Sheila Johnson
As told to Christine Lagorio-Chafkin
The iconic founder of BET and Salamander Collection draws inspiration from basketball courts and symphony halls.
SHEILA JOHNSON IS America’s first Black female billionaire. She’s lived multiple entrepreneurial journeys, from co-founding BET in 1980 to creating her luxury resort management company in 2005. She’s since purchased an ownership stake in the Washington Mystics franchise—of which she is president and managing partner—as well as stakes in two other WNBA teams and a golf resort. A refrain running through her career: Since childhood, she’s found grounding in her deep passion for classical music and the arts. She’s executive produced multiple films and is the author of a new memoir, Walk Through Fire, which details her struggles in business, with institutional racism, and in relationships. More multifaceted than ever at 75, Johnson has emerged from the flames intact—and with ample wisdom to share.
1 SET AN EXAMPLE
It’s important that my communication skills are solid, so my executive teams understand what my goals are, what my dreams are, and what my vulnerabilities are. Vulnerability isn’t a bad thing; it shows that you are open and honest. Just remember to let them be vulnerable too.
2 STUDY YOURSELF
I would have told my younger self to take time to learn who I really am. I don’t think I really knew myself the way I do now. The more I’ve gotten to know myself, the stronger I’ve been able to be when facing any obstacle in life and business.
3 USE BOTH SIDES OF YOUR BRAIN
The creative foundation in my life has always been music. I was a violinist. During Covid, I learned to play the cello. I love going to the opera or taking in an orchestra. Those are the spaces in which I’m able to reach deep inside myself. I really try to take that creativity with me and play on both sides of my brain.
4 SEE CHALLENGES AS OPPORTUNITIES
I believe things happen for a reason. Don’t take them personally. I call them God winks. He’s trying to tell me something’s not going to help me. Stay optimistic and examine challenging situations, so you can learn how to take another path.
5 KEEP YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME
When I watch my teams of women in the WNBA, I observe how they communicate on the court. If you have one person who does not watch—who does not use eye contact with every other team member while continuing play—your whole team is going to be out of focus. That’s how you can lose the game. This applies to business, too. You can lose bids that you’re going after as a company and beyond. I tell my teams: We listen to one another, we watch what one another does. We don’t talk through one another; we learn to work in sync to win.
6 SHARPEN YOUR FOCUS
People ask me how I get more done in three hours than they might in days. Whenever I start to feel that slip away, I return to musical practice. You would be surprised at the skills that are learned in an orchestra. You learn to listen, and you have to focus. You have to watch the conductor every moment. That focus is the source of my productivity.
7 TRUST YOUR INTUITION, NOT REVIEWS
When I was starting my hotel business, I hired a company that I was told really knew what it was doing. Against my instincts, I didn’t do the background check; I didn’t do the investigation. In the end, this company was going to empty my bank account out. The whole experience taught me to double-check everything.