More about Christy Johnson
Founder and CEO of Artemis Connection, a boutique strategy consulting firm with a human centered design and a passion for helping innovative leaders reach their goals
Developed and teaches the Women in Entrepreneurial Leadership course at University of Washington
Stanford GSB graduate, ex-McKinsey consultant, and a celebrated Math, Economics & History Teacher
Mentor and advisor to many (including yours truly)
Key takeaways and quotes that made us go ‘a-ha’
Sometimes, an idea for a business idea can come from personal challenges - keep an open eye to see what you struggle with, and see if there are solutions out there
“It was just a puzzle I saw and I can’t believe no one else was following it”
Find people just a few years ahead of you, and learn from them
Use your time constraints as a superpower. It can help you get laser-focused on which activities bring you the biggest outcomes
“Constraints are good, they force you to be creative”
Take dedicated breaks to step away from the day-to-day of your business, and reflect on your learnings
“When I travel, I’m just in a different headspace…set aside quarterly time to look at results and time”
Put together a 1 pager and get feedback on your business - have lots of conversations with the RIGHT people in your network (peers, co-workers, family, friends). Talk to people who you’d love to have as clients!
“If you want advice, ask for money. If you want money, ask for advice”
Calculate your bottoms-up number of what you need to operate the business efficiently, and start there. Be aware of resources around you when thinking about funding - grants, savings, angel investors,…
Hire people to take away work that you don’t feel the best doing - things that you are not particularly good at or things that don’t give you energy. Find individuals that complement your skills
“I wanted to start carving out things that I am either not every good at or that deplete my energy”
Christy’s advice to women who want to start businesses on their own terms
There are people who want to see your idea come to life…be specific on where you need help"
Women see different problems that need to be solved….always ask yourself, if not you then who?”
Christy Johnson - Consultant turned entrepreneur, mom of three, and a true #bosswoman