We were lucky to catch up with Johanna Hartley recently and have shared our conversation below.

Johanna, appreciate you joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

Honestly, one of the biggest risks I’ve ever taken wasn’t about money or moving or starting a business — it was deciding to share something deeply personal: my son’s medical journey.

I’ve spent years building a successful chiropractic practice, and that’s always felt like “safe ground” for me. I know how to show up in that space. I know how to lead. But when my son was born with a rare birth defect, everything shifted. Suddenly I was the one sitting across from the doctor, overwhelmed and scared, trying to make impossible decisions.

At first, we didn’t tell many people. It felt too raw… too complicated. And honestly, I was scared of being judged — especially as someone who’s deeply into holistic and natural health. This diagnosis threw us into the very medical system I’d spent years gently avoiding. I didn’t know how to talk about it.

But over time, I started to realize — if I felt this alone, other parents probably did too. And the more I opened up, even just in quiet moments with patients or other moms, the more I saw how many people were carrying similar stories in silence.

I got this deep knowing — like a download — that we were meant to create something for those families. Something honest. Something healing. That’s how Born for This Stories was born — a podcast and platform my husband and I are launching to tell the stories we couldn’t find when we were in the thick of it.

It’s been scary. Putting our hearts out there, opening up about something so personal, stepping into a space that’s totally new… it’s stretched me in ways I didn’t expect. But the response so far has been incredible. Parents keep saying, “Thank you — this is exactly what I needed.”

We officially launched August 4, and it already feels like the start of something really meaningful. You can find us at bornforthisstories.com or @bornforthisstories on Instagram. New episodes launch every Monday.

Taking this leap has reminded me that sometimes the most personal stories are the ones that create the deepest connection. And even though it’s scary — I know in my bones we were born for this.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Hi, I’m Dr. Johanna Hartley — a chiropractor, holistic practitioner, mama of two boys, and now, the host of a brand new podcast called Born for This Stories.

I’ve spent over a decade helping people heal through my chiropractic practice in St. Petersburg, Florida, where I focus on corrective care and whole-body wellness. But truthfully, my work — and my mission — has expanded in ways I never could’ve predicted.

When our son was born with a rare birth defect, it rocked our world. Suddenly I wasn’t the provider, I was the parent — the one in the hospital, the one googling at 2am, the one trying to make peace between my natural-minded heart and the very medical path we had to walk. It changed me. And it changed how I see healing, advocacy, and what families really need during their hardest seasons.

That experience eventually led to Born for This Stories — a podcast and platform for medical parents and caregivers. My husband and I created it together because we couldn’t find the stories we needed when we were in the thick of it… so we decided to tell them ourselves. Our goal is simple: real stories, honest support, and a space where parents feel less alone.

I still run my practice (and love it), but this podcast feels like soul work. It’s the bridge between my personal story and my professional calling. And it’s shown me how much healing can happen when people feel seen, heard, and cared for — not just physically, but emotionally too.

What sets me apart? I think it’s that I don’t shy away from the hard stuff. I’ve lived through it. And I speak from the scar, not the wound. Whether I’m adjusting a patient’s spine or sharing a vulnerable moment on the podcast, I show up with my whole heart. I believe deeply in bridging worlds — medical and holistic, personal and professional, strength and softness.

If you take anything away from my work, I hope it’s this: You don’t have to do this alone. You can hold your grief and still grow. You can be a medical mama and a natural one.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I think people often imagine resilience as powering through something huge and heroic. But for me, it looked more like getting up every single day, putting on a smile, and walking into my chiropractic office like my world wasn’t falling apart.

When our son was diagnosed with a rare birth defect, everything in me wanted to crumble. We were suddenly thrown into a whirlwind of specialists, surgeries, and unknowns — and it didn’t stop for 18 months. While other families were planning playdates or first birthdays, we were planning surgeries out of state and trying to navigate post-op trauma. It was heavy. It was heartbreaking. And most people around me didn’t even know what we were carrying.

But I still had a practice to run. Patients to serve. A team to lead. So I did what a lot of moms — and business owners — do. I showed up. I smiled. I adjusted spines and offered health advice with a calm presence… even though my own nervous system was in survival mode. I can’t count the number of times I cried in the bathroom between shifts or took phone calls from surgeons in between appointments. I just kept going.

Looking back, I don’t know how I did it. I was functioning on fumes, holding it all together on the outside while my insides felt like they were cracking wide open.

But I also know that’s what real resilience looks like sometimes — showing up not because you feel strong, but because you choose to keep going even when your heart is broken.

That season changed me. It deepened my capacity for empathy. It gave me a new lens for the invisible battles people carry. And it’s why I created Born for This Stories— because no one should have to walk through something like that alone or in silence.

So yes, I’ve built a successful business. But the resilience I’m proudest of? It was forged in the moments no one saw. The quiet ones. The painful ones. And the choice to keep showing up — for my son, for my patients, and for the version of me that was still fighting to believe we’d get through it.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the biggest lessons I’ve had to unlearn is that I needed to do it all alone.

I used to wear independence like a badge of honor. I was the one people came to — in my practice, in my family, in my friendships. I could carry a lot. I did carry a lot. And for a while, it worked. I built a successful chiropractic business, took care of patients, raised my babies, and kept it all moving.

But when our son was diagnosed with a rare birth defect and we were suddenly navigating surgeries, specialists, and the emotional aftermath — I hit a wall. And I hit it hard.

I still showed up to work. I still smiled at the front desk. I still adjusted spines like everything was fine. But I was living in a kind of private hell — overwhelmed, scared, and completely stretched thin. And I kept thinking I had to hold it all myself. That if I asked for help, it meant I wasn’t strong. That building something meant carrying it all.

It nearly broke me.

What I’ve had to learn — and keep relearning — is that real strength is about knowing when to ask for support. That leadership isn’t about being the one who does everything — it’s about building a strong team around you, creating systems that don’t rely on your burnout, and trusting others to carry part of the mission.

That’s true in my practice, and it’s been just as true in launching the Born for This Stories podcast. If I had tried to do this all by myself — while still being a mom, a wife, a business owner — it wouldn’t have been sustainable. I had to ask for help. I had to trust people. I had to let go of the belief that being self-sufficient was the goal.

Now, I look at the team beside me — in my office, in our home, and on this podcast journey — and I’m reminded daily that I don’t have to do this alone. None of us do. And honestly? That realization has been one of the most freeing, humbling, and healing parts of the entire journey.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bornforthisstories.com
• Instagram: @bornforthisstories
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johanna.turner.31/
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/johanna-hartley-a7651b45

Image Credits

Anna Laura Sommer: @annalaurasommer (individual shots)
Steven Le: @theephotoninja (podcast shots)
Jess Veguez: @jessveguezphtography (chiropractic shots)