In business and in life, Joe Johnson ascribes his success to a higher power. The founder of the Christian movement Life Surge, which offers audiences one-day live experiences across the nation, admits faith is his GPS.
“There would be no Life Surge without my faith. And my faith really drives everything,” Johnson says. “My faith drives how I look at business, how we do hiring, how we do marketing, it drives everything. And the people here, their faith, I would argue, drives them as well. Our views about how to teach people how to invest in real estate, how to start a business, how to scale a business, how to invest in the markets is all led by our faith in the views that we have.”
Johnson’s journey to Life Surge began decades ago. “I was raised in Brazil as a missionaries’ kid, so I kind of was poor. And when I moved to the States,” he explained, “I just had a missionary immigrant mentality and I kind of became an entrepreneur probably because of it.”
At the age of 18, he decided to dedicate his life to Jesus. His unique background growing up in a faith-focused family instilled in him a desire to help people connect their faith with their professional pursuits.
However, Johnson’s path wasn’t always clear. At 21, as the owner of his own landscaping business in Ohio, he experienced a pivotal moment that reshaped his perspective.
“My business went bankrupt,” Johnson confides. “I owed $330,000 in debt. I came to the conclusion the primary reason for my bankruptcy as a young businessman was because of my sacred secular dichotomy that I really did not see my business as the thing that God called me in terms of my ministry,” he recalls. This realization ignited a passion for bridging the gap between faith and business, ultimately leading to the conception of Life Surge.
While many on a faith journey typically take a pastor path, Johnson said he quickly realized he wasn’t destined to travel on that trajectory.
“God really changed my mindset and really showed me that he called me to the marketplace,” Johnson added. “And I’ve been serving God in the marketplace for over 25 years. I’ve also been married with a family for over 25 years.”
Today, Johnson’s faith permeates every aspect of Life Surge’s operations. The company’s core values, spelled out in the acronym “SURGE,” encapsulate this ethos: surge-obsessed, uniquely entrepreneurial, results-driven, God-centered, and excellent.
One of Life Surge’s primary goals is to challenge the mindset that separates faith from wealth creation. Johnson shares, “We’re trying to mobilize the Christian community to really not be afraid of this issue of being a faithful resource creator and multiplier and being a good steward with that, but using it for the purposes that God has called them to use it for.”
Life Surge achieves this through its events, which Johnson describes as transformative experiences. “They did it because they were part of a community. They weren’t alone. And you could stand and see over a thousand people who were making the same decision as you’re making at the same time,” he says, recounting a recent event where over 1,200 attendees committed their lives to Christ.
The Life Surge Mission
Johnson’s commitment to authenticity is another hallmark of Life Surge’s approach. “We want to be authentic to who we are. We do not put a divide between Sunday and Monday. Those are the same for us, and we bring our faith to the workplace,” he states. This principle extends to the speakers featured at Life Surge events, who must demonstrate a genuine alignment between their public persona and private lives. Some of the boldface names who have graced the Life Surge stage include former NFL star Tim Tebow, Nick Vujicic, an Australian American motivational speaker who is living his life without limbs and without limits, and Duck Dynasty’s Willie Robertson.
For Johnson, Life Surge’s mission transcends mere business objectives; it represents a legacy for future generations. “We are too preoccupied thinking about what is the legacy of our attendees,” he says. By empowering individuals to align their faith with their professional endeavors, Life Surge aims to catalyze a ripple effect that will impact families and communities for years to come.
Preserving Human Connection in the Virtual Reality Era
As the company continues to grow and evolve, Johnson’s unwavering faith remains the bedrock upon which Life Surge is built. His commitment to integrating spiritual principles into every aspect sets Life Surge apart, offering a unique and transformative experience for those seeking to live their lives in service to God.
Johnson remains steadfast in his belief that community and in-person connections are essential, even in an increasingly digital world. “A lot of what we do and the power of the effectiveness of what we do is because of community, local communities, local like-minded people, building relationships and getting together,” he emphasizes. “I really do think the human connection of being live and in person, in community with people in your backyard, in essence, from your own community who are searching for something greater adds a lot that other people do not have.”
