Steve Jobs Hated the Name “Genius Bar.” How He Came Around, with Ron Johnson

#757: Ron Johnson is the creator of the Apple Stores and former CEO of JCPenney.

At age 24 Ron Johnson turned down a $120,000 Goldman Sachs offer to unload trucks for $40,000, and that detour led Steve Jobs to hire him to build the Apple Store. Years later, he took over JCPenney and watched it fail for a reason that had nothing to do with his vision.

Ron Johnson created the Apple Store and worked directly for Steve Jobs for 12 years, after bringing designer products to Target. He later served as CEO of JCPenney and is the author of Shop Different.

In this episode, we discuss:

How to weigh a lower-paying job that teaches you more

How to set goals big enough that people work harder

How to persuade a team whose top priority is not getting fired

How to change a strong-willed boss’s mind

Why a bold plan fails without trust, and how to build trust first

What a rush of early customers can hide about a new business

How to get out of your head when you’re overthinking a decision

Whether you’re weighing a career risk, building a business on nights and weekends, or trying to get people behind a bold idea, this conversation shows what it takes, and what it costs to skip a step.