Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Can building a business and raising a family be done at the same time—successfully? PJ Jonas says “absolutely!” In 2008 amidst the country’s recession, PJ and her family felt led to launch their own business, integrating work, faith, and family all into every day. Nearly ten years later, business is thriving and so is the family—and PJ enjoys every minute of it. 

Who is PJ Jonas? PJ Jonas is an entrepreneur, goat-wrangler, wife, and homeschooling mother of eight kids in rural Indiana. After graduating from the University of Virginia and working in the corporate world for several years, PJ left her job to stay at home full time, devoting her time and attention to her growing family and their education. In 2008, she started Goat Milk Stuff, selling the products that she made for her own family to friends and beyond. Now, Goat Milk Stuff has worldwide distribution, and PJ and her business have been featured in Oprah Magazine, on the TODAY show, The Doctors, and The Huckabee Show.

PJ Jonas can plainly see God’s hand in her own life. He’s taken her from a small island in New Jersey to rural Indiana where she raises kids and goats, something that was never on the radar when she earned a degree in systems engineering. After becoming a Christian in her twenties, PJ learned that hard work means nothing if it is not blessed by the Lord. Today, PJ writes a blog and encourages others in their own family entrepreneurship adventures.

The Jonas children.

Quotes:

“We have a decision to make: do we want to take the risk and trust that this is what God has for us?” — PJ

“Everything is a God issue. Everything you do can be done to the glory of God.” — PJ

“When something is in front of you and it doesn’t go the way that you want it to go, that’s God teaching you something. It’s up to you whether you pout and push it away, or whether you take that lesson from God and learn to become more like Jesus.” — PJ

“Nothing happens in your life without God. The trust level that being an entrepreneur develops is amazing. I never trusted God on a daily basis like I do now.” — PJ

“Patience. If you are starting something and you really feel that this is what God wants you to do, just keep walking. Just keep doing the next thing and it will ultimately get you exactly where God wants you to be.” — PJ

“Just because it’s a good opportunity doesn’t mean you should take it. You have to analyze where you are and if you have the time to do this. And if you do this, are you sacrificing something that is more important?” — PJ

Action steps:

  • Everything is a God issue. We need to practice having the spiritual intelligence to recognize this and approach issues with a different perspective than what we normally do, one focused on ourselves and the people around us.
  • We should strive to integrate the segments of life together: faith, family, education, business—they all work better together.
  • Just because it is a good opportunity, doesn’t mean it is the right opportunity.
  • Are there things in your life that you need to say “no” to in order to make room for better things?
  • Often it’s hard to say no because we don’t want the other person to think poorly of us. When we do this, we value their thoughts about our self higher than what it is that God has assigned us to do.

Resources mentioned:

Ways to get involved:

We look forward to hearing from you!