We were lucky to catch up with Dr. Deborah Johnson-Blake recently and have shared our conversation below.
Dr. Deborah, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
While time management is critical to planning a productive day, many people who attempt to manage time and get more done each day fail because they do not plan accordingly. I had experienced similar challenges as a paralegal before it came full circle in 1992 when I failed to file a personal injury legal complaint within a two-year statute of limitations. After allowing this mistake to haunt me for years, I eventually earned my Master of Public Administration and Doctor of Management, presented my thesis, and defended my dissertation that focused on the impact time management has on organizational success and leadership. As the CEO of The Writing Pad, LLC, the self-proclaimed, The Time Management Diva and best-selling author, now, I make it my mission to help leaders and organizations learn effective time management techniques to be more productive and efficient time managers.
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.
My goal was not to be an editor and entrepreneur. My entrepreneurial journey started when I was a doctoral candidate impatiently waiting until I earned my Doctor of Management in Organizational Leadership. Daily writing is a daunting task nevertheless being critiqued by a committee of three scholars who have experienced similar journeys. In hindsight, my writing journey was more successful than I imagined. When my doctoral committee chair asked me to review other doctoral candidates’ dissertation proposals, I thought it was one of the best compliments I had ever received, thereby, the birth of my business, The Writing Pad, LLC, in 2009. Today, I am reviewing and editing dissertations as a Research Chair and adding other professional services to my brand, including public speaking, leadership, and soft skills workshop facilitation and training.
Ironically, one of my biggest challenges was the fear of public speaking, which ultimately impacted my leadership progress and business success as a mid-level leader and entrepreneur. However, the more I learned about public speaking by participating in workshops and working with coaches, my confidence level slowly increased. I realized that only I knew what I was about to say. Today, I offer no excuses and keep communicating! One of my mantras is to keep calm and keep talking!
The result of my personal and professional self-development led me to become a more confident leader and speaker. Some of your readers who serve in leadership positions may have similar experiences. Therefore, I continue talking today, which has garnered more exposure for my brand and business. It has opened up doors ranging from serving in leadership positions in local, regional, national, and international organizations to being involved in chambers of commerce, higher education, and other organizations. Because of my tenacity and eagerness to grow, my fear of public speaking has served as the foundation and roadmap to many successes, including becoming a best-selling author, award-winning professor, and business owner and the 2021 American Business Woman of the American Business Women’s Association which is a national recognition.
The Writing Pad, LLC is a writing, editing, and consulting firm focusing on proofreading, editing, and customized writing. I help leaders sound smarter than a 5th grader! I am the consummate authority on wordsmithery and am on autopilot to read and edit the work of others. I specialize in editing doctoral dissertations, BIOS, resumes, and designing PowerPoint presentations and marketing materials. An extension of my business involves corporate training and speaking, which allows me to help clients improve relations and achieve personal and professional goals in the workplace and beyond. As the author of Managing Time on Purpose and entrepreneur, I am most proud of being able to provide best practices in time management that help people become more time management efficient. My uniqueness lies in me being a six-time book author, holding an earned doctoral degree, and serving on doctoral dissertation committees, unlike most editors. I provide my clients with expert advice on how to present their work. I have the privilege of serving clients from the “back of the house and front of the house” perspectives.
My brand also extends to being The Time Management Diva. In this role, I provide time management workshops, tips, and expertise to clienteles whose goal is to be more efficient and productive personally and professionally. One of the things I am most proud of is providing the tools and resources to help others become their best selves. My purpose in life is to serve others and be the most effective servant leader I can be based on my life’s lessons and experiences. I live by the mantra, live life on purpose, which I attempt to display in everything I do.
I believe in giving back to my community and enjoy serving on several boards, including the Douglas County Partners in Education as the Vice-Chair and Beyond the Front Porch. I am a member of the Junior League of Douglas County (Nominating Committee) and the Douglas County Chamber of Commerce. I am a Douglas County Chamber of Commerce Diplomat and is its 2020 Diplomat of the Year and is the Lead Coach for Woman University. I am a founding member of the National Council of Negro Women Northwest Georgia Section and a member of the Georgia Association for Women in Higher Education (GAWHE) and serves as its Special Projects Chair and Parliamentarian. I am a member of the Georgia Continuing Education Association and a former board member. Most recently, I am a board member of the Hospital Authority Board of Douglas County, the Wellstar Regional Health boards, and the Douglas County Education Foundation serving as the Scholarship Chair.
You might find me cooking a delicious meal on a Saturday or hosting a dance party to Chaka Khan’s I Am Every Woman because living life on purpose is contagious.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
In 2016, I resigned as a director at a local college. While I was afforded opportunities to grow as a leader and enjoy experiences that propelled me to this position and after further reflection and prayer, I decided it was time for me to move on to other opportunities external of the college. I was at a point where I had given all I could to the organization, which was the basis for my decision and was a shock to my president, my supervisor, mentors, and colleagues. Nevertheless, I was leaving a full-time paid position to rely on my part-time Assistant Professor position with Liberty University with my husband’s support. I was at a crossroads with no solid full-time employment plan for the future.
After further reflection and developing an action plan, I used my networking skills and the relationships I had built over the years to help me enter the next chapter of my life. This new chapter of my life began by focusing more on my local chamber membership, which I had joined the previous year under my business, The Writing Pad, LLC. I was one of the many Douglasville/Douglas County residents who left our community to work and did not truly know my community and the people who lived in my city and county other than a few friends. Fast forward, I met so many community leaders and began to build relationships with them over the years that now I have a good reputation and have earned business from many of the companies in my city and county. I also became a Chamber Diplomat. Also, in 2016, I joined the ABWA Douglas County Charter Chapter to meet like-minded women and foster new relations to continue to connect with my community. In my first year as a member, I attended the meetings but did not volunteer for any leadership positions until after the first year. This first year allowed me to understand the organization and the people. In the second year, I served as chair of the Newsletters Committee. In my third year, I was voted vice president. In year 4, I was voted president.
In 2020, and as a Year 5 member, I was named the 2021 American Business Woman of the American Business Women’s Association. Who knew that just five years ago, I would achieve this national accolade? My name and picture were on an electronic billboard in my community which increased my notoriety and credibility because people do business with people they like, know, and trust. Please know that I am not bragging but sharing how my professional life has evolved so much in the last five years because of the one decision to leave my full-time job. In addition, my business has grown over the years, and most of my business came from my relations with the Chamber team, Chamber members, and referrals. I was named the 2020 Diplomat of the Year in 2021, awarded this year for the previous year. Also, I have won other awards and been recognized in several media outlets and publications. I am still working at Liberty University as an Assistant Professor, Research Dissertation Chair, Subject Matter Expert, and Course Evaluator, and I own my business, The Writing Pad, LLC. If I can do it, anyone can do it. I am grateful and humbled to serve.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
There are so many resources that have impacted my management, entrepreneurial thinking, and philosophy, as well as leadership. Each book provided unique perspectives for me to learn and grow as a female business owner, leader, and woman. These books are not about entrepreneurship but about being your best in everything you do, including my life’s entrepreneurial side. Ironically, I include one of my book collaborations because, in this instance, I got a chance to learn from women I knew in my community but did not know about their journeys. Below are a few books I would like to share with your readers.
Grateful Leadership: Using the Power of Acknowledgment to Engage All Your People and Achieve Superior Results by Judith W. Umlas
Lead like Jesus Revisited: Lessons from the Greatest Leadership Role of all Time by Ken Blanchard, Phil Hodges, and Phyllis Hendry
From Life to Lessons: Living and Leading with Emotional Intelligence by Dr. Kym A. Harris
How to be an Inclusive Leader: Your Role in Creating Cultures of Belonging Where Everyone Can Thrive by Jennifer Brown
Year of YES: How to Dance it Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person by Shonda Rhimes
Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg
Pink Prep: A Woman’s Best Guide to Preparing for the Worst by Denise Ryan
Intentional Motherhood: Who Said it Would be Easy – A journey on Likes to Loves for Working Mothers by Monique Russell
The 12 Success Lessons: The Only Book You Ever Need to Read on Personal Achievement by Marigold Edwards
Unleash The Wise Leader in You! A Woman’s Guide to Leadership by Dr. Donna Marino
Women Everywhere Level Up and Lead: Discover Leadership Insights to Catapult Your Career by Dr. Deborah Johnson-Blake, Karla Beedles, Cheryl Cooper, Rita Fasina-Thomas, Stephanie Herbert, Dawn Jamison, D. Michelle, Lorraine Reeves, Bianca Renee, Beverly Tate, and Patricia Wenck.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.deborahjohnsonblake.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djohnsonblake
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/djohnsonblake
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/djohnsonblake
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/djohnsonblake
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2CW5Arf5V9Tx4tj9nm1NAw
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/thewritingpadllc and www.MeetDrDJ.com
Image Credits
Deodrick Jackson, Precise Pix Photography & Videography, www.precisepix.net, [email protected]