We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Karla Carlston a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Karla , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

It was 3 am and I was sitting in the recliner in my bedroom nursing my 6 week old baby boy. I was scrolling on my phone to stay awake when this intense feel of sadness swept over me. I looked down at my precious baby, my second baby in under two years, and felt so much joy and yet intense loneliness. Being a mother was all I ever wanted. I played with dolls well past the appropriate age, I wrote stories about being a mother, I was the most coveted babysitter in my neighborhood well into my early 20s, and yet here I sat living out my dream wondering how I would find the strength to do it all again the next day.
It all felt mundane, thankless, and I felt like I was losing myself with the never ending dishes and piles of laundry that multiplied over night.
It was in that moment that I had an aha moment that would change the trajectory of my life. I thought, I can’t be the only woman feeling this way. What if there was a journal that helped me to see the good I did each day, while still leaving space for the hard? It would need to be quick, something that could easily fit into my day to day life, and something I could do on my own time. I scoured the internet but found nothing with the prompts I had been dreaming up in my head. So I decided right then to make my own, and I did just that.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Karla Carlston, I’m a mother of 3 beautiful children, a wife, a former teacher, and a self taught entrepreneur. I started this business in the thick of postpartum depression, and it turned into this beautiful selection of journals to support all ages of life.

I’m on a mission to support young moms in the trenches of motherhood, who are giving it their all and still feeling like they come up short. I want to help the woman who is feeling lost find her voice again. I want to help the woman with the anxious child provide a tool to support her child. I want to help teenagers to get to know themselves as they navigate junior high and high school. I want to provide a tool for all ages to feel safe sharing the aches and joys of their soul.

The journals I’ve created are for all ages. I have journals for adults, teens, and children. Each journal type has the same set of prompts that repeat each entry. The prompts are simple, repetitive, and encompass all parts of your day to give you the most accurate picture of your day as you fill in your journal. Prompts include a goal section, accomplishments, magic moments, sections to track your mood, highs and lows of the day, and more. Each journal contains free write space as well for unprompted writing.

J.O.T. Journals are unique because they are SIMPLE. If you’re looking for something that can easily become a habit this journal is for you. The prompts are repetitive and connected to different parts of your day. The repetition aspect is the key part of these journals. It makes journaling simple and doable for any age.

To date, over 3000 journal orders have gone out into the United States and parts of Canada. That’s a number I never expected! Thousands of journals have gone out into the hands of those who either needed it for themselves or saw a loved one needing support.

As a company, J.O.T. has donated over 70 journals Primary Childrens hospital in SLC, Utah. Those journals went to children as well as mothers in the fetal health center. We have donated over 60 journals to OUR ( an organization that rescues children and adults from human trafficking). We have donated 50 journals to the Childrens Justice Center in Utah, they rescue children from abusive homes. Donating these journals has become a J.O.T. community event, where members of my social media community share and donate to cover the cost of the wholesale price of the journals. At J.O.T. Journals we are passionate about providing safety for the soul, and these opportunities to donate have done just that and more.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Being 100% honest about who you are and how you operate. My customers know me because I share openly, I am not afraid to get down into the nitty gritty of day to day mom life. Another thing has been doing in person markets. When I’ve done markets I am able to meet social media followers as well as potential clients. It allows us to have a personal face to face interaction and has led to so many friendships!

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

I wish I had some grand exciting story here, but I don’t. When I had the idea for this business I went to my husband and he was skeptical (I have a lot of ideas haha). I went to the drawing board, did a ton of research, and went back to my husband with all of his questions answered. I then reached out to different printing companies that were local as well as overseas. I googled everything, made lots of calls, and after lots of price comparing we dipped into our own personal savings to buy the first set of journals. It’s been a wild ride ever since!

Contact Info:

• Website: jotjournals.com
• Instagram: jot_journals

Image Credits
Madie Allen Photography Featured Female Photography