We recently connected with Jason Johnson and have shared our conversation below.
Jason, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
I spent my first 24 years of service: as a Military Police Officer in the Army, Police K-9 Handler and Trainer, a K-9 Handler in Iraq and Afghanistan protecting the U.S. Ambassador, and as K-9 Instructor and Course Developer for the Federal Government. In that time, I worked with over 2,000 Military Working Dogs and Police K-9s. When I noticed that they didn’t get any assistance after their service to our country, specifically with medical bills. I decided to quit my high-ranking federal job and start a nonprofit, Project K-9 Hero, to change the way these heroes were being treated for generations to follow.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I feel that being a K-9 Handler is the most honorable job in the world. I am extremely proud to have been productive as a K-9 Handler at the highest levels globally. Before social media, when it was just about putting in hard work and getting dirty. My Police K-9 “Flash” was an incredible partner who inspired me to start this organization. I am extremely proud to have served my country in the Army, where I was named the 9 of spades on the post 9/11 deck of cards of 52 frontline leaders. Proud of Flash and I being named the Law Enforcement Dog of the Year in 2018. Proud that we took $500 out of our pocket in 2016, and turned that into a nonprofit organization that now does $5 million dollars a years to assist other K-9 Heroes who need our help the most!
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
We have a very diverse team at Project K-9 Hero, who do an amazing job without motivation from me as the CEO. However, I think it is extremely important to recognize them both privately and publicly. Sometimes I will send them a personal email, message, or schedule a in person meeting thanking them for their extra effort. I may reward them with a pay raise or a time off award. In addition to that, every time I get the chance to thank our staff publicly I try to do so whether that be on TV, an article, podcast, or social media. They need to know that the work that they do each day is not only important, but that they are making an impact!
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
As an organization who runs off private donations, events, and corporate partners we really had to pivot when Covid hit. All of our events were canceled. Our supporters didn’t have extra money in their pockets to give to a nonprofit. We had to change our strategy on the fly, get creative, and find ways to continue to raise funds for the dogs in our care. The important lesson is that the world can change in a blink of an eye at no fault of your own. Be prepared, be diverse, and be willing to change to remain successful!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://projectk9hero.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/projectk9hero/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/projectk9hero
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/projectk9hero
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProjectK9Hero
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ProjectK9Hero