Meet Autumn Johnson: NBA 2K League and NCAA reporter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Autumn Johnson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Autumn, what is the most important factor behind your success?
My success thrives off of my incredible support system. My mom is my biggest cheerleader, and I have the most genuine friends who want to see me win. I have mentors who push me to be the best they know I can be. I have many people in my corner who believe in me, pray for me and even pick me up when I’m down or doubting myself. In addition to my own work ethic and passion, their genuine love and support fuels me. Most importantly, I just want to make my mom proud. She always tells me “the sky is the limit”, and every day that’s what I aim for.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am the sideline reporter for the NBA 2K League, in addition to being an executive producer for the league’s IGTV series NBA 2KL Story Mode. I’m also the women’s basketball digital beat reporter for NCAA.com. I think my passion and work ethic sets me a part from others and that ultimately shines in my work. I get to talk about basketball and be around the game that I love every day, and I couldn’t be blessed with a better job. I’m where I’m at today, because I constantly hustled for different freelance opportunities and camera/writing reps to get better. Throughout college, I applied for media credentials non-stop for different games, camps and sporting events that I could report at in order to get real-life experience. I even took jobs that had nothing to do with reporting, but I knew those opportunities would put me in a space to network. The process came with many sacrifices of not having a normal college life. If it meant missing a party or a special event to cover a game or do prep for it, I was fine with that. Till this day I’m invested in achieving my goals, and I’ve had experiences of a lifetime through this journey. I’m proud of all of the hard work I’ve put in thus far to get me where I’m at today. I’m also proud of how much I’ve grown professionally and personally at 25-years-old. But the journey has came with many lessons that have turned into hidden blessings. I’ve learned how to be more patient with myself and understand that I can’t control the future. I’ve learned that everything (including myself) can’t be perfect. I’ve learned how to stick up for myself and how to be my best advocate. I’ve learned that every ‘no’ is only leading to the perfect ‘yes’. I’ve learned how to be confident in myself and not let my fears hold me back. I could go on and on, because I’m still learning and growing. I’m just excited to keep exploring my endless potential!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would take my best friend to Piedmont Park, so we could dress up and go on a picnic. I love good vibes with good people, so that would be a chill, day-time activity. I love to eat, so I would show them places like J.R. Crickets, Rays in the City or go out to some of my favorite brunch spots. Everyone who knows me, knows I love Mexican food, so we would definitely take a trip to Cinco’s. They have amazing fajitas and margs! I would also show them the Beltline, Atlantic Station or Ponce City Market. Jeni’s ice cream at Ponce would be the perfect way to wrap up our day-time activities. For the nightlife experience, my friend Cayla Parks aka Cleotrvppv is a DJ, so I would take them to listen to one of her sets! Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have to give a shoutout to one of my best friends Jaye Newton, who is a musical artist based in Atlanta, GA. Without Jaye, I probably wouldn’t have thought to brand myself so early in my career. It never came across my mind to take that step until he mentioned it. Jaye helped me come up with my brand ‘AJTV’ during our sophomore year at Kennesaw State University. Plus, he built my website autumnjohnsontv.com and a promo video to go along with it. I saw how much he poured into his music (which is incredible and unique from the rest) and how he branded himself, and it inspired me to have that same mentality with my craft. It gave me a new purpose and drive to elevate the work I was putting in. Jaye is insanely talented and you all need to follow him @JayeNewton on all social platforms!

Website: www.autumnjohnsontv.com

Instagram: @autumnjohnson.tv

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/autumn-johnson-4740a7103/

Twitter: @autumnjohnsontv