JOHAN SPEAKS

The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

“johan has established a reputation as an inspiring motivational speaker with a straightforward and entertaining, yet deeply provocative message.”

Dr. Mateo Sandoval - Professor, ASU

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“We are either the product of our dreams or the product of our environment.”

Calling All Crazy ones!

Throughout history, there have been larger than life figures that have shaped the fields of technology, art, literature, design, medicine, social justice... you name it! You might not think you have the courage of Nelson Mandela, the tenacity of Amelia Earhart, or the ingenuity of Elon Musk - but today and every day you can choose the crazy idea that you have everything it takes to change the world. You just have to be crazy enough to believe it.

I want to give a huge thank you to my brothers, Aaron Milus, Derik Edan, and Ivan Lizarde, who worked so incredibly hard to make something we are all so proud to share with you.

If you like this video, know that there's more coming your way. Please leave comments in YouTube and let me hear your thoughts and questions, and feel free to share if you think it can be of benefit to someone in your life.

drake’s top five back to school tips

Drake’s Scorpion, for many, was the album of the summer. Now that vacation is over and the school year has begun, it’s tempting to walk into class with our heads low knowing that, as Drake may say, our Summer Games are over.

That begs the question, what else would Drake say? What pieces of wisdom remain to be discovered from the Champagne Papi? As the new school year begins, what lessons does Scorpion offer up?

The diary of a young girl

If a fourteen-year-old living in confinement could change the world. Why can’t you?

watch johanspeaks

keep up with johan

Everyone needs a tribe like this.
My tribe gets suited up together.
My tribe poses for a pic together.
My tribe doesn’t mind taking said pic dozens of times until we get it right, even if restaurant patrons are waiting to be seated in the area we’re posing, bellies rumbling and checking their watches because they need to get back to work on time.

What do you choose to do?
Forget what you want to do. There’s a big difference.
Don’t want.
Choose.
We want to ask our crush out and think they’ll say “no.”
We want to go to that school and settle for something less.
We want the life of our dreams but resign for what’s realistic.
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Don’t want.
Choose.
That’s where the power is.
Choose to ask your crush out. That’s the only way you get a “yes.”
Choose to apply to that school. It’s the only way you get accepted.
Choose to chase your dreams. It’s the only way they’ll become reality.
When we stop wanting and start choosing everything changes.
What will you choose?

“Legacy, legacy, legacy, legacy. Black excellence baby, you gon’ let ‘em see.” -Jay-Z
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Meet @woodylovell - the genius behind @thebarbershopclub. He chopped my fro down while we chopped it up about legacy, social change, and creative collaboration. It was one of those conversations you wish was recorded.
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You know what I’m talking about? The kind full of laughs and vulnerability. The kind you know other people would benefit from. Barber shops have a history of these types of conversations. People stroll in hang their hats and bare their souls in that chair. They share their story, let down their walls, and get real.
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Woody shared parts of his life with me. He spoke about the privilege of being a father, and the trappings of interracial marriage. He told me how, before he married his wife, he sat her down and let her know that being married to him meant, “Everything would change. Her life wouldn’t be the same.” He shared how important the barbershop is to him because it’s a legacy built by his family. Over thirty years of barbers cutting hair and passing the scissors down to future generations.
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That level of legacy isn’t every day. That level of legacy inspires me to build something for my kids. That level of legacy is within you and that’s the kind of legacy we need right now.

If your vote is your voice, what is your vote saying?
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I am not a liberal. I am not a conservative. I am not a Democrat. I am not a Republican. How I voted today isn’t about political affiliation. It’s about conscience. It’s about believing in something bigger. It’s about fighting for the world I want to see.
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Even if we don’t vote the same way. We can work together. I am not a fan of Donald Trump. But, that doesn’t mean I don’t want to labor alongside Trump supporters. That doesn’t mean I will vilify them for their beliefs. I’ve met plenty of good people who voted for our 45th President. Many of them are people with good hearts whom I respect. I don’t want to build walls that prevent us from being in community. I want to build bridges with everyone and anyone who doesn’t see the world like I do. Imagine that world, where we join forces instead of creating factions. A world where we erase the dividing lines and open more space for one another. A world where everyone belongs. That’s how I voted today.
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We can create that world. A world where we may vote differently than our friends, family, and foes. A world that is dignified and respectful. A world where we can worship different gods but still serve the needs of humanity together. A world where our dedication to the human race supersedes our manufactured commitment to the racial divide. A world where we celebrate our similarities instead of harping on our differences. That’s the world we need.

When fear knocks at your door.
Shout out, “I’m spoken for!”
Introduce him to Courage the one you adore.
Fears pesky knocks will bother you no more.

“I’m on the fence.”
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We use that cliche when we’re trying to make a decision we’re torn about.
Have you ever been “on the fence?” On one side of the street you have a delicious piece of pie.
On the other, you have your favorite flavor of ice cream.
What do you do?
You know you’re going to enjoy both experiences.
We are rarely if ever on the fence about what’s good and bad for us.
It’s usually about two good things we want but know we can’t have.
It’s about the reality of not being able to have it all.
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We can’t be everywhere at the same time.
We can’t love all the people in the world.
We can’t work every job known to man.
We get on the fence
We think.
We debate.
We wait for the signs.
We sit on that fence.
And, we stay for a while.
You know why? Because we don’t want to miss out.
What if we choose to eat ice cream and miss out on the best pie?
What if we move to LA and miss home?
What if we choose to love this person and miss out on someone better?
The “what ifs” are paralyzing.
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Get off the fence.
Get clear on what you want.
Get clear on why you want it.
Make a choice and make the best of it.
Cuz, the fence isn’t as fun as getting in the game.
Now get out there and enjoy that pie!

Say hello to, Mister Roger’s Puerto Rican and Persian adopted son, Señor Rogelio. When he was a boy, he would see scary things in the news and his father would tell him what his abuela used to say: “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
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Rogelio grew up believing that and wants us to know, “Even if the news doesn’t show the helpers anymore, they’re out there. They’re our neighbors. They look like me and you.” He also wants to remind us that those same neighbors are giving away free candy today. Go get you some. Happy Halloween, everyone!

Captions are very important. Don’t take my word for it, scroll through Instagram and read gems like: “Yay, avocado toast!” and “She said yes” and “link in bio to donate to my crowdfunding for my avocado toast fund.”
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Aren’t you glad you read this caption? It was very important.

There’s a difference between looking good and being good - and we’re really good at looking like we’re being good.

My top five films of all time.
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1. The Matrix
2. Rocky
3. Shawshank Redemption
4. Amelie
5. Nacho Libre
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What’s your top five?

“Well, what do you expect?”
You see my face? That’s the look of someone who expects everything.
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How many of us have that way of living?
“You should know what to do.”
“You should know how I’m feeling.”
“You should give me what I want even when I don’t tell you what I want.”
Expectations, expectations, expectations. That type of living leads to disappointment.
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What would my face look like if I expected nothing? What if that was our posture for life?
“There’s no reason you should know unless I tell you.”
“I’ll tell you how I’m feeling. You’re not a mindreader.”
“I’ll ask for what I want. If you can’t. I won’t hold it against you.”
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Instead of expecting we can communicate and invite. Instead of expecting we can make agreements.
Release your expectations.
Release your expectations.
Release your expectations.
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Now, what do you expect?

“Christians are so focused on being perfect; they have forgotten how to be human.”
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This week two podcast episodes I’m featured on dropped. One on Being Human with @kuttercallaway and the other with @katiness at @heartofdating about the #MeToo movement. These conversations are tough, they’re uncomfortable, and they invite conflict; but we know that ignoring the problem has never solved it. I’m grateful I get to hold space for the ways we can grow as humans.
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If you want to take a listen to the episodes, look for the links in my story.

“The most powerful action you take today is to choose. Make the decision that can change everything.”

ABOUT JOHAN

A product of Humboldt Park, Chicago, an area known for it’s gang violence and crime, Johan was able to move past the obstacles and traps that ensnared so many of his peers and live a life that is far from ordinary. His dreams, choices and determination transformed a ghetto kid into a national speaker who uses his life story to help people of all ages believe in the power of their dreams and the impact their life can make in the world around them.

His story has fostered interest from various media sources. He has been featured on the front cover of Chicago’s premier young adult newspaper The Red Eye. He has been a special guest on a number of TV and radio shows, including two appearances on The Tyra Banks Show, Fox News in the Morning, WLS Radio Chicago, and the critically acclaimed Today Show.

Along with being a nationally known speaker based out of L.A., each summer Johan returns to his hometown to work as one of the lead counselors and educators for the CANDO program in the inner city of Chicago. He is also an actor, a former Ford Model, and a deadly shooter from three-point range.