- Flau'jae Johnson is one of the biggest stars in college basketball, and she's playing a long game.
- She's inked about 40 NIL brand deals and invests to make her money to "work for her" future.
- Johnson generates passive income through real estate, merch, and music.
Louisiana State University's Flau'jae Johnson is known for her prowess on the basketball court and in the recording booth.
She's also trying to make savvy financial decisions to grow her wealth and make her money work for her.
Johnson estimates she has over 40 name, image, and likeness deals with brands. She's building passive income to support herself and wants to encourage her generation to be financially responsible.
"I never really saw money in my family," Johnson told Business Insider. "Coming from where I come from, you just really don't want to take it for granted, and you want to help people."
It's something Johnson thinks about as she takes business classes and talks to her mentors.
"Every time I talk to somebody now, I'm like, How do you sustain wealth?" Johnson said. She's learned to focus on creating "passive income" and letting that pay for her lifestyle.
"That way, you don't even have to use the money that you're making, because you're making so much money from passive income," she said.
How Johnson utilizes her NIL deals to help with her brand
Johnson said she looks to work with companies that align with her brand and values.
During this year's March Madness tournament, she worked on deals with JBL, Oreo, Experian, MassMutual, Powerade, and Samsung.
She said she sometimes approaches brands for deals, but a lot time they come to her for partnerships.
"I just choose off what feels the best and what aligns with my brand the most," Johnson said.
For example, Johnson signed an NIL deal with the three-on-three women's basketball league Unrivaled last December. She was one of the first college athletes to sign with the league and received an ownership stake as part of the deal.
How Johnson plans to make 'her money work for her'
Johnson, 21, is set to enter her final year of college basketball eligibility next season and has her sights on a national championship. After that, she'll be eligible to be drafted by the Women's National Basketball League.
Off the court, Johnson said she is trying to make "her money work for her," so she doesn't have to rely solely on basketball to make money. With low WNBA salaries, having various income streams is one way Johnson hopes to support herself long term.
She invests some of the money from her brand deals to grow her business portfolio.
"Investing back into myself, into my brand, I feel like that's part of the smartest decision that I made," she said. "Really just taking care of myself on and off the court."
Johnson credits her mother with helping her invest in the right places, such as real estate, to build passive income.
"I bought a lot of property," Johnson said, "I'm starting to invest in some real estate. Investing in things that build your portfolio, but passively."
She also sells merchandise and owns the masters to her music, which allows her to license it for use in brand deals.
Her song "What It Takes" was featured in a Powerade commercial during March Madness.
Johnson hopes to use her platform to inspire her generation to spend responsibly and invest in the right places. Her partnership with Experian aims to help families in Louisiana with their debt, for example. She is also set to sit on a panel later this month to discuss financial literacy at the Possible conference in Miami.
"My generation will learn more about money and investing and retirement and just planning their life, because it's super important," Johnson said. "Not living in the now, but in the future, where our financial decisions can take care of us."
