I really like Ron Johnson! Ron Johnson is the new CEO of the 110-year-old J. C. Penny chain. He’s an atypical CEO. That really appeals to me as an entrepreneur and small business owner. As entrepreneurs, we travel to the beat of a different drum. We’re often labeled “rebels” and “renegades” – like if it’s a bad thing. It’s not always easy being an entrepreneur in a business world that applauds conformity. And, to that point, entrepreneurs can always benefit from a healthy dose of inspiration which is what I found in a recent AP article by Anne D’Innocenzio, J.C. Penny CEO tries to change the way we shop.
The gigantic task of reinventing J. C. Penny’s wasn’t Ron Johnson’s first rodeo. Johnson has a strong track record of success when it comes to innovation. He was the brains that made Target hip with its “cheap chic”, and Apple’s stores and their Genius Bar’s even hipper at a time when Dell store fronts were closing like tents in a rainstorm.