Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenna Johnson.
Hi Jenna, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve always been driven by curiosity — a desire to understand how living systems work, how people learn, and how we can help others thrive.
My journey really began with a deep curiosity about science, research, and how living systems work. Early on, I was especially drawn to biology and caring for animals, and I spent time working in emergency animal hospitals and small animal day clinics. I loved the fast-paced environment and the opportunity to help, but it also sparked something deeper in me — a fascination with behavior, psychology, and understanding why people and animals do what they do.
That curiosity eventually shifted my interest from veterinary medicine to volunteering in classrooms, where I discovered a passion for helping children learn and thrive. What started as volunteer work quickly turned into a calling. I shifted my academic path to studying education, psychology, and behavior. I began a master’s program where I earned my Education Specialist teaching credential.
I spent about a decade teaching K–6 in Encinitas, California, working with incredible students who faced a wide range of challenges including learning disabilities, autism, emotional disturbance, hearing and visual impairments, and other learning differences.
Those years shaped me in profound ways. They deepened my love for people, strengthened my desire to research and learn as much as possible, and reinforced my belief that every child deserves the opportunity to succeed in an environment that understands how they learn best. I always say a piece of my heart will always be in classrooms.
Alongside that, I’ve always had a love for writing — something that started when I was a child and never really left me. Years later, that passion naturally evolved into sharing parts of my life and what I was learning along the way.
After becoming a mom to four kids, my focus shifted toward creating a home and lifestyle that aligned with my values. I began sharing about clean living, intentional motherhood, and homeschooling, which eventually grew into a platform where I connected with other moms.
I created a Facebook group to connect with other moms focused on raising healthy families in a very modern, often overwhelming, and incredibly toxic world. We shared research articles, discussed ingredients, and recommended safe products that weren’t filled with dyes, fragrance or preservatives. This turned into a love for content creation, and the development of my Instagram account.
Fast forward to today (I started that Facebook group nine years ago) and I share tools, systems, and ideas around intentional motherhood, education, and nontoxic living on various social media platforms. My background in special education, psychology, and research continues to shape everything I do, including homeschooling full time, but at the heart of it all is the same motivation that’s always guided me — a deep love for learning, helping others, and building community.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Like many women building something while raising a family, a lot of my journey has happened behind the scenes while juggling motherhood, career changes, and personal growth all at the same time.
One of the biggest challenges has been learning to pursue meaningful work while also being fully present for my family. I’ve always been very driven, and want to leave a mark in this world, with the goal of helping as many people as possible. I hope my capacity to do this grows, as my learning journey continues.
Motherhood itself is both the greatest joy and one of the most demanding roles anyone can take on. There are seasons where everything feels aligned and other seasons where you’re simply doing your best to keep moving forward. Navigating all of this with grace while being an example for your children, can be quite the juggling act.
Another challenge has been navigating the online space. Sharing your life and ideas publicly can open the door to connection and community, which has been incredibly rewarding, but it also means learning how to handle criticism, differing opinions, and the pressure that can come with visibility. Over time, I’ve learned to focus on the people who are genuinely grateful from the work I do (as a little piece of my heart goes into everything I design- from videos to guides), rather than the noise that can surround it.
Professionally, shifting directions—from veterinary medicine to education, to eventually building a platform centered around motherhood, homeschooling, and intentional living—required a lot of trust in the process. None of it followed a perfectly straight line. But looking back, each step built on the last in ways I couldn’t have predicted at the time. I have recently rediscovered my faith, and have found comfort in trusting God in regards to whatever plan is laid out for me.
I think one of the biggest lessons has been realizing that meaningful work and family life aren’t about perfection. They’re about balance, persistence, learning, and continuing to grow. Having children clearly expose all your flaws and brings to light whatever trauma needs to be felt, validated, and eventually healed.
These challenges have ultimately strengthened my conviction that building strong families and communities really does matter, and I love the work that I do.
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?
Ultimately, I hope this work becomes part of a larger movement. I don’t want to just be another “content creator”, but something more.
I think many women are waking up to the realization that motherhood, health, education, and the way we run our homes truly matter. My goal is to help empower moms to feel confident leading their families with intention—whether that’s through clean living, thoughtful education, or simply creating stronger rhythms at home.
If the work I create can inspire women to think more deeply, live more intentionally, and realize the impact they have within their own families and communities, then I believe something really meaningful is happening beyond just content on social media. In many ways, it feels less like building a platform and more like helping cultivate a movement of families who want to live healthier, more purposeful lives together.
After all, the small choices we make inside our homes—what we teach, what we value, and how we live—have the power to shape far more than we realize. If this work does anything, I hope it reminds moms just how powerful their role truly is. I hope it inspires them to raise world changers, that seek solutions to problems, think critically, and value individuality. I am proud of how far I have come, and hope this interview helps others to understand the depth I have, and the meaningful value behind what I create.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
If I had to choose one quality that has mattered most in my journey, it would be determination. I’ve always believed that when you feel deeply called to something, you have a responsibility to pursue it fully and not give up when things get difficult.
Building anything meaningful—whether it’s a career, a family, or a community—requires persistence, discipline, and the willingness to keep going, even after the initial excitement wears off.
Another important part of this mindset is being willing to think differently. Many of the ideas I share around motherhood, education, and clean living challenge what’s considered “normal”, or comfortable. But I’ve learned that meaningful change rarely comes from simply doing what everyone else is doing.
Sometimes it requires questioning the status quo and choosing to follow your values instead of what’s popular. Sometimes it means going above and beyond just the simple daily duties of running a household.
For me, that means staying curious, continuing to research and learn, and being disciplined about how I spend my time and energy. It also means accepting that growth often requires pushing against comfortable expectations and standing firm in what you believe is right.
I’ve become comfortable with the idea that success often looks a little different from the outside. It means following your passion, staying committed even when things feel impossible, and not being afraid to walk a unique path.
In my experience, the people who create the biggest impact are usually the ones who were willing to challenge “normal” in the first place.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that extraordinary lives are rarely built by people trying to be average. This goes for anyone, especially moms raising the next generation.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jennajohnsonliving.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennajohnsonliving
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Dy83rquU5/
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Hcf4KR56B/
