Ep. 7 Building Success: Jay Johnson’s Journey from College Prep U to Prep Intel

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In this episode of DO GOOD X, we are excited to share additional insights from our conversation with Jay Johnson, CEO and Co-founder of Prep Intel and Founder of College Prep U. Jay delves into the journey of launching his second venture, Prep Intel, describing a slower-than-anticipated start. However, by heeding advice from his team and conducting thorough research, College Prep U became stronger than ever, positioning Jay to invest his time and talent into Prep Intel. Jay offers valuable advice to anyone desiring to begin a second entrepreneurial venture, showcasing the intelligence and determination that have driven his success. If you missed our initial interview with Jay, do yourself a favor and check out that episode. Don’t miss Jay’s insight and advice.

In This Episode

  • [1:52] Jay explains the approach he took with his staff when he wanted to start Prep Intel
  • [4:03] Jay’s staff does not tell him what he wants to hear
  • [6:26] Jay takes a year to re-train his staff to prepare them to function without his daily presence so he could fund and begin Prep Intel
  • [9:19] Getting a new team of employees in place for the second venture
  • [10:08] Bottom-line advice to entrepreneurs who want to start a second venture

Key Takeaways

  • A leader leads individuals that can, themselves learn to lead. A great leader will also listen to valued staff and not let pride get in the way.
  • In order to start another business, you must first prepare your current business for your absence so that the business may succeed while you build your new business. Then, you must have essential staff in place at your new venture.
  • When starting a business, do not rely on friends and family to be your clients. Know your target audience and have a plan to find them and work with them.

Resources

Guests

Jay Johnson

 is CEO and Co-founder of Prep Intel, which aims to solve the challenges faced by educational institutions and military recruiters in identifying and engaging with prospective students and recruits efficiently, leveraging AI and ML-powered technology. He is also Founder of College Prep U, providing parents and students with accurate information to help them properly prepare for education during, and after high school.

He is a Morehouse Alumnus and President of the Birmingham Chapter of the 100 Black Men of America. Former Executive for a Fortune 100 company, Jay is also a qualified and certified Collegiate Independent Counselor. Having spent years as a Senior Admission Counselor, Jay Johnson is no stranger to the college admission process and has served and chaired many committees. Currently, he sits on the High School Advisory Board for The University of Alabama, The Naval Academy, Clark Atlanta University, and the University of Pennsylvania.

Jay was a finalist for Birmingham Business Journal’s 2021 Cohort for CEO of the Year, Alumnus of BBVA’s 2017 Cohort for Momentum, selected into the Birmingham Business Alliance’s 2022 Inaugural Supply Scaler’s Cohort, Proper Birmingham’s 2022 Inaugural Magic City Match Cohort, AppThink’s 2022 Inaugural Cohort, and TechMGM’s 2nd Tech Accelerator Cohort. He is an Entrepreneur in Residence at Techstars and a member of NACAC and SACAC.