We had the good fortune of connecting with Crystal C Martin- Johnson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Crystal C, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
Risk taking is essential to growth, in my opinion. I believe that risks were designed to push us past our fears. If we don’t move past the fear, the risk remains and our full potential remains stagnant. A risk is a possibility that something bad could happen, it doesn’t mean that something bad will happen! Therefore, I always challenge myself to take the risk. The worst thing that could happen is that I’m told no. In order to get to a place where we are truly accepting and content with ourselves, we must take the risks. Yes, some risks results in no as in an answer but I translate that into- it’s not my time yet! Whether it’s life or a career move, it’s all a risk that we must be willing to push through. Once we push through, we tap more into what our life’s purpose is.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a full time Infection Preventionist (Infection Control Nurse) and PRN (as needed) Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurse. I’ve been in healthcare since I was a teenager and this year will make 15 years since I started working in healthcare. I’ve been a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA), patient care tech, phlebotomist, health educator, cardiac monitor tech, health care administrator, Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), and now a Registered Nurse (RN) over the course of these 15 years. I’ve spent 6 years as a nurse- 3 years as a LPN & 3 years as a BSN-RN. Choosing a profession in healthcare started off early for me at the age of 13/14. My maternal grandmother had a stroke and for 2-3 years, my mother and I took care of her up until the day she passed away. It was at this moment, I knew that wanted to help people and care for them. However, to get to where I am at was difficult and long. I did not become a nurse until I was 26 years old. There were many challenges in my way such as science courses, coming from a background being a first generation college student, and learning how to speak up for myself- were a few of the challenges I faced. Nevertheless, I kept pushing and taking risks and here I am today! I am still pushing towards my goals and dreams. I want the world to know that we all have been dealt a hand of cards- good and bad! But it’s up to you how you play the game and choose your path. It doesn’t matter where you are from or what you don’t have. If you have the power to believe in YOU and what YOU want- you will get there! My brand/ story is that I want others to see that you can be authentically you and rise above the negativity and doubt.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
So I’m not sure how many peeps are coming to Mississippi but the Jackson MS area has some nice spots and so does the Southern Part of MS. But I do have a best friend that could come visit so let me give a quick central Mississippi tour. Central Mississippi consists of Madison, Jackson, Ridgeland, Flowood, and Brandon- to name a few.

If my best friend was to come in town, we would start each day with coffee at a local coffee shop. I love the local coffee shops that are here so we could hit up: Rollin Beans Coffee (Brandon, MS), Mocha Mugs (Brandon, Flowood, or Madison), and/ or any Cups Espresso Cafe (Brandon, Flowood, or Madison). Then we would head over to Jo’s Diner (Flowood, MS) and get a nice breakfast! I swear they have the BEST beignets I’ve had outside of New Orleans. We zoom over to Anjou Restaurant and have a nice French inspired lunch with a flight of mimosas- the mimosa flight is really nice! And then stop by the Renaissance at Colony Park to check out Sephora along with some other nice stores such as the Hallmark store because we love a good card. Other shopping opportunities include Dogwood Festival and the Outlets of Mississippi where we can check out Coach, Cole Haan, and Michael Kors Outlet. Some amazing evening activities we could do is catch a Mississippi Braves baseball game and check out the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and Mississippi Art Museum.

I find all of those places interesting! There’s so many other food places and activities, I would recommend! I love that we have a ton of events such as the Santo South Wine Festive, Taste of Flowood, and so many more!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to thank God, my beautiful wife Jazmin, my mother Carolyn, and my amazing sorority sister Charmagne along with a host of friends for always supporting my endeavors especially as a blogger/ content creator. I also want to thank my amazing followers aka peeps/ virtual friends for always supporting me and hyping me up!

Website: https://thecrystallinaperspective.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecrystallinaperspective?igsh=M2FneGxjaXV3dTRs&utm_source=qr

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/kNVBaQ8rjFMJgpXf/?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@thecrystallinaperspective?si=89xsGRN491FRTkGs

Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thecrystallinap?_t=8n5luG0EuPm&_r=1

Lemon8:
https://v.lemon8-app.com/s/xNwpbYspR

Pinterest:
https://pin.it/5ObLx3QiJ

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