For entrepreneur Rene Johnson, founder of the celebrated Bay Area catering company Blackberry Soul Fine Catering, a business card is not just a networking pleasantry, it’s a potential check waiting to be cashed.
“When you hand out a business card, you are handing out money,” Johnson told the Indianapolis Recorder, distilling a philosophy forged over 35 years in business. This mindset is the cornerstone of her latest venture, Link & Thrive, a coaching platform moving entrepreneurs beyond superficial networking into the realm of powerful, profit-generating referrals.
Johnson’s authority isn’t derived from an MBA, but from a gritty, real-world journey. A teenage mother without a college degree, she first built a successful mortgage processing company by cold-calling from the Yellow Pages. She later founded Blackberry Soul Fine Catering, which, without any formal culinary training, became a staple for clients ranging from Google to former Vice President Kamala Harris.
“I have created some beautiful businesses, and I have taught so many people about business through real-life experience, not because I went to school for it,” Johnson said.
Now, she’s channeling that experience into teaching others, particularly women and entrepreneurs of color, what she calls “the business of your business.”
The critical gap: A referral, not a hello
Johnson’s core teaching is a radical reframe of traditional networking. She draws a sharp line between a “hello” and an actual referral.
“When you are networking, you’re meeting and greeting and saying hello,” Johnson said. “When you’re offering a referral, you are offering money. That connection is already there.”
She illustrates this idea with a story from a recent meeting. After mentioning she had a loan referral for a mortgage officer, the officer took her card but didn’t offer his in return.
“I said, ‘You didn’t ask me for my card back, and you lost some money,'” Johnson said.
Her rule is ironclad: always exchange cards with intent, because an exchange is a transaction.
“When you look at it from a referral-based basis, that’s money,” Johnson said.
Building the ecosystem: Community as currency
For Johnson, this shift requires a supportive ecosystem. She emphasizes not only getting into “the room” — but the right room. It’s not just any entrepreneurial event; it’s the specific gathering where your ideal clients and collaborators are.
“I want to be a business coach, not a life coach,” Johnson said. “So, I’ve got to get in the room with the people who are talking about that.”
Johnson advises others to find communities that align with their specific business goals.
This focus on collaborative support, she argues, is especially vital at this time. With recent data showing hundreds of thousands of Black women leaving corporate roles, Johnson sees a need for practical, community-focused business development.
“We have to fill in that gap,” she asserts. “We have to know the small things matter as far as supporting each other.”
The launch of a new legacy
While Blackberry Soul continues under the day-to-day leadership of a longtime protégé, Johnson’s energy is focused on scaling Link & Thrive. She is officially launching the platform in January, with a vision that extends far beyond the Bay Area.
“In five years, I want Link & Thrive to be something that everybody knows the concept and understands the power of a referral, the power of collaboration, the power of partnerships,” Johnson said. Her goal is to see chapters in Atlanta, Tennessee, New York, and Chicago, creating a national network built on genuine mutual support.
Her final piece of advice for every entrepreneur is a simple but powerful revision of a common practice: “Do not hand out a business card for coffee. Hand a business card for money.”
Through Link & Thrive, Johnson isn’t just teaching business strategies. She’s advocating for a fundamental change in how entrepreneurs connect, transforming every introduction from a casual hello into a deliberate step toward shared prosperity.
Contact Multi-Media & Senior Sports Reporter Noral Parham at 317-762-7846. Parham is the owner of @HorsemenSportsMedia. For more news, click here.
Noral Parham is the multi-media & senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver. He is also the owner and founder of Horsemen Sports Media.
