched a college or they dropped out of college. But you gotta be learning something every day. Learn someone's story, be curious, because there's nuggets and value that you're gonna learn about that person's story that will resonate with you. That will lead to the second E, which is then you begin to apply it by getting experience. Guess what experience is free, as a speaker, as an entrepreneur, the best thing you can do is say, oh yeah, I'll do this, especially as a new entrepreneur, as a new business owner, especially King DeMine, and because, remember, we serve first. Christ served. He washed the feet.

Speaker 1: 23:22

We want our wash and pedicure but, we don't wanna pedicure and wash the feet of others. Be of service. You're getting experience right Every time you volunteer to say I will do that because guess what? The third E will happen when you have gotten the education, you're beginning to apply it through experience. You then get exposure. God will place you before the right people to elevate you right to fulfill your vision, because remember and your purpose, remember your vision is not for you. I love what you said. A goal can be done alone. Vision requires teamwork, collaboration, partnership. If Issa Rae talks about it Issa Rae, I love she said something and Tyler Perry talks about this too. All of our black icons and our white brothers and sisters, no one who did anything big and grand did it alone.

Speaker 2: 24:18

Right.

Speaker 1: 24:19

Sometimes, as black people, I'm gonna be very transparent and honest. We fear rejection. We repeat, we fear embarrassment. So therefore we're not vulnerable. I'm speaking for me first. But once I learned to take that mask of, I got it all together off. I was able to be exposed. And guess what? Just like a scar. I'm sorry. A scar can't develop if it's not exposed to the, if the wound isn't close to the air. And guess what? Scar tissue is stronger than your skin, your regular skin. That scar tissue, the scar here on my hand I was eight. This scar tissue listen, it could do magic. So remember, educate yourself, I also, and then I'll hand it back over to you. I'm sorry, this is just such an exciting discussion.

Speaker 2: 25:06

I can listen to you all day.

Speaker 1: 25:09

Thank you. And likewise, it is so critical to find your niche. It took me a while to find my niche and so I wanna encourage anyone 18, 21, 25, 31, 16, 12, listening to this podcast try to find your niche earlier in life or as soon as possible. And that just means what is the thing, the what, right who, what is the who? Who are the people? Where right Am I caught to do it? And God will give you the when, because it's never if it's a when. But find your niche, god. What did you call me to do with this gift? If I run fast, if I have great discipline, if I'm a great communicator, if I am emotionally intelligent, because that's not a gift everybody has.

Speaker 2: 25:57

Exactly.

Speaker 1: 25:59

So, once you find your gift, niche down, who is the person I'm supposed to be having this person, this conversation with you today, at this very moment? Q right, my and our great friend CY. You know, great company keeps great company, just like bad company keeps bad company right relationships matter and recognize that we can do more together than we can apart.

Speaker 2: 26:31

Yes, that's so good. Like I don't stand up here, like, look, I feel like I should be taking those, but I don't want to have my head all down and stuff.

Speaker 1: 26:40

Your hair looks nice, so you good, you're good.

Speaker 2: 26:43

But I mean you were saying the three E's, that just really really blessed my soul because I was thinking about the exposure, like you say, in order for you to get healed and you were in my area, I used to work in emergency room, so I know stuff. You know in order for that scar to get healed it do have to be exposed to some kind of air, some kind of you know. So we have to make sure that we are doing what it takes. You know, we want to be like you say, we are the, we are our worst enemies. If you want to say because we'll say, oh well, so and so did it like this. And they look, I don't want to do it like that, that's too much. And one thing I hate to hear a person say, oh, that's going too much.

Speaker 2: 27:34

What do you mean that's doing too much? You got to do what? If you're trying to make it in this life, you better do too much.

Speaker 1: 27:41

Okay, yes, and if you, how can you say they did it and it's working, but you want to do it a different way?

Speaker 1: 27:49

Listen one of my mentors from afar. That's another thing. Going back to United, and you know, educating yourself, find you a mentor, whether they're in person or virtually. When I was growing up, oprah Winfrey came on four o'clock every single day and I got out of school and enough time to catch the show.

Speaker 1: 28:08

But because what she was teaching me was and I never met this woman yet, right she taught me so much about life how to have a conversation and make it about the other person and not about you, right, and that's a confidence thing, right. So I watched this black woman, heavy, skinny, heavy skinny, go through her real journeys in life in front of the television screen and she realized, hey, if that lady who looks like me skin tone, right, and I always have to be the same gender, ladies and gentlemen right. Find somebody that is doing something that you believe you have been called to do. Now, mind you, I didn't know I would be doing podcasts one day and speaking one day, but I knew she came from a struggle, I knew he overcame abuse, I knew she was not what people thought success should look like. So, therefore, if she can do it and not look like what it's supposed to be, laura, you just gave me confirmation.

Speaker 2: 29:09

I'm telling you. I'm telling you like I mean it's and like you say, because and I talk about Pasadena's all the time he might not know me from Adam and Eve, but I know that it listening to him being in his mentor program, all that stuff and you know it's educating me, even though some of the stuff he say I probably already been said it 10 times before, but it's the way that he delivers it, the way it's the way that other, even other people, you know it's like we say as a case and you can go to YouTube University, okay.

Speaker 1: 29:43

I'm a student.

Speaker 2: 29:46

And even if, like, if you don't want to, if you don't want to sit there and read anything. You can watch these videos now. They make it more educated where you can watch the videos where you can do. It's no excuse on, you know, not being able to educate yourself on where you're going. Because my thing is, if you don't educate yourself on where you're going, you're not going to understand the calling that God has placed on your life.

Speaker 1: 30:12

Listen, you know how powerful. No, finish your thought, please.

Speaker 2: 30:15

No, no, no, no. I was just going to say you know you're not going to understand, and that's that's. The next thing is to understand where God has called you to.

Speaker 1: 30:24

So listen in all that getting get understanding right all that getting as you're collecting things and people, because I'm a collector of people, right, I'm a collector of people, information and experiences, right by. I like People, information and experiences, and being curious gives you understanding. When you keep asking and seeking and knocking, the door will eventually be open for you. Albert Einstein said something that is so powerful. It said, paraphrasing pretty much the same mind that caused a problem cannot be the same mind that solves the problem.

Speaker 2: 31:11

Wow.

Speaker 1: 31:12

If you have found that you are in a place in your life that you do not want to be, or you realize God has caused you to greater. That's the quickening, right? That's the quickening. You've identified the relationships you are learning. Now you have to get even greater understanding telling and understanding also comes with a changed mindset.

Speaker 1: 31:34

Right, new your mind daily. When you are a learner, you are in fact renewing your mind daily. If the path that you've walked doesn't has not created the experience you did you deserve, it's time to ask myself what do I need to change up here so that I can see it? Because until you change this, until you get understanding, until you develop a growth mindset, until you develop discipline and drive and resilience, you will find yourself Waiting WAD, like waiting in the water, right, moving slowly, if you're moving at all, or you are dog peddling and you are kind of just staying in the same spot. I called us to move forward. Call us to stay stagnant. We are built forward. Think about when we're born, actually, before we're born, when we are created, right, the inception begins a process of moving us forward.

Speaker 2: 32:39

Right.

Speaker 1: 32:40

And if you don't change your mindset by learning, growing and understanding, you are choosing to actually get left behind.

Speaker 2: 32:49

Period.

Speaker 1: 32:50

Period. So be willing to seek understanding and as you seek understanding about your gift, about your niche, about your God, the more understanding you get about God, the clearer you become on who he is to you, who you are to him and the calling that he's placed on your life to live through this life.

Speaker 2: 33:12

Yes, and that's so good because you know, when I understood you know, like, like I always sometimes I go to you know about when I was in emergency room, but I wanted to talk about the podcast when I understood, got that understanding of why God had called me to this, because when I was a kid, I used to, they used to say you always talk so much, you always ask so many questions, you always do this. And now I understood why God had pulled me here, because my ministry don't have to look like others. And so when, when because at first I was like God, I thought, you know, I thought this, I thought that, and when we understand that everything is not going to look the same way as other people. We have to know that.

Speaker 2: 34:00

Okay, I understand, god, you call me to podcasting because my ministry is totally different than my brothers, because I got a brother that's a pastor, or my. My ministry is totally different than my sister. I got sister, that's, you know, a missionary and I got plenty. Trust me, I had to really really get that understanding and, like you said, that seeking we were, you know I was seeking for. Okay, god, you call me here, I, and so I just really want to understand it and a lot of people don't get that and that's where keep them, like you said, stagnated, and some people just stop because they be so afraid to see what God is trying to show them. And the thing about it's almost like when you know I have some people that I don't want to go to the doctor because I don't want to hear what they saying.

Speaker 1: 34:52

Oh, my goodness.

Speaker 2: 34:53

And that's that. That's how some people are like I don't want to understand what God doing, I'm just going, I'm just going to cheer right here and instead of getting that full understanding and saying, okay, god, you call me to this, and I know you call me to it because I know I'm serving you, so get the understanding.

Speaker 1: 35:11

Yeah, yeah and invest in it like you could be given the. You have the greatest gift. You know what? Not seeking understanding and clarity for your gift and God's calling is like having a present and it just looks beautiful and you too afraid to open it up. You know you have some people that buy stuff and remember my grandmother's don't sit on my couch, they had the plastic. They had the plastic on the couch. What are, what are ways to to to sweat on plastic and not to really be able to enjoy the gift that God is giving of the comfort Like? Once you start seeking that understanding, you will become more and more comfortable with who God has called you to be, which means you're going to become more confident, and what he's called you to do, which means you're going to get more clarity to execute the vision at a higher and higher level.

Speaker 2: 36:01

Right, yes, and that leads us to the excited. You get excited because now you understand what you're doing, you understand why God has called you there, you understand your purpose, you understand your who, you understand your what, you know what I'm saying, you understand, you know and you understand that God is going to make it happen whenever. But all you do is you get so excited about it because and now you're ready to do it you know and talk about it more and be be in the face of others talking about it because you're excited. I know when I got excited about I told this story the other day about when I was in the emergency room and we did a mock code.

Speaker 2: 36:49

Of course I did. You know, I had CPR training and all that stuff, but I never did it on a person and it was scary. But once I, once I did it in a mock training and I understood it, I got excited about it. And when the mock, when a cold came in already you know I wasn't I wasn't so timid to be like, ok, no, I want to do it. You know that. No, I was ready to jump in. So how excited were you when you just was like, you know what I understand now. So how excited were you when you got that to to your. Your consulting job Now is very huge, so how excited were you.

Speaker 1: 37:29

Thank you. Thank you so much. I was super excited when I because it was a tough decision Remember I walked away from a nice, healthy six figure salary right first person in my family to make a six figure salary or anywhere near six figures, right. And so, remember, our fears can come from past trauma right. And so many of us are letting our past trauma influence what we do and what we don't do today, and that's such a wasted life is letting something that happened that you can't change but you can do differently in the future, control what you do today, right. And so, for me, that excitement was it built up over time? It was like, ok, I'm doing this because, remember, you have to make a decision right in your mind before you make the decision outside, right, so it starts inside, going back to mindset, understanding, right, what am I called to do? Where am I called to do it? Who am I called to serve? Why, god, have you called me to this? And once you get those things, even crumbs of like the answers, you get excited. And so, for me, I got more and more excited. And what made me, to be honest, get even more excited? And what is? When?

Speaker 1: 38:43

I saw people that were envious of it, like you, really about to quit your job, where, for some, people don't get scared because I can invoke fear if someone is throwing their fear on you and I said you know what God, I know, you know you're going in the right direction when other people are questioning you and they're trying to pose their fears. So I get excited when somebody thinks that they're telling me what I can and can't do. But it's really them trying to put a mirror up what they can or can't do. I'm called to a different calling. I have a different purpose.

Speaker 1: 39:17

My faith is on 1000, my faith is on 1001, as a matter of fact, and that excites me like I want God to be pleased with me. So much to say, robert, you, you, you, you burn the wheels off of that faith thing. You know what I'm saying like. So I got excited when I saw people doubt and fear because I don't. I don't, not that I don't get afraid, but a spirit of field. Fear does not dwell within me, fear is imposed outside, in right not inside out.

Speaker 1: 39:48

And so, even to this day, I get excited, and I'll go back what I got more excited when somebody was going to pay me $150 to coach them for an hour. Like, wow, I can make $150 an hour to coach. Now, mind you, I had to realize very quickly and pivot and strategize how many hours of coaching am I going to have to deliver to get back to that point of financial whatever? It was me right. So that's a key and a tip ladies and gentlemen out there, be thoughtful about your finances today, not in a fearful way, but what is my upkeep right, what is my cost? And every dollar you make is going to contribute towards that. But I got excited when someone was willing to pay me that and that was five years ago. So I get even more excited when someone today pays me. I'm much listen.

Speaker 2: 40:39

I'm transparent, I'm just saying I'm transparent.

Speaker 1: 40:42

I think one of the things that we need to do better in the kingdom and with each other is be transparent. So today, somebody will pay me $1,500, up to $14,000 or more for an hour of my time, and so I'm blessed. But I'm also willing to say, if that comes a few weeks, a few months, I'm gonna be excited, anticipating it. Do you know what I mean? Don't let the heat happen for you to get excited. Get excited because God called you to do the thing and that excitement is fuel that excitement. Okay, I got a yes, I got 99 nos, but I got one yes, one yes, and that one yes will carry you. Before we leave, I wanna share a framework with the listeners that includes that excited around designing a vision right, taking your vision from here to actually putting it on paper so that writing it, so that you can run with it.

Speaker 2: 41:38

Right, oh, trust me, you gonna have to do that, okay, you got it. I might have to get my pen and paper. I'm gonna be like hold up, hold up, let me get my pen and paper.

Speaker 1: 41:46

I hope so, even though we're recording so you can replay. How about that? You can rewind it?

Speaker 2: 41:50

Sure, that's true, You're right. You're right so. But yes, that made so much sense, what you said about how people try to impose their fear on you. Thank you and trust me, that gave me so much hope because I get it a lot, A lot of people. You still doing that little podcast, whatever.

Speaker 1: 42:13

But where is your non-existent podcast? Where is your non-existent LLC? Where is your non-existent vision?

Speaker 2: 42:21

Thank you. So it just gave me hope and, like you said, it gives us that fuel to the excitement gives us that fuel. So now we are determined to do what God has always has caught us. He is always first off. God has already instilled this in us when we were little kids. You probably, when you were a little kid, you probably was a boss. Then you probably was in control.

Speaker 1: 42:48

Listen, my mama would tell you she dressed me for success from kindergarten, and that's just the fact.

Speaker 2: 42:54

That's and see. And so now, when you, now you can look back and be like man.

Speaker 2: 43:01

My mama did that you know, or and like I heard Bishop TD J saying this, where you leave breadcrumbs to your future, you know, even you know. So for me I was like I knew God had something bigger for me. So now that I had been queued up, I had gotten to the point where now I'm determined because I know that where I'm going it's going to lead me to this, the successful life that God wants us to have. A lot of people think that the Bible you supposed to be and I won't go into further details, but I saw a video earlier today about this lady was asking I think she was asking Kenny Copeland about him buying a jet or something like that, and some of the questions she was asking.

Speaker 2: 43:47

I was just like, just because your granddaddy there was, you know, felt like you supposed to be poor or whatever. That don't mean that every no, that's not what God wants us to be. That don't mean that everybody, just because a pastor got a jet, meaning that his calling is not real and it just that stuff like that just bothers me because it's like, just because they, the Bible wants us to be successful. God wants us to be successful. He didn't bring us here just so we can live like slaves. He brought us out from Pharaoh. So we, because we were in slavery.

Speaker 2: 44:24

And no, no, you want to be a slave. No.

Speaker 1: 44:27

But you're so right. A poor mindset is an enslaved mindset, and we enslave ourselves and you can flip it. A poor mindset is like being in jail without having the bars in front of you. You have limited yourself to this because you have misinterpreted what God called for you. But God makes it very, very plain. There's a couple of scriptures you know that stand out to me, but the one. The first one is let us make man in our own image. Let us make man in our own image. So you were made in the image and likeness of God. One we were called to create. Two we are called to create. So that means that God has to give us the ideas, god has to give us the imagination, god has to give us the creativity to therefore then be able to create. And so it breaks my heart when people I literally just had a conversation with a family member last night about I don't understand people who say they believe in Christ but accept the less than life.

Speaker 2: 45:30

That is. I can't understand that to the life of me. I'm so, I'm so serious. You know when God has called especially. You've been serving God for years and your situation hadn't changed, yeah that means that understanding has not evolved.

Speaker 1: 45:47

That means that my mindset remember the same problem, the same mind that caused the problem. Is not the same mind that's gonna create the solution.

Speaker 2: 45:55

Exactly.

Speaker 1: 45:56

And so it's critical that, if we don't do anything, we do a couple of few things. First is recognize who God is. I like to think about it like this Once you get your vertical right, your horizontal will begin to fall in line. Once you get your vertical alignment with God right, the left and the right will begin to take care of itself. But you can't serve a king with a poverty mindset. How can like? You can't be the child of a king. Do you think Prince Charles's sons future heirs to the throne, or at least one of them? Do you think he worries about what he's gonna wear, what he's gonna live, what he's gonna drive? When you know that you yes who you are, and that you are born of greatness, you will get excited about it and be a pursuit of it.

Speaker 2: 46:52

Right, right, right, and that's, and that's where we're trying to get people is to, you know, get determined for what.

Speaker 2: 47:02

God has for you, and I like to tell people, I tell people all the time If you add this acronym to anything you know you'll be successful. I don't care what you can add it to. You know Raising children. If you add this to raising children, you'll have a successful relationship with your child, because now you have have went through the proper steps of, and now you're determined to make sure your relationship with your child remains the same. And so I want you to go back.

Speaker 1: 47:34

You say you had the acronym, or you said Listen, you're determined to make sure that I Leave the people with the framework. So I love your acronym and your framework because you're right, once you get quickened and you know you established that unity, you get educated and you seek understanding and you get excited and you get determined, you can apply that to every area of your life. And so I really, really love that queue, I love that framework, and so you are offering a framework. I want to offer a framework to everyone listening out there because some, for some people, they're like Well, I don't know my purpose and I don't know what vision is and you know what is. How do I do that? I don't know.

Speaker 1: 48:18

And so I believe people, they know what to do, they just don't know how to do it. Right, right, most people know high level what to do, they just don't know how to do it. So let's talk about vision. Once you get a vision for your life, you have a North Star, you have a guiding light, you have a compass and everything that you do should be guiding you towards the fulfillment of that vision. And so I developed a framework that I teach to my clients, entrepreneurs and, you know, corporate athletes, and it's called by I'm giving y'all the game, and I'll actually also send you a document and maybe that's the way you can link it and give it this episode. We're giving you gems, you're gonna get.

Speaker 2: 49:03

Telling you today is no excuse.

Speaker 1: 49:06

No, excuse, right, and so I developed this framework called biased. The vision that God gives you has to be biased. It's one of the only times that you want to be biased, because, at the end of the day, we all do have biases, right, and the biased stands for bold. Your vision should be bold, right, it should be something that is like bigger than you. It's bold. It should be inspiring. It should inspire you and when others hear they're like, you're really gonna be be able to do that which leads to the aspirational. It needs to be something that you can't really complete in one lifetime. Think about the people who had big, bold visions and they've left us now and their vision is still equipping, empowering, educating, inspiring others. Right, so it has to be bold, inspiring, aspirational, meaning bigger than you. It needs to be specific.

Speaker 1: 49:58

You talked about this your niche. Once you identify who your specific niche is, your vision should drive you to those people, right. So specific. It needs to be exciting, right. It's something that when you get out of the bed every day or at least five days out of seven, if not seven out of seven I Get to do this, I get to jump up for with this. I am determined to make this happen right, and it should, last but not least, be demanding. Your vision is going to cost you something. It's gonna cost you time, it's gonna cost you relationships. It's gonna cost you money. It's gonna cost you blood, sweat and tears. It's gonna cost you sleep. It has to cost you something, because otherwise, why is it even worth it?

Speaker 1: 50:41

Right if your vision is not biased, bold, inspiring, aspirational, specific, exciting and demanding, then it's just a goal. And a goal is just something that I put on a piece of paper that I want to do hey, I need, I want to lose 10, 15 pounds. That's a goal. My vision is to live the healthiest, wealthiest life possible, and I do that through a mission of equipping, empowering others and myself with information, knowledge, tools and resources that we can then implement and execute upon.

Speaker 2: 51:21

I'm, I'm so. Look, that is just that. That framework right there itself is One of the things that you know. We, if we can put that in place, do you know how far we can be as a country? Okay, as I mean, people are out here struggling and everything, and it only takes for you to transform your mind, okay, and to be able to say you know what I want, what God has won, like, what God has for me, I want this and um, and man, I'm telling you, that's it. Look, that's free, y'all. I'm tired. Look, if you ain't got anything out of here, you better take that, that, that um Framework, that bias framework, I'm telling you, because it is going to change lives. Okay, I'm so excited, I, I'm so full right now, like seriously, Do I am?

Speaker 2: 52:24

so full because.

Speaker 1: 52:25

I want to say this Finish it off. And then I want to say something I want to share no, I was just gonna say, because I know that God did this.

Speaker 2: 52:33

Yes, I know that God did this. Um, because, being that you know we, we have to form Relationships and we have to form that, I know he placed you in my life where I could just I can feed I probably could replay this over and over Be like, okay, let me write this. He said, okay, let me write this down. So I'm excited. I just want to ask you one more question before. I let you go. If you had to leave advice for your 18 year old self, what advice would that be?

Speaker 1: 53:12

That is a really, really thoughtful question, and I get emotional because I I literally had the opportunity this past weekend to visit my college campus that I went to, which I haven't been in since I graduated, and it reminded me of the challenges and the struggles. But you know what it reminded me of more than that was you did that. So I would tell my 18 year old self you are gonna be amazingly proud of the man you become. You're gonna face some adversity, but you're actually gonna navigate it well. Maintain that healthy fear of God, because that fear is going to protect you from Some decisions that could lead you down a different path.

Speaker 1: 54:04

And the last thing is Love yourself as Much as you love other people. Do that sooner. I would definitely tell myself that, because you and I are, we are pourers into. We have to remember at an early age as possible Keep your cup full, because you're gonna need every ounce in it so that you can serve from the overflow right, cuz Sometimes we serve from an ounce and all we got is an ounce. Somebody asks you for your ounce and therefore you're empty, and so I would just remind me that You're on the right path. God has got you and you're gonna look and be very, very proud of the 18 year old you. I'm proud of him. I'm proud of him.

Speaker 2: 55:00

Amen, that that was so. Man, I am so incredibly excited because one thing you say is to serve from the overflow, the, and a look and that right there in itself Because, like you say, we often want to give people all that we have. And I know, when I was 18 I probably, I know I did, I know I did, and A lot of the things that we have done in the past. We, of course, we wish we could go back, but if you go back and change it, guess what? You won't be who you are now, and so we have to make sure that we are appreciating our past and not you know this, you know discounting it, because it is who we are today. You know, I tell people I don't, I wouldn't go back and change anything.

Speaker 1: 55:56

Nothing.

Speaker 2: 55:57

I wouldn't. I mean one thing, you changed the entire story Exactly exactly.

Speaker 2: 56:03

I wouldn't go back and change anything. I'm just, you know, I'm just here for it. Whatever God has, I'm here for it. And, being that, you know, when he called me Back in November the 30th actually, I can remember November the 30th of 2019 right before the pandemic I had an encounter with God where he changed my whole trajectory and it took me a while to even understand it, because I was so excited To even understand it because of you know, I went through a divorce during the pandemic and all that stuff. So it was really like God, I've been doing all of this, but God has really, really, like I said, I wouldn't go back and change anything of it. So I'm excited.

Speaker 2: 56:51

I'm Thank you. I thank you so much for your time. I thank you so much for your diligence. Given the, given the audience just something that they can grasp, a hold on to. It Just made it feels my heart to know that people are really, really Loving other people enough to help them move forward in life. You know, and it's just awesome. So I thank you. I thank you again. I thank you again. If you have any advice that you would like to leave, I would love for you to leave that and Also make sure you let people know where they can find you. You know, know how to go. I'm tearing up, I don't even know why, but make sure you know how people can find you and how, and then pray us out if you can't.

Speaker 1: 57:47

What's on my heart is To speak to all of the listeners, but especially men. I am an ally and an advocate to black women. My part of a big part of my mission and life is to enable, equip and power and support black women, and that's why I'm here with you today. Right, I want you to know that we need more black men to be willing to do that, and so I want to give some advice to the brothers out there that are listening and sisters if you, you know, got a brother, cousin, mani, a life, brothers, be willing to be vulnerable. I know vulnerability is the dirty word in today's time because we want to look a certain way, we want to portray a certain part, because society has told us that we have to. But remember you serve a God that Made you a whole person that has feelings, flaws, strengths, weaknesses, vulnerabilities, right, and if you hold all the vulnerabilities in, eventually you're going to burst or explode and it shows up as acting out, it shows up as Resisting support, and so I just want to leave that invite, and that's for all people, but especially For the men that are listening, because we don't cry enough, because we don't feel we don't share our truth, because we don't feel safe. The safest place you can be, the safe, the safest distance between where you are today and where you want to be tomorrow is and God. So start with that vulnerability, first with God, and then you will know who. You can be vulnerable, vulnerable without here. Right, remember that vertical in the horizontal is gonna take care of itself, and so that's what I want to leave for all people. Take care of this and God will take care of that right.

Speaker 1: 59:38

You Can find me on LinkedIn, robert H Johnson Jr. Instagram I am the corporate dropout, as well as Tiktok. I am the corporate dropout, and Corporate dropout conversations is my YouTube channel, which I drop gems there every now and then. You are inspiring me to get back in the game. So you are amazing and dynamic and I thank God for you. I Didn't know you don't know until you get into the room what the experience is gonna be, but you've made this a beautiful experience that has inspired me To be queued up for Christ, and so thank you and I'll praise.

Speaker 2: 1:00:19

Okay, thank you.

Speaker 1: 1:00:21

Oh yeah, spothe Guy, we thank you first and foremost for this space and your presence in this place. We thank you for for the stories that have been shared between the two of us that Maybe someone that's listening needed to hear, most certainly If they didn't want necessarily to hear, but they needed to hear it. We need to hear the truth, and sometimes the truth is better spoken that it is implied or assumed, and so we know that you are the source of all truth and thank you for truth and transparency in our conversation Today. Again, as this moves forward, I pray abundant blessings on our sister for this dynamic Podcast that she has created and obedience for the calling that you place on our life.

Speaker 1: 1:01:01

I pray for every listening who is listener, who is trying to find their why or father got, that they will look up to you and Ask Lord, what did you make me for, what did you create me for? And that you would give them the answers as they continue to ask, to seek and the knock. Lord, father, god, you are an abundant God. There is enough, more than enough, more than enough of enough for each and everyone else. And close us out by saying Thank you. We bless you for making us wealthy, for making us healthy and for making us whole. And Jesus, now we burn.

Speaker 2: 1:01:38

Amen, amen, amen. Lord Hammers, oh, my goodness, that was. I thank you. I thank you again. I thank you again. I thank everyone for tuning in. Thank you For anything that you've done. I'm so excited and I don't, like I said, I don't take it for granted. I just want to thank you all again. If you want to be cute not cute Christ but if you want to give your life to Christ, you can ask ACTS, you can acknowledge that you're a sinner, you can confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus Christ out on the cross, you can turn from your ways and you can seek after his face. All right, we thank you. Thank you again, robert. I am so pleased, I'm so happy and I'm so full and I thank you all and make sure that you are staying cute for Christ. All right, bye y'all.