Today we’d like to introduce you to TJ Johnson.
Hi TJ, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I work full time in a corporate role, but there’s another part of my life that I enjoy sharing: what happens after work. That might be a basketball game, a concert, a good meal, or a short trip somewhere new.
Daycation Nerd brings those interests together around one idea: life beyond the 9-5. My focus is on making weekends and paid time off count. I enjoy finding experiences that fit into a working person’s schedule, whether that means a few hours close to home or a two- or three-day getaway.
As a creator over 40, I’m sharing that perspective while building my audience. I want Daycation Nerd to be a place people can come to when they have some time available and want an idea for how to spend it.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Daycation Nerd is still growing, and one of the challenges is building consistency while working full time. Planning an experience, enjoying it, and turning it into useful content each take time.
I’m also building from a small following. That means learning what connects with people while continuing to create when there isn’t much feedback yet. I’m working on giving my different interests a clear direction so someone visiting my page understands what they’ll find: ideas for enjoying life beyond work.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
A basketball game can give me a reason to visit a city. Once I’m going, I’m thinking about where to eat, what else is happening, and whether I can turn it into a weekend worth remembering. That’s the thinking behind Daycation Nerd.
I’m the creator of Daycation Nerd, a travel and lifestyle brand about life beyond the 9-5. I share ideas for making weekends and PTO count through basketball, food, concerts, theater, and short trips.
I work full time in a corporate role, so every plan starts with a practical question: How much time do I actually have? Sometimes it’s an evening close to home. Other times, it’s a few days somewhere new. I enjoy researching the possibilities and figuring out which experiences are worth making room for.
Basketball is a longtime love. As an NBA and WNBA season ticket holder, attending games is a regular part of my life. But the experience extends beyond the court. The meal before the game, the neighborhood I explore, or the show I catch the next evening can become just as memorable.
The question I’m building my content around is: “Would you spend your Saturday on this?” A photo can make an outing look appealing. I want to share the details that help you decide whether it’s for you: what it cost, how much time it took, what surprised me, and whether I would do it again.
As the brand grows, I want readers involved in those choices. Would you spend more on the seat or the meal? Stay local or make a weekend of it? You can weigh in, follow the experience, and come back for the verdict. Different budgets and opinions make that conversation more interesting.
My goal is for someone to discover Daycation Nerd, enjoy the story, and leave thinking, “I know what I want to do next.”
What were you like growing up?
Before I was figuring out how much I could fit into a weekend, I was a kid in Detroit who was perfectly happy at home with a video game, a movie, or an NBA game on television. Basketball was part of my world long before travel entered the picture.
Outside the house, my interests took me in several directions. I spent Saturdays and summers in STEM and engineering programs, studied performing arts in middle and high school, and picked up a few instruments along the way. I could picture a future in engineering, music, or business. Choosing just one direction wasn’t easy.
I went to college with dreams of owning a business and becoming a music producer. I majored in business, became one of the top students in my accounting class, and tutored classmates. But the experience that would shape Daycation Nerd happened when I spent a year living and studying abroad.
That year gave me a love for travel and trying different foods. Exploring became something I wanted to keep making room for in my life.
Today, I work full time in a corporate role, and those interests still show up in how I spend my time. Basketball might get me out of the house for an evening. A concert or a new destination might become the reason for a weekend away. Food is always part of the plan.
Daycation Nerd brings those parts of me together: the basketball fan, the performing arts student, the business-minded planner, and the person who discovered a love for exploring while living abroad. I’m building it for people who have careers and responsibilities and still want something on the calendar to look forward to.
That’s what “life beyond the 9-5” means to me: making room for a good meal, a great game, a live performance, or a few days somewhere new. You have a weekend. You have some PTO. What would make it worth remembering?
Contact Info:
- Website: https://daycationnerd.substack.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daycationnerd/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@daycationnerd
- Email: collabs@daycationnerd.com
