Why We Started Johnsons in the Making

Our story together started in 2018, during one of the harder seasons of my life. I had just finalized a divorce — not because anything dramatic happened, but because I knew I wanted to be a dad someday, and my previous marriage was not going to lead there. I moved to Utah for a fresh start, joined a local Facebook group, and that is where I met Sarah.

Something clicked immediately. We have spent TWO nights apart since June 2018. Literally.

We started building a future together quickly, and we both knew we wanted a family. That is when we found out something that changed everything.

I was born with Klinefelter Syndrome — a condition that makes natural conception extremely difficult. When we found out, we had to decide between adoption, surrogacy, or IVF. After a lot of conversations and a lot of research, we chose IVF.

If we were going to do it, we wanted to do it with the best team possible. We spent weeks researching doctors across the country and eventually chose Weill Cornell in New York. One of their specialists, Dr. Peter Schlegel, pioneered the surgery I needed to determine whether I could have biological children. Another, Dr. Zev Rosenwaks, is one of the world’s leading IVF experts.

New York is expensive. IVF is expensive. But we wanted to know that whatever the outcome, we had done everything we possibly could.

By the time we were ready to move forward, I was essentially starting over financially. During my previous marriage, over $100,000 had been drained from our savings. In two years of rebuilding, I had managed to save about $40,000 across my Roth IRA and 401k. That was everything I had.

We withdrew all of it. After taxes and early withdrawal penalties, we were left with around $31,000 — barely enough to begin.

Our first IVF attempt failed. It was devastating. But we did not give up.

Around that time, and by the grace of God, we partnered with Namawell. Looking back, that partnership became an unexpected lifeline and literal Godsend. Without it, we would not have been able to afford the next steps.

In May 2023, after an incredibly challenging pregnancy, our son Tyler was born. Everything changed.

We moved into our second apartment, and right in the middle of newborn chaos, we officially created Johnsons in the Making.

Those early months were some of the hardest of our lives. We survived on energy drinks and fresh juice, prayer, and sheer determination.

For almost a year, neither of us slept more than a few hours at a time. Tyler hated his bassinet and crib… the only way he would sleep was in our arms. Every night we took six-hour shifts. I stayed up with him until 2 am, Sarah covered the early morning hours from 2 am to 8 am (and then stayed awake taking care of him until 8pm). She’s the best mom and wife a guy could ask for!!

It was exhausting in every possible way. But it shaped us. Without a village to lean on, we learned how capable we truly were. Mentally, emotionally, and as a team, we came out stronger.

That experience… the struggle, the growth, the love, and the grit… is EXACTLY why we share our story here. If even one parent feels less alone because of our journey, all of those sleepless nights are worth it.

This site grew out of real life. Juicing became part of our daily routine during the hardest stretch of building our family, and the Nama juicer was one of the tools that genuinely helped us stay healthy when everything else felt like it was falling apart.

From there, JITM expanded into everything we actually use and believe in: cold press juicers, milk makers, natural oral and body care, supplements built around real nutrition science, and the recipes Sarah makes at home for our family.

We write about things we have tried (and things we’re going to try). We do not recommend products we would not buy again. And we try to be honest about what worked, what did not, and what we are still figuring out.

If you are here because you want to juice more, eat better, or find products worth trusting, you are in the right place.