Spirit of Maryville 2018: Shani Johnson

Shani Johnson

Life strategist, coach, author and motivational speaker, Shani Johnson, ’05, has enjoyed a career around helping and counseling those in need. Shani received her BA in psychology from St. Louis University and an MA in rehabilitation counseling from Maryville.

In her career, Shani has helped countless clients serving in a myriad of roles as an employment retention specialist, HIV/AIDS case manager and Youth & Family therapist at several non-profits. Subsequent opportunities included working for the State of Tennessee as a vocational rehabilitation counselor and as a case manager at Eckman Freeman Associates. During the next six years, Johnson assisted longtime high school friend, Kimora Lee Simmons, as her vice president of operations. In this role, she was instrumental in building KLS Enterprise, a multimillion dollar brand empire and was prominently featured as a trusted confidant on Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane, an E! Network’s original hit reality show.

In 2013, Shani’s career came full circle when she launched SCJ Enterprises, which serves as a vehicle for women of all ages to become empowered and inspired. As CEO and president, her mission is to challenge all individuals experiencing a setback to shift their mode of thinking, adjust, adapt and discover their purpose.