Today we’d like to introduce you to Renee Johnson.
Hi Renee, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
I grew up in a household of Entrepreneurs! My mother and father owned a mom-and-pop store when we lived in Jersey City, NJ. I’m originally from Staten Island, NY. My parents tapped into my talkativeness when I was three (3) years old. I was the greeter at our store for everyone who entered. I have always loved to talk and meet people and thought my helping them was what they needed.
Fast forward to the future of adulthood, I began hosting with my mother (after my father passed away) events with social clubs in St. Louis, MO, called The Uniques of St. Louis. It was a Philanthropic Social Club raising money for our Scholarships to give to students going to college in need of financial support. Over the years, we raised approximately 17K, which was disseminated to local St. Louis City students with GPAs of 3.0 and higher. I knew then I wanted to do all I could to continue helping young people.
Upon leaving the Air Force and pursuing my college career at St. Louis University, I began working in the Career Development Office on the North Campus. The Northside Journal Newspaper even put an article about me having, as they coined it, a “Labor of Love” for the students. I would market my availability to students who were only available for our workshops after the campus opened at 8 a.m. to host mini-workshops to prepare them for the recruiters or go over their resumes for submission.
As a result of seeing so many students needing help with resumes, upon graduating from St. Louis University, I began my resume subscription service. I made a little money during graduate school while attending the University of Missouri-St. Louis on the side after my work-study position ended. I realized I was made to work for myself because of my creativity.
After my resume subscription service began to slow down, I knew I needed something more and started my first dig into the marketing world of what online business looked like with Avon and Mary Kay! I even hosted home and book parties, and I felt the work-from-anywhere bug bites me, and I fell in love with Marketing. Although my Bachelor’s degree from St. Louis University was in Psychology and my master’s degree was in Behavioral Sciences, I found a way to meld them together with marketing and promotions! Affiliate Marketing came along, and as I explored it more, affiliate marketing became my sweet spot!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I would love to say it has been smooth sailing, but I can’t! Thinking family and friends would automatically support your endeavors of being an Entrepreneur and join your pursuits because it’s “You” is a big mistake. I have to laugh about it, however, because I learned they only see you as that friend or family member and not a business person. That new you just do not fit into that head space for them, and I learned that as I began to grow and mature in this new space myself.
In addition to friends and family, learning how to prospect, customers, was challenging because since you know your product or service is good for “them,” you know what they need, and how could they not say yes right? Wrong! It is about something other than how good or even great what you have to offer may be. If it is not solving a problem they have, you will not be able to get them to buy into it! It’s like trying to sell a vegetarian or vegan the most tender, juicy, melt-like butter-in-your-mouth lamb chops. They don’t want it! It could be free, and they still would not want it. I learned after a ton of no’s, ghosting, and unfriending on social media that my approach needed to be corrected, and I needed help, or my livelihood would change and not in a good way! Finally, we fall for what we call Network and Affiliate, Marking the “Shiny Object Syndrome.” You know we all love shiny, sparkling objects, oh how pretty, how sparkly. That will have you investing money into all types of tricks and magical money-making opportunities without fully knowing what the investment is and what the compensation plan legally reads like. Fortunately, I have not fallen prey to any of those, but I have not fully done my due diligence and joined because my friend wanted me to jump in the deep end with them, and I didn’t seek out if it was the best thing for me and my goals.
I appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an Affiliate Marketer and a Co-Founder of The Profitpreneur Online Marketing Digital Courses created by Shaun Sonny and Valerie Walton, in addition to being an Independent Affiliate Marketer for the exclusive world’s largest subscription-based cruise membership company.
I specialize in helping others learn how to market an online business no matter what that business online may be, and I help those who have a passion for cruises do so through a membership like no other without being a Travel Agent, Advisor, or Consultant and without booking trips for others. It is a complete DIY for the consumer. Although I am known for being a pleasant radio and TV personality/producer, I am proud of being in the position of helping others live a better and happier life by educating them on learning the skills to pay the bills while saving and enjoying the fruits of their businesses through travel!
I am also proud of coming from parents who tapped into my talents, allowing me the space to develop those talents in a way that is unapologetically me! However, I am also most proud of my two Men-children (as I call them), Ahmand and Malik Johnson, for having that same go-get-them mindset and teaching them how to cultivate that energy to serve others like their grandparents taught me.
What sets me apart from others is that I have more of a cooperative spirit versus a competitive one. I believe in everyone having a seat at the table, but having their table, and I am willing and available to help them build it!
We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Can you share something that might surprise us?
What would surprise most people about me is that both my mother and I were diagnosed at the same age with Breast Cancer. We were both 48, and both had cancer on the same side of our bodies. Neither one tested positive for the cancer gene. Unfortunately, my mom did not survive and succumbed to breast cancer on September 11, 1991, at the age of 53. I, however, have won the fight, and I am cancer-free and have been in remission for 1 year as of October 10, 2023. I will be 11 years cancer-free as of November 8, 2023.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: renee_ladyraej_johnson
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Tokovlradio
- Other: https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1tW5J
Image Credits
Renee “RaeJ” Johnson
