Turning Adversity into Opportunity — How Jenna Farmer Built a PR Business That Works Around Her Life

In this episode of the What One Thing podcast, Phil Davenport from Affirm IT Services and Hayley Baxter from Corbar Accounting chatted with Jenna Farmer, founder of Jenna Farmer PR and host of the PR in Your Pocket podcast.

Jenna’s story is one of resilience, reinvention, and realising that success doesn’t have to come with sacrifice. What began as a blog about living with Crohn’s disease became a thriving business helping others tell their stories and secure their own media spotlight.

1. From Classroom to Crohn’s — and a New Career

Jenna’s journey into PR wasn’t planned. It started in a classroom — then took an unexpected turn in China, where she was teaching English.

A sudden Crohn’s diagnosis forced her to rethink everything. “Teaching and chronic illness don’t mix well,” Jenna said. “It was just too rigid. You’re either in the classroom or you’re not — there’s no middle ground.”

Out of necessity, she started blogging about her experience, and her honesty struck a chord. She built a following, wrote for national newspapers, even published a book. Without realising it, she’d become her own PR story.

Phil smiled:

“That’s brilliant. You didn’t wait for opportunity — you created it. You built your own spotlight.”

2. Building a Business on Your Terms

When Jenna came back to the UK, she didn’t want to return to a traditional job. Instead, she used her experience to help others share their stories with the media.

But leaving structure behind was a challenge. “After years of timetables and bells, it was weird having complete freedom,” she laughed. “I had to relearn how to plan my day.”

Hayley related instantly:

“I remember that! Leaving corporate life, I used to feel guilty if I wasn’t at my desk by nine. It takes time to unlearn that mindset.”

For Jenna, motherhood became her best productivity coach. With a young son, she learned to work smarter, not longer — using time blocks, planning tools, and flexibility to keep balance in her day.

3. Backing Yourself — Even Without the ‘Perfect’ CV

Jenna doesn’t have a PR or journalism degree — and that’s exactly what makes her story so powerful.

“I didn’t have the contacts or the qualifications,” she said. “But I’d already done it for myself — so I knew I could do it for others.”

Phil nodded:

“That’s something we see all the time. Small business owners undersell themselves because they’re not ‘the big agency’. But your strength is exactly that — you’re the one who actually cares.”

Hayley added:

“And you’re living proof that expertise doesn’t need a certificate — it needs experience.”

Jenna’s authenticity became her differentiator. She built her client base organically through word of mouth, her own podcast, and a growing online community — helping entrepreneurs understand that PR isn’t out of reach.

4. Scaling Smart — Packages, Not Panic

Jenna’s one thing?

“Moving away from hourly rates to packages.”

She realised charging by the hour didn’t make sense when her work was so reactive. “Sometimes I’d get someone in The Times in 20 minutes, and it’d be worth everything — but I was only charging them a few quid for it!”

So, she restructured. Packages, projects, retainers — models that valued results, not time.

Hayley loved it:

“That’s such a big mindset shift for business owners — and it changes everything once you do it.”

And Phil summed it up neatly:

“You stop trading hours, and start charging for impact.”

5. The Power of Community

Jenna’s recent growth came from joining masterminds — small groups of business owners who share ideas and hold each other accountable.

“Being around people doing it differently opened my eyes,” she said. “I’d never thought about things like onboarding systems or mapping the client journey — I was just saying yes to everything!”

Phil reflected:

“That’s the magic of peer groups. Suddenly you realise what you thought was impossible… everyone else is already doing.”

The Takeaway

Jenna’s journey is a reminder that your background doesn’t define your business. What matters is backing yourself, finding your rhythm, and building a business that fits your life.

Her one thing — shifting from hourly work to packages — is really about valuing your impact. Because when you stop trading time for money, you start creating a business that works for you.

🎧 Listen to the full episode: What One Thing Podcast – Jenna Farmer
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