ENTREPRENEUR, AUTHOR, ADVENTURER
Brian Johnson is a different type of entrepreneur who has taken the road less traveled and lived a life of adventure. Originally from Poplar, Wisconsin, Brian grew up in his family’s pulpwood logging business, learning from his father how to make a living off the land.
About Brian
Brian Johnson never regretted his decision to forgo an athletic scholarship and embrace his natural talent operating heavy equipment for construction projects. Brian successfully began mining gold in 1981 in Alaska and later in the Yukon. He has mined almost consecutively for forty years, working alongside his close friend and confidant, his brother Loren, for most of it.
Since closing his mine in 2016, he has advised other miners in improving their operations and traveled and worked extensively in Candle, Alaska with his cousin, Tim, on a mining venture there.
Brian has shared his mining adventures with his wife, Linda, and daughter, Kelsey. Today, Brian is the sole survivor of the original three family members who started the mining company and lived to tell their tale. Brian and Linda live in Maricopa, Arizona, and winter in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where they enjoy the culture of Mexico with Mexican, Canadian, and American friends making their permanent or winter homes there.
The Book
GOLD IS WHERE IT FINDS YOU
The only survivor of a gold mining family shares their awe-inspiring journey
Brian Johnson is a man who went looking for gold and found so much more—a soulmate for life, the child he had always dreamed of, and the joy of working alongside people who loved him. Brian Johnson lived his life in unexpected ways, choosing adventure over the predictable day-to-day. Working side-by-side with his brother, Loren, he struck gold repeatedly in the wilderness of Alaska and the Yukon as a modern-day goldminer for more than forty years. Brian endured family turmoil, personal danger, and financial distress in that time, only to learn that while the earth pays a miner richly with gold, an even greater treasure can be found in the love of brotherhood, family, and the freedom to lead the life you want. Filled with life lessons, Brian’s story shows that the wonder and wealth of gold find us when we’re not looking for it and sparkles just as brightly in the lives and hearts of those we love.