We recently connected with Dr. Tamika Johnson and have shared our conversation below.
Dr. Tamika, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
Some argue that taking risks requires facing danger and holding the belief that you’re shielded from harm. Throughout my life, I’ve experienced both. From a young age, I was encouraged to pursue higher education, establish a career, and eventually retire from that career path. As a result, I earned not just one, but four degrees. I achieved my doctorate in 2021 while maintaining work, marriage, and other personal challenges. Despite my 23 years of experience as an educator, I often felt a sense of incompleteness. My lifelong dream has been to retire from teaching and start my own business. The recent pandemic provided me with the chance to do so. I took a leap of faith and became a certified life coach, launching Grow Up Empowerment Life Coaching. In my role as a life coach, I can serve as an educator, spiritual guide, and mental health management coach. Although I haven’t retired from teaching, I continue to work hard every day to improve and expand my business. I recognize that it’s even more challenging and risky to start a business and keep it thriving at a optimal level. My goal is to retire from my teaching career within the next two years and focus solely on my business, where I help others take risks and become their best selves. I will continue to take risk and empower others to do the same.
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’m Dr. Tamika L. Johnson, serving both adults and children as a servant leader. In my roles as an author, educator, minister, life coach, and advocate for mental health, I help my clients understand themselves better and improve their lives. Grow Up Empowerment Life Coaching LLC was established in August 2020, and it’s my platform for empowering others to not just grow personally but also to become leaders in their communities. Together with my clients, we set goals that are customized to their unique needs, helping them become the best versions of themselves by showing them that their desires are already within them, they just need to believe and explore their potential. My coaching sessions begin with a focus on self-love, as I believe that true love for others starts with loving oneself, which in turn inspires others with unconditional love.
What sets me apart is my purposeful approach to everything I do. I’m intentional in my actions, aiming for outcomes, which I achieve. My goal is to make a difference in the world, one person at a time. With over 23 years of teaching and coaching experience, including roles as a teacher, coach, minister, and advocate for mental health and community service, I’ve earned degrees in Education, Teacher Leadership, and Christian Counseling. My company has published eight books and three compilation books, the company’s book Grow Up On Purpose, featuring a companion journal of the same name, and my latest release being my dissertation entitled “Religion, Spirituality and Mental Health: Is There a Conflict or Connection”.
In my life, I’ve embraced the teachings of Dr. Myles Munroe, who said, “Beloved, die empty.” I’m dedicated to giving back to the earth everything that God has given me. I strive to live and work with grace, serving others with grace, diligence, and patience.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
A lesson I had to unlearn was that you’re too old to switch careers or start a business. As I previously mentioned, I was led to believe that after I finished high school, I should go straight to college, choose a profession, and then retire from that job. I now realize that I could have pursued both paths. I could have launched my own business while continuing my education. Initially, I thought it was too late for me to venture into entrepreneurship, but after listening to numerous inspiring talks about embracing new beginnings and hearing stories of adults in their 40s and 50s starting new careers, I began to believe in myself and did. I now hold the conviction that it’s never too late to change career directions, regardless of age or the length of time spent in a current profession. I believe in the power of following one’s dreams, and if you truly believe in it, you can make it happen, just take that leap of faith and do it!
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
At the age of 15, I was diagnosed with a chronic autoimmune condition, and my doctors warned me that the stress of pursuing a college education and a career in teaching would be too much for me. I spent time in the hospital every six months and needed blood transfusions just as often. My daily routine included taking at least 20 medications. There were moments when I felt depress and physically ill, and I believed what my doctors had said was true. However, my faith in God gave me a different perspective. I managed to graduate from high school, attend college, and at 23, I began my career as a teacher. In my early college years, I struggled with my health, so I transferred to a technical college and then returned to complete my education at a university, earning a bachelors degree in education. I later completed a masters in education and a doctoral degree in 2021, I achieved my doctoral degree. My goal was to attain the highest level of education available, and I was determined to succeed, and I did. I have not been hospitalized since my college years, and I have been able to pursue my career as a teacher without significant interruptions, even with minimal medication at times. I have learned to manage both physical and mental challenges, and neither has ever stopped me, thanks to God’s grace.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://growupempowerment.com
- Instagram: tamika.johnson.10
- Facebook: Tamika Johnson
- Linkedin: Dr. Tamika Johnson, Ph.d.
- Youtube: Grow Up Empowerment with Dr. Tamika
- Other: Business Facebook: @growupempowerment
