How Sheila Johnson Co-Founded A Billion Dollar Company

Sheila and Robert Johnson started BET in 1979 with a $15,000 loan.

The company was listed on the stock exchange in 1998; the couple divorced in 2002, and they sold to Viacom for 3 Billion dolls in 2003.  

Today, Sheila is the founder and CEO of Salamander Hotels and Resorts, a hospitality company that owns hotels, resorts, and golf clubs.  She’s also the Vice Chairman and Partner of a billion-dollar sports company that owns and operates teams in the NBA, WNBA, and NHL.

How does one person get so many wins under their belt? And how do you begin to build that kind of success?

TODAY’S STRATEGIES:

Build your network before you need it

Solve problems that people tell you need to be solved

When you recognize a gap in the market, fill it

Build products for growing markets

The late ‘70s and early ‘80s were the Wild Wild West for cable TV - the industry was new and fresh and in demand. HBO launched in 1972, but networks like MTV, ESPN, CNN, and FOX hadn’t been created yet. The late ‘70s were full of opportunity for those who recognized the shift in the way people consumed media, and were ambitious enough to do something about it.

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