Carrin Johnson shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Carrin, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? Who are you learning from right now?
Right now, I’m learning from a mix of mentors, peers, and creators who challenge me to expand in both craft and mindset.
On the creative side, I’ve been following the work of Matt Booker (Executive Director of the San Diego Leadership Forum) whose approach to storytelling and emotional authenticity reminds me of what I value in my own work. I also recently completed a workshop with Shepards Coffee Co, which helped me deepen my narrative structure and refine how I use voice.
On the business side, I’m learning from leaders like Anthony Ramirez of New American Funding and my wife Laura Johnson of Life House Design and Construction, who talk a lot about sustainable growth, aligning values with business, and building communities rather than just audiences.
I’m also the Vice President of the San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce Diamond BID (Business Improvement District) where we bounce ideas off each other and hold each other to higher standards. Finally, personally, I’m studying topics like mindfulness / diversity / systems thinking / whatever’s relevant so that my work keeps growing in depth and impact.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Carrin Michael Johnson, and I’m the CEO and founder of Life House Design and Construction in San Diego.
We specialize in creating Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), full-home renovations, and innovative housing solutions that give families both flexibility and financial freedom. What makes Life House unique is that we don’t just design and build, we educate and empower our clients every step of the way. Our mission is rooted in community uplift: helping homeowners unlock the potential of their property while also contributing to the larger conversation about affordability and smart growth in San Diego.
Beyond the business, my story is shaped by service. I’m a Navy veteran and community leader, currently serving as Vice President of the San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce Diamond BID.
I see my work as more than construction—it’s about building legacies, restoring what’s broken, and creating opportunities for families and communities to thrive. Right now, we’re working on expanding our portfolio of ADUs and multifamily projects, while also investing in mentorship and education for the next generation of developers and entrepreneurs.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
One of the biggest moments that shaped how I see the world was growing up close to my church community in San Diego. I didn’t have extended family here, so the church became my family. They were there for us when we needed food, clothes, even a car to borrow—and that showed me the power of community. At the same time, skateboarding taught me another lesson: you’ve got to fall, fail, and sometimes get hurt to land the trick, but you never give up.
Through the church, I also learned how blessed we were even when we didn’t have much. We’d go out and feed the homeless, but more than that—we’d sit, talk, and pray with them. Hearing their stories opened my eyes to compassion, dignity, and resilience. Those experiences still shape me today in my work and life. They remind me that success isn’t just about what you build for yourself—it’s about what you build for others and how you lift people up along the way.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes — there have been times I almost gave up.
The hardest was after the loss of my daughter, Carina, in 2016. grief hit like a physical force and for a while it felt impossible to keep moving forward—on business, on family, on faith. Around that same season I was finishing my Navy service and figuring out who I was outside the uniform. There were nights I questioned whether I had anything left to give.
What kept me from quitting was the same stuff that shaped me as a kid: the church that raised me, the people who showed up with food and hand-me-downs, and skateboarding lessons about falling and getting back up. Faith, community, and small consistent actions—putting one foot in front of the other, answering one call, finishing one meeting—slowly rebuilt me. Mentors, my wife Laura, and the teams I serve with (like the Diamond BID) reminded me that my work is bigger than my pain.
That season taught me something crucial: resilience isn’t a heroic burst of willpower. It’s the daily choice to keep showing up, to let your grief fuel service instead of silence, and to build a life that gives opportunity to others. That’s what I try to pass on now in my work—helping people and neighborhoods rise by showing up, again and again.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
The version of me the public sees is real: my faith, my drive to build community, my work as a Navy vet and builder, and the conviction to help neighborhoods and families through ADUs and development are not performances — they’re who I am. I show up deliberately because my work is a stewardship: building homes, creating jobs, mentoring others, and using my platform to lift people up. That’s genuine.
At the same time, public life is curated. I don’t broadcast every fear, every long night, or the private work of healing after losing my daughter. There are parts of my process, my doubts, and the slow, boring day-to-day work that don’t make it into posts or speeches. But those private pieces — grief, failure, moments I almost gave up — they inform everything I put into the world. They keep me humble, make my leadership real, and remind me why I do this work.
So yes: the public CJ is the real CJ — just a polished, mission-focused slice of the whole man. If you want the full version, it’s found in the stories I tell privately, the mornings in prayer, the late nights fixing plans with my team, and the small acts of service that don’t make the feed.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What will you regret not doing?
I’ll regret not using what I’ve been given — my story, my platform, my skills — to open doors for other people. Not teaching a kid how to flip a skateboard or how to read a set of plans. Not training the next generation of builders and entrepreneurs so they can feed their families and own a piece of this city.
I’ll regret not building real, lasting homes and opportunities in Southeast San Diego: affordable places families can grow in, not just temporary fixes. I’ll regret not running hard on policies and projects that actually lift people instead of talking about them.
I’ll regret missing my girls’ lives — the quiet mornings, the violin practices, the small moments that become their memory of me. Time with them beats any ribbon-cutting or headline.
I’ll regret not leaning into faith — letting fear or pride keep me from speaking truth, forgiving, or stepping into the hard calls God asks me to make.
So what am I doing about it? I show up: I build ADUs that create stability and income; I mentor and teach; I serve in civic spaces (Diamond BID, community meetings); I invest in my marriage and show up for London and Lexi every day. Regret is a compass for me — it points where I need to act.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lifehousesd.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carrinmichaeljohnson
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-michael-johnson/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578672230837
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/life-house-design-and-construction-san-diego
