They say life happens when you are busy making other plans. That’s just how life goes. You can smash the piñata, but there’s no telling if you’ll get what you want or something else altogether. This has been the way that Michael Timothy Johnson’s life has been shaped. From working in a bank to becoming a widely successful motivational speaker, this is his story.

Michael Timothy Johnson (MTJ) was born in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1993. He graduated from the University of South Florida with a bachelor’s in finance and a minor in legal studies. Soon after graduation, MTJ found himself sashaying down the corridors of banks as a licensed personal banker. Although his true fate still lay in the shadows, it was here, in rush-filled banks that he started to understand investment and financial growth; two concepts that were critical in helping him find his path as a motivational speaker. MTJ says, “Although I loved the challenges and pace of my job, I always knew that something was missing. Growing money can be thrilling but I wanted something else, something more.”

Working in banks helped MTJ discover his potential to help others out of financial quandaries. People seemed to open up to him, trust him, and follow his guidance. “I was an individual first and a banker later. This attitude did not prove counter-intuitive as many might think. In fact, it made people come to me because they started to benefit from my advice. It also revealed to me my own capacity to connect the dots in their problems while at the same connecting with them. This revelation was more thrilling than any money I’d ever made.”

MTJ is on a mission to help young men discover their true potential which he believes is often hidden in plain sight. He wants them to become responsible with their bodies, minds, and money. For him, a wholesome life is a life that respects itself. He says, “As I never set out to be a motivational speaker, what I speak, comes from the inside. From me to them as it would be from me to me. There are no filters or frills but there are requirements. I believe success can be the fate of all if they rise above the limitations they’ve set for themselves.”

Young, dynamic, and rich of heart, MTJ is making waves as a motivational speaker. Here’s wishing him all the best as he advances to a fate of his own making.