Burned Out at 7 Figures: Why Charley Johnson Quit His 85-Employee Business for Freedom

Charley Johnson had it all—by traditional standards.

He was a successful business owner with 85 employees, pulling seven figures. But he was miserable.

Overworked, overwhelmed, and never home, Charley realized he was climbing the wrong mountain. So he did what few entrepreneurs have the courage to do: he burned it all down. He sold his company, built a simpler life, and began redefining what success and freedom really mean.

In this episode, Charley shares the raw truth about burnout, the guilt of selling a business built on hustle, and how he rebuilt a life around time, peace, and purpose. If you’ve ever questioned the price of “success,” this episode will resonate deeply.

Key Takeaways:

• Success ≠ Scale: Why Charley walked away from a thriving business with 85 employees

• Burnout Warning Signs: How being constantly “on” crushed his peace—and nearly his health

• The Myth of Always Needing More: What he learned by cutting his income in half but doubling his happiness

• From CEO to Solo: How Charley built a lean, 4-person business that pays him more and demands less

• Redefining Freedom: Why “just enough” is a powerful number—and how you can find yours

About the Guest:

Charley Johnson is a trailblazing business leader with over 20 years of corporate experience, 7 years as President of the Pay It Forward Foundation, and a decade of study with an enlightened teacher—a path that most often leads to leaving the material world behind. Instead, [Your Name] chose to bridge the worlds of business and consciousness, offering a rare blend of executive insight and elevated clarity.

As one of the world’s first Chief Consciousness Officers (CCO), Charley partners with visionary companies ready to lead in a rapidly evolving world—where technology, division, and distraction challenge human connection more than ever. The CCO role is designed to help organizations maintain their human core while embracing emerging technologies like AI.

Serving as a neutral, conscious presence inside the organization, a CCO helps CEOs, executives, and teams see past conditioning and blind spots, enabling more creative, open-minded solutions. In an age of unprecedented polarization, this role fosters connection, alignment, and purpose-driven leadership from the inside out.

[Your Name]'s revolutionary “Consciousness Training” is a versatile and transformative approach used by executives, athletes, couples, and spiritual seekers alike. Whether the goal is better business understanding, personal clarity, or deeper relationships, this work unlocks a higher level of performance by returning to the source of all knowledge—consciousness itself.

Now, Charley is on a mission to help forward-thinking leaders and organizations shape a future where clarity, connection, and consciousness are the competitive edge.

Links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjconsciousness/

Fast Five Questions:

1. If you woke up and your business was gone, you have $500, a laptop, a place to live, and food, what would you do first? "The same thing. The same thing. Yep, yep. Figure out something with consciousness within humanity, how to expand it."

2. What is the biggest mistake that you have made in business? "Being too loose with money, too nice. Thinking that I was supposed to take away everyone’s problems and help them when that was probably a lesson they needed to learn. I’d be a lot better off if I was just a little bit more conservative and understood money and investing more."

3. What is a book that you would recommend? "Truth Has No Sides. Just for the simple fact of understanding both sides are creating the same division of conflict the world wants to rid itself of.”

4. What is a tool that you use every day that you would recommend? "Consciousness. And for those who understand the water analogy, maybe consciousness is the first time you're hearing about it. Just Google it. It’s like the four-minute mile. It was impossible until someone ran it. Until somebody did it. Consciousness makes no sense until you search it up and realize you are it. Once you realize you are it, you can tap into it all."

5. What is your definition of freedom? "Consciousness. Everything's consciousness. It is pure. It's unadulterated. It's neutral. Everything that you and I came from before—our bias, before our condition, before the way we were taught, before the coexist stickers, before the religions, the Democrat, everything—came from consciousness. Consciousness is freedom. It's going to expand your awareness and allow you to be less rigid and more open to everyone around you. Which is the less division and conflict."

About Jeff:

Jeff spent the early part of his career working for others. Jeff had started 5 businesses that failed before he had his first success. Since that time he has learned the principles of a successful business and has been able to build and grow multiple seven-figure businesses. Jeff lives in the Austin area and is actively working in his community and supporting the growth of small businesses. He is a board member of the Incubator.Edu program at Vista Ridge High School and is on the board of directors of the Leander Educational Excellence Foundation

Connect with the Freedom Nation podcast at https://freedom-nation-podcast.captivate.fm/

Connect with Jeff:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freedomnationpodcast/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeffKikel

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffkikel/

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