Johan Engman shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Johan, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
Each year I take our Rise & Shine Restaurant Group corporate team on a trip. We recently got back from a week in Greece where we enjoyed some sightseeing, great food, swimming in the ocean etc… along with some fun team building events. During one of the team building events I broke the team into 4 smaller teams, there were a number of challenges and one of them was to have the team do their best 60 second rendition of Richard Simmon’s “sweatin to the oldies” aerobics. Let’s just say the teams got really into it and did an amazing job. Lots of laughs.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I was born and raised in Östersund, Sweden before moving to San Diego in 1997 when I was 16. One year later I moved out on my own while still in high school, working nights as a dishwasher to pay rent. I was promoted to busser, then server, and continued working at multiple restaurants throughout San Diego until I was 25. Realizing my passion for the industry, I gave myself two years to save money to open my own restaurant.
On October 9, 2008 I opened Fig Tree Cafe in Pacific Beach on a shoestring budget of $45,000. After three months of losing money, I faced a tough decision: close the restaurant and make some drastic changes in my life, or somehow come up with a way to keep the doors open. Many people suggested I close the place down — “The economy is terrible, Johan, nobody will blame you for closing,” they’d say. Due to stubbornness and determination, I decided that under no circumstances would I throw in the towel. I limited the hours of operation as much as possible and finagled my way into a full-time job in the accounting department of a pharmaceutical company (long story on how I managed to pull that off without any experience). I managed to pay personal bills and offset the restaurant’s losses for three years after opening, until it finally turned a profit. In 2011 I left the corporate job and opened Fig Tree Cafe’s second location. Since then I’ve opened a number of breakfast restaurants in Southern California.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
Bonds between people break when small failures become habits — missed promises, not showing up, or letting resentment pile up until it hardens. Secrecy, defensiveness, and unequal effort accelerate that drift; what starts as a single lapse turns into a pattern that makes trust feel unreliable. Hurt travels fast when people stop listening and start protecting themselves, and life’s practical pressures (work, money, addiction) will corrode connection if they’re left to fester.
Repairing those bonds is quiet, practical work: a clear, undefensive apology; concrete, limited commitments; and then steady follow-through. You rebuild with small, reliable acts — showing up, keeping promises, asking questions and actually listening — not with one grand speech. Give space when needed, set sensible boundaries, and use outside help when things are stuck. If both people choose repair, consistency and humility will almost always restore enough trust to move forward; I’m prepared to do that work.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
The value of being humble.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
Absolutely not… I’m very introverted, I avoid large gatherings at all costs… and really really can’t stand “networking” events.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. When do you feel most at peace?
In bed at night, with my wife resting her head on my chest.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://riseandshinerg.com
- Instagram: johansadventures
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johansadventures/
