Inspiring conversations
Podcast focuses on the not-so-ordinary women of the Northwest
BY NANCY McCARTHY
Jan Johnson
is the host of a
new podcast
focused on
everyday local
women doing
extraordinary
things.
Hear the podcast
From her recording studio in her Brown-
smead farmhouse, Jan Johnson pro-
duces a podcast that could describe her-
self: “Women of the Northwest: O rdinary
W omen Leading E xtraordinary Lives .”
Johnson has taught in a Navajo reser-
vation, cared for a husband who died of a
brain tumor, raised 10 children, opened a
preschool, authored an uplifting memoir
and embarked on two manuscripts of wom-
en’s fi ction “on the romantic side.”
But that wasn’t enough.
After retiring from the Knappa School
District, where she taught kindergarten
through high school, Johnson and her sec-
ond husband, Edward, read children’s sto-
ries on Coast Community Radio. But when
the pandemic prevented them from going to
the studio, the station sent recording equip-
ment to their home. Johnson decided to
buy her own equipment and set up her own
studio.
“It came to me that I’d like to do a pod-
cast, and the name (‘Women of the North-
‘Women of the Northwest: Ordinary Wom-
en Leading Extraordinary Lives’
Visit jan-johnson.com to hear the podcast.
west’) popped into my head. I wanted
to interview people like me,” she said.
“I’ve done a lot of things and had a lot
of experiences, and I thought it might be
inspirational.”
Many people have ideas about what they
would like to do, but they don’t know how
to take that next step, Johnson said. She
hopes the podcast, available on her website
at jan-johnson.com , will encourage people
to move forward.
As a bonus, a few minutes are reserved
at the end of the podcast to feature local
authors.
Everyone Johnson has interviewed so far
take it for granted that they can accomplish
See Page 15
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(800)548-3918
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