We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Johnnie Bunting Jr. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Johnnie below.
Johnnie, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?
Looking at the history of my people, I trust and believe that I have been genetically predisposed to being a superior man. This may sound a bit arrogant, but it’s part of my mindset that I am not out of place when I am around a group of people who don’t look like me. I am well versed and well prepared, so when I speak, I exude confidence because I know what I’m talking about. If I lack knowledge in a subject, then I am quietly listening and might ask questions for clarification and understanding. I have done my research on multiple topics and brainstormed, dreamed, and imagined scenarios that I have prepared myself to encounter. I believe in speaking things into existence, which is basically the power of words and suggestions. So I do my best to think positive thoughts, even when facing adversity.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I was released from prison in 2015 after serving a long sentence. I was determined that I was not going to let the imprisonment define me. My life story was not over! It was just beginning. My overall goal was to make my family proud of me. At that time, my grandmother, Sadie Simmons was still alive, so I wanted her, along with my father, Johnnie Bunting, and my aunt, Sylvia Johnson, to see that I was not going to let my potential go to waste. I attended college for paralegal studies. My grandmother died the same year, so she didn’t get to see what I was working towards, but she at least knew that I had a focus and that I wasn’t going astray.
I started my own business doing yard work and interior cleaning services on a site called Home Advisor. This allowed me to obtain some clients that I was able to keep working for on a regular basis.
I was helping a friend from the neighborhood to do estate clean-outs, so that taught me another service that I would later provider with my own business.
My father was a person who I confided in, and I would often tell him how much work that I was doing, and how little I was charging. He didn’t understand why I was charging so little, but I assured him that it was my way of getting in, and that I would increase my fee in time as my skills improved and my equipment was upgraded.
Although I was often very tired, I was optimistic about my vision, because I became a father in 2016 and I was going to make every effort to make sure that my daughter would not have to suffer any hardships because of the lack of money.
I had expressed interest in purchasing a vending machine route, but I didn’t have the money, and requested help from him. He denied helping me, and I kept pushing and pursuing other opportunities. I started doing deliveries for several companies and doing car services for people, and when the opportunity to buy the local car wash down the street presented itself, I didn’t have the money for it, but he loaned it to me, and my life changed ever since.
I owned the car wash for about three years before I sold it and bought a vending machine route.
I was still doing yard work for clients and expanded into commercial cleaning of trash compactors and garbage chutes. I opened an online store, and a private lending business to help businesses to get funding for their operations.
I have also partnered with several businesses to help them grow their businesses and to help generate another income stream for my own business.
I enjoy public speaking and motivating people to rise up and take hold of their destinies!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Discipline
2. Communication skills
3. Adaptability
My discipline allowed me to focus on the goals that I set despite the many distractions, challenges and obstacles that I faced. My communication skills allowed me to open doors to opportunities with others who were like minded individuals.
Adaptability has been the most valuable part of my journey because I have been able to research different business ideas and create strategies to make them work. This is very vital because I now have business interests in several fields and I am able to help them to help each other to grow.
Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
I believe that it is better to be well rounded. I graduated Magna Cum Laude when I received my Associates degree in paralegal studies. I had some of the professors who wanted to hire me as a private contractor to do legal research and writing.
When I looked into pursuing my legal career, it appeared that my conviction would be a major factor in depriving me of the clients that I wanted.
I didn’t dwell on the disappointment, I just moved on. I did research on what I could do that my conviction wouldn’t have any impact on, and I went from there and didn’t look back. Had I focused on the paralegal career, I might have succeeded, but I would have had to start on a level that I wasn’t comfortable with, and there was no guarantee that I could even get in on an entry level position. My daughter was my inspiration, and I didn’t feel like I had the time to waste on rolling the dice on a possible legal career.
Contact Info:
- Website: Fragrancebylilia.com
- Instagram: buntingenterprises
- Facebook: Johnnie Bunting Jr
- Youtube: Johnnie Bunting Jr The Force
- Other: bwsplc.com
Online Store: [email protected]
