Hospitality Design Q&A with Jennifer Johanson

At HD Expo 2019, Jennifer Johanson spoke alongside a panel of incredible female design leaders, discussing her career, rise to leadership, and advice to young professionals. 

Was there a moment that defined your career?

I’d say that I’ve had two major career defining moments. The first was when I when I decided to participate with Eric Engstrom in running EDG in 1991. I had aspirations of running a business -- at the time I was actually planning on taking over a family winery -- and enrolled in a part time business class. The next day I sat down with Eric and told him about my learnings and asked him about his vision for the company, particularly pertaining to profitability. Business was never Eric’s strong suit and making a profit was never his end goal…it was in that conversation that I recognized I could help Eric grow his business.

It happened just like that – we decided that I would help Eric run the business with the ultimate goal of taking over as CEO. We hired a consultant and set up a 20-year business and transition plan and followed it to the letter. We were a 3-person team at the time in a tiny office, and now we are a team of 75 with 3 offices around the world. So, I’d say it worked!

In 2004 I suffered from a stroke in the middle of a client meeting and had to have open heart surgery. It was the ultimate reminder to pause and take account of what is most important. That time post-recovery was one of the most liberating of my life – I had complete clarity and laser-focus on what was actually important and what was a waste of my time. It is now something I try to practice regularly – What is most essential right now? What is the best use of my time?

What have been some of your secrets to success/to moving your way up?

1.Being vulnerable and recognizing my own strengths and weaknesses. As a leader you have to delegate, be vulnerable, and be open to learning from others. When you lead without ego, you can clearly see the moments when you need other people. I’ve brought in numerous consultants throughout the course of my career to help me learn, be a better leader and build a better company.

2.Creating a don’t do list. Understanding my biggest priority, what I can delegate to a team member, or what is simply not worth my time is essential.

What have been some of the biggest challenges of your career? How did you overcome them? How did that relate to being a woman?

There have been hundreds of times throughout my career where I’ve been the only woman in the room. It’s the nature of most businesses, especially in the hospitality industry. But I just didn’t care. I didn’t let it intimidate me or bother me and I didn’t make me being a woman a big deal. And you know what -- because I didn’t care, no one else seemed to care and respected me just the same.  

They say we can’t have it all. True or false? How do you achieve work-life balance? Or is that even feasible?

It’s a constant battle. I think it is possible with the right mind set and the right partner. I think being able to prioritize what is most important in any given moment is essential. Also having a team that you can rely on and trust.

Advice for women wanting to follow your line of work?

1.I think it’s a female trait to try to be good at everything and do everything. That just doesn’t work in business, in fact it’s impossible. My advice would be to find your strengths, hone them and nurture them. Don’t waste your time trying to do everything, especially things that other people around you might be more skilled at. Perfect your strengths, accept your weaknesses, surround yourself with talented and diverse people, and be open to learning from them.

2. Stay passionate and curious. I recently babysat a four year old for the weekend – every other word was “Why?” “What’s This?” or “How Come?” It was a beautiful reminder of the importance of maintaining our childhood curiosity. As creatives we should be curious, observant, and always ask why.

3. I think young professionals now are much more career focused than I was.  My advice would be that things fall into place if you put in time, passion, and hard work. Be engaged, hungry, and keep learning. Be bold, don’t wait for people to tell you what to do, and ask for what you want.

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