Today we’d like to introduce you to CJ Johnson.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My story begins in Cedar Hill, TX where I was raised. Our conditions growing up were always stable, not everything was perfect, but we were way too blessed to ever focus on the things we lacked. Once I turned 11, my mom had a surgery that kept her in the hospital for several days and began a string of future health issues for her. From the first time I saw my mom in a hospital bed, I vowed that it would be one of my life’s missions to take care of her and allow her to retire comfortably wherever she chooses. I have always been heavily involved in activities outside of school (basketball, football, Boy Scouts, etc.), and my mom always made sure to take me where I needed to go regardless of how she was feeling. For the sacrifices of both of my parents, I am forever committed to making their lives as best as possible. Fast forward to the present, I am now a college senior, and my Fiancée and I are expecting our first son to be due in July 2022. Now more than ever, I have the driving factor pushing me to take care of my young family, while still being there for my mom. These life events led me to take on the current ventures that I am now in. I am a multifamily real estate investor actively seeking my first deal. For those unfamiliar, multifamily real estate deals with apartment buildings that are bought with the intention of raising the income produced at the property to either hold long term or sell for a profit. When we found out we had a child on the way, my Fiancée DeLana and I both knew that we would need to create an opportunity for ourselves to have time freedom away from a job to take care of our family. I began making videos on my Instagram account to help teach people about business and credit because those are two things, I am extremely passionate about. DeLana and I received a lot of feedback from people about the videos I put out, and we made the decision to launch a course called Credible University, aimed at helping young people (especially young parents) build their credit to be able to start out their lives in good financial standing. We both felt that there is a lot of misinformation about credit, so by leveraging our own experiences of building our personal credit with the knowledge of our mentors who have a history in credit repair, we are actively building this course to be able to show people how to boost credit on their own by following the methods we teach.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Nothing in my life that I have worked toward has been easy, there have been good and bad times, but there is so much beauty in times of struggle because it teaches us so much about ourselves. When I received news last year that my childhood best friend died from suicide, my whole life was shaken up, and even to this day, it is hard for me when I think about it. Losing someone in this way always leaves a person with so many questions, but ultimately, I just hoped my brother could find real rest from the turmoil that life had put him through. This was the hardest death I have ever had to heal from. I still get emotional sometimes when thinking about him, but his life continues on through me, and I will never let him down. This situation taught me two key things: 1. Life is what I choose to make it and a lot of things wouldn’t be worth stressing over if today was our last day alive and 2. Compassion is one of the strongest tools we get to use because when we put aside our own selfish desires, we have great power in being able to make a difference in the lives of those around us. Just like the Good Samaritan story from the Bible, it does not matter where you come from or how you were raised, all people have the ability to help each other out to make a real impact on the world. I carry these things with me to push me and to remind me that I can only focus on things within my control, everything else will be handled in due time.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I feel that my unique set of skills puts me at the intersection of being an entrepreneur and a creative. I had my first business mowing lawns at my dad’s rental properties in high school. In college, I tried a number of different hustles like selling tickets to parties, writing essays, cutting hair, selling clothes, etc. Now I have two businesses: CJJ Capital Investments is my real estate investment company and Credible University is our online course launching soon. At CJJ Capital, our purpose is to bridge the gap between young people and the world of apartment real estate investment. Similarly in our course, Credible University, we want to help young families become more financially literate by teaching skills to help create a personalized game plan for building credit. Through all of this, I am a creative and I enjoy making content for my audience to gain value from. My content consists of videos related to business and personal finance because I am passionate about both. What sets me apart from others is definitely the mix of skills that I have. I am a good speaker and communicator, which has led me to be in front of the camera on podcasts and interviews. I also have a knack for predicting trends and seeing where the market is going in my respective niches, hence my businesses in real estate and education. I am most proud of the brand we are building around Credible University. This is something that perfectly aligns with the skills of myself and our partners involved in this venture. There is so much value packed into the course that I know it will be very impactful for everyone who takes advantage. To follow the journey to launch, check out my Instagram: @cjjohns0n
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
The first person that deserves credit is Jesus. I am a man of faith, and everything that I have been blessed with is because of Him so I cannot take any credit without first acknowledging Him. Another person that deserves a ton of credit is my dad. He is an educator so he made the investment in me to make sure I am educated and involved in what’s best for me while I was growing up. I’m not interested in being a school educator, but the skills he helped me hone are a big reason why I am here today. Of course, my mom has to make this list as well. She has been my biggest cheerleader from the start and even now she is my most active Instagram follower. Her love and support have made so much possible for me so I have to give her credit. Last but not least is my Fiancée DeLana. I know you’re reading this so I want to thank you publicly for being the better half to my life. I thank God every day for you and I am so blessed to be able to design my life with you. To end this, I have to include a quote from Big Sean “Plus tryna thank everybody who helped us along the way Is like tryna name every single member of the Wu-Tang Clan, Yeah I might skip one or two but that doesn’t mean that they wasn’t just as Part of the plan, some love goes without sayin'” I’m thankful for everyone who has poured into me, invested in me, offered constructive criticism, etc. because it has all fueled me to get to where I am now, so thank you all!
Pricing:
- Credible University ($3500 value course) Priced at $249. We are now accepting pre-order. See my Instagram for more details.
- Minimum passive investment in a real estate deal is $50K. Schedule a call with me if you’d like more details about how to invest, returns on investment, etc. My LinkedIn has details about how to set meetings, so find me there as Christian Johnson Multifamily Real Estate Investor.
Contact Info:
- Email: cjalenjohnson1@gmail.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/cjjohns0n
