Rising Stars: Meet Kristina Johnson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristina Johnson. 

Hi Kristina, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My story starts about 10 years ago in Las Vegas, NV. I was born and raised in Vegas and entered the world of social media back in 2004 when you had to have an @edu email address to join Facebook or “Meta” as what it will soon be called. I loved being able to connect with people so fast and with a background in Communications and Journalism from the University of Nevada, Reno, I loved being able to write and add photos that I took. 

Enter 2014 and being asked to do social media for the oldest steakhouse in Las Vegas, The Golden Steer Steakhouse. Fast forward to 2016 and I chose to leave Nevada and head to Denver. I kept Golden Steer as a remote client/side hustle. Fast forward to 2018 where I was hired (over 180 applicants) to be the Social Media Manager for The Kitchen Restaurant Group. That was an incredible learning experience where I stayed a year and left in 2019 to start my business, Amuse Social LLC. 

Over the past two years, I have had the honor of working with some amazing clients. I can’t believe Amuse Social survived the pandemic. I am very grateful for that. I met so many amazing women in a great collective I was a part of. Running a business really does “take a village.” Amuse Social LLC is my baby and I am very proud of how it has grown. Recently one of my amazing clients has asked me to join their team, Ascent Living Communities, full time. I absolutely love working with senior living communities and the elderly and cannot wait for this journey to unfold. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has definitely NOT been a smooth road after about the first 6 months. The pandemic hurt because a lot of Amuse Social’s clients were in hospitality. I had (and wanted) to pivot and begin to do social media in different fields. The transition led me to working with Ascent Living Communities and I am so happy that it did because being able to tell the story of elderly is something very important to me as my (late) grandmother, Anita McLaughlin was one of my best friends. I think that maybe Gen Z (the generation below me) takes elderly for granted and doesn’t understand the importance of our seniors. I hope to showcase amazing stories and help change the face of social media for senior living communities in Colorado. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a Social Media Manager and owner of my own company, Amuse Social LLC. I specialize in organic social media and I have experience in paid social media as well. I have several years of experience in hospitality and social media for restaurants. What sets my social media management apart from the rest is my ability to find those followers for your brand that will be engaging. Many people and business owners think that you are as successful based on your number of followers. When that is not the case at all. I look for the KPI’s (key product indicators) that will help your brand stand out from the competition. 

What makes you happy?
Knowing that I am enough. I have struggled a lot with anxiety and depression in the past and a lot of that stems from thinking that I was not enough. Whether that was in work, relationships, and especially with myself. I am happy when I know I am comfortable being in my own skin and not worrying about what others think – which I think is what many of us struggle with. Also, making a client smile about a social media post I spent a lot of time and put a lot of love into makes me happy as well. Of course, being around friends, family and those that I love as well makes me extremely happy. 

Contact Info:

• Email: amusesocial2019@gmail.com
• Website: https://www.amusesocial.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amusesocial/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amusesocial