Jeff Johnson is President/Executive Producer/Creative Executive at Jeff Johnson Enterprises, Inc.
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[tab:About the Talk]
Jeff Johnson: Asking Adults for Career Help
As a Talk About your Future contributor, Atlanta personality Jeff Johnson brought his unflappable enthusiasm to the halls of Grady High. Johnson asked the students to think back to the halcyon days of early childhood: imagine, he said, that you are taking a walk on a hot summer day, and right in front of you is a big, deep, puddle. What would the younger you have done? Johnson told the students what he would have done: jumped as high as he could and landed right in the middle of it. Sometimes the puddle was clean and clear; sometimes it was muddy and murky. But, Johnson said, he would still jump, be the consequences what they may. Which is a lot like life, Johnson told the class. Life presents us with clean puddles and dirty ones: with challenges and rewards, successes and failures, struggle and peace. While a little more circumspection might have saved Johnson’s family some laundry detergent in his younger days, life, Johnson said, differs a lot from puddles in that respect. You can’t spend your whole life on the sideline. Eventually, Johnson stated, you have to deal with life; you have to just jump right in.
Life is all about relationships, Johnson continued. Jumping into life, he said, means building relationships at every opportunity to do so. Network, he told the students, intern, mentor. It’s not easy, but it’s not too hard; and the rewards of such proactive relationship building, Johnson advised the students, are fantastic. People can be applied to the puddle metaphor, too, Johnson said. Good influences are like clean, sparkling puddles – seek them out. Bad influences are like shallow, muddy puddles – step right over them and keep doing the good things you’re doing.
Johnson told the students that jumping in also means practicing your craft, learning new things, and honing your skills. Find what motivates you through life, and go for it, Johnson said. Don’t sit back and expect success to come to you, Johnson said; instead, think about what you want to do for your career and do it now – if you like it, keep doing it and getting better, if not, look for something else! “Practice your passion! Every day is a gift,” Johnson concluded by saying, “open up each day the best way you can. Live it the best way you can. Enjoy that gift, it means so much.”
[tab: About the Speaker]
Jeff “JJ” Johnson is a trusted media professional and Emmy Award winner whose dedication to the television and radio industry is evident in the positions he has excelled in, the enthusiasm he exudes, and the sheer joy he has in connecting with his audiences and all he works with.
Recently, “JJ” was the Executive Director of the “Department of Community Interest” for Peachtree TV which serves the 8th largest media market in the country in Atlanta, Georgia.
“JJ” played a key role in broadcasts of the Atlanta Braves by opening every game and welcoming Braves fans to the broadcasts to providing fans with important and entertaining Braves information and interviews with players and staff. As the driving force behind the station’s community outreach initiatives, “JJ” quickly has become one of the most recognizable personalities in the highly competitive Atlanta market.
In 2005, Jeff started Jeff Johnson Enterprises, Inc. “JJE” is a “Content Driven” media development company who believes that positive, productive partnerships with others in the field can help ensure success in our rapidly evolving industry.
In addition to his television and radio work, “JJ” is a motivational speaker. He has spoken to hundreds of schools, civic and professional organizations on the value of a good education and the importance of having a positive outlook on life.
[tab:Student Comments]
- Everyday we wake up is a a gift and it can be taken away in a heartbeat, that put a lot of things in perspective for me.
- Using the puddle analogy really provided a different way for me to view my associations with other people.
- The thing you said that stood out to me the most is that you said you believe in faith, family, and friends.
- You informed me to take advantage of my life while I’m young and to always keep myself around positive people.
- It’s not always about getting money, but rather about making connections.
- Your lecture has really encouraged me to sit down and think about my future and how I’ll contribute and impact the world.
- You are AWESOME, I say that in my loud voice because you are loud and I love loud people.
- Listening to you speak helps me gain more positive support.
- I think your speech inspired me to value my future even more.
- Thank you for coming!
- You have inspired me and made me realize how much I have to look forward to in the world.
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Jeff Johnson: Asking Adults for Career Help from Grady Talks on Vimeo.
[tab:Further Study]
by Alex Viguerie
JEFF JOHNSON: “ASKING ADULTS FOR HELP”
Synopsis: Jeff Johnson, owner of his own production company and longtime communications worker, explains his keys to success. In particular, he emphasizes the importance of gaining experience as much as possible, seeking help from others, and above all else maintaining a positive, yet realistic, attitude.
Key Points:
-2:08: This is important. Start as early as you can!
-4:25-6:04: The puddle metaphor is an excellent point in this video, a recurring, easy to understand theme throughout.
-8:28: This is a key point: success is never found by thinking about “what could have been.”
-12:35: A good reflection point: What do you see yourself doing in ten years?
-15:00: Note the importance of maintaining useful connections with respect to financing ideas.
-20:30: An important point most high school kids may not think about: cost of living.
-23:44-End: Attitude, attitude, attitude! Not the first speaker to say this, not the last either. It’s a very important point.
Discussion Questions:
-Early in the video, Jeff Johnson talks about his wide range of experience and areas of work. How has this helped shape his career? Why is this helpful?
-Mr. Johnson is a clear proponent of learning through doing. How is this different from learning through a classroom or guided instruction? What advantages does this approach offer?
-Mr. Johnson says, while discussing acting careers, that it is important to “understand the business.” How is this related to his points on seeking advice from experienced mentors?
-Jeff Johnson is certainly not the only speaker who has stressed the importance of attitude. Why is attitude so important? What is special about people with good attitudes? Why are they successful?
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