Adam Torres and Greg Johnson discuss Greg’s new book.
Subscribe: iTunes / Spotify
Apply to be a guest on our podcast here
Show Notes:
New book alert! In this episode, Adam Torres interviews Greg Johnson, Founder and Executive Coach at Above The Rim Executive Coaching, Mission Matters: World’s Leading Entrepreneurs Reveal Their Top Tips To Success (Business Leaders Edition Vol. 10).
Watch Full Interview:
About Greg Johnson
As a Career and Executive Coach, Greg’s passion is to use his business experience to help others. He is known for his positive and dynamic approach to career transition and career management — enabling his clients to create a paradigm shift in how they manage their careers. He is skilled at helping clients develop and implement their job search strategy, build personal brand identity, leverage their strengths, skills, experiences, and passions, and clearly articulate their mission. This approach has led Greg’s clients to consistently separate themselves, and uniquely present themselves as the solution to the needs of their target organizations.
In building his practice, Greg has had the privilege of learning from some of the best career and executive coaches in the industry and has been able to leverage his experience and background as an international business executive with expertise ranging from operations to marketing and business development. He launched his career in Japan managing real estate development projects for Mitsui Construction.
After leaving Mitsui Construction, Greg established Regus Japan K.K., the Japanese subsidiary of the world’s largest provider of serviced office solutions, and launched the serviced office concept in Japan. As President of Regus Japan K.K., Greg negotiated and secured the lease of almost 161,000 ft2 in 3 of Tokyo’s most premier business addresses, and had the business running in the black in less than 18 months!
Upon returning to California, Greg enjoyed success in senior marketing and business development roles in companies such as Lion Office Products, Takagi Tankless Water Heaters, and Jaguar Land Rover NA.
About Above The Rim Executive Coaching
Greg Johnson brings almost 20 years experience as an international business executive with expertise ranging from operations to marketing and business development, with such companies as Jaguar Land Rover NA, Regus Japan K.K., Mitsui Construction Company, Takagi Tankless Water Heaters and Lion Office Products.
Full Unedited Transcript
Hey, I want to welcome you to another episode of mission matters. My name is Adam Torres, and if you’d like to apply to be a guest in the show, just head on over to mission matters. com and click on be our guest to apply. All right. So today is a very special episode. We’re bringing back onto the show.
Greg Johnson, who is founder and executive coach over at above the rim executive coaching. And I’m proud to announce he’s an author and our recently released book. Mission Matters book. So, hey, Greg, first off, just wanna say welcome back to the show. Thank you very much, Adam. I’m very excited to be here.
All right, Greg. So we’ll, we’ll, we’re gonna, I, we got a lot to cover. I of course wanna catch up. It’s been a little bit of time since we talked last. We’re gonna talk about your content. We’re gonna talk about the mindset of get to rather than half. going to get into, of course, above the rim executive coaching.
But before we do all that, we’ll start this episode, the way that we start them all with what we like to call our mission matters minute. So Greg, we at mission matters, we amplify stories for entrepreneurs, executives, and experts. That’s our mission. Greg, what mission matters to you? Well, my mission is to help professionals.
Navigate their career, their career journey with success and significance. I really love and enjoy helping them reach pinnacles and making sure that their career matters to them. It’s great. Love bringing mission based individuals on the show to share why they do what they do, how they’re doing, and really what we all can learn from that so that we we all progress and rise together.
So great. Again, great having you back on. First thing first. New author in our book, a new author in our collaboration. We’ve been working on this book together for quite some time. Now, how do you feel? Well, it’s exciting to be published. I’ve always, you know, the last several years been thinking, I have a story to tell, I have some ideas to tell and just working and collaborating with mission matters to get that done was an exciting experience.
I want to, and we’re glad to have you and we’re going to, and we’re glad to have your story and to bring that to our audience. And I guess just to get us kicked off here, I don’t want to assume that maybe some of our newer listeners or newer visitors have maybe seen some of our previous work together.
So maybe let’s kind of go back a bit and talk a little bit more about above the rim, executive coaching, and really how all of this began for you. Okay. Well, I’ve been doing. Executive coaching since 2009, and I thoroughly enjoy what I do. It’s interesting in when I work with people having discussions of what it is they want to do or trying to figure out their next steps.
Walking through the process and seeing the light bulb turn on and. That’s just an exciting thing to allow them to experience with their career and to bring their career to a higher level. And for lack of a better term to play their career above the rim. What keeps you, like, how did you know? Was there, was there a point?
Was it a progression? Like what, when, when you discovered the, the executive coaching space, or like when you just saw that as a field, like, like when did you know that that was going to be a great fit for you? Well, When I started I was actually working for Jaguar Land Rover in Irvine. They relocated to New Jersey, and it was a very short conversation with the family.
Do you want to go to New Jersey? No, no, no, no. So at that point in time, I actually hired a career coach to help me figure out What do I want to be when I grow up? And in doing that, I started helping a lot of my friends. And at one point, I went back to my career coach and I said, You know what? I think I want to pursue being an executive coach, being a career coach.
And he said, Greg, I’ve been waiting for you to tell me that. I think you’d be very good at it. And so, I basically started then and the rest is history. That’s interesting. So I feel like sometimes when you’re going through a process or something else and it’s, you’re drawn into it and you’re like, and you’re like, wait a minute, I think I want to do this.
Was it a light bulb or was it a progression? Like, I’m curious, like at that moment, if you remember, by the way, I know it’s been a while. Yeah, it’s been a while, but it was it was kind of a light bulb where it really dawned on me. But, you know, the thing is, As I mentioned in the book, the career is a journey and the journey has pivots and it has opportunities to do something different.
And I think it goes to the point of is this something I get to do or is this something I have to do? And when I was really thinking about it and the the Mission and the idea of working with professionals and helping them to succeed is something that really resonated with me And so it was pretty much of a light bulb moment And I think everyone’s career is full of these light bulb moments where we can learn What our next leg of our journey is.
So transit jumping around here a little bit. I do want to get into the book. So a lot of content that you could have written about there’s a, I mean, you obviously have a long background in this business and others, but this particular topic, the mindset of get to rather than have to, so why this topic?
Why’d you feel it was important now? I think it’s critically important for people to think about in their career, is this something I get to do? Or is this something I have to do? And when is we’re always focused on? Okay, I need a job. I have to pay the bills. I have to do this. I have to do that. The career is a drudgery.
When we’re spending 70 plus hours a week in our career, if we’re not enjoying it, then it’s taxing. And sometimes it becomes toxic. And when we, even in careers that are not something we would necessarily plan to do, if we bring a mindset to it, Oh, this is something I get to do when you’re looking at opportunities within your company, when you’re looking at things your, your daily responsibilities and you’re thinking about it as this is something I get to do the perspective changes and it, it creates a greater opportunity for us to grow when we’re thinking about.
I get to, it creates growth opportunities and that’s why I think it’s really important. Now, now in the book, you share some of your framework that, that you use in a databases on databases with your clients. So whether it’s the plan, a plan B, the plan, wow, like maybe go into that a little bit for us.
Yeah, well, when people are looking at a new opportunity or when they’re looking to explore what they’re going to do next, a lot of times they take a hodgepodge approach. Well, I’m just looking at the job postings and whatever comes will come that It often leads to dissatisfaction. So I am a very firm believer, having a strategy, a plan of where it is you want to go and developing that plan a of this is my primary target audience.
This is my primary target company. This is my primary target. And then have a secondary option. Outside of my primary, this is another thing that I would really like to do. But in the process of the job search, networking is critically important. And when you’re building relationships, And you’re having conversations.
Oftentimes, when you have a strategic curiosity, something will come up that’s completely outside of your radar. And those are sometimes the most wonderful opportunities. And when you have this plan, wow, Mindset of, you know what? I was thinking of going over here and doing this, this thing that has me energized.
The wheels are spinning in my head. This is what I can do. This is I can really get into this. Those are opportunities that can really be golden and help you to really grow the project, the trajectory of your career. When, when, especially for those well, I should say for those, let’s say those, you know, type a driver type personalities, when they have that plan a or that plan B, and they’re kind of like really set on it.
Like, how do you, how do you encourage people to stay open minded to even having a plan while? Cause I flick sometimes we’re so I’ll speak for myself. I’m so focused on like, okay, we have to go down this. We have to achieve this that I don’t know if I always leave room for a plan. Wow. Well, you know, that’s a really good question.
And I. Think it’s important that we do have and set goals, but there are so many times that opportunities come to us. And I think one of the most important things is having the mindset of who can I meet today? Who can I have a conversation with and being curious about them, being curious about what they do?
And when you have that mindset of curiosity, A lot of things will open up to you. And a lot of people say, Greg, I don’t have time to be curious. I don’t have time to go out and talk,
but when we take our focus off our day to day grind, when we take our focus off, Oh, this is something I have to do. And I think, okay, I get to meet people. The, the impact that you receive can be totally amazing and the impact you can give. Will be totally amazing, but there will be unexpected things that suddenly Oh, wow.
Yeah, I get to go after this and I didn’t even think of it yeah, and I so I think having the mindset of What do I want to be curious and I think about kobe bryant and his incessant curiosity He was always wanting to talk to people always wanting to learn And that was a huge part of his success Even after his NBA career ended and going into success as a storyteller and Oscar winning producer.
So he, he, his curiosity and in his Jersey retirement, he was talking about the curiosity will allow you to. Achieve beyond your dream. If you have a goal and you’re focused on your goal, you might get to your dream. But if you have a curiosity, you can achieve beyond your dream. And that’s where I think the real nugget is.
So you, you mentioned Kobe Bryant. I see, you know, basketball you know pictures behind you above the rim. Where, where does the basketball love come from? I did play basketball a few years ago, a few pounds ago.
And the concept of playing basketball above the rim is exhilarating. And so I thought the idea of play your career above the rim. And that’s where that concept comes in from. And the idea of what do exceptional athletes do to excel and how can I work with exceptional professionals and help them do the same things to excel in their career?
You mentioned something a moment or two ago about, about networking and and you know, kind of getting out there and being open to other possibilities. So you and I kind of in the warmup where we’re talking about a new meetup that we’re going to be doing in Orange County with our community down there.
I know every first Monday heading out there and and doing this meet up. And I’m just curious in your end when you’re going into an event, a meet up or something else like that, what are some things that you do to kind of like stay curious and think about and like, and prepare for the event if you will?
Well, one of the things when we network, we often think about, okay, how am I going to tell people I meet my story and make sure that they are interested in me? Yeah, well, one of the things that I’ve learned is if I’m too busy telling my story and I have my agenda of what I need to say, yeah, other people are going to lose interest very quickly, but if I have a curiosity to learn about the people that I’m speaking with.
And suddenly they’re going to think I’m a great conversationalist and they’re going to think that I’m really great at this. And they’re going to be much more interested in learning what I have to say. Now, not everybody’s going to do that. There’s still going to be the people that they’re hell bent on giving.
All the information they feel they need to give you. And when they’re literally regurgitating their entire speech without making it a conversation. Okay, that’s a person. They’re still working on how they can network effectively. But when you have people that you can hear their story and you can hear their passion, then that really becomes exciting and carrying it beyond.
Okay, Yeah, great. We met at this meeting. Can we have an opportunity to talk again? Further? Can we have an opportunity to do this? Can I learn more about what you’re doing? And as long as we have that curiosity and others. Karma will bring that curiosity back to us. Yeah. I think that that’s super interesting because when I think about the, for me personally, when the people that I remember afterwards after an event or otherwise, like it’s normally not going to be.
Be quite exactly what they, you know, what they did. It’s going to be a story they told me or something else. Like, for example, I was at a I was at a a real estate networking kind of like meetup event yesterday actually. And and out of everybody I met, I don’t know, I probably met 30 people.
The one person I remember was the woman that we had a real conversation and she told me about one of the reasons she was there is because her, her grandson, who’s 2023 I think it was and just bought his first property and he was thinking about buying, you know, some more property. And, and she wanted to start educating herself a little bit more about real estate and real estate investing to see if she wanted to, to get involved with them as well.
And I was like, Oh my gosh, come on, grandma, grandmother and a grandson investing team and her being an active participant in that learning process and not just saying, going and doing it. And it’s. It’s a bonding element of the relationship. Now, I was like, come on, like that person. I remember, I’ll remember them in a week.
I’ll remember them next time. I probably see them pretty memorable. And I’m like, Oh, wow. That was a meaningful individual that I’ll, you know, I’ll continue to know for whatever, it doesn’t have to always be business or this or that it’s sometimes just, you know, the people we want to attract in our lives.
So love that. And you know what, what you talk about really applies to interviews as well. We go into an interview for a job. Okay. I have to give this information. I have to tell all these different things. Tell a story about who you are. Why do you do what you do? And that resonates, but also make sure as when you’re networking.
Be an active listener and talk a little bit more about on the, on the executive side, like that concept of storytelling and why it matters, whether it’s in the boardroom, a team meeting or otherwise, because I do feel like this is a tool, some people, when they hear interview they think only you know, obviously being inter interviewing for a job or maybe even being on an interview, like we’re doing right now, but overall, like that concept of storytelling, can you talk about how it, how it applies into all of our areas of life?
Well, if I’m thinking about an executive and I’m thinking about leadership, storytelling can really help bring the team along to help them understand where our focus should be. And when you’re making a presentation, telling them. The process and doing a story of why this matters and how does it, how does it apply?
I, I think storytelling is an art that a lot of people have lost. And when we, we just get so focused on a message without communicating it as an active story. Have get to instead of have to, how does that apply into maybe some other areas of our lives as well, other than just work? You know, I’ve been blessed that in every job I’ve had, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it.
And that’s something that I get to do. But also when I’m thinking about outside of work, I get to spend time with the family this past weekend. My. Son and daughter and their dog came over and we got to spend time together just to have a good time. Having the idea of just doing things that I get to do, it puts a smile on our face rather than, Oh gosh, I have to go and do this.
The, that, the, the perspective of get to allows us to enjoy. The different things that are happening on a day in and day out basis, I want to circle back to above the rim executive coaching a bit more here. What are the types of individuals that you feel tend to get the most value out of working with you and your team?
Like who’s typically a good fit? How do they know someone is a good fit if they have the curiosity to want to learn more if they have the mindset of it? Greg, I am really good at doing what I do. I think I can take it to a higher level. I want to stretch myself. I want you to stretch me. So the people that have that mindset are the ones that I really work best with.
There are a lot of people that I encounter on a day in and day out basis. And, oh, I’m good with what I do. I already know what I need to do. And if you. Have that idea that i’m already doing it. It’s kind of like A years ago. I was talking with a friend of mine about eating sushi And he said oh, no, I could never eat sushi.
I just like steak and potatoes And poor guy poor guy or gal But I I said but have you ever tried it and he said no I haven’t because I already know everything I like What? Oh that hurts There’s kind of a similar process that when people are in their career, I already know what I do. I already know what I’m good enough at what I do.
I don’t need to learn anything. Not more. I don’t need to experience anything more. And I kind of think that’s kind of sad. Why would I go through life? Not trying to experience new food. Yeah, so that that’s kind of the way that I look at it. So I’m looking for someone who wants to experience new things in their career, even if they’ve reached pinnacles, even if they’re not looking to grow the corporate ladder, how can they look at it, their career from a different perspective?
Can you go a little bit further into that concept of stretch and like, what that means to you? I’m sorry, can you repeat that? Can you go, can you go a little bit further into that concept of stretch and really like what stretching kind of means to you, like whether you’re asking questions, like, is that stretch in six months in 12 months?
Like, what does that mean to you? Like helping someone stretch? Well, I was talking to an individual yesterday and she’d been part of a reduction in workforce. And she was looking at it. There’s a lot of people that they’re really stressed by this and, Oh man, the company made a bad decision. And, and I really feel let down.
She was looking at this. This is a brand new opportunity. I’ve had a good run with this company. I’ve learned a lot of new things. I’m looking for what I can do next. What, what’s the next level? So her concept and her, her frame of mind was very refreshing in that. Okay. I’m in my job search. What can I do differently than what everyone else is doing?
Yeah. And okay. Everyone is focusing on their resume. Everyone is focusing on the job postings. How can I reach out to my network and rekindle relationships? Awesome. That’s great. How can I tell them differently? I don’t just want to give them a resume. What can I show them so that they can know who I am and some of the things that I can do?
So he was thinking and then started to ask me, what can I do differently than give someone a resume? So she was already thinking automatically, what can I do differently? And that kind of thing that that curiosity will naturally stretch you. And, and, and the, the idea of thinking, okay, well, Greg, if you want me to do this and you want me to do that, I’m not necessarily comfortable with that, but when we grow, we are stretching ourselves.
If we want to grow, if we don’t want to grow, we’ll stay in our comfort zone. But when we stretch ourselves, that’s really when the magic happens. Yeah. If you, yeah, if you feel, if you feel too comfortable, it’s kind of like, that’s almost complacency to me. Like if I’m not ever trying something that makes me a little bit nervous, like that’s almost become my, my kind of like North star is like, okay, I’m a little bit nervous.
I’m a little bit uncomfortable. Yeah, I probably should accept that. Explore this a little bit more because there’s going to be, I might not succeed. I might fail. Right. I might fail in whatever that particular thing is, but there’s probably going to be some more growth there versus if I kind of veer away from the pain, right?
Or the, or the the butterflies or whatever it is, right? Exactly. But if you take that experience and you. Fail. Yeah. What is that? That’s a learning opportunity that you can grow and do something better the next time around. So not everything we we do is going to succeed, but being able to take those chances and learn from those experiences will absolutely help you to grow and it will expand your, your opportunities and, and give you more opportunities.
I get to do this awesome. Well, Greg, I just have to say it has been great having you back on the show. What’s next? I mean, what’s next for you? What’s next for your company? Well, I think last time I mentioned I’m doing a lot of stuff to put my programs in on demand format. I’ve been building a lot of boot camps, and I’ve actually got a branding webinar coming up.
That’s teaching people how to brand themselves in a challenging market. So I’ve got a lot of things coming up. You can easily visit my website at. www. abovetherim. us, not com. But it’s abovetherim. us and reach out to me and I would love to hear from you. Yeah, that’s great. And for the audience, just so you know, I will, we’ll put the links to, to Greg’s website in the.
Show notes. Of course, you can just click on the links and head right on over. And we’ll also have a link to the book. So if you want to pick up a copy of that, so definitely we didn’t, we didn’t do all the spoilers today, but we gave you a good taste and a flavor of what to expect, so be sure to pick up a copy of that, and if this is your first time with mission matters and you haven’t hit that subscribe button yet and you need a personal invitation, well, this is your personal invitation.
Feel free to hit that subscribe button because we have many more mission based. Business owners, entrepreneurs and executives coming up and we don’t want you to miss a thing. Greg, again, so much fun having you back on the show, man. Can’t wait to meet you in person at one of these meetups coming up in Orange County.
So again, so much. Absolutely. Looking forward to it, Adam. And thank you for having me on.
