As a child growing up in Linstead, St Catherine, Michael Johnson was always sure about his future career path. Inspired by his father who was an engineer, and being intrigued by how things worked, he acquired an electronic engineering degree from the College of Arts, Science and Technology, now known as the University of Technology, Jamaica.
He then secured a good job working with the telephone company, but six years into the job, he realised that in life “it’s not what you have planned, but what is planned for you”. So at the age of 27 he took a chance on entrepreneurship.
“I didn’t know I was going to resign but I got up that day and knew that today is the day I’m going to leave and try something for myself. Honestly I can’t tell you why or what happened. Nothing happened. I went to work like a normal day, sat down in the office and said ‘I want to try something new’,” he said.
So, in 1998 Johnson left his job and became known as the ‘Jelly Man’ as he started packaging, selling and delivering bottled coconut water using his father’s pickup truck.
“I had no previous experience. I had no idea from anybody but I just got up and knew, bottled coconut water was going to be the next big thing,” he said. He bought his first truck and then in 2001, a friend told him about another business opportunity, which unexpectedly launched him into the trucking industry.
“No one in my family has trucks and I didn’t have this great love for trucks but an opportunity opened up … A friend of mine working for Grace asked me to help out because they needed some trucks to help them with delivery, and that’s how I ended up going to Grace with the one truck, the same truck for coconut water,” he said.
Johnson was later able to acquire two additional trucks, and from there, built what is now known as MJ Trucking, a business with 140 employees, 80 trucks, 13 trailer heads and 12 buses. Despite his business success there were many challenges along the way but invested in his vision he refused to give up.
“There were times I was really discouraged but the thing is, when you have no option, because I had no option, I was all in. I didn’t have one foot in one foot out. So on the days I was afraid or things looked like it wasn’t going my way, I had no choice but to keep going. I had to keep moving because I had kids, I had a family. So instead of trying to find a way out, I had to find a way to make it work,” the father of five said.
He advised those with an entrepreneurship spirit and a strong vision for their business not to be concerned about losing the stability of a nine to five because “profits are always better than a pay cheque”.
“Take your chances early in life so in case you have an hiccup early or something doesn’t work, you can recover. If you feel like starting a business, do it!” Johnson said, adding that his business, though it started small, has allowed him to find purpose.
“I have a passion for it now because it grows with you, it has supplied my whole purpose of being here. To know that we were able to take something from just one truck to a fleet today, employing over 100 persons and we’re actually a part of a community, it’s fulfilling,” the 53-year-old said.
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