A powerful reflection on how the absence of a mentor became a catalyst for personal growth and leadership, transforming a search for guidance into a mission to mentor others and empower emerging professionals.
Her Story
About Gessika
Gessika Johnson, MBA, is a human resources and workforce development leader with more than a decade of experience designing and implementing strategic talent initiatives across public and private sector organizations. As Recruitment, DEI, and Professional Development Lead for the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development, she leads enterprise-wide workforce strategies focused on talent acquisition, employee engagement, succession planning, leadership development, and organizational effectiveness. She is recognized for transforming complex workforce challenges into sustainable programs that strengthen employee experience, improve retention, and support long-term organizational success.
Throughout her career, Gessika has held progressive leadership roles spanning human resources, talent acquisition, employee relations, workforce planning, organizational development, and executive advising. Prior to joining the State of Michigan, she served as a Human Resource Business Partner at Michigan State University, advising academic and administrative leadership on workforce strategy, labor relations, organizational design, and employee development. Her experience also includes strategic recruiting and workforce consulting with Kelly and talent acquisition leadership supporting multi-state operations at XPO Logistics. In addition to her public sector career, she is the Founder of Sincerely Management Solutions, where she provides workforce strategy, leadership development, career consulting, and organizational advisory services that help professionals and organizations achieve intentional, measurable growth.
Gessika earned a Master of Business Administration from Central Michigan University and a Bachelor of Science in Food Industry Management from Michigan State University, with a specialization in Agribusiness Management, Economics, and Statistics. A Forbes Fellow, she is actively involved in professional and community initiatives through Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated, employee mentoring programs, and higher education outreach efforts. Passionate about developing future leaders and creating people-centered workplaces, Gessika is committed to building inclusive organizational cultures where individuals can thrive and organizations can develop sustainable talent pipelines for lasting success.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Gessika
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to maintaining a people-centered approach throughout my career in human resources and workforce development. By listening to employees, building trust, and earning buy-in, I have been able to create meaningful workforce strategies that strengthen engagement, retention, and organizational success. My commitment to continuous learning, community involvement, and leadership development has also helped shape my professional growth.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Ironically, the best career advice I received wasn’t something anyone ever told me—it was something I learned through experience: don’t wait for someone else to validate your potential.
Early in my career, I desperately wanted a mentor. As a first-generation bachelors and MBA graduate , I wanted someone who had already walked the path I hoped to take. That opportunity never really came, so I learned through trial and error, difficult conversations, and a lot of perseverance.
Looking back, I realize those experiences shaped the leader I am today. They’ve also made me intentional about mentoring others because I know what it’s like to navigate your career without that guidance. One of the greatest compliments I’ve ever received is hearing someone say that I inspired them or helped them see what was possible for themselves.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering this field is simple: don’t downplay your experience or the projects you’ve taken on—especially the ones that challenged you and helped you grow.
Too often, we say yes when our managers or colleagues need support, but when it’s time to explain the value we bring, we minimize the very experiences people relied on us to deliver. Those “extra” projects, stretch assignments, volunteer opportunities, and side initiatives often develop the leadership, communication, problem-solving, and strategic thinking employers are looking for.
Take the time to identify both the hard and soft skills you’ve gained from every experience, and learn how to confidently articulate the impact you’ve made. Your value isn’t defined by your title—it’s defined by the skills, perspective, and results you bring. Own them, because you are enough.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I believe in putting people first by fostering collaboration, listening with empathy, and creating opportunities for individuals to grow. I value meaningful relationships, professional development, community service, and building inclusive workplaces where employees can thrive while helping organizations achieve long-term success.
Her Content Hub
Articles by Gessika
The Mentor I Needed Never Came—So I Became Her.
How the absence of a mentor became the foundation for a purpose-driven career.
Sometimes You Don't Find the Mentor
For years, I searched for a mentor.
As a first-generation, dual-degree graduate, I wanted someone who had already navigated the challenges I was facing-someone who could help me avoid mistakes, challenge my thinking, and remind me that I belonged in rooms I hadn't yet imagined for myself.
That mentor never came.
At first, I saw that as a disadvantage. Looking back, I realize it became one of the greatest gifts of my career.
I stopped waiting. I started building. I learned. I failed. I figured it out.
Then one day... People started calling me.
When my department announced a new Leadership Academy, I quietly thought about applying. Instead, I was asked to serve as a project sponsor.
Later, when a mentoring program was being developed, I found myself thinking that maybe this would finally be my opportunity to have a mentor. Instead, I was invited to serve on the committee designing resources for mentors.
I couldn't help but laugh. Somehow, life kept placing me on the other side of the table.
It finally dawned on me that perhaps my career was never meant to be defined by finding a mentor. Perhaps it was meant to be defined by becoming the mentor I once needed.
Today, whether through my work in public service, my consulting business, or simply through conversations with women navigating their careers, I strive to give others what I once searched for-a trusted voice, strategic guidance, and the confidence to recognize their own value.
Sometimes our greatest purpose isn't found in receiving what we hoped for. Sometimes it's found in becoming what we once needed most.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.