Ep 07 - Christy Johnson - Cultivating Resilience Through Adaptation, Partnership and Growth

Todd chats with a true traveler, Christy Johnson from BIP Ventures. Her story is a testament to the idea that there's no one-size-fits-all path in entrepreneurship and venture capital as she shares her unconventional path from getting an IMBA (International MBA) in school to microloans in Costa Rica, steel manufacturing in Florida and eventually venture capital. She discusses the importance of culture, the challenges of remote work, and the power of being intentional in business practices and some holiday celebrations that are…NOT mandatory (hint: they are). ABOUT OUR GUEST: Christy Johnson has been a pivotal member of the BIP Capital platform team since its founding. She joined the firm initially as a member of the leadership team of BIP Wealth in 2008, then became the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of BIP Capital. In 2022, Christy became a General Partner and Chief Performance Officer (CPO) for BIP Ventures. As CPO, Christy provides comprehensive and tailored advisory support and resources that help the firm's portfolio companies grow further and faster. She partners with executive teams on talent acquisition, business practice improvements, market intelligence, leveraging growth opportunities, and assisting companies with preparation for exit or acquisition opportunities. During her tenure with BIP Wealth, Christy built the operational infrastructure for the new Investment Advisory firm. Her operational and management leadership helped lay the foundation for the firm's AUM growth from $35M to $440M in less than six years. As COO for BIP Capital, she built the internal operations for the firm and assisted portfolio companies with growth strategies, infrastructure building, and overall support. In 2016, Christy assumed the role of CEO of AchieveIt Online. Under her leadership, the company more than tripled in revenue, earned a spot on the Inc. 5000 Fastest-growing Companies list for five years running (2017-2021), and was named to the Inc. Best Workplaces in 2021. Christy earned an IMBA with a focus on International Business at the University of Denver and a B.S. in Marketing at the University of Colorado, Denver. She serves as the Chairperson for the AchieveIt Board of Directors. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjohnsonatlanta/ Email: [email protected] What is THE SKYLOUNGE? Tales from the SkyLounge is a podcast journey through the world of business, consulting, and venture investing. In each episode, we gather in our virtual sky lounge to hear stories from the people who are shaping the future of these industries, entrepreneurs disrupting the status quo, consultants helping companies solve their biggest challenges, and investors who are making bets on the next big thing. ABOUT OUR HOST: Todd Merrill is an experienced software executive who typically assists clients as a fractional or interim CTO and CiSO as a partner at TechCXO. He has served in a series of companies as a C-Level executive focused on leveraging the Cloud to bring SaaS offerings to market. As an entrepreneur, turn-around expert, technology and product leader, and mentor, Todd has held full corporate P&L and product development responsibilities and directed diverse international teams of Engineering Managers, Mobile Architects, Developers, Dev Ops, QA, and Customer Success professionals. Subscribe and turn on notifications to listen to new episodes as they launch! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfeCS-Varb4gu2uCwyRTXWWEdP676Huh6 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6jz6ubcaUZ20Xh8TXhwzEN Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-sky-lounge/id1730134658 Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/4ba289a5-0d33-4589-95c7-83416731a864/tales-from-the-sky-lounge Follow Tales From The SkyLounge on Social Media X/Twitter: @TFTSkyLounge TikTok: tiktok.com/tftskylounge Learn more about TechCXO: https://www.techcxo.com/ Production/Design: James Liebman Music: Soundstripe/Cody Martin-Sunrise