Today we’d like to introduce you to Karen KJ 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 didn’t begin with a grand strategy or a perfect roadmap. It began with a breaking point. For years, I was the woman who excelled in every room—strategic, capable, overprepared, and consistently delivering excellence. Yet somehow, I kept hitting the same wall: the glass ceiling that wasn’t just hard… it was impenetrable. I was doing everything “right,” but the doors that should have opened stayed shut.
And one day, after being overlooked again despite doing the work of three people, something in me shifted. Not in bitterness, but in clarity.
I realized I wasn’t meant to fight to be seen. I was meant to build something where women like me never had to shrink, negotiate their worth, or wait for validation. That moment of revelation is where The Konfident Woman was born. I stepped into entrepreneurship not because it was safe—but because it was necessary. I wanted to create what I never had: a bold, unapologetic space where women leaders—especially Black women—could rise without limits, without shrinking, without asking for permission.
What started as coaching and empowerment quickly grew into a movement. Women began coming to me not just for strategy, but for alignment. Not just for leadership, but for transformation. Not just for direction, but for identity.
I listened to their stories, their frustrations, their brilliance, and their exhaustion. And it affirmed my own truth:
Women are not lacking talent. They are lacking systems, support, and rooms that were designed for their success.
So, I built those systems. I created those rooms. And I stepped into a bigger mission. The work expanded—and so did the Impact. My journey has now evolved into a powerful ecosystem that includes:
•The Konfident Woman — elevating executive women in leadership, presence, and purpose.
•The I Am Woman Collection — a lifestyle brand reminding women who they are: Warriors, Overcomers, Masterpieces, Anointed, Noble Queens.
•The Konfident Woman Nonprofit Leadership Institute (KWNLI) — strengthening boards, coaching CEOs, and transforming nonprofit cultures.
•NAWBO DFW President — where I lead one of the most influential women’s business communities in the nation with the theme: Empower. Connect. Innovate.
•Strategic partnerships, keynotes, and major leadership engagements — where I teach, coach, and activate leaders at every level.
But none of this “just happened.” It came from every moment I refused to disappear. Every time I stood in a room that wasn’t built for me and chose not to shrink. Every time I decided that my pain would not paralyze me—it would empower me.
I didn’t get here because it was easy. I got here because I said yes to myself. Because I chose purpose over comfort. Because God kept elevating me into spaces I once questioned being worthy of—only to show me I was sent to lead them. Today, I stand where I am because I dared to believe that I was created to lead. My voice was meant to disrupt. My brilliance was not negotiable. And my journey was preparing me to empower thousands.
And the truth is—I’m just getting started.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not at all — but every challenge shaped who I am as a leader. My journey has been marked by glass ceilings, being the “only” or “first” in many rooms, and doing the work of three people without the recognition or opportunity. I faced seasons of burnout, imposter syndrome, and the pressure of navigating corporate spaces that were never designed for women like me to rise.
Those challenges pushed me into purpose. They taught me resilience, clarity, and the courage to build something bigger than the limitations placed on me.
Entrepreneurship didn’t come with a blueprint, but every obstacle refined my voice, strengthened my leadership, and ultimately led me to create The Konfident Woman and the impact-driven work I do today.
So no—it hasn’t been smooth.
But it has been intentional, transformative, and absolutely worth it.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about The Konfident Woman?
The Konfident Woman is more than a business— it is a movement, a mindset, and a leadership ecosystem built to equip women to rise in purpose, power, and presence.
At its core, The Konfident Woman exists to help women step boldly into the fullness of who they are—without shrinking, apologizing, or negotiating their brilliance. It’s where strategy meets identity, where faith meets execution, and where leadership becomes transformational.
What I Do + What I Specialize In
As the Founder & Chief Empowerment Officer, I specialize in three core areas:
1. Executive Leadership Coaching
I help high-achieving women—especially Black and BIPOC women—
develop the confidence, clarity, and executive presence needed to lead well, influence boldly, and elevate their impact.
This includes:
•Leadership identity work
•Strategic decision-making
•Communication & presence
•Purpose alignment
•High-performance mindset
•Healing while leading
Women come to me when they are ready to ascend.
2. Nonprofit CEO & Board Leadership Development
Through The Konfident Woman Nonprofit Leadership Institute (KWNLI), I specialize in transforming nonprofit organizations from the inside out.
I coach CEOs,/EDs, strengthen boards, build governance structures, cultivate healthy board-staff partnerships, and lead organizational culture change.
I am known for:
•Board Reset Strategy Sessions
•Executive Director/CEO transition coaching
•Governance & structure development
•Board Leadership Retreats
•Fundraising courage & sustainability frameworks
•Culture diagnostics and realignment
Simply put I help nonprofits stop surviving and start leading with purpose and power.
3. Speaking & Transformational Experiences
As a keynote speaker, I deliver bold, faith-rooted, high-impact messages on:
•Leadership & confidence
•Purpose & presence
•Women’s empowerment
•Nonprofit leadership excellence
•Healing while leading
•Identity & influence
My message shifts rooms. My presence elevates leaders. My voice ignites movement.
I am known for my ability to:
✨ Speak truth with grace and authority
✨ Activate confidence in women who have forgotten their power
✨ Build strong leaders and even stronger organizations
✨ Turn confusion into clarity and overwhelm into strategy
✨ See potential in people and systems before they see it themselves
✨ Transform boards through structure, accountability, and purpose
✨ Bring faith, boldness, and strategy into every room
People often say I am the intersection of executive strategy + heart work + spiritual alignment—and that I change the way they see themselves.
What Sets Me Apart
I don’t just coach skills, I coach identity. Most leadership programs focus on tactics.
I focus on the leader’s whole self: purpose, presence, confidence, voice, and internal belief systems. I create leaders who sustain their power in every room they enter.
Identity before strategy. Healing before execution. Alignment before elevation.
I do transformational activation. This is my signature.
I am most proud that:
•The Konfident Woman has become a safe space for women who lead in hard places.
•Women walk away not just better leaders, but whole leaders.
•My brand unapologetically centers identity, brilliance, healing, and purpose.
•My frameworks have helped CEOs, boards, and organizations across DFW reset, refocus, and rise.
•The I Am Woman Collection has given women tangible reminders of who they are—Warriors, Overcomers, Masterpieces, Anointed, Noble Queens – (W.O.M.A.N.)
I built a brand that reflects my truth, honors my calling, and elevates every woman who touches it.
What I Want Readers to Know About My Brand & Offerings
The Konfident Woman is for women who are ready to:
•Stop shrinking
•Stop hiding
•Stop leading on empty
•Stop questioning who they are
And start:
•Leading with authority
•Standing fully in their identity
•Moving with purpose
•Building boldly
•Showing up with presence
•Reclaiming their confidence
My offerings are designed to meet women at every stage of leadership:
• Executive Coaching (1:1 + group coaching frameworks)
• Corporate & Nonprofit Leadership Training
• Board Retreats & Governance Development
• CEO Transition Coaching & Culture Assessments
• Keynote Speaking & Leadership Workshops
• The I Am Woman Collection (apparel + affirmation products)
• Empowerment content through newsletters, talks, and events
Whether I am coaching a CEO, speaking on a global stage, redesigning a board’s structure, or empowering a room full of women—
my mission remains the same:
To activate the leader within.
To help women rise boldly.
To remind them they are already enough.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
One of my favorite childhood memories is those moments when I felt seen for who I really was, even before I fully understood it myself. I remember being a little girl who loved organizing things, leading the games, and giving “instructions” like I was running a full operation. I didn’t have the language for it then, but leadership was already in me. When I look back, what I treasure most isn’t a single moment—it’s the feeling of belonging, of being supported, and of watching strong women navigate the world with grace and grit. That became the foundation for The Konfident Woman long before I ever knew it had a name.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_karen_kj_johnson/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karenr.johnson.750
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-kj-johnson/
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/thekonfidentwoman/
Image Credits
Steven Meedin Media
