We recently connected with Rachel Johnson and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Rachel thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

Being an entrepreneur is probably one of the wiiiillllllldest decisions that I’ve ever made! (LoL) Oftentimes I feel that people only see the “glitz and glam” of it but never the sacrifice. They see that I work for myself, I set my own hours, I can work from home or away on an island, and from the outside looking in it looks fun. But if I’m honest entrepreneurship can truly be ghetto. It’s some days that the invoices are going out and being paid consistently and then there are other days when the invoices and payments received dry up. It’s definitely in those moments when I think about going back to a regular job, where I can count on X amount of dollars every two weeks but be miserable because I wouldn’t be doing what I LOVE. Those are the days that I have to push even harder and remember that my purpose and this passion work is bigger than the right now. I have to remind myself that this slow season is just that…A SEASON. Undoubtedly after every slow season comes a season with a greater reward.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Rachel “Rae Denise” Johnson. I’m an Entrepreneur, Brand Strategist & Visionary. A Hometown Girl, Making a Legendary Impact. I’m a native of Northwest Baltimore, MD.

Initially I founded my company Limitless Consulting Solutions, back in 2014, but it wasn’t until 2019 that it truly came to life after walking away from my 9-5 and entering into full-time entrepreneurship. In January of this year (2023) I completely restructured Limitless. I am now the CEO/Founder of Legendary Industries, LLC, the parent company of Limitless Strategies a boutique luxury strategy agency that specializes in Brand Strategy, Business Solutions, Corporate Event Logistics, 1-on-1 Coaching, Idea Strategy, Social Media Strategy and Website Development; I help business owners identify and cultivate their “WHY”. Under this entity, I also own Legendary Adventures Travel Experience. Both companies were birthed from my passions: branding, marketing, and travel.

I help my clients develop content and communicate their stories effectively to gain maximum visibility. As your brand strategist, I have become a part of your team. Your success is Limitless’ success! Limitless has successfully secured contracts with NAACP National Headquarters, WETV’s Tammy Rivera, First Mt. Olive Freewill Baptist Church, Congressman Kweisi Mfume, Howard Community College, and much more! I create a tailored approach that allows us to develop our client’s brand identity, increase their overall brand presence, and grow their digital footprint.

I truly believe the dedication given to our clientele sets Limitless apart from many other Brand Agencies. Each project is passion-driven because the greatest feeling is seeing our clients win. A client win is also a win for the brand because we love to see our clients go far. This isn’t “work.” It’s “PASSION.” I live in the “sweet spot” where Purpose and Passion collide! Helping clients identify and develop their brand identity to create content and communicate their stories effectively to gain maximum visibility.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Honestly, I believe it’s my sincerity and genuineness that have built my reputation within my market. In a world where people lack morals or will do just about anything to get ahead, I pride myself and my business on being authentic and true. People are drawn to authenticity and will return for that time and time again. When I take on a new client or project I put my all into it and give 1000% of myself to see it succeed. Not only because it’s important to me, but also because my name means something to me. I believe in creating experiences for my clientele, an experience that will leave a lasting positive impact that will not only have them return but will also have them refer someone as well.

Have you ever had to pivot?

In business, I feel like we constantly have to pivot but the time that sticks out to me the most is a time when I let fear and resources hold me back from working on an amazing idea that I had. When I first started this work back in 2014 I wanted to have a conference and the name that I came up with was so fitting to not only the lifestyle and clientele that I wanted to attract with the conference but the inner workings of it. At the time I was so excited by the vision, but distracted by the lack of resources because it seemed bigger than me. Needless to say, fear kicked in and I never did the conference. But the name still stuck with me. Fast forward to 2021 and I still couldn’t let the name go so I decided to create a YouTube series featuring local Baltimore entrepreneurs who were doing big things in their field and community. I reached out to people, recorded the first episode, and promoted it through social media and everything! I felt so good because although it wasn’t my initial conference vision from 2014 I was finally getting the goal out there. Well literally hours before the series was set to air an influencer from ATL reached out in my DMs pretty much with a seize and desist because the name was trademarked as of 2017.

I wanted to cry because had I fulfilled my vision back in 2014 this wouldn’t be an issue. Instead of crying I pivoted, I put out a statement saying the series wouldn’t air that day but to stay tuned. I changed the series name to Legendary Convos because if you know me then you know that I push the LEGENDARY mindset. At the time my tagline was “Legendary Takes Longer”, so the name switch was truly more meaningful.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.itsraedenise.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsraedenise
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/itsraedenise
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@itsraedenise

Image Credits
Pink Suit: @zizwe Black and Gold Dress: @smootheesque_image_photography Squeegee Initiative, Howard Community College, Corporate Event Set-Up: Self