Meet Johnny Person

We recently connected with Johnny Person and have shared our conversation below.

Johnny, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

I get it from my mother. She always taught me to get back up and come back stronger. If you get knocked down, get back up and keep going. Its been this thing that has been in me for as long as I can remember. I also got it from skateboarding. My enitre life I grew up skateboarding, since before I could even walk, I would push around on my knees. Over time i learned that if I wanted to learn a trick, and get as good as the pros, that I would have to try again and again and again. Theres this trope in the skateboarding community that if you cant land it five times in a row on flatground, you really didn’t land it. This emphasis on resilience was then continuously reinforced by the men in my 12 step program as I got further and further into my sobriety journey.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

Ive wanted to start an apparel company since I was a child. Being able to bring this reality to life in my 30’s has truly been one of the most fulfilling endeavors i’ve embarked on. I want to get my designs, my ideas, my creativity out into the world and portray the message that you can accomplish anythingin your life. No matter how far down you have gone, there is always a way out, there is always a better way. I think I am a walking embodiment of that message. I was homeless, addicted to drugs and alcohol, had absolutely ruined my life by the age of 20. Beein in jail multiple multiple times. But I was able to find a way through the mess and come out the other side and build a life of beauty and joy and healthy relationships and adventure and fulfillment. There is always another way, and if I can do it, so can you.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

In terms of the journey of starting an apparel company I think the three skills that were mnost impactful have been: Creativity, Unbreakable Resilience, and Vision. Creativity is the entire reason I wanted to start this brand, to be able to express these ideas that have been sitting in me for thirty + years. My unbreakable resilience has allowed me to continuously jjump over any hurdle thrown at me, and when i get knocked down (which inevitably you will in business, no matter who you are), Ive been able to come back stronger, with an unshakable determination to succeed. My vision of what I want my life and my company to look like has been undeniably the guiding force of my life, and I believe my vision has been given to me by God. (or the universe, whatever you want to call it.) I have been instilled with these desires and I feel like it is part of my purpose on this planet to execute and materialize these things by doing the next indicated step and following through on this vision.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?

Oh man, this is a tough question to answer because there are so many people who have helped me along in my journey. Specifically in the last 13 months, my best friend Kayvon has been extremely impactful. He is one of the brightest minds I have ever had the pleasure to come into contact with when it comes to business. The way his brain works is fascinating. His time between idea and execution is essentially zero. He has been an inspiration and a guiding light. When I am faced with a challenge in business that I can’t figure out on my own, he is usually the first person I will talk to and usually his solution seems to solve the problem. Aside from him, my family and group of friends have been so extremely supportive of the journey and knowing that I am loved and cared for regardless of if this succeeds or not is always a welcomed reminder and gives me the courage and the strength to keep going.

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