Amy Johnson Of Rock from the Heart: 5 Things You Need To Create A Successful & Effective Nonprofit That Leaves A Lasting Legacy
Knowing who you want to be. Figure out what your goal is, your purpose; what is it you’re trying to solve. Try not to get too broad, find your focus and stick with it. Make sure things fit the vision you have.
For someone who wants to set aside money to establish a Philanthropic Foundation or Fund, what does it take to make sure your resources are being impactful and truly effective? In this interview series, called “How To Create Philanthropy That Leaves a Lasting Legacy” we are visiting with founders and leaders of Philanthropic Foundations, Charitable Organizations, and Non-Profit Organizations, to talk about the steps they took to create sustainable success.
As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Amy Johnson.
Amy Johnson is the co-founder of Rock from the Heart, an organization dedicated to raising awareness and providing education about aortic and heart valve disease. Amy and her husband, Pete Johnson, established the organization after Pete underwent life-saving open-heart surgery. Their shared experience inspired them to create a platform that combines education, community support, and music to inform and uplift those affected by these conditions.
With a background in education, Amy has taught both adults and students, honing her ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences. Her experience in public speaking and event coordination plays a key role in leading Rock from the Heart’s initiatives, including educational symposiums, benefit concerts, and community outreach efforts.
Amy’s work focuses on building support networks for individuals and families navigating aortic disease, emphasizing the importance of mental health and understanding family medical history. Through Rock from the Heart, she and Pete have worked to foster connections that remind people they are not alone and are part of a larger community.
Under Amy and Pete’s leadership, Rock from the Heart has partnered with healthcare organizations and advocacy groups, providing valuable resources and support. Their unique approach integrates music into awareness campaigns, offering an engaging way to reach broader audiences while promoting life-saving information.
Together, Amy and Pete continue to expand Rock from the Heart’s impact, working to educate, inspire, and support those affected by aortic and heart valve disease.
Thank you for making time to visit with us about a ‘top of mind’ topic. Our readers would like to get to know you a bit better. Can you please tell us about one or two life experiences that most shaped who you are today?
When my kids were young and I went through a divorce, I had to be strong — not just for myself, but for my kids. I had to step outside my own thoughts and focus on the bigger picture, because every decision I made impacted their lives. Life will throw a lot of challenges your way, but how you respond is what truly matters. You can choose to blame others and feel angry, but eventually, you have to find a way to move forward and do what needs to be done. Face those challenges, make the tough decisions, and figure it out — because ultimately, what happens next is up to you. That was some of the best advice my mom ever gave me!
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? We would love to hear a few stories or examples.
Embrace your insecurities
Little Amy was convinced she was going to be a famous movie star. But I was short, had glasses and buck teeth. I decided that I wasn’t going to let that hold me back. I signed up for every reading part I could. People couldn’t always see me behind the podium, but they could hear my booming voice. I let my outgoing personality shine through.
Communication skills
I think my biggest strength is my communication skills, both speaking and writing. My writing teacher in High School, Dan Bergan, taught me so much about communication. When you write you need to edit, edit, edit. That has helped me when writing grants for Rock from the Heart.
Persistence
This takes me back to Art Hill, my high school band director. When I was in 10th grade, I decided I wanted to join band. I had never played an instrument before, but I went to Mr. Hill and said I wanted to join. He handed me a French horn and said if you can make a sound come out, I could join. I made a noise, so I was in! I bought a book and taught myself to play French horn with no experience.
You need to get out of your comfort zone and believe what you can achieve. Take a look at the big picture, march back and take steps to get where you want to go. You don’t need to think of every question, just think “Where do I want to be?” Understand that there will be stumbling blocks but keep trying! Then one day you can look back and go WOW, look what I’ve achieved!
What’s the most interesting discovery you’ve made since you started leading your organization?
The biggest discovery I’ve made is how much behind-the-scenes work goes into these events. It makes you look at every event you attend differently. Our goal is to focus on creating a positive experience for the attendee, so we focus on the little things that may get missed. The topics we cover, the ways for attendees to develop a connection, how we can pull people together…these are all so important for the attendee’s experience. There are so many pieces involved; we think about the relationships on how those pieces interact. Things like venues, talent, volunteers and how we can make it all fit. It’s important to tune out your own things and listen to what people need, not what you think they need. Rock from the Heart feels different because of the attention we put into the details.
The other thing I have learned is that everybody wants to sell you something!
Can you please tell our readers more about how you or your organization intends to make a significant social impact?
Many organizations reach people who already know about the disease they’re dealing with. We hit a different demographic to reach a broader audience. We connect people through music and these people become part of a community, the Rock from the Heart family. Awareness will continue to build, to amplify that community and connection. Valve disease feels very isolated and alone. But after every event, social connections are made. Then those connections help to support people through the process as they or someone they know deals with this disease. We want to be there to catch them when they fall.
This year, for the first time, we are having a community heart screening. There will be a 3-hour session with stethoscope checks from doctors. If they detect a murmur, we will have GE Healthcare ultrasound machines on site to perform an echocardiogram.
We are also participating in the Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day National Campaign on February 22nd. We want to be part of the bigger picture. It takes lots of collaboration to amplify the message. Aortic disease needs to be a household word.
What makes you feel passionate about this cause more than any other?
We lived it. We lived with that fear. Pete went from being healthy to suddenly needing open-heart surgery. His diagnosis of aortic and heart valve disease was a shock. We had no warning — no symptoms leading up to it. One day, life seemed normal, and the next, we were sitting across from a doctor explaining the severity of his condition and the need for surgery to save his life. I’ll never forget when Pete looked at me in the hospital and said, “When we get through this, I want to do something to help other people so they’re not so scared.”
The mental toll of that moment was overwhelming. It’s not just the diagnosis — it’s the sudden shift from thinking of yourself as healthy to realizing you’re living with a life-threatening disease. For Pete, it meant confronting his own mortality. For me, as his caregiver, it meant wrestling with the fear of losing him while trying to stay strong for both of us. During that time, life became about small, manageable chunks — one appointment, one procedure, one moment at a time.
Also, seeing Pete overcome challenges post-surgery. During cardiac rehab you are so supported by others. You feel safe and secure, that gave Pete the confidence to push you a little harder. But there is so much more than physical healing. Something that isn’t often discussed is cardiac depression. If you start feeling these things, it’s ok to reach out for help. Your mental health is extremely important to go along with your physical healing. Mental health can impact your physical recovery. Aortic education sessions during Rock from the Heart include mental health aspects. It’s ok to feel the way you’re feeling, you’re not alone. Being part of a family during your recovery, you have people who walk along the path with you.
That experience changed us, not just as individuals but as a family. It gave us a deep understanding of the emotional rollercoaster patients and caregivers face — the fear, the uncertainty, and the mental strain. We want to share that journey — from both the patient and caregiver perspective — so others know they’re not alone in navigating the physical and mental challenges of aortic and heart valve disease.
Without naming names, could you share a story about an individual who benefitted from your initiatives?
We had a person who found us because of the band headlining our event. He flew to one of our events, then flew to another and brought his sister. He had an aortic dissection during COVID. He had lost his mom and felt so alone and isolated. Once he found the Rock from the Heart family, we were there with him throughout his additional surgeries and he is no longer alone.
We all want to help and to live a life of purpose. What are three actions anyone could take to help address the root cause of the problem you’re trying to solve?
1. Never miss your annual physical. A routine physical is what saved Pete’s life.
2. Know your family medical history and understand what it can mean for you.
3. Advocate for your health and understand your body. Once you are diagnosed, you become hyper aware. Be involved, learn what you can and try to see the big picture. Also, don’t be afraid to make a change with your health team.
Based on your experience, what are the “5 Things You Need To Create A Successful & Effective Nonprofit That Leaves A Lasting Legacy?” Please share a story or example for each.
1. A solid team that believes in the vision and the culture.
2. Knowing who you want to be. Figure out what your goal is, your purpose; what is it you’re trying to solve. Try not to get too broad, find your focus and stick with it. Make sure things fit the vision you have.
3. Get involved. Join groups like the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits. Get training and soak in the knowledge. Learn from other’s stories of success and also, not what to do.
4. Collaboration with like organizations. Yes, we are competing for dollars but there is so much we can do by sharing information. We’re all in this together.
5. Identify that if something is not working, it is important to reassess and make changes. Improve things that need it and get rid of what’s not working. Then you need to let it go and move forward.
How has the pandemic changed your definition of success?
Our first event was in 2019, the next was February 2020. We all know what happened after that. For the next year, we planned an event and then ended up canceling the live 2021 events. We decided we couldn’t do nothing, so we did a virtual symposium that year. It was a great success. You can’t give up; you need to find a way to keep visible and active through challenges. Since we were forced to go online in 2021, it accelerated our online tools. This increased the base for those who can’t be there in person. So now we Live Stream the event on our YouTube channel. We also record and break up the education sessions and put it on our YouTube channel for people to watch. Look at the good that came out of that!
I wish that this human race could understand there is no perfect solution. We needed time to understand the pandemic. It’s important to look at what we learned, admit mistakes, take accountability and change as we move along. This can apply to so many areas of your life.
How do you get inspired after an inevitable setback?
You must move forward and go for your next goal. Evaluate what didn’t work and figure out what we can do to improve. You can set little goals to move you towards that next goal. Ask yourself, “what do I want to accomplish tomorrow?” A great example for me was grant writing. I got turned down every year for the Gibson Guitar grant. I had to step back and look at what other groups had done differently and pivot. This year, we have 4 guitars courtesy of Gibson! Take success and failures and learn and build the next goal with that knowledge. Also, don’t get butthurt when you get a rejection letter!
We are very blessed that very prominent leaders read this column. Is there a person in the world who you would like to talk to, to share the idea behind your non-profit? He, she, or they might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
I want to be on the Today Show! I want to tell our story on a national morning show. That audience would reach so many people and could help countless families.
I would also love to meet a few of my favorite musicians who have experienced aortic disease. Mick Jagger, Bono and Geoff Tate have all had the same life-saving surgery as Pete and are all survivors.
On a different note, I would like to meet Bill Paxton’s kids and give them a hug. Bill died from complications from the same surgery Pete had. My heart goes out to them.
You’re doing important work. How can our readers follow your progress online?
https://www.facebook.com/RockFromTheHeart/
htthttps://www.instagram.com/rockfromtheheart
https://www.linkedin.com/company/rockfromtheheart/
https://x.com/RockFromThHeart
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdY9NEAcykAczG_rNaa3wtw
Thank you for a meaningful conversation. We wish you continued success with your mission.
About The Interviewer: Karen Mangia is one of the most sought-after keynote speakers in the world, sharing her thought leadership with over 10,000 organizations during the course of her career. As Vice President of Customer and Market Insights at Salesforce, she helps individuals and organizations define, design and deliver the future. Discover her proven strategies to access your own success in her fourth book Success from Anywhere and by connecting with her on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Amy Johnson Of Rock from the Heart: 5 Things You Need To Create A Successful & Effective Nonprofit… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.