A story of tragedy to triumph: Mack Johnson

Mack Johnson, 2021 Harbert graduate, shares a story of tragedy to triumph. After suffering a paralyzing spinal cord injury in 2016, Mack found his home at Auburn University earning a degree in Accounting and Information Systems Management. Now, as a leader and mentor at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Mack expresses the importance of inclusion of people with disabilities in the workforce.

Transcript

Narrator:

Welcome to the Harbert College of Business podcast with your host, Sarah Gascon and Curry Dyess. Today's guest is Mac Johnson, a leader and mentor at PriceWaterhouse Cooper. In 2016, Johnson suffered a paralyzing spinal cord injury, but found a home at Auburn University. He now speaks out on the topic of inclusion of people with disabilities in the workforce. He's a 2021 Harbert graduate in accounting and information systems management.

Sarah Gascon:

Mac Johnson. War eagle and welcome to the show. We're so excited to have you here with us.

Currie Dyess:

War eagle.

MacKenzie Johnson:

War eagle.

Currie:

We're so excited to have you on today. Your journey to Auburn University is very unique. Can you just share with us how you ended up here?

MacKenzie Johnson:

Yeah, so I think to summarize my journey, it was a bit of a scenic route. Auburn wasn't my first decision out of high school. So I guess background in high school, I was involved in a lot of sports. I played football and I actually had a teacher, always had a background interest for numbers, and I wanted to go into business. I had a coach there who also taught accounting principles and told me, he said, Hey, come into my class. Come check this out. I just want to show you what's available. I'm not going to fail you or anything. And so I took the class and so first, that was my first intro into accounting or the accounting world. One of the things that interested me there was wherever there's money, there's got to be somebody there to account for it. So I think it opened up a lot of opportunities.

The teacher there, he had told me kind of the opportunities that accounting had afforded him. So once I made that determination, I looked at schools for similar around me, USC, Clemson. Ultimately, I ended up at Walford College, so that's a small school in Spartanburg, South Carolina. I went there starting in 2015, but in 2016, so my sophomore year I was involved in an accident. I had gone up to Gatlinburg with a group of friends and ultimately ended up an accident where I fell off of a balcony, three stories on a mountain. So big injury there. My parents weren't too happy to get that phone call. But what happened was I suffered a spinal cord injury. So what happens there is there is pressure on the spinal cord around the T 10, T 12 level surround the waist. So ultimately I ended up suffering paralysis from the waist down. So that definitely tipped me upside down.

I was kind of lost at that point. I got a lot of help. I went down to Shepherd Center in Atlanta and got some rehab there. Came back to Greenville, South Carolina, did a little bit more there and started to integrate myself back into going to school. So that spring semester, I had looked into going to Wofford, just taking classes, still trying to get used to life in a wheelchair for that point. And it was actually with some friends scrolling on Facebook and found an ad for Auburn wheelchair basketball. At that point, I had just been sitting at the house a lot of times and I just really wanted an excuse to get out. So I asked my mom, I said, Hey, can we make this happen? So during that summer I went to camp, really enjoyed myself, had finally gotten to play wheelchair basketball and got introduced to the sport and a rare opportunity came up during that summer after camp, the coach, Rob Taylor, reached out to me and explained that Auburn was starting up a collegiate wheelchair basketball program, and if I wanted to join, the opportunity was there. So I immediately jumped at the opportunity, didn't know how long that door was going to be open, and you know what a cool thing, right? You end up following three stories and end up playing college basketball. That doesn't happen for most people. So that's how I ended up at Auburn University.

Sarah:

How did your mindset shift after that accident, and what role did your support system play in helping you navigate this challenging period of time?

MacKenzie Johnson:

I think my background in sports really helped define that experience. At first, I thought it was something that I could just outwork. I thought that nobody was going to work harder than me and that I was going to beat this, but I found out that it's not really up to me with a spinal cord injury. But what I did find is that there's certain things that I can involve myself, activities that I can work hard and make progress in and seek growth. So that was one of the cool opportunities that having a support system through the basketball team or whether it be the accounting college of business, I found different groups that I was able to integrate myself in work at and see growth. So it was very, I guess at that time for me it was very important because at that time I thought that there really wasn't much for me out there.

Sarah:

So you were interested, you stated that you were interested in accounting and you actually earned an accounting degree and an information systems management degree. Why did you decide to go for two degrees?

MacKenzie Johnson:

Two degrees was not always the original plan. When I came into Auburn, I was originally just interested in accounting, so that's what I've been told and got understood in through high school and early on in college. But I think it was during my first internship at pwc where I was introduced to the different roles that are offered at the firm. So it's usually our broken down into tax audit and then advisory. I connected with somebody within the audit world that kind of shadowed them for a day. But what was special about their position was they were in, I guess what was formally called our risk assurance practice, but is now our digital assurance and transparency. So it's in the audit world, but what's fun about it for me is we have a background in technology. So I went back to school with that knowledge of understanding that that was a role that was available and signed up to understand information systems management, kind of understand how data flows through different applications. And so that's what I've gotten to explore even more in my role now at pwc, is to have that niche just kind of interest in technology and see how different businesses are using it every day. It's been really eye opening. I think that it's cool to see how businesses are growing more and more towards using technology in their day-to-day practices. And so we have to, I guess at the firm, continually upscale ourselves and get ahead of that curve and think of solutions to problems that may have out there for them.

Currie:

Yeah, that's awesome. So from getting two degrees at Auburn and then interning with pwc, you're still there. Obviously you enjoy what you're doing and PWC is good to you. Walk us through a day in the life. What is it that you do? What does your role entail and why do you keep waking up and going back to work?

MacKenzie Johnson:

Yeah, so it's really fun. It's always something new every day. That's what I really enjoy about it. So on a day-to-day basis, I guess my role in our dad practice, I use what we provide is in an integrated audit or kind of providing services, I guess for maybe even SOC report. What we do is provide assurance for the businesses that, the financial statements that are being produced, that the data flowing through them. We test the integrity of those applications and systems of how that data moves. So that really interests me in, I think on a day-to-day basis. How does that show up? So I work with different clients. We usually have team meetings in the mornings. We talk about goals, different assignments that are due for the week, delegating who needs to break up what, and then following up with our clients. So we have a good communication with them trying to reach out as far as if there are any process owners that we need to speak with to have a better understanding of the of land that we're working with. And then obviously documenting what we see or the evidence that we have in Excel. So decent amount of time is spent in Excel. I've spent a lot more time than I thought I ever would in college in Excel.

Sarah:

We know that in your space there are a lot of confidential things. If you're at Liberty, would you please explain to us how AI and machine learning has changed the landscape of how to dealing with these processes?

MacKenzie Johnson:

Yeah, so AI is one of those new technologies that we're seeing and hearing. It's a big buzzword. We're seeing more and more of it being used not only in our day-to-day practices, but the business that we're using or using AI to take data and make business decisions. So what we have to do is understand those processes that it goes through, where AI is being incorporated, and try and get ahead of that curve and find out where those problems may be providing solutions and value to our clients. I think one of the cool things that we've done in our practice or at the firm is we've invested a lot of time in upskilling out all of our employees on how to use ai. And so we actually have our own in-house as you would chat, g BT ai, where we can go in and analyze different documents, get a synopsis of what's going, what the document is for, maybe if there's specific details or questions that we have that may be included in the document, we can ask that to AI and it can analyze it. And even just the small tasks as far as writing an email, we can say to draft up something to a client or the friendly tone, and it makes a lot of those efficiencies very quick throughout our day to day.

Currie:

What are some of the things that you use in your continuing education with AI and machine learning that can maybe help some of the listeners?

MacKenzie Johnson:

Yeah, so I think one of the biggest things that I've worked on is prompting. So not, I guess how we communicate with ai, how we ask the questions to understand or get the product that we want. So asking specific questions in the right tone or asking, I think it was one that I even learned of telling the AI the role that they're in, so the considerations that they would take while it analyzes the data. So it's really interesting how you can add a few phrases here and there, and it really changes the product that AI produces. So I've been working on prompting different applications or uses in my day to day, and it's one of those things where it's good to find out what works from other people, but it's a lot of guests and check and seeing the product that's produced and getting better at that each day.

Sarah:

What lessons did you learn from wheelchair basketball that you applied in your professional life at PWC?

MacKenzie Johnson:

Yeah, so wheelchair basketball taught me a lot. Just being a student athlete in general, it's a time consuming thing. Yeah, it's essentially having two jobs all at once at, so it taught me a lot about time management responsibilities. There were times, I guess we're waking up at six in the morning for our practice, but we still have educational obligations throughout the day. So those days can be long. You may be able to get a nap in here and there, but making sure that your assignments are completed and that you're growing yourself and spending enough time on and off the court to get better. I think one of the other things that has taught me is how I interact with people. So I've always enjoyed being a part of a team, and I think it's innate to me. I think one of the things that sports taught me was getting to know your personnel.

So what I do in my day to day is talking to other people, what are their interests, learning what are their specialties, and then knowing that I can reach out, have someone to reach out to if I have questions, if it's somewhere I may feel weaker and my knowledge. So it's good to get to know the people around you. And also I think always creating many wins, celebrating people's small wins throughout an engagement. Always try and highlight that and create a championship. So we win together, we lose together. There's times, but we work together. That's the thing. We have a goal, and so I try and create my own little Super bowl or championship for each engagement that we're on.

Currie:

Mac, you're a rising star at pwc. How has Pricewaterhouse Cooper facilitated your career growth and even your personal growth?

MacKenzie Johnson:

Yeah, so PWC has invested in me from a very early time. I think it was my junior year, my first internship, PWC army. They brought me into the Charlotte office where I was able to interact with different people and see what their day-to-day and see what was offered at the firm. They've continued to invest in me, allow opportunities to grow in both my career personally. I think one of the great experiences I had during my first internship was meeting my mentor at the firm was Rob Rush, our now partner. He like myself, uses a wheelchair, and that was really a thing that was important to me because I was scared. I was a bit, I wouldn't say scared, but nervous going into the workforce and how I'd be perceived with a disability. Because as being in the wheelchair, basketball, everyone there has a disability. It all looks about the same, but in the workforce, I kind of stick out from a visual perspective. So being conscious of that in the workforce and wanting to make sure. So it was good to see him within those first couple of days and know that there was somebody ahead of me who had kind of paved a path and navigated that world that I could reach out to and just kind of understand how to navigate myself.

Sarah:

Can you help us understand how your company was accommodating to you and the work environment with your disability and why this is so important and what companies can do to accommodate those with disabilities?

MacKenzie Johnson:

So one of the first things that they made sure it was just like getting to the office. So there was limited parking. They made sure that parking was available where I had enough adequate room to get in and out. And then, especially now in our office, they've made it where our badges can automatically open up doors, and Rob Rush was a great guy into making sure that I had those accommodations. But I guess the thing that I've learned, I guess with any disability in the workplace, so be an advocate for yourself and not be afraid to ask for the things that you need to bring your whole self to the workplace. It's those small things of being able to reach a coffee cup or make your own coffee in the morning and not having to ask for help, or that's just a small example, but any accommodations, a different chair, maybe a standing desk or allow time to just relax throughout the day. Any accommodations? I think the workplace has been very helpful at accommodating and allowing me to bring my best self to work.

Currie:

Mac, your journey has been marked by overcoming very significant personal challenges, and although this is a business podcast and we are here to talk to you about your success in your career, I think that it would be irresponsible of us to leave out these personal challenges. I think that most people, and Sarah and I have talked about this, most folks, they don't find out who they are for a very long time because it's difficult to really know yourself until you're faced with the hardest challenge you'll ever encounter in life, and God willing, you have already encountered that challenge. What advice would you give our listeners who are facing their own setbacks, whether it's in their careers or their personal lives?

MacKenzie Johnson:

So I guess one of the things that I had to realize in that situation that in the circumstance I was faced with was that it wasn't something that I was going to be able to do alone. One of my good friends that helped me along my journey, was Bill Walton signed a poster for me that says nobody gets to the top alone, and I have a unique relationship with him. But it was learning to reach out for help and have a village and not be afraid to ask for help. I would say to advocate for yourself and also know that everyone can provide value in some way in the workforce, and I would not let any preconceptions or people's idea of maybe what you're able to do disability or not deter you from accomplishing your goals. So I think everybody faces their challenges. Some look different than others, but if you face 'em head on with a good attitude, then there's much that you can do, much more you can do.

Sarah:

Can you tell us about being a mentor for the Spinal Cord Injury Support group and why it's important for you to volunteer for that group?

MacKenzie Johnson:

So mentoring is one of the things that I found. It gives me a lot of joy actually. I think when I first got injured, I was in the hospital and kind of realized the gravity of what the spinal cord, what a spinal cord injury was, and I went through my contacts and you think you have so many people, so many people, but as I scrolled through there, I couldn't find a single person that I knew had been in this same circumstance, and I felt very lonely at that point. I really wasn't sure what the future was going to look like. So one of the reasons I've gotten into mentorship people with spinal cord injuries is I'd like to be that contact that I had wished I had had that first day that I got the gravity of what my new life would look like. And so that provides a lot of, I love getting to people early and providing that support and just an idea of, or visualization that it's not the end of the world that you can still make is something out of this circumstance. It may not be what you had imagined before, but it's just going to look a little different. You can still reach those goals

Sarah:

As a follow-up. Have you found any mentorship opportunities at pwc?

MacKenzie Johnson:

Yeah, so one of the cool things that I've found that's offered at PWC is our inclusion group. It's called Abilities and Allies, and what it does is the goal is to empower people within the workplace, but disabilities to also empower and educate. So with people who may not have disabilities, can also tune into these monthly talks that we have and learn some of the struggles that some people, their coworkers may be facing or may be facing themselves and feel supported. And so it's one of those taboo topics that I think that we don't talk enough about. I think that it was really great seeing, I mentor Rob Rush in the workplace to see that visibility. That was something that I could achieve as a higher management position, that a disability wouldn't deter me from there. I think one of the other goals that our Abilities and Allies program does is it advocates for children and also current, I guess, adults with disabilities to be a part of the workforce.

So grabbing children and saying kids at school and letting them know that there's opportunities. They can also go to school, maybe not just for wheelchair basketball, but to pursue a career and can still be of value in the workforce and people that with current disabilities, it's not something that can happen in an instant, right? I think that is something that happened to me very early on, but it can happen at any point in your life, you could be faced with that. So allowing that, allowing people to still be included in the workforce. I think it really speaks to one of the favorite lines and Auburn's Creed where it's, I believe in the human touch, which cultivates sympathy with my fellow men, mutual helpfulness and brings happiness for all. And so I think that's one of the things that highlights in the workforce with PWC that we do really well, is allowing people to tell their story and advocate for themselves and ask for the help that they need to bring their best self to work.

Currie:

Man, what an awesome environment to be a part of.

MacKenzie Johnson:

I'm very grateful.

Currie:

Mac, what's next for you? Are there any new goals or projects that you're excited about?

MacKenzie Johnson:

Yeah, so I guess the first on my mind life update, I've actually gotten the opportunity to represent the US on the US wheelchair handball team. So I think in the next month here in September, we'll be getting the chance to compete for gold in Egypt. So that's a huge opportunity. I think when I do return from that trip and go back to the office place, I'm really looking to kickstart our abilities and all program, especially in the Charlotte office, and be a mentor to the community and connecting with maybe people and not only just at the firm, but other companies and understanding what that landscape looks like and what opportunities are available with people with disabilities.

Currie:

Mac, you're a rockstar.

Sarah:

Awesome. Congratulations!

Currie:

Yeah, that's huge. Huge.

Sarah:

Well, it's been a pleasure speaking with you today, Mac. How can our listeners keep up with you and your journey?

MacKenzie Johnson:

So I think the best way be on LinkedIn can find me. It's not Mac, it's MacKenzie Johnson. It's M A C, K E N Z I E. But you can keep up with the journey there. I'll be posting pictures and life updates as far as work there.

Currie:

Mac, you're awesome. Thank you so much for your time. War Eagle.

MacKenzie Johnson:

War Eagle

Narrator:

Harbert. Inspiring business.