Today we’d like to introduce you to Monique Johnson.
Hi Monique, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I’ve always had a helping spirit. In high school, I wanted to pursue a career in the media or work with people as a counselor or therapist. I went on to study Communications at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. After working with students in Boston for a few years in higher education, I decided to leave my home state of Massachusetts to attend graduate school at The Pennsylvania State University to study Counselor Education with a focus on College Student Personnel.
After earning my doctorate in Counselor Education with a focus on Higher Education Administration and a minor in Human Resource Development, I went on to become an Assistant Director of Career Services Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Adjunct faculty member, Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs, and Program Director. Over the years, I experienced several corporate relocations to four different states with my spouse and family.
These experiences enhanced my own personal and professional journey of what it means to transition while being a working woman with a family on the quest for career fulfillment. I also co-own a 20-year-old real estate investment and rental property business, DJ Enterprises Real Estate. We started this business as a way to build a legacy for our family and it has continued to grow over the years. While this is very different from my coaching and consulting work, it feeds my spirit in other ways.
We are community building, helping tenants become homeowners and including our family in the business. I arrived in West Chester, Ohio in 2014 and began working as an independent contractor in Human Resources with the Lakota Local School District. My role was to assist with the recruitment, and retention of teachers and other staff positions. After meeting a retired Principal at a meeting at the University of Cincinnati, she asked me why I was referring to myself as an independent contractor and not an entrepreneur. It was a great question that I pondered for months.
After researching and exploring, Dr. MCJ Consulting LLC was founded in 2015. My contractor role with the district was expanded to include Diversity and Inclusion work. I was instrumental in partnering with the district to form the Champions for Change Program. My company focuses on career development, diversity equity, and inclusion and leadership. We specialize in supporting individuals from entry-level to executive-level in their careers from exploration to implementation.
That includes career advancement, transition, and the strategies required to achieve their goals. We not only work with individuals but organizations who are committed to diversity, belonging, and inclusion and want to develop and promote diverse, inclusive environments and services. We serve school districts, and organizations in the greater Cincinnati area, Ohio, and nationwide.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Building my consulting and coaching business has been a great experience but not without challenges. It required investing in myself and my business by hiring a coach. When you’re a new entrepreneur everything is shiny and new and looks good. Other entrepreneurs are always pitching their services to you as well. So I learned to do my research and take my time before investing in new resources as I built my business.
I also had to change the way I view selling. I changed my frame of reference to serving. When you are confident in your expertise and you provide quality service, marketing becomes more natural. Getting my business out to my target audience is an ongoing goal as a small service-based business. I’m always focused on networking and visibility.
We’ve been impressed with Dr. MCJ Consulting, LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Dr. MCJ Consulting, LLC provides individual and group career coaching services, small-group, and large-scale workshops, presentations, and consulting services. Consulting services include inclusive planning, onboarding and training, program development, strategic planning, recruitment, talent acquisition, and retention initiatives.
Dr. Johnson brings over 25 years of experience as an administrator, professor, and program developer to her company. Dr. Johnson has worked with Graeter’s Ice Cream, FIS Global, Hamilton County Public Defender’s Office, Butler County Educational Service Center, Xavier University- School of Psychology Diversity Advisory Council, Lakota Local School District, and Northwest School District to name a few.
What sets me apart is the fact that I have personally transitioned in my career multiple times and also worked as a Career Professional. My background is based on real-world experiences and best practices. As a consultant in the diversity space, my knowledge is informed by my academic and professional experience as well as my journey living in a community that lacked racial diversity.
I believe in continuous learning and will always acquire new skills and credentials to better serve my clients. I’m currently serving a 3-year term as the Certified Master of Career Services (CMCS) Commissioner for the National Career Development Association (NCDA), I’m also a National Certified Counselor (NCC) accredited by the National Board of Certified Counselors. In addition to that, I’m an International Coaching Federation (ICF), Certified Coach.
As of March 2022, I’m thrilled to be a co-author with the Reset Collective of the book Micro Shift, Small Mindset Changes for Big Results. Micro Shift brings to light areas of limiting beliefs we all experience and introduces practical strategies to make small mindset shifts within ourselves. I’m proud of the fact that I stepped out of my comfort zone in 2015 to start my coaching and consulting business and I’m still going strong. I pride myself on providing quality services for my clients.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Qualities that are most important to my success include Positive Mindset, Consistency, Focus, Strategy, Collaboration, and Passion.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.drmoniquecjohnson.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmcjconsulting/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrMoniqueCJohnson/
Image Credits
Melson Photo Art Studio
