“Why people? People just need a little inspiration, a positive and supportive voice in their head, because when people get out of their own way, they can change the world.”

~ Aaron Johnson

Sometimes the most defining opportunities show up long before we understand their impact. Aaron Johnson was twelve years old when his father stepped away from the business that had long supported his family and chose a new path into hospitality. Along with a business partner, his father built a new Days Inn in Oacoma, South Dakota, a town of roughly 400 people along the Missouri River.

That decision set a trajectory that continues more than three decades later.

Today, Aaron is the CEO and Visionary of KAJ Hospitality, a second-generation, family-owned hotel ownership and management company founded by his father, Kevin Johnson. Now managing 14 hotels across the Midwest under brands like Hilton and Marriott, KAJ has grown with a clear belief at its core: strong businesses are built by investing in people. Aaron has been instrumental in shaping a culture that empowers team members, guests, and partners to grow, lead, and achieve more than they thought possible.

That people-first philosophy doesn’t stop with hospitality or adults.

When Aaron and his wife found themselves underwhelmed by traditional education options for their children, they began searching for something different. That search led them to the Acton Academy model, a learner-driven approach to education centered on ownership, curiosity, and resilience. Believing deeply in the model, they opened Acton Academy Sioux Falls, serving learners from pre-K through high school.

At Acton, students are called learners and teachers are guides, a reflection of the school’s belief that young people are capable of far more than we often give them credit for. Aaron describes the model this way: “Acton helps young people practice the things many of us spend our adult lives learning. Taking ownership of their work, pushing through obstacles, learning from failure, and staying motivated without someone constantly telling them what to do.”

Across both KAJ Hospitality and Acton Academy, the thread is the same. Aaron believes that leadership is not reserved for a few, and potential is not limited by age or title.

As he puts it simply, “We are all capable, and we all have the ability to lead.”

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**Video broadcast available** on YouTube @imperfectbest

**Learn more about Jason Freeman** at AwkwardlyAwesome.com