I met CJ after reading a feature interview, and I just knew we needed to connect. He knows so much about digital marketing and I just wanted to learn from this guy and support his endeavors. But after spending some time with him at events, and that one Game of Thrones watch party in DTLA (LOL), little did I know that we actually had a lot in common (even get the same humor and have that much love for Khaleesi).

As much as I admire his passion for what he does, I LOVE the way he talks about his daughter even more. And I’m honored to be his friend. So make sure to give him a follow, I promise you’ll learn A LOT.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Ohhhh, I hate answering this. I feel like I’m in a job interview. HAHA. I’m a proud father of a badass little girl. Business-wise, I’m an acclaimed Speaker and Digital Marketing Consultant, servicing Fortune-50 clients worldwide and a prominent digital influencer with hundreds of thousands of online supporters.

What do you create on your social media platforms? How did you get started in the industry?

I just share my voice about various topics and try to do it creatively when I can. I started out as promoting my creative works and commenting on TV shows and films I was watching at the time. It evolved from there.

What do you do as a digital marketing consultant?

I build out digital marketing infrastructures and strategies for startups and small businesses. I oversee and consult awareness campaigns for larger brands.

What was it like being featured on big name magazines?

It was a career goal of mine, so it’s been great to be in HuffPost, Forbes, Men’s Health, GQ, etc. I grew up reading those publications, so it’s fantastic to see my name in anything really. Beyond that, it’s just wonderful to continuously grow and take people along that journey with me.

What does being a Black man mean to you?

I’m a human being just like anyone else. Regardless of your skin color, age, sex, etc., you should be proud of who you are, where you come from, and get excited about where you’re headed. So, I love myself for who I am regardless of if I was a Black man or not.

Is there a specific Black man from history, or even from today, who inspires you?

Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, and Barack Obama are three of my all-time heroes and inspirations.

I love your motivational messages on social media. How do you stay positive and motivated? What advice can you give to people to stay positive at this time?

I put as much energy into self-care and self-improvement as I do my business goals. I would say one of the most stand-out tips I can offer is to make sure to have positive self-talk with yourself. It’s one thing to write things out (and you should, journaling is also important), but it’s another thing to talk aloud.

Prayer, positive affirmations, even just a general check-in with yourself. It’s always good to put things into perspective. Take everything one step at a time. If anything seems to feel too overwhelming, take a step back and slow things down. We’re always in a rush and think we’re missing out on something if we just take a breather. That’s not true. Taking that breather actually allows you to refocus and move forward with purpose.

What are your hopes and fears for your daughter? What have you done/hope to do as a #Girldad to make sure she grows up with your values and awareness of the world we live in?

I think emotional intelligence is really important. I have to lead by example, so I try to leave room for my daughter to see how I navigate in the world. I ask her a lot of questions, challenging her. I am not necessarily preparing her or guarding her against the world as we know it. If anything, I’m preparing her to be equipped with as many tools as she can so she can adapt quickly to any situation regardless of how the world changes around her.

What is something you wish to change about the influencer industry? What about in marketing and business?

I would like to see more intuition and common sense play a larger role in decision-making. A lot of times, it’s metric-based and too many copy-cats. We should all strive to create our own voices and tap into the world around us. That will always bring great results. Too many times in the influencer world or business world, in general, we are searching for quick results. The world doesn’t operate like that. It functions in the way of a marathon. Not a sprint.

What is something you wish non-Black people could understand? How can we, as allies, change what we’re doing to create an actual impact?

Unlearning biases is a lot more difficult than you would think. It’s not even something we’re consciously aware of. One critical way to un-learn things is to simply ask yourself more questions, show patience, and always put things into perspective. For example, instead of asking “what do I wish non-Black people could understand?” ask, “What is it that I feel that I don’t quite understand about Black culture or Black people in general?” Build upon that answer, ask more questions. Be self-aware.

Where can we follow CJ?

If you want to know more about CJ, and follow him along on his journey, here are his socials:
Instagram: @cjjohnsonjr
Twitter: @cjjohnsonjr
LinkedIn: CJ Johnson
Website: CJ Johnson, Jr.

For a list of ways to support #BlackLivesMatter, check out this page.