AFP Conference is for Winners-Magic Johnson
The message to AFP members from basketball star and corporate dynamo Earvin Magic Johnson yesterday afternoon was “you wouldn’t be sitting here if you were not a winner.” He spoke at the opening General Session of the AFP Annual Conference in Los Angeles.
“You still have to over deliver not only to your boss but to you clients” he told the audience. He talked about how he took 119 Starbucks coffee shops and put them in urban settings, customizing them to their neighborhoods. They didn’t know what a scone was, he said. So they replaced them with pound cake and sweet potato pie. His urban Starbucks stores are outselling the suburbans store he told the audience.
“We have not met the challenge every time when everyone has overlooked the urban community,” Johnson said.
“You’re going to have to start looking into that community and focusing in on minorities,” he added.
“My whole company is built on not trying to create the demand but meet the demand that is already there,” he explained as he talked about the business ventures he has embarked upon. Each time he has gone into urban areas that didn’t have a service and he adapted the service to the needs of the community whether it was movie theaters, coffee shops, restaurants or fitness centers.
Reflecting on the current market situation, Johnson said his organization is doing all right but he encouraged the audience.
“Don’t run away from this challenge. Meet it head on. Just make the proper adjustments to be successful.”
“We can still be successful in this market place, but you have to believe in you,” he added.
His empire now includes real estate across the country including Los Angeles, New York, Washington D.C., Miami, enterprises like the Los Angeles Lakers. These are just a few of those that he mentioned. But his holdings are vast.
After Johnson concluded his remarks he answered questions from the audience including sports queries, handing out hugs and advice freely.
Tags: Add new tag, AFP Opening General Session, Magic Johnson
