We recently had the chance to connect with Johnny Crowder and have shared our conversation below.
Johnny, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
This is going to sound VERY nerdy, but I’ve been doing a lot of research into vintage Japanese watches, specifically how people restore them and give these old beat-up timepieces new life. It’s hard to describe just how fascinating I find that process. It’s like bringing a piece of history out of the past and into the present!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Loooong story short, I grew up with severe mental illness and didn’t want to try therapy, medication, or any other form of treatment. Eventually, I started treatment, went to school for psychology, and became passionate about advocacy: Basically, educating other people about mental health and how to improve and manage their own thoughts and emotions.
Now, I travel all over the world giving keynotes and trainings about mental health, and I run a mental health organization called Cope Notes that provides daily support via text message to users in almost 100 countries around the world!
Oh, and I sing in a metal band called Prison, where I write lyrics about my experiences and what I’ve learned along the way.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
I was convinced that I was worthless, that I’d never get healthier, that nobody loved me, that I wasn’t talented, appreciated, “good enough…” You name a negative belief, and I clung to it.
I literally didn’t think life was worth living, to the point of multiple attempts on my own life. I am exceedingly proud to say that I am still alive, and my life is 100x better than I ever thought it could be when I was younger! I had no idea what I was capable of, how big God is, and what life can feel like when we are happy, healthy, and safe.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Ha! Literally every single day for about a quarter century. Whenever people ask me about what I’m most proud of in my career or my recovery, I always have the same answer: “I can’t believe I didn’t give up.”
More specifically, when I look back at the first 3-4 years of building Cope Notes, I wanted to quit almost every day. I can’t count the number of ignored emails, rejection letters, and failures… I felt like we’d never break through that wall and make the impact I always dreamed of making. We were constantly on the brink of running out of money, and I was wondering if I had made a huge mistake by starting a company in the first place.
I think the desire to give up is universal, but we don’t talk about it a lot. Just because you want to give up doesn’t mean you should. The things we’ve accomplished since then are miles and away bigger, better, and more fulfilling than I ever dared to dream.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
I learned early on that having a public self and a private self just wasn’t sustainable for me. The amount of effort it took to curate a public image that wasn’t aligned with my private character was draining, and I didn’t want to feel like I had to hide any part of myself from the people I hoped to partner with one day.
Strangely, I think one of the keys to the success I’ve been fortunate to experience over the years has been transparency. I make a conscious effort to pull no punches, to be 100% authentic in all situations. Sometimes, people fear the repercussions of being “real” in professional situations, but I figured it would probably make sense to do everything within my power to BECOME the type of person I wanted other people to THINK I was.
That way, I never have to pretend. Who you see is who I really am. And that’s such a freeing feeling.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
I’d stop saving so much, haha. I’m a natural saver. I’m generally good at delaying gratification and investing in the future – that’s a skill you need in order to bootstrap a startup and live to tell the tale.
I’m working on learning to enjoy the fruits of my labor now instead of always moving the goalposts and postponing the part of the journey where I finally get to experience the benefits of all of that saving.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://copenotes.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/johnnycrowderlovesyou
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/johnnycrowder
- Twitter: https://x.com/copenotes
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/johnnyxcrowder
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56Zb_TLhPOw
- Other: https://johnnycrowder.com
