Rose Slam! Johnson is the vibrant force behind Nimble Roots Coaching, a personalized coaching business tailored to queer small business owners. With a focus on infusing joy into the entrepreneurial journey, Slam!’s coaching style is characterized by love, bravery, and compassion. Drawing on their own experiences of overcoming adversity, Slam! specializes in guiding clients to launch or stabilize their businesses, cultivate effective teams, and maintain alignment with their values. With Nimble Roots Coaching, Slam! empowers courageous leaders and healers to navigate challenges, build meaningful businesses, and find stability in an ever-changing landscape.

During our interview, Slam! shared the inspiration behind their coaching business along with their entrepreneurial journey, which included launching two ventures focused on food, community, and fun. Slam! also offered advice for future LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs and discussed the impact of embracing their queer identity as a business owner, reminding others to embody their authentic selves, leverage their unique magic, and build a business that is service-oriented and fun.

Let’s jump right in!

1. Can you walk us through your professional journey and how you got to where you are today?

I grew up in Albany, New York, and then lived in Georgia, Virginia, Ohio, New Jersey and moved to The Marin Headlands in 2007 to teach environmental education. I eventually ended up in San Francisco and fell in love with cycling, hummus, and the quality of connection that came from having a communal meal. In 2009, I launched two community-supported adventures; Apothocurious and Queer Camp. Both projects revolved around food, community, and fun. Apothocurious offered a weekly pedal-powered delivery service and a fully loaded kitchen on the back of a bicycle for mobile events. Queer Camp provided the nostalgia and fun of summer camp for Queer-identified adults.

My passion for small businesses also led me to experiment across various roles, from private chef to catering to pop up events to really everything I could think of that had to do with food. Plus, I tried almost every role in business: bookkeeping, fundraising, operations, production, sales, management, and more! Stepping into these roles was driven by both courage and naive curiosity, but these experiences really shaped my journey as a business owner.

Eventually, I moved to Oakland and in 2018, I participated in a 6-month coaching group that changed my life. This experience inspired me to enroll in the Academy of Coaching Excellence, initially for personal growth, but ultimately it led me to pursue coaching professionally! My journey has been a wild ride but I’m so grateful to be where I’m at today.

2. What inspired you to offer the services you provide?

My inspiration is deeply rooted in my personal journey as a queer business owner, shaping the foundation of my business. It has given me the opportunity to build connections with my clients based on shared values and experiences.

In addition, the transformative insights I gained from participating in the 6-month coaching group, along with the Academy of Coaching Excellence, also inspired the services I offer. They not only changed my life but also provided me with a clear understanding of my purpose and direction.

3. What is one of your biggest challenges in your professional journey, and how did you overcome this?

During my early twenties, I found myself pedaling hummus throughout the streets of San Francisco. I knew I needed pricing that would allow me to stay in business and invest in my growth but I couldn’t do it! So I spent the next decade pivoting to new offerings in hopes of finding a way to sustain myself — but that pattern continued. I kept underpricing my services, shying away from acknowledging the value I brought to the world.

My mind swirled with questions: I can’t afford that price, how could anyone else? Do I even want to work with folks who can afford that price? Shouldn’t I be doing something more meaningful with my time?

Ultimately, I ended up closing the hummus business, along with the others. The feeling of being "insufficient" had such a significant impact on my businesses. I was never able to get them off the ground. I was also constantly hustling so I didn’t have the time to support the people that I cared about the most.

“Over time, I developed relevant skills, did my personal growth work, and grew into my confidence and self-connection. I started to see and trust the value that I brought to the table. Now I have established a pace that works for me and I understand how charging for my services help both my clients and me make progress towards our goals. I found the win-win, and it feels great!”

4. If you could give one piece of advice to future LGBTQ+ service providers within your field, what would it be?

Pursue what you love and what brings you joy, dedicating time to play, explore, and collaborate with others. Identify your strongest skills and offer them over and over again, making sure others know what you’re good at. Success isn't only about your connections or knowledge, but about making sure the right people know your talents and who you are. Aim to be recognized for what you’re amazing at. I believe that you can find that sweet spot in business, where your role is just the right amount of challenge that makes you wildly successful.

My second piece of advice would be to find a coach that shows you how amazing you are.

5. How does being openly queer inspire or impact your business?

A lot of the clients I work with are worried that they are not "queer enough" or “established enough” as business owners. Because I’m both queer and a business owner, I’ve gone through similar experiences so I’m able to provide support and coaching based on their unique circumstances. My mission is to guide these individuals towards embracing their authentic selves, leveraging their unique magic, and building a business that is service oriented and fun.

I love helping queer small business owners energize their business by connecting with their heart. My clients learn how to navigate a brain that is prone towards overwhelm and stay focused on what is most important to them again and again. I myself am no stranger to self doubt and overwhelm, which is why I am so honored and delighted to support courageous leaders and healers to walk their path, build a meaningful business, and find their grounding in this tumultuous time.

If you are worried about not being enough, may you find love, bravery, and compassion as we explore this wild ride together!

6. What brands or services by LGBTQ+ founders are your go-to's and why?

A few of my favorites include Third Culture, a Southeast Asian bakery in the Bay Area famous for its Mochi Muffin. Dr. Jae Reed, a chiropractor based in Oakland, California, specializing in NET (Neuro Emotional Technique). Tay Ho, a Vietnamese restaurant and bar also based in Oakland, which is operated by a mother-daughter duo.

7. Who is your favorite LGBTQ+ celebrity and why?

Hannah Gadsby is one of my favorite LGBTQ+ celebrities! She is so humble and hilarious about all of our shortcomings. When she speaks, it makes life easier to handle.

8. Share one fun or unusual fact about yourself.

I won a national championship of ultimate frisbee in Australia in 2004.

Visit Slam!’s profile on Famm here. Visit Slam!’s website here.