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

Hi Jessica, what matters most to you?
Never trading my Authenticity for approval of others is my guiding principle. I make it my mission to stay true to who I am becoming and to share my story with transparency whenever I have the opportunity to help motivate and encourage someone else. It’s easy to get caught up in hype and chasing the clout when trying to get your get name and brand out there; you can find yourself losing your “why” behind your brand/business. My brand and mission will always remain the same to uplift and motivate young people within my community through authentically being me no matter what room I walk in or stage I speak on. My personal mantra “I’m not here to Impress, I’m here to Impact”.

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.
In October 2017, I launched my social media ministry called Listen Up with Jess, where I started off making videos of me sharing my personal testimonies of my life and my relationship with God; while motivating young people to Listen Up to what God has called them to do. I started to receive amazing feedback from my supporters on Facebook, averaging 1k views every episode. The outcome of the feedback blessed me to be invited to speak at youth conferences and mentoring adolescent girls within my hometown Huntsville, Alabama. Fast forwarded to February 2019, I relocated to Georgia and decided to relaunch Listen Up with Jess into Christian Culture Podcast for young adults. I now use my platform to reach thousands of people across social media & the podcasting space, for an audience that desire to learn more about becoming the best version of themselves.The Listen Up with Jess Podcast today has opened many doors for me to become a motivational speaker and podcast influencer to connect with several young adults across the world. Has the road been smooth? of course not. I still struggle with doubt and fear of really stepping out on faith to pursue my dreams full time. One of my favorite quotes always pushes me to keep pressing forward “If there is NO struggle there is no progress”- Frederick Douglass. Building a brand is hard, staying consistent is hard, creating space for your voice to be heard is hard and mentoring authentically is hard. There are days I really feel like I’m killing it and then there are days I feel like “wow, there’s so much more I want to accomplish”. Today, I’m learning to pace myself, finding a healthy balance in creating long term goals and be thankful for the progress I have made so far.

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?
My itinerary will consist of my favorite vegan spots because Atlanta have some of best vegan spots . First stop Slutty Vegan, (literally the best vegan burgers in ATL), Chi Chi Vegan Taco Shop, ATL Food Truck Park ( Howell Mill) great food , drinks and music outdoors, and check out Triton Yards Food Truck same good outdoor vibes. Then definitely have to check out the High Museum, Ponce City Market, Botanical gardens, Hang out the Battery and go to Braves Games and take walk on my favorite trail in Smyrna Silver Comet Trail.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Shoutout to my younger sister Julia Johnson, who been apart of my story since day 1 and has witnessed the transformation in my life. I would like to thank her for always loving, supporting, and pushing to use my gift of influence.

Website: https://www.listenupwithjess.com/

Instagram: @listenupwithjess

Facebook: Listen Up with Jess

Other: Apple Podcast Link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/listen-up-with-jess/id1454762101

Image Credits
Alexis Moore

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