OL Reign Legend: Christy Johnson, Founder – CEO of Artemis Connection, Award Winning Educator and Mentor with the UW Women in Entrepreneurial Leadership Program

The Legends Campaign, a partnership between OL Reign and Starbucks, honors women for their extraordinary contributions to our community in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Prior to OL Reign’s match against Angel city FC on May 3rd, OL Reign recognized Christy Johnson, Founder and CEO of Artemis Connection, award winning educator and mentor with the UW Women in Entrepreneurial Leadership program.

As a leader in many different areas, Johnson uses her leadership abilities to help others achieve their goals and to move the needle forward in the workplace, focusing on improving work-life conflict, as well as diversity, equity and inclusion.

Her impressive resume includes many years as a McKinsey Engagement Manager, where she worked with Fortune 100 companies and governments around the world. Post McKinsey she was working with startups and educating and mentoring others at multiple levels. Throughout her career. She and Artemis connection have also been featured in many publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and MIT Sloan Management Review. Johnson has consistently made a difference in the lives of others and the communities around her and continues to work toward making the world a better place each and every day.

Though Johnson is a leader in her space, her story isn’t exactly typical. She never set out to be an award-winning mentor and CEO. She didn’t dream about starting her own business from an early age. However, she has always been a natural problem solver and has always loved to help people, so the combination of those two things led her to stepping into the entrepreneurial space.

“For me, it really felt like the problem to solve found me,” said Johnson. “I had children, and they were premature, so going through a health crisis like that really led me to think about what I was doing with my life. That led to me realizing that I had always wanted to do more around diversity, equity and inclusion and work-life conflict because I’m very much a family person.”

She continued, “I had this moment where I had to ask myself when I would take this step and solve the problem if I didn’t do it now. I almost made a bargain with myself – if we made it out of this crisis okay, I would do it. It’s so important to realize that you can do immensely meaningful work and you can have a family. You don’t have to choose one or the other.”

Getting into the education and mentorship side of these was natural to Johnson, as she comes from a family of educators. In addition to her family, she has had many mentors throughout every stage of her career that have helped her out, making it a no-brainer to do the same for others.

“It benefits all of us if humans reach their full potential, in whatever area that may be in. The other really cool part is that as a mentor and educator, you end up learning so much from the people you are working with. It really allows you to stay constantly learning.”

As someone who has taken on a wide variety of challenges, Johnson has a lot to be proud of. However, the thing she is most proud of is seeing “lightbulb moments” in those around her.

“Watching someone go from being a bit apathetic to really caring deeply about something is something that makes me proud. For the University of Washington program, we get to see positive changes that women have made in their lives and watch them find a sense of agency. Additionally, these women go on to develop successful programs in their field and are paying it forward, so I am really proud of that.”

Within her own company, Johnson has a lot to be proud of as well, but her, it comes down to maintaining her values.

“I’m proud of the work we’ve done there to help others solve their problems and in turn help others. Internally, we also have an extremely high percentage of the team feels that they don’t have work-life conflict, so that’s something that I feel really great about.”

When asked about the advice she typically gives to young women pursuing a goal, Johnson had many insightful thoughts to share.

“First, just be humble and honest about what you don’t know. The vast majority of people do like to help other people, so even if you’re in a space where you aren’t well represented, there are still people that will help you. Try to learn from others and don’t be afraid to ask for help.”

Next, Johnson explained the importance of learning all the time, no matter what stage of your career you are in.

“We are going to need humans that are constantly learning, so there’s definitely a huge return on time spent learning – the last few years have really shown us that. It’s also important to learn about your values. Often times when you’re younger, your values are based simply on your family’s beliefs or what you’re told you should value, so spend a little bit of time figuring out what really matters to you. Once you know your personal values, you can be intentional about who you work with. Working somewhere that aligns with your values makes a really significant difference.”

To close out her advice, Johnson spoke about the importance of prioritizing your own mental and physical health over a job, especially as a young woman starting a career.

“I think young women get a lot of bad advice. Don’t stay in unhealthy work environments because you think that the brand is good, or it will somehow benefit you in the future. It will take a toll on your physical and mental health and your health is always more important than staying loyal to a brand,” shared Johnson. “Along with that, it’s okay if work is just a paycheck. Follow what gives you meaning, even if that’s separate from work.”

Though she embodies what it means to be an OL Reign Legend, Johnson was still surprised at receiving the honor.

“I was so humbled when I learned that I was selected to be honored by OL Reign and Starbucks. It’s an incredible honor. Philosophically, this feels right from a values standpoint, looking at the role that sports play and what women’s soccer has done. When I think about this honor, I think back to the theme of women supporting women to make change in the world, so I’m very grateful,” concluded Johnson.