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

Hi Kenya, every day, we talk about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
The seed of my business started a week or two after my college graduation. I had worked so hard to finish my degree and finish on time with a good GPA that by the time my graduation rolled around, I was battling between exhaustion and excitement. Once I turned my tassel, I quickly realized I had NO idea what I would be doing next, and my excitement turned into terror.

I had spent my entire life being a student with a roadmap for success. But suddenly, I was no longer a student, just an adult with no idea of what it meant to be a professional in the real world. After several tumultuous months of job searching, I found my first full-time position through a connection. Still, even with that fortune, I realized a new problem on my horizon: I had no idea how to navigate my career.

When I looked around, I noticed most of my peers had no idea how to navigate their careers either. A majority of us were either underemployed and unfulfilled or gainfully employed and unfulfilled. Regardless of the situation, each problem resulted from one simple truth: no one taught us how to manage our careers.

After being in the workforce for several years, I decided having a fulfilling and lasting career should not be complicated or inaccessible. I saw three problems in the workplace: 1) Students needed a clear path to becoming professionals, 2) Professionals needed a clear path to fulfillment in their careers, and 3) Organizations needed a clear path to treat their employees well. As a result, I created Auclare Vision, a career strategy firm where we teach students and professionals how to make a living without sacrificing their livelihood.

When I first got the idea for Auclare Vision, my main objective was to help people become more intentional so that their lives would be more meaningful and impactful. As Auclare Vision evolved, we have done fantastic work assisting professionals in understanding the fullness of their career experience and marketing it for any opportunity, not just employment.

Now, we are focused on making work enjoyable for everyone by developing students, professionals, and organizations to embody their values and be well. Our firm provides career training, coaching, and workshops to support the most vulnerable people at work with their unique experiences in the workplace.

Now, as we are approaching Year 2 in our business, I feel the seed I planted so many years ago is blossoming into something that can genuinely change the way we work.

How did you get to where you are today business-wise? Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges?
Becoming a business owner has not been an easy feat. Even when you are deeply passionate about your mission, entrepreneurship requires a level of commitment, responsibility, and risk that would honestly terrify most people. But do I believe it’s worth it? For me, absolutely.

Being an entrepreneur allows me the creativity and freedom I have craved throughout my career. Learning myself, managing my health, and honoring my work-life strategy have been the most significant challenges and lessons for me as a CEO.

When I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease earlier this year, my entire strategic plan for 2021 went out the window. I had to regroup and focus on my health. Being sick taught me a valuable lesson: as much as I love what I do, I have to choose myself over work. When I did choose me, I discovered something magical: the world doesn’t end if you take care of yourself.

Despite working reduced hours this year, I am happy to announce that Auclare Vision not only increased our revenue by nearly 1000%, but we have also made a profit for the first time in our history. I am very proud of my business and how it has developed me as a person and a CEO over these last two years. I am even more proud of the impactful work we do every day and the exciting things we have planned for the future.

I am incredibly excited about what is coming next. Success for us looks different than it does for most firms. Our work focuses on helping our clients understand themselves and take control of their lives and careers. We are in the business of freedom, allowing people more time with the things and people they love.

Our future is bright. In 2022, we will be launching new products, services, and experiences. As we continue to build out the work of Auclare Vision, we will continue to center ourselves in bringing humanity back to human resources.

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.
Hanging out with my best friend is always one of my favorite things to do because without doing much, we can genuinely just enjoy each other’s company. Our itinerary would be a little more lean than stacked because, without fail, we are going to take a good ole nap!

But one thing we would like to cross off of our friend bucket list is swimming with the sharks at the Georgia Aquarium. I saw a billboard during my last trip, and I have been super excited about it ever since. To be honest, she’s the only person I would want to do it with because she understands my love of responsibility and thrill! It would be an exhilarating adventure for us.

On theme with the Georgia Aquarium, I love for us to go to some of the places I loved to visit as a child, like the World of Coca-Cola, the High Museum, and Zoo Atlanta. I have a lot of cherished memories at all of those places, and I know it would be a great experience to see it now as an adult and share those moments with my best friend.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My shoutout goes to the person who has kept me the most grounded and centered throughout one of the most challenging years of my life: my life partner. Aside from gaining one of the best friends I have ever had, being with my partner has taught me so much about life and how I fit into it.

Before we got together, I knew from an intellectual understanding that life mattered more than work, but being with him made me realize the emotional component of why living a full life is vital to all of us.

As a partner, he has carried me through some of my darkest moments with a gentleness and tenderness I have never experienced. Earlier this year, I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease, and it was a devastating experience because I felt like I was no longer the same person. I couldn’t work the same way I had before. I couldn’t push through and hustle as I could before. That was heartbreaking for me. So much of my identity was tied to my drive. When I lost that, I felt like I had lost myself.

But he helped me find a new self, a self that was okay with stillness, appreciate tiny life moments, and see things for the beauty of what they are, rather than always focusing on what they could be. He provided me with so much care and understanding it felt like his love taught me how to heal myself. He has, without a doubt, been my rock and pushed me to truly see myself by honoring my emotional and spiritual self as well.

When I finally got back to work, the care and intention he provided empowered me to approach my work in the same way. I saw the delicacy in every client and provided them with the same care and understanding to ensure they understood their lives were meaningful outside of work.

Website: www.auclarevision.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/AuclareVision

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/auclare-vision

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuclareVision

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/auclarevision

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AuclareVision

Other: Tik Tok: http://www.tiktok.com/@auclarevision

Image Credits
Kim Taylor at Kimazing Photography (https://www.kimazingphotos.com)

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