Alumnus Reid Johnson has built a life exploring new pathways.
Growing up in Spartanburg, Reid Johnson ’18 savored the freedom of hopping on his bike or skateboard and setting out with friends to roam and explore.
That curiosity and sense of adventure has stayed with Johnson all his life. An entrepreneur, teacher, yogi, surfer, skater, soccer player, and musician, Johnson is comfortable pursuing his interests and seeing where they take him. “I’m not afraid to fall flat on my face, because I’m not concerned really with anyone’s opinions outside of my own,” he says.
Johnson’s current ventures include Habit Beverage Lounge, which he co-owns with his wife, Ashley Rushing Johnson, and Flow State, a wellness center, both in Drayton Mills in Spartanburg. The couple is also setting up a barber school in Drayton, where Ashley Johnson operates Bareknuckle Barber Shop.
But while Johnson’s journey has led him back to his hometown, his wanderings have included many stops in between. At 18, he moved to Boston to pursue a career in music and see what life in a big city was like. The rich cultural offerings and diversity of people had a major impact on him. “I got to hear all these amazing sounds that I had never heard, in the different styles of music that you find in places like Boston, New York, and L.A.,” he says.
From Boston, Johnson moved to Charleston, where he continued developing his musicianship. He took on odd jobs to support himself, eventually becoming a barber. The flexibility of the work allowed him to practice four or five hours every night with Volusia, the local band he fronted.
“I learned a lot during that time period about dedication and sacrifice,” Johnson says. “We were doing this five, six nights a week, because there’s always another band out there that will do what you’re doing, if not a little more.”
Then Johnson got a break. The manager of the band Number One Contender heard him perform and brought the band’s members to a show. A week or two later, Johnson was officially offered a place in the group.
For the next five years, Johnson was on the road with the band, opening for major rock acts including Papa Roach, Shinedown, Candlebox and Duff McKagan of Guns N’ Roses. Johnson loved performing, often before crowds of 10,000-15,000 a night. “It was very high octane,” he says. “I was a very physical performer, climbing up things, diving in the crowd.” Engaging with fans was energizing and exciting.
But the other parts of touring – the long bus rides, the hotels, the interviews, the sound checks, the long waits before the start of every show – were mentally and physically draining. Johnson compares it to “Groundhog Day,” where every day is just like the one before. “As wonderful as that 45 minutes, hour and half, on stage is connecting with your fans, everything else you can have,” he says.
Johnson was ready for a change, so in 2010 he left the music world and went to Guadalajara, Mexico. An avid surfer, Johnson had frequently visited Costa Rica, Puerto Rico and Mexico to surf during breaks in touring, and had fallen in love with Latin American culture. He found a job teaching English at a school and inadvertently launched his first entrepreneurial venture.
Johnson had bought an old building and realized it could provide him with both lodging and some extra income. He converted the space into nine units and enlisted the talents of local artists to create themed murals for each one. The rooms were then rented out to students at the University of Guadalajara. “I’ve always had a passion to tie in with the arts and community, so that was kind of the first thing that really set a fire in me,” he says.
After a few years, he moved back to Charleston, where he got married and had a daughter. He was planning to offer pro scuba instruction on Utila, a small island off the coast of Honduras. But after a divorce, he and his daughter relocated to Spartanburg, where he could be close to his family.
The time seemed right to go back to school and get his degree, so Johnson enrolled at Upstate. Though he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do next, he embraced the learning opportunity. “Going back as an adult, I had a much different respect for the discipline of being a student again,” he says. His classes helped him see how the skills he had developed as a musician, such as leadership and public speaking, could apply to any new career.
He settled on an interdisciplinary studies major with a concentration in communication and sociology, and a minor in entrepreneurship. Somewhat to the surprise of his friends, his first job after graduating in 2018 was in advertising.
“I had always been this dreamer and chased things that were a bit abstract and not the norm,” Johnson says. “So I had never experienced the norm, and I wanted to understand all those different aspects of life.”
It didn’t take him long to realize that working in a cubicle was not for him, but he didn’t regret the experience. His next move was into real estate, which Johnson admits is ironic, since he hates sales. He did, however, have the “gift of gab,” which served him well in the business. He even flipped a few homes.
But when the pandemic hit in 2020, Johnson realized that as a single dad, he needed a more reliable income and benefits than real estate could provide. Over lunch with an old mentor from Spartanburg High School, Johnson mentioned he was thinking about a more service-oriented career, perhaps in teaching. His mentor immediately pulled out his phone, made a call, and secured him a few interviews.
Johnson ended up at Whitlock Flexible Learning Center. The alternative school serves students from all seven schools districts in Spartanburg County who have had behavioral issues at their assigned school. The job is tough, but Johnson says he felt at home immediately.
“It’s definitely not for everyone, but I don’t take anything personally, because I understand and have a deep empathy for the struggles and traumas these young people go through,” Johnson says. “I’m inspired in many ways by them. Their resilience has taught me so much.”
Johnson began teaching geography while students were still on a hybrid schedule due to the pandemic. Once students were back in the classroom full time, he worked hard to earn their respect. That included teaching the students breathing techniques, which at first they found silly. But whenever Johnson saw tension building, he’d stop the class and have the students do some breathing exercises, which helped calm many of them.
Johnson is under no illusions that he’s had an impact on every student. But, he says, “Being consistent and authentic in who you are really translates.” He enjoys relating his global experiences to the class material and finding new ways to engage his students. When he does see the light go on, the reward is immense.
Johnson didn’t entirely abandon his entrepreneurial ventures when he started teaching. He partnered with a friend to reopen her hot yoga business, which had closed during the pandemic, and added cold plunging to the offerings. The practice, known as contrast therapy, involves immersing the body in icy cold water after experiencing heat. Johnson had been doing it for years to deal with his chronic back pain, but he noticed it had been gaining mainstream appeal, too.
The popularity of his “Fire and Ice” classes gave him the idea to start Flow State, which offers breath work sessions and contrast therapy. “People who have struggles slowing their mind and being in the moment, all that’s gone when you throw someone in ice, because all you’re focused on is the breath,” he says.
Flow State is located at the back of the Habit Beverage Lounge space and offers both open and guided sessions. In addition to coffee beverages, smoothies and juices, Habit serves beer and wine in the evenings and hosts regular entertainment nights that include improv comedy and live music by local acts. The walls are covered with works by local artists, reflecting the Johnsons’ shared love for street culture and art.
With the couple’s barber academy set to open soon, Johnson says he will be taking a pause on any new activities to focus on growing the businesses. His daughter, now in middle school, is a big part of his life. A surfer like her dad, and also a swimmer and wrestler, she recently started soccer, and Johnson hopes to coach her one day. He himself still takes part in soccer matches twice a week that include his old coach from Spartan High.
In spite of a busy life, Johnson is careful not to take on more than he can handle. Balancing school and parenting while at Upstate honed his time management skills, and he notes he still gets his eight hours of sleep every night. He also credits his wife for being an equal partner and sharing in the responsibilities of their businesses.
In the future, he envisions starting a venture in Puerto Rico, a favorite family destination for surfing. Johnson says he’s never afraid to take a chance and try something new, because it’s always an opportunity to grow.
“I think when we fulfill ourselves, we become the best individuals that we can be, and that’s usually those who have the greatest impacts on their communities and on the people around them.”
