"Under-promise and Over-deliver"

  If you've read my following posts, then you know that I'm currently in the process of following my dream to become a major name in the outdoor industry; and although I haven't "made it" yet, I would like to share with you what I've learned so far, what I hope to accomplish, and I'd like to overall help others trying to accomplish the same goal in anyway I can.

  First and foremost is to "stay true to yourself, and always under-promise and over-deliver", many successful people in the industry stand by this phrase, and for me, it really hit as a driving force to help accomplish my goal. You can't accomplish what you don't have the means to see through. What I mean by that, is don't claim that your going to advertise a company on TV, on your website, etc., when you don't even have a video camera, let alone your own show and website. When you become fortunate to have a company claim you as one of their own, that company has put it's faith in you, so don't make them regret their decision by poor representation. Also, once you have become a part of a company, it's probably best to delete that video you took of that wet t-shirt contest down in Key West. Why? Because no respectable company wants to be associated with reckless immaturity, so delete the red solo cup pics you took in high school, and be cautious of what you post throughout social media, because in today's day and age, nothing is private anymore.
  You have to remain professional in every aspect, that doesn't mean not to have fun, but be aware that you are now perceived as a representative of that company, so how you act can have either a positive or negative impact on your relationship with that company. As the title states, under-promise and over-deliver.
  When I was first beginning to get picked up by companies, I didn't have this blog, any sort of private land, website, magazine, or any connections in the industry; all I had was a decent camera, a Facebook, an Instagram, and a passion for the outdoors, that's it. Luckily for me, all they wanted from me was to take some pictures for them to use, and spread the word about their website, so that's what I did, as payment, I got free merchandise and publicity which in my opinion was way more than I thought I deserved, not that I did a bad job, but it seemed like such a minuscule thing to me, but that kick-start from my photos helped launch that company into becoming one of the most recognized brands in Florida (The Local Brand). Another company (Down To Hunt Apparel) approached me and asked me to do the same thing for them, so I did, both companies were apparel companies, but they targeted different styles, so there was no competition between them. When I got picked up by Advanced Wildlife Solutions (4sWildlife), they gave me a list of guidelines to follow, and what they expected from me, on the list was exclusive use of their products, meaning I wasn't able to use competitors products or become a representative of a competing company. I was listed as a "Promotional Staff" member for Camoed Obsessions under the premise of representing their new scent line, as soon as I agreed, they launched a new product that would make them a competitor for 4sWildlife, so I dropped them. The reason behind my decision was simple, 4sWildlife was a major company that had shown me the most respect and believed in me before I became associated with other companies, they trusted me, and there was no way I was about to violate that trust. As I write this, I still don't think either company knows that I did what I did, Camoed Obsessions seemed to label anyone and everyone as "Pro-Staff" so I don't think they even noticed I left, but I made a promise to 4sWildlife, and I kept it, I stayed true to my word, and in this industry, that means more than anything.

  If you're truly wanting to get into this industry, I highly suggest getting yourself a copy of "Hunting Dream Jobs" by Brenda Potts and Allie Armstrong. It is a phenomenal book and an absolutely invaluable tool to help you better comprehend and understand what those who have already made it in the industry have accomplished to get them to where they are today.

This link below will take you to another article on this topic written by Stephanie Mallory and the folks over at Realtree, it gives you just a little insight on what it takes to get started and what a job in the industry entails.
http://www.realtree.com/deer-hunting/articles/how-to-get-a-job-in-the-outdoor-industry

I hope this helped, and I can promise that as I continue to grow in this industry, I will continue to share with y'all my experiences and any lessons I've learned. Thank you for reading, and God Bless!

-Chris Johnson

Welcome to Johnson Outdoors

 I apologize for the delay in the introduction, I tend to get ahead of myself at times. My name is Chris Johnson, and the main reason for this blog is to provide you with tips, tricks, stories, and whatever else seems to come to my mind pertaining to the outdoors and hunting. It's been a dream of mine to make a major name for myself in the outdoor industry, and that's what I aim to do. However, I know the challenges are going to be difficult, and trying to juggle my dream and my career are going to be near impossible, but with the support I've been getting from my friends and family, and a few influential people I've met along the way, I don't see how I can fail.

  I've been fortunate enough to grow up in sunny South Florida, where you can wake up early in the morning, go kill a limit of ducks, hook up the boat, throw out a live bait, and catch a sailfish around midday, and still be able to make it back out to the woods to harvest a hog. Now, obviously that's a bit extreme, but you get my point. I've been fishing since I could hold my Batman fishing rod, and according to my parents, I've been chasing bucks since I was in diapers, (but that's a story for another time). I went on my first hunt and watched my dad kill a hog and a spike when I was six, killed my first deer when I was eight, and I have been catching kingfish and dolphin for longer than I care to remember. At eighteen, I graduated high school in 2009 and joined the United States Coast Guard; I've been in for over six years and don't intend to get out for another fourteen.

  This past year, I made the decision that I needed to go out and actually do something if I was going to ever follow my dream, so I did. I emailed countless companies, and applied from multiple Pro-Staff positions. In most cases it came down to, I didn't have TV show, magazine, or private land for them to utilize, so they kicked me aside (if they even responded at all). Through support from my friends and family, I kept on trying, determined I was going to follow my dream. Finally, I had gotten word of an up and coming clothing and apparel brand that was starting to make a name for themselves, The Local Brand. I emailed them and asked if they were planing on starting a Pro-Staff and if so, did they have any positions open. I got a response! They wrote me back and saying "Absolutely!" After talking with the owner for a good while, I found out that I had went to school with his younger brother, and that the younger brother had vouched for me before I even sent the email! With my first official sponsor, and place on a Pro-Staff team, I began to take photos with my camera, using them as a catalyst to draw attention to the brand I now represented. I began to act in a more professional manner, this drew the attention of another up and coming apparel company, Down To Hunt Outdoor Apparel. They asked me if I was interested in joining their team, without hesitation I said yes. Not even a week later I gained the attention of my first well established company, Advanced Wildlife Solutions (4sWildlife). They had seen how I had implemented a mineral site on my hunting lease and asked if I would be interested in the Pro-Staff program; I, of course, answered with a resounding "Yes!" With three companies calling me their own, I began to use their products, I told my friends, and their friends, and honestly just about anyone who would listen about these awesome companies and their products. Then something unexpected happened! Florida Camo, a company I had tried to join before (and gotten no response) asked me if I was still interested in becoming a member of their Pro-Staff, as you can guess my answer was another resounding, yes! I began deleting old stupid pictures I had posted in the past, and began to network with other hunters in other states, hunters that had already began to make a name for themselves in the industry that I so desperately want to be apart of. It ended up helping my out majorly. I learned videography tricks from Chad Parker of Crazy On Outdoors, I learned about maintaining professionalism, and thanks to Lauren Murrell and Mike Massey of The Outsiders TV, I was afforded the opportunity to apply for a Field-Staff position with Dead Ringer Hunting, and I was accepted!

  Some wouldn't see these small goals as a victory because I still haven't "made it", but to me, I've accomplished way more than I ever dreamed possible a year and a half ago, and I don't have any intentions of stopping. That's the main driving force behind this blog, I want to share my journey with you, I want to keep meeting new people in the industry, and if/when I'm fortunate enough to "make it", I want to be able to help others do the same thing.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this blog, if you'd like to checkout any of these amazing companies I've mentioned and their products, their websites are listed below. Again, thank you so much for your support, good luck on the rest of your hunting season, and God bless!

-Chris Johnson



Dead Ringer Hunting
www.deadringerhunting.com

Advanced Wildlife Solutions
www.4swildlife.com

The Local Brand
www.localbrandonly.com

Florida Camo
www.fl-camo.com

Down To Hunt Outdoor Apparel
www.downtohunt.com (website is currently down)