I finished reading about John H. Johnson’s journey. John’s autobiography details his life through 1988 or so. When John published this book in 1989, he was 71. He passed away in 2005 at age 87.

How Did John’s Early Years Impact His Trajectory?

John’s family didn’t have money. The two years they were on welfare in Chicago was a low point in John’s life. It put a fear in John that drove him for the rest of his life. He was constantly worried about having to go back on welfare. John decided that wasn’t an option. He was going to make it or die trying.

Chicago also put John in an environment where he was in proximity to success. He could see people he could relate to who’d become successful. Talking with and learning from them helped John realize that he too could become successful. And he noticed that these successful people had more control over their destiny than most, which was something he sought.

John’s mother, Gertrude, set a good example. She was an action-oriented person who refused to accept the status quo in Arkansas City: she believed that she and her family deserved better. Her work ethic and willingness to take risks inspired John. She was also a supportive mother who thought her son could do anything.

John’s experience of being teased in high school put a chip on his shoulder. He found that he could read and learn his way out of any problem.

How Did John Become So Successful?

John’s marriage to Eunice was pivotal. She helped him launch Johnson Publishing Company and helped him think through big company decisions. She also turned Ebony Fashion Fair into a huge success. Eunice was John’s life and business partner. Her support allowed John to thrive.

John was comfortable experimenting. He experimented until his understanding improved. This approach led to JET and Ebony Fashion Fair.

Because John bootstrapped his company, he became a master at resource allocation. He learned to get the most out of the resources he had. And his capital allocation skills allowed him to maintain 100% ownership of his company.

John was a masterful salesman. He studied people and figured out how to tug on his targets’ emotions. He persistently pursued some people for years until he won their business.

Johnson Publishing, the conduit between white America and Black America, elevated his status in both networks. He gained access to elite business and political circles, which opened doors for his company.

John was a risk taker. He embraced being uncomfortable and living life on the edge.

What Kind of Entrepreneur Was John?

John was a founder. He spent his career providing publications to Black Americans. As his resources grew, he diversified and became proficient at investing and deal making.

As a bootstrapped founder, John was operationally oriented. With little room for error, he was adamant that everyone, including himself, double-check their work, and he checked on his direct reports’ progress daily.

What Did I Learn from John’s Journey?

John’s strategy to launch by having customers prepay for his magazine was genius. He avoided any need for the approval of investors or banks, getting it directly from customers instead. He gauged how much authentic demand there was before launching. John realized that customer revenue was the cheapest and best form of growth capital.

John built an audience with magazines. He then built businesses that sold products his audience wanted. His companies advertised in his magazines, which directed his audience to purchase his products. Most companies build and then find customers by marketing to them. John did the opposite and had low to no marketing costs for his product businesses.

Content companies can scale quickly because their cost to reproduce and distribute content can be significantly lower than the cost of reproducing and distributing physical products.

John’s strategy of openly confessing his ignorance to entice people to share everything they knew was a smart way to fill his industry knowledge gaps and build relationships.

John was an amazing entrepreneur. His autobiography details his business journey, involvement in the civil rights movement, service as a director on the boards of numerous large corporations, and candid thoughts about the four US presidents he was close with. Anyone interested in bootstrapping, media or publishing, or American history may benefit from reading this book.

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