Presence, Purpose, and the Boardroom Reset

About this episode

Tolu interviews Karen "KJ" Johnson about leadership, sustainability, and her new book focused on empowering women.

In this high-energy second episode of Season 2, Tolu sits down with Karen "KJ" Johnson, a powerhouse executive leader and sought-after public speaker. While KJ serves as the 2025-26 Chapter President of NAWBO Dallas/Ft. Worth, our conversation dives deep into her life’s work: helping leaders move from the exhaustion of survival to the impact of sustainability. KJ pulls back the curtain on the Black Charity Boardroom, explaining the "Boardroom Reset" necessary to save nonprofit leaders from burnout. We also explore her new book, Poised & Positioned for Purpose, and the W.O.M.A.N. Framework: a leadership and identity model designed to help high-achieving women own their presence in every space they occupy. The Big Three Gems: - On Presence: "You have Presence. When you enter a room, you've gotta own it because, you do." -On Authenticity: "You need to own all of who you are, in all the spaces you are in." -On Resilience: "The hills and the valleys that you go through? It's okay. Because you are going to get a testimony out of it!" Key Takeaways: -The "Working Board" Trap: KJ discusses the common pitfall where nonprofit boards focus on day-to-day operations rather than long-term…

People in this episode

Host: Tolu

Guest: Karen "KJ" Johnson

Topics covered

• leadership
• nonprofit
• burnout
• women empowerment
• sustainability

Keywords

• leadership
• nonprofit
• burnout
• women empowerment
• sustainability
• Boardroom Reset
• W.O.M.A.N. Framework

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NAWBO Dallas/Ft. Worth

Books & works: Poised & Positioned for Purpose

More episodes of Black Business Live Podcast

• Wale Mafolasire on Overcoming 300 Rejections to Build Givelify · June 5, 2026 · 1h 9m
• The Hustle Trap: Building Scalable Wealth & Strategic Influence with Krishna Powell · May 29, 2026 · 46 min
• Philanthropy, Power, and the Roadmap to Legacy · May 22, 2026 · 39 min
• Unapologetically Whole: The Grace of Becoming with Lola Dada-Olley · May 8, 2026 · 51 min
• Mission Driven, Market Dominant: The Scarlet by RedDrop Story · May 1, 2026 · 38 min
• Inside the $4 Billion Blueprint: A Strategic Fireside Chat with The BOW Collective & FIFA Dallas · March 5, 2026 · 22 min