Life Change: From 7-Figure Salary to Helping the Homeless

In Herb Johnson's life, the apple did not fall far from the mama tree. "When we were kids, my mother used to drag my brother and I to homeless shelters on weekends. She'd collect dented cans and day-old bread at the market and buy clothes at thrift shops to donate," Johnson recalls. "She stayed and talked to every woman in the shelter, much to the dismay of my brother and I."

Big Companies, Big Jobs

As Johnson was putting his Harvard MBA to use, earning skyrocketing salaries at a succession of companies that included Polaroid, Wang Laboratories and CVS, he also volunteered at homeless shelters. When he moved to California in 1999, he was earning a seven figure salary. He wasn't happy and he felt something had to change, so he left and started a consulting practice. He also taught a class at the San Diego Rescue Mission and joined the board of directors. "Three years ago, the board decided to change leadership. They took me to breakfast and offered me the job," Johnson says.

The salary took him back to what he earned a quarter century ago, but that didn't deter him or his wife, who told him, "You've been asking God what to do with your life. Why turn away now." Johnson turned down two Fortune 100 job offers to become CEO and President of the San Diego Rescue Mission.

The Greater Satisfaction of Giving Back

"I'm 67, and I've never worked harder or longer. I was used to flying first class and staying in five-star hotels. Now my wife and I fly the back of the plane and we hunt for bargain hotel rooms." All of which is no big deal.

Johnson is proud to lead 90 employees and many more volunteers at the nonprofit, expanding their work helping the homeless. "We don't get short-term problems, but people who've been homeless for 15 or 20 years. Eight-five percent of our 450 residents are in a year-long sobriety program," Johnson says. The Mission's success rate is impressive. In the new recuperative care unit, 93% of the clients do not return, and 80% find permanent housing.

"I've earned a lot of money and won a lot of awards, but I've never had a job that has given this much back to me," Johnson says. He knows his mom would endorse his decision. "She died in 2002. I was still with a big company, but she knew how much time I spent volunteering with the homeless. Every day here, I look out the window and think of how proud she would be.