OUR FOUNDER
Meet John Morgan Jr.
John is the creator and facilitator of Soft Work. This work grew from his lived experience and years spent working closely with men, families and communities. What he offers is shaped by what he has lived, witnessed, and learned the hard way.
The Early Years
John was a empathetic, sensitive and observant - basically labeled "emotional" which were not celebrated traits growing up as a Black boy in the 90s.
Emotional expression felt unsafe, so he learned to hide it. His father was present but inconsistently, which taught him how to adapt to uncertainty and deal with discomfort quietly. He excelled in school, but often felt shame for feeling.
The Years of Avoidance
In high school, sports was a place of structure and belonging. When college football didn’t work out, John's sense of identity disappeared too.
Like many men dealing with unnamed trauma, John turned to alcohol and distraction. In his twenties, he lived fast, avoided stillness and self-sabotaged without really understanding why. He knew something was off, but didn’t have the language or tools to express it. Being “tough” felt expected and feeling honestly did not.
Learning the Tools
A conversation with someone who saw his capacity for care changed his trajectory.
John was introduced to social work as a field he would be good at it. As he worked with children, families and different people navigating trauma, he began to see a pattern. In the midst of the trauma, people were missing the tools. Tools he was never given either.
His work as a youth advocate, case manager, Boys & Girls Club director, and later with Minority Behavioral Health Group deepened his understanding. That path led him to work with the mental health staff at the LeBron backed, I PROMISE School, where the idea of wraparound services became foundational to how he thought about support.
Present Day
Soft Work, now
Soft Work was born during a season of both loss and life. While grieving his mother and preparing to welcome his first child, John allowed himself to feel fully for the first time. What if doing this work didn’t have to be hard in the way men were taught? What if it could be soft work?
Today, Soft Work exists as a space for men to reflect, repair and learn how to show up as sons, fathers, partners and friends. John facilitates these cohorts with the goals of providing men with the tools they never had.
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