This year's TEDx inspiration "Velocity" was on Saturday. While there I got to listen to:

Gary Hirsch - Great improvisor, Collaborator & Robot Illustrator 

Stephen Kellogg - Great musician with four girls

Mohammad Khan Kharoti - Educating girls in rural Afghanistan

Rebecca Shapiro - Local Portland artist

Tyler Jones - Sustainable farming from Corvallis, OR

Juvie Hall & Cynthia Lopez - Women promoting women's worldwide demolition derby

Jensine Larsen - Crowdsourcing - connecting women worldwide

Jim Zemlin - CEO of Linux foundation

Brian Liindstrom - Local film/documentary director

Bruce Livingston - PlayWrite director for Youth at the Edge

Roxie McGovern - CHAP (Children's Healing Art Project) director

Lillian Pitt & Toma Villa - Teaching ancestral art to the Indian nation

Dmae Roberts - Film maker (a Daughter's Song)

Sing With Us - A people's choir

It was well worth the money! I recommend it to everyone for some inspiration in today's crazy hurried world.

This last February I was priviledged to have Molly's Fund honor me in their newsletter for employee of the month. Here are the questions that they asked and my responses:

How did you first hear about Molly's Fund?

mj: I heard about Molly's Fund from my business mentor (Molly's Fund Development Director) David Szyplinski. David asked me if I was interested in playing in his "new sandbox".

Why did you become interested in being a part of Molly's Fund?

mj: After taking on the position as the Marketing Committee Co-Chairman (shared with my partner in crime, Handyman Bob), I realized that I had found another avenue to share my marketing passion. Molly's Fund is on the fast track to helping people with lupus which I am learning more about everyday. I love being a part of this culture.

What is your day job?

mj: I am owner/designer at Inkspot Graphics. I have a real passion to be a "storyteller" for my clients. I research their business, who their competitors are and document who their target market is. Whit all this information, I will propose to my client how to capture the attention of their target market. I will often ask, "What makes you different than all your competitors and how are you going to "stick out" to your target market? (He also translates this passion and expertise in his diligent and incomparable work with Molly's Fund Fighting Lupus.)

I love being a "connector"! If we were to sit down for a casual cup of coffee, I guarantee that in 20 minutes I will say, "I know someone that you need to talk to…". To be a successful business owner today you need to always tweak your business strategy, take risks and have a "purpose".

I am always trying to put my education degree to use. I have recognized that whatever facet I am involved with I am always trying to share my knowledge to better everyone around me. I realize that my passion for marketing will eventually help everyone succeed.

They cal me "amazing mike" because I am the master at creating clever concepts and seeing them all the way through completion. I stay on top of all my vendors and oversee a consistent quality of my client's brand. I will take into consideration all those that I work with and offer a hand when they need to take that first hurdling step…

What are some fun trivia facts about Mike Johnson that most people don't know?

1. Umpired softball & hardball for 25 years.
2. Bartended for 15 years in the Pacific Northwest.
3. Love to cook (and usually make enough for an army) because I come from a large family. I am the oldest of four boys.
4. Married to my lovely wife, Paula for 17 years. We have adopted two children, Rachael (21) and Teresa (14), and now a new grandfather to Ledger.
5. Rowed Crew at Western Washington University for two years.
6. Love to play pinochle, poker and drink local microbrew IPA (or margarita, red wine, Irish whiskey, etc.)
7. Found out the hard way that I am not a great "tourist". To find out more, ask me about my honeymoon to Maui…but only if you have an hour to kill and want to laugh so hard you'll cry your eyes out.
8. And finally… wait for the "Amazing Mike" movie! You'll never forget it.