November 28, 2018 / in General Information / by Jason Terry
We recently celebrated Thanksgiving… a time to be thankful for the people in our lives and the good things that have happened over the past year. One of the people I am so thankful for is my fellow Blue Guru, Mic Johnson.
Starting in January, Mic will be working full time in the business that he and his wife Missy started 5 years ago called MJMeetings.
MJMeetings partners with Membership Associations, Nonprofit Organizations and Businesses to create successful, engaging and memorable face-to-face meetings and events that align with an organization’s strategic objectives – all while mitigating risk and saving time and money.
Mic has been working with me since 2010. Over the years, he’s been an amazing friend, hard worker, voice of reason, personal cheerleader, counselor, accountability partner, and so much more. I am going to miss working with him on a regular basis. (It’s really hard to write this blog post!)
Mic has always been there for me in the good times and the bad. And I know he will still be there for me if I ask, but it will be different… I’m sure you understand. Mic is an excellent sounding board. The final decision is usually better when we put our heads together, and I’m going to miss his input.
There have been lots of changes that keep reminding me about the transition… he isn’t telling his stories on the Blue Gurus blog. And we’re going to AT&T next week to deal with splitting up cell phone plans. (His cell phone number won’t change, but his new email address is mic@mjmeetings.com.)
True to form, Mic offset the emotions around that by taking me to lunch for my birthday before we go to AT&T. It’s just who he is. And it’s all part of the process for Mic to begin the next chapter.
MJMeetings just celebrated their 5 year anniversary. What an accomplishment! At their celebration at Gram and Dun on the Plaza, Missy talked about small business failure statistics. (20% of small businesses fail in their first year, 30% of small business fail in their second year, and 50% of small businesses fail after five years in business.) The room was full of a bunch of people (friends, clients, vendors, etc.) that love and support Mic and Missy and the fact that they’ve gotten past the 5 year mark. It’s a good sign of things to come.
I was caught off guard when they paused to thank me for my support in helping them get to this point. In the beginning, Mic and I did the MJMeetings website together at their house while Missy cooked us a yummy gourmet meal. (If you follow them on Facebook, you know they are foodies.) And as the months and years went by, we’ve talked about the business, bounced ideas around, and shared relevant experiences. It makes me really happy to know that I’ve played a small part in their success.
I’ve heard so many great stories about the companies they’re helping. Large meetings with hundreds of attendees. Complicated schedules. So many things that need to happen in just the right order. And significant savings compared to asking internal staff to make everything come together. There’s a reason MJMeetings has gotten past the 5 year mark. And the business is financially sound enough to bring Mic into the equation full time. Mic will be able to focus on the social aspects of the events while Missy focuses on the nitty-gritty details of making events happen. It’s a powerful combo that’s proven the value at recent events.
Mic, I’m sure you’re reading this. Thank you for all the years we’ve been working together. You’ve been one of the most impactful people on my life, and the words in this story don’t do our relationship justice. You’re an amazing person and I’m proud to know you. And you aren’t somebody that sucks.
Like we’ve always said to each other, love ya man. Looking forward to celebrating the 10 year anniversary of MJMeetings with you.
Comments are closed.
As a client, the toughest part of the process was writing our website content. He made the rest easy!
"Jason is a pleasure to work with. He came in and in two web development sessions we completely revamped our website. As a client, the toughest part of the process was writing our website content. He made the rest easy! I would highly recommend Blue Gurus!"
Stacy Jones
Founder and Executive Director – Helpers Inc.
Congrats to Mic and Missy and best of luck! Well said Jason!
What a great tribute by 1 phenomenal partner to another! Congratulations to you both for the successful partnership and business you built and to Mic for taking the next step with MJMeetings. All the best to you both!
As someone who has had the pleasure to work with both Blue Gurus and MJ Meetings, I can attest to the positive impact that both have had on the work I have done at the organizations where I have served. Congratulations to Mic and Missy and all the best to you Jason!
+Mike C.
Congratulations, Mic! You will be missed! Best of luck with MJMeetings and all of your future endeavors.