George Johnson: Building the $75M Afro Sheen Empire & Funding Soul Train

At 97 years old, George E. Johnson Sr. is a living legend. In this extraordinary conversation, the founder of Johnson Products Company—the first Black-owned business to trade on the American Stock Exchange—shares his remarkable journey from humble beginnings to revolutionizing the beauty industry.

Joined by his co-author, award-winning writer Hilary Beard, Mr. Johnson discusses their new memoir "Afro Sheen: How I Revolutionized an Industry with the Golden Rule, from Soul Train to Wall Street."

IN THIS EPISODE:

• How George started Johnson Products Company with just $500
• Creating Afro Sheen and Ultra Sheen during the natural hair movement
• His mentor S.B. Fuller and the principles that guided his success
• Meeting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Operation Breadbasket
• The untold story of how he funded and saved Soul Train
• Becoming the first Black-owned company on a major stock exchange
• Why he profit-shared with employees and started his own bank
• Advice for young entrepreneurs from a 97-year-old business pioneer
• Hilary Beard on preserving this crucial piece of American history

This is more than a business story, it's a masterclass in entrepreneurship, perseverance, and living by the Golden Rule.

GUEST: George E. Johnson Sr. - Founder, Johnson Products Company | Author, "Afro Sheen" Hilary Beard - Award-winning writer, speaker, and co-author

GET THE BOOK: "Afro Sheen" by George E. Johnson Sr. and Hilary Beard https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/george-e-johnson/afro-sheen/9780316577366/?lens=little-brown

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In this holiday special of the Bookum Founders Talk Podcast, we sit down with special guest, Co-Founder, and brother, the brilliant Kris Colley II.

We talk through Kris Colley’s role at Bookum, how the idea for the platform first came together, and the journey that took Bookum from an idea to a billboard in Times Square. We also reflect on standout moments from 2025, including conversations with Hollywood Producers like Will Packer, the evolution of community features like Nooks, and the podcast episodes and books that defined our year.

To close things out, we jump into Bookends, a rapid-fire look at what we’re currently loving across books, film, television, and culture.

This episode is a year-end reflection on building in public, honoring the stories that move us, and looking ahead to what’s next for Bookum.

Join the Bookum community
Download the Bookum app to discover books, join conversations, and connect with readers and creators:

https://www.bookumapp.com

Timestamps:

0:00 – Intro
1:23 – Kris’ role at Bookum
3:45 – The origins of Bookum
6:23 – How we got a Bookum billboard in Times Square
14:48 – Standout moments from 2025
16:46 – Will Packer
17:50 – Nooks on Bookum
22:12 – Favorite books of the year
28:54 – Favorite Bookum podcast of the year
29:58 – Bookends (Crave Outs)
30:33 – Plur1bus
30:53 – Sex in the City
31:24 – Billie Joel Documentary
33:00 – Mr. Scorsese

Bookends:

• Plur1bus
• Sex in the City
• Billie Joel Documentary
• Weapons
• Elway
• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
• Mr. Scorsese

This Podcast is to brought you by Bookum - The book communities NEW and BEST way to host dynamic online book clubs.

Download the App and Start your Book club today at www.bookumapp.com

Catch all of conversations live on the Bookum App Nooks!

Does great art require hubris? In this episode of Creators Talk Podcast, we explore Gothic literature, Frankenstein, and the complex relationship between artists and their creations with Dr. Rebecca Marks, a Cambridge PhD specializing in Gothic literature and art history.

Dr. Marks takes us deep into the world of Gothic literature, from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein to the moral questions that define the genre. We discuss whether classics should remain untouchable, who gets to adapt stories by women, and the eternal debate: can we separate the artist from the art?

This conversation covers content creation, the role of hubris in making great art, controversial artists, and how Gothic literature teaches us about morality, ambition, and what it means to be a creator in today's world.

TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - Introduction
1:02 - Frankenstein Interactive Museum in London
2:28 - New Frankenstein Movie Review
3:03 - Should Classics Be Untouchable?
4:12 - Does It Matter Who Adapts Stories by Women?
6:21 - Growing Up and Getting Into Gothic Literature
7:40 - Getting Into Content Creation
9:02 - Short vs Long Form Content Creation
10:28 - Relatability in Content Creation
12:01 - William Blake and Imagination
12:40 - How to Better Understand Gothic Art
14:40 - Source Texts for Understanding Literature
16:40 - Gothic as Open for Interpretation
18:26 - Morality Questions Within Gothic Literature (Frankenstein)
21:55 - The Role of the Artist
23:12 - Hubris in Art
24:02 - Is Hubris Required for Great Art?
25:12 - Can You Separate Art From the Artist?
26:11 - Kanye West Discussion
27:41 - JK Rowling Discussion
28:34 - Eric Gill and Controversial Artists
29:12 - The Fear of Criticism in Art
30:02 - Writing The Culture Dump Blog
31:12 - What is a Culture Dumper?
31:38 - Perfect Day of Writing
33:11 - The Power of Coffee
34:00 - Last, Now, Next Books
35:45 - How to Annotate Books
36:50 - Rapid-Fire Book Questions
38:50 - What Would You Like to See More of in the Art World?

CONNECT WITH DR. REBECCA MARKS:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/culture_dumper/?hl=en
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theculturedump?_t=ZG-8tdNOaeGNNp&_r=1&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGn7-IrCGaEaxrEE8Fmyivr2zKyniyDBnxRpnh60pUdMzKfynqt8MJSaLcZ2LQ_aem_kZEhAP3Gp6-nFzRb0MSoQw
The Culture Dump Blog: https://culturedump.substack.com/p/a-pre-raphaelite-primer?r=49iulx&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=ig&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnh3yBND8YP3ALgU_eYZZb6tHh64g25ROGU1R0Es0j9VIuxtBIZR5N0S-GQLM_aem_wqCrIEV2Ss9CNOI1hNvBgA&triedRedirect=true


Books:
The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann (A Recent Read)
Death in Venice by Thomas Mann (A Short Story)
Zofloya by Charlotte Dacre (A Gothic More People Should Read)

Art & Artists:
Lady Diana Beauclerk - Illustrations to Leonora
Joseph Wright of Derby
William Blake

Media:

Death Note (Manga)
The Legend of Zelda

Learn more at: https://www.bookumapp.com

This Podcast is to brought you by Bookum - The book communities NEW and BEST way to host dynamic online book clubs.

Download the App and Start your Book club today at www.bookumapp.com

Catch all of conversations live on the Bookum App Nooks!

Legendary restaurateur Drew Nieporent sits down to discuss his incredible 40+ year career in the restaurant industry, from opening the iconic Nobu with Robert De Niro and Nobu Matsuhisa to building Tribeca Grill, Montrachet, and over 40 other restaurants. Drew shares lessons on leadership, navigating celebrity partnerships, surviving 9/11 and COVID, and what it really takes to succeed in the restaurant business.

Make sure to like, comment, and subscribe to our Youtube Channel!

TIMESTAMPS:
1:12 - Muhammad Ali
3:03 - On Being Difficult
4:28 - On Being A Leader
5:56 - The Dynamic of the front and back of a restaurant
9:08 - Growing up in Restaurants
11:20 - Working on Cruise Ship Restaurants
15:04 - The Job of a Restaurateur
18:20 - Opening First Restaurant: Montrachet
19:47 - Getting 3 Stars
22:25 - Restaurant Reviews in 2025
27:22 - The Art of Naming Restaurants
31:21 - Opening Nobu
33:23 - Doing Business with Robert De Niro
34:01 - Nelson Mandela & Celebrities at Tribeca Grill
35:12 - When to say No to starting a Restaurant
38:15 - Opening Restaurants Abroad
39:53 - Nobu Opening in London
41:48 - Selecting Wines for your Restaurants
42:21 - Opening Crush Wine Store
45:40 - Navigating 9/11 and COVID
48:21 - Selling Burgers at Madison Square Garden
49:33 - Writing the book
51:02 - Rapid-Fire Food Questions
57:27 - What Should be in a Restaurateur's toolkit?

📖 Get Drew's new book "I'm Not Trying to Be Difficult: Stories from the Restaurant Trenches"
https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/drew-nieporent/im-not-trying-to-be-difficult/9781668651896/?lens=grand-central-publishing

📚 Start or join Book Clubs on Bookum App
https://www.bookumapp.com

This Podcast is to brought you by Bookum - The book communities NEW and BEST way to host dynamic online book clubs.

Download the App and Start your Book club today at www.bookumapp.com

Catch all of conversations live on the Bookum App Nooks!

Welcome to the Bookum Author Talks Podcast!

In this episode, we sit down with culinary historian and James Beard Award winner Adrian Miller to explore the REAL history of soul food. We dive deep into Thanksgiving history and traditions, black food traditions, the soul food canon, and cooking through history. Adrian breaks down everything from cooking Thanksgiving dinner and the best soul food dishes to collard greens recipes and old world cooking techniques.

Discover the truth about soul food and how it's not slave food. Learn about mac and cheese history, the origins of chitlins, okra, hibiscus, neckbones, and how Caribbean food traditions connect to soul food culture. We also explore black and Asian chefs in the White House, the history of American BBQ, and the fascinating crossover between Asian cuisine and soul food.

Whether you're looking for collard greens recipes, want to understand black food traditions, or curious about cooking through history, this conversation has it all!

TIMESTAMPS:
1:12 - Thanksgiving + Soul Food Items
2:50 - History of Chitlins
5:10 - Starting Career in Culinary Writing
6:07 - Mac n Cheese History in Soul Food and Thanksgiving
8:14 - Soul Food Canon
9:43 - Preparing Collard Greens
12:01 - History of Hibiscus
13:21 - History of Okra
13:50 - History of Neckbones
14:52 - History of Gumbo
15:34 - Jamaican & Caribbean Foods
18:12 - Soul Food is NOT Slave Food
20:50 - Veganism in Soul Food
23:50 - Black Eye Peas on Stove for Holiday
25:45 - Black Chefs in the White House
29:02 - History of American BBQ
32:12 - Best BBQ City in America
32:45 - Asian Chefs in the White House
34:02 - Asian Cuisine & Soul Food Crossovers
36:12 - Documenting Family Recipes Histories
39:12 - Writing Process of A Cookbook
42:24 - Writing Food Reviews
45:01 - Rapid Fire Food Questions
46:42 - What Should Be in a Foodies Toolkit?

📚 ADRIAN MILLER'S BOOKS:
"Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time" (2013) https://www.amazon.com/Soul-Food-Surprising-American-Cuisine/dp/1469607352

"The President's Kitchen Cabinet: The Story of the African Americans Who Have Fed Our First Families, from the Washingtons to the Obamas" (2017)
https://www.amazon.com/Presidents-Kitchen-Cabinet-African-Americans/dp/1469630494

"Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue" (2021)
https://www.amazon.com/Black-Smoke-African-Americans-United/dp/1469663406

"Cooking to the President's Taste: Asian Heritage Chefs in White House History" (2025) - Co-authored with Deborah Chang
https://shop.whitehousehistory.org/products/cooking-to-the-presidents-taste

Adrian Miller Social Media:
Website - https://adrianemiller.com/
Twitter - https://x.com/soulfoodscholar
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/soulfoodscholar/


Make sure to LIKE, COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE for more author conversations!

Make sure to download our Book club and Book networking app Bookum at https://www.bookumapp.com

This Podcast is to brought you by Bookum - The book communities NEW and BEST way to host dynamic online book clubs.

Download the App and Start your Book club today at www.bookumapp.com

Catch all of conversations live on the Bookum App Nooks!

My guest today on the Bookum Author Talks Podcast is the generational powerhouse Cheryl McKissack Daniel. Cheryl is the President and CEO of McKissack & McKissack, a design and construction company founded by Moses McKissack in 1905. It is the oldest Black-owned architecture and construction company in the United States.

In this episode, Cheryl shares the incredible story of her family’s legacy spanning 5 generations, their impact on HBCU campuses, succession plans, major stadium projects, and lessons on leadership, entrepreneurship, and preserving family history.

This episode is full of history and business lessons!

Get Cheryl’s book: The Black Family Who Built America - https://www.simonandschuster.com/book...

Timestamps:

1:30 - Current Projects of McKissack & McKissack
3:18 - Family History of The McKissack
5:42 - Passing down family mottos
7:02 - Handling Succession in the Family
11:40 - Growing up in an affluent Black Family
14:10 - Building on HBCU campuses
16:38 - Working with Black Business
18:18 - Charlamagne tha God publishing the book
19:33 - Writing Process of the Book
20:10 - Building Stadiums
22:55 - Barclay Center in Brooklyn
24:12 - Being a role model as a Black woman builder
26:37 - Record Your Family's History
27:12 - What Should Be in A Builder's Toolkit?

Make sure Like, comment, and subscribe to our ‪@bookum‬ YouTube channel for more amazing conversations with authors and creators.

Download the Bookum App to join book-related discussions, connect with the community, and start your own book club at https://www.bookumapp.com

This Podcast is to brought you by Bookum - The book communities NEW and BEST way to host dynamic online book clubs.

Download the App and Start your Book club today at www.bookumapp.com

Catch all of conversations live on the Bookum App Nooks!

In this episode of Creators Talk Podcast, we sit down with @classicallyclare Juilliard-trained pianist, book content creator, and host of Study Hall Book Club We discuss her journey from Singapore to New York (Back to Singapore), the power of collective reading, how to engage with classic books (The Tempest by William Shakespeare), and the connection between music, storytelling, content creation, and social media.

Make sure to like and subscribe to our youtube channel @bookum

Timestamps:

1:12 – Reading in Singapore
2:23 – New York Reading Culture
3:12 – Playing Music as a Kid
4:01 – Music and Content Creation
5:33 – The Connection Between Playing Music and Storytelling
6:44 – Defining Classic
8:33 – Getting Back Into Content Creation
10:12 – Relationship with Social Media
11:29 – Collective Learning
12:01 – Nuance and Critical Thinking
12:52 – Tools for Content Creation
13:21 – On Reviews
15:44 – Making Classic Literature Relatable
18:04 – On Community
19:02 – Book Club: Study Hall
21:12 – Shakespeare's Tempest
24:02 – Prospero: Hero or Villain
26:10 – Artist and the Audience
26:49 – Exploring Good and Bad
27:20 – On Writing: Fermata Blog
28:54 – Writing Process & Perfect Day of Writing
30:40 – Last, Now, Next Books
33:21 – How to Annotate Books
35:04 – Rapid Fire Book Questions
36:40 – What Would You Like to See More of in the Book World?
36:48 – What Would You Like to See Less of in the Book World?

Places to Find more from Clare:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/classicallyclare/?hl=en
Blog - https://clareyeo.substack.com/?
Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@classicallyclare?

To start your own book club, make sure to download our Bookum App at https://www.bookumapp.com

This Podcast is to brought you by Bookum - The book communities NEW and BEST way to host dynamic online book clubs.

Download the App and Start your Book club today at www.bookumapp.com

Catch all of conversations live on the Bookum App Nooks!

On this episode of Bookum Author Talks, we sit down with New York Times journalist and bestselling author Ken Belson to unpack how the NFL became a billion dollar empire. We cover stadiums, streaming, anti-trust battles, and social justice. This episode is for anyone who loves the NFL & is interested in the business, cultural impact and economics of football.

Timestamps
1:03 - The Mets and The World Series
1:52 - The Evolution of the NFL
4:03 - The Business Structure of the NFL
6:18 - Jerry Jones and His Role in the NFL
9:21 - Owners Owning Their Stadiums
11:40 - Relocations of NFL Teams
12:50 - Will We Get New Teams in the NFL
15:20 - NFL Anti-Trust
17:50 - The Super Bowl
19:20 - Colin Kaepernick and Social Justice
23:10 - Gambling in the NFL
26:02 - Streaming in the NFL
29:01 - Writing Process for the Book

Follow and Connect with Ken Belson:

Twitter: https://x.com/el_belson?lang=en
The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/by/ken-belson

Bookum: https://www.bookumapp.com

If You Enjoyed This Episode
Please like, subscribe @bookum and click the bell to receive updates for future interviews with top creators and authors. Leave a comment below telling us what surprised you most about how the NFL works behind the scenes

This Podcast is to brought you by Bookum - The book communities NEW and BEST way to host dynamic online book clubs.

Download the App and Start your Book club today at www.bookumapp.com

Catch all of conversations live on the Bookum App Nooks!