Today we’d like to introduce you to Franklin Johnson.
Franklin, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Out of Emory’s business school, I tried the whole finance thing for about 6 years. Two years in I knew it wasn’t a long-term thing for me, so I started hosting beer and music festivals on the side. I grew the festivals while looking for an exit from my main finance gig. Patience, planning, and opportunity all came together when I met the CEO of BRAG (Bicycle Ride Across Georgia) who was looking for an exit. After some work together, I was asked to join/takeover the Bicycle Ride Across Georgia and that was the opportunity I was long awaiting. The company has since doubled its participation numbers and is making a strong comeback in the community.
Has it been a smooth road?
Doubling our numbers has required a lot of long hours and a ton of days on the road. Going from a three-person staff down to one has presented challenges in itself. It has forced me to get pretty good at everything. I learned some diesel mechanics when purchasing and renovating our full-sized school bus. Coordinating with well over 100 people for a single event has definitely grown my personal and professional bandwidth. I’ve also learned that no matter how much you plan, there will always be a wrench thrown into the machine at some point. When you have 1,200 cyclists pedaling towards you, and the venue has double booked with a kids camp where your cyclist need to be, you get pretty good at adapting and problem-solving.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
The Bicycle Ride Across Georgia started in 1980 and is the second oldest cross-state ride in the country. We are known for providing transformative experiences to cyclist of all abilities who choose to embark on the journey. Our point to point rides provide a level of support other rides couldn’t dream of, and we do it 7 days in a row.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Atlanta is experiencing a cycling resonance right now and it’s a great time to start or grow a bicycle business. Unfortunately, Atlanta has a plethora of roads that are not friendly to cyclists. However, a lot is being done by a myriad of great organizations to get complete streets, protected bike lanes, bike paths, and even change some legislation to make cycling in Atlanta safer. Just outside the city, there are literally thousands of miles of great cycling roads.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.brag,org
- Phone: 404.382.7747
- Email: franklin@brag.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brageorgia/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BicycleRideAcrossGeorgia/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/brageorgia
- Other: https://vimeo.com/user38907436
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