44. LC Johnson, Zora's House, On building community and following your dreams

When LC Johnson was thinking of launching her organization Zora's House, she was balancing two competing feelings. On the one hand, she was feeling burned out from years of being an entrepreneur, but being a relatively new resident to the city, she deeply desired to build a community for other Black women and women of color in Columbus. "I was really starting to look for community," said Johnson, in the latest episode of our Women of Influence podcast. "Where are the spaces I can go to dream and think through this transition, that also allow me to be centered and grounded in my identity as a Black woman? I wasn't finding those spaces. The idea for Zora's House was really born out of that." But did she really want to spend the energy, time and money on her dream? After wrestling with the idea, she remembered a conversation with a mentor, an activist. "I asked her, 'Why do you do this? It's so hard.'" The mentor replied: "It would be harder not to." "That was the thing that spurred me when it came to thinking about whether or not I was going to pursue the launch of Zora’s house," Johnson said. "The answer that kept coming back to me when it came down to deciding what that next step was going to be was (that) it would be harder not to do this." Johnson encouraged women in transitional moment in their lives or careers to think about that question. "Yes, it would be hard to go after what you think you’re being called to do," Johnson said. "But would it be harder for you not to do it? Are you at a place now where it’s harder for you to stay where you are than it is for you to make a big scary leap?"Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf