We caught up with the brilliant and insightful James Johnson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

James, appreciate you joining us today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

Becoming an entrepreneur is one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life. There’s nothing like being able to provide for yourself through your passion. As a journalist, I always had a dream of creating and cultivating my own platforms for media coverage. I also had desires of working for certain companies,,and while I did achieve those desires, I used the experience as fuel behind my own projects. Of course, you’re faced with ups and downs in business so there have been times where I’ve backtracked a bit by picking up something part-time in between. There’s not a great deal Of money in media when you’re starting out unless you’re willing to be daring and creative. You have to be able to create some opportunities on your own

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

In all honesty, my start was very much by happenstance. A friend of mine owned a record store, and was hosting a national recording artist for their promotional tour. He was looking for someone to interview the artist, Devin the Dude. That became my first media experience. The flame was lit from that moment. I would later interview national recording artist Kelly Price, which was my introduction to the recording labels through Def Jam. I’m very good with networking and relationship building, and those skills helped me with securing opportunities with Radio One Cleveland and WKYV TV 3. This would build a fire for creating my own platforms and opportunities. From these experiences came the launch of Urban Connectionz Online, my first digital magazine. Launched in 2003, we covered some of the entertainment industry’s biggest acts and events. We quickly became one of the top digital platforms for urban culture & entertainment. Urban Connectionz Online was later re-branded as Urban Grandstand Digital Magazine in 2013.

I’m most proud of what I’ve been able to build for myself in the media world. There were many times I’ve been told “No” over the years, and I simply found a way to make certain things happen for
Myself. I realize the blessings I’ve experienced in my career, and the idea that I’ve been able to accomplish so much. I’m eternally grateful for my experiences.

We’d love to hear about you met your business partner.

My co-founder. Sean Harris, is definitely the only person I could have done this with. It’s interesting how we came together for this. To begin, we both attended junior high school together; however, he and his family would love to a new area following that. I’m that time of junior high school, we really were just associates. We hadn’t had a huge friendship, we simply knew each other in passing. We surprisingly reconnected about 7-8 years later when we both weee in college. We both had moved into a campus apartment building, and expectedly became roommates. We instantly became the best of friends, sharing many of the same likes and dislikes. We both had a strong liking for the entertainment industry, so it only made sense for us to work together with UGD.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative has been seeing the projects I’m working on come to light. This industry is built highly upon trust, and people knowing your history and reputation. I’ve worked hard to build a solid reputation and less with honesty and integrity when it comes to media. I’m careful with what I cover and feature within my pages. I’m sure that content fits my brand before I agree to cover or feature. I enjoy networking and relationship-building and that goes a long way in this industry. Most importantly, this is a passion for me so I put my all into it.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.ugdigital.com
• Instagram: @authenticallyjames
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamjamesgrantugd
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jgjohnsonii
• Twitter: @iamjamesgrant
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCQBDeSi-PShLWcmwNnD66LA
• Other: The J-Spot (Personal Brand) Www.itsthejspot.online

Image Credits
Divine Photography, Bright Star Talent Management