Tapping into trends. (Johnson Properties' Sam Johnson)

TAPPING INTO TRENDS

You might say Sam Johnson makes his living off other people's excess.

Or you could say Sam Johnson is an astute student of societal trends and how to translate them into ongoing business successes.

In both cases, you'd be right.

One of Johnson's businesses, mini storage warehouses, provides a service for people who have too little of something: space. His Nutri Systems franchises provide a service for those who have too much of something else: weight. Both businesses tap into cultural phenomena that are part and parcel of contemporary lifestyles: the accumulation of things and the battle against fat created by more sedentary lifestyles.

It's no accident that Johnson is in either of these businesses at this particular time. "In order to be successful, an entrepreneur has to be on top of societal trends. I'm not the smartest guy in the world, but I try to stay abreast with what is happening and see how that can be translated into sound business opportunities. I am a California-watcher," says Johnson. "Both businesses (weight-loss and storage) started and flourish there." Johnson seems to have a knack for knowing when to enter and when to exit a particular line of business.

Johnson has been part of the business scene in Nashville for more than 25 years, having joined the sales force of the Southwestern book publishing company in 1964. Johnson worked his way up through the Southwestern ranks, ultimately heading its 3,200-member sales force. It was in the Southwestern organization that Johnson honed his salesmanship by following a pattern he has retained over the years: associate yourself with savvy people and learn from them.