During his seventh season in the NBA, he had a meeting with Michael Ovitz, CEO of Creative Artists Agency. Ovitz encouraged him to start reading business magazines and to use every connection available to him. Johnson learned everything he could about business, often meeting with corporate executives during road trips.[12] Johnson's first foray into business, a high-end sporting goods store named Magic 32,[12] failed after only one year, costing him $200,000.[186] The experience taught him to listen to his customers and find out what products they wanted.