Hi! I’m Joanna Johnston (Fowler), and I created Nesting Story back in 2013 as a way to document, share, and process my life… motherhood, identity, creativity, growth… all of it. What started as a little blog on the side of my children’s interior design business became something much bigger: a globally recognized lifestyle and parenting platform, a thriving YouTube channel, and most importantly, a community built on honesty.

Over the years, I’ve shared everything from fashion, home, and wellness to motherhood, identity, work-life balance, and finding yourself again after having kids. Nesting Story has always been about real life: the messy, beautiful in-between… and that hasn’t changed.

2013

At the time, I had two kids and had just left my interior design job to start my own children’s space design and mural painting business. Nesting Story began as a creative outlet… just a tiny blog on my website.

But later that year, I found out I was pregnant with twins and had to put everything on hold. That pregnancy was hard… physically, mentally, and emotionally. I spent most of my days lying on the sofa with a pillow between my knees, trying to parent my older kids and craving connection.

I started searching online for other moms of multiples… people who were sharing honestly. I devoured every blog I could find, always wanting more details. I promised myself that once the dust settled, I would tell my story, too.

2014

After my twins were born in July 2014, I began preparing to relaunch Nesting Story as a personal blog.

2015

With a six-year-old, a four-year-old, and infant twins, I began sharing what life really looked like… no filters. My post “What four kids (including twins) has done to my body and my confidence” went viral. It struck a nerve and opened up conversations about postpartum bodies in a way I never expected.

Suddenly, I was being interviewed and featured by outlets like Cosmopolitan, People, Fit Pregnancy, Today Show, and major Canadian networks. Nesting Story wasn’t just a blog anymore… it was a movement.

2016 – 2017

As my kids grew out of the baby stage, so did the content. I began creating videos on YouTube… sharing lifestyle, wellness, fashion, and home… and quickly built a global audience. In 2017, Nesting Story was named “YouTube Creator on the Rise.”

2018

By this point, Nesting Story was my full-time job. I was speaking at conferences, collaborating with brands, and connecting with women around the world.

That year, we also adopted Oliver, a rescue pup from St. Lucia who quickly became part of our family.

2019

Everything changed. My marriage ended, and I found myself navigating life as a single mom of four. I felt completely out of body, unsure of who I was or what came next.

I made the conscious decision to quietly work through the divorce and figure out what co-parenting would look like for our family. During that time, Nesting Story became more focused on lifestyle and home, a safe space I could still show up in, even when I felt like I was rebuilding from the ground up.

2020

Just as I started to get my footing, the pandemic hit. Like so many, I found myself wearing more hats than ever… parent, teacher, business owner… trying to hold everything together.

But mid-way through the year, something shifted. I met Ben, a father and someone who quickly became a grounding, bright presence in my life. My soulmate.

2021

As our blended family adjusted to its new rhythm, I made the choice to step back from Nesting Story. I needed to focus on my relationship, my kids, and myself.

That same year, my kids and I moved to Burlington, Ontario for a fresh start and a new chapter.

Later in 2021, Ben and I co-founded The Water Cooler, a branding, coaching and social media management company. It took off quickly, and we built an incredible team, working with creators and brands across North America.

2022

While my kids settled into new schools and routines, I kept creating content, but in a more private, intentional way. I chose to step back from sharing their lives online, respecting their boundaries as they entered their teen years.

2023

I started to feel the pull to return to Nesting Story. I briefly explored the idea of turning it into a collective, but it didn’t feel right. This space was always meant to be personal, and it turns out, people weren’t looking for a team. They were looking for me.

So I came back… older, wiser, and more grounded than ever. The focus may have shifted from pregnancy and toddlers to careers, co-parenting, relationships, aging, and building a beautiful home and life that reflects who I am today, but the heart of Nesting Story remains the same.

2024-2025

In recent years, I served as Head of Talent at Shine Talent Group, where I led strategy and growth for creators across platforms. After wrapping up my time at Shine, I gave myself space to reflect on what I truly wanted in this next chapter…

The answer brought me back to my roots.

Today, I’ve returned to content creation and consulting under the Nesting Story name, offering one-on-one support to creators and businesses through brand strategy, content planning, platform audits, and social media management.

On the personal side, in 2024, Ben and I got married in an intimate ceremony at home, surrounded by family and a few close friends, a moment that felt deeply personal and perfectly us.

It’s been more than 10 years since I started this journey, and while so much has changed, one thing hasn’t: this is still a space for honest, real-life storytelling, and for creating a life that feels like your own.

Now, in my forties, with kids who are growing up fast (Holden drives now… how did that happen?), I find myself in a new season. We’ve bought our forever home, and I’m re-grounding myself in the things that have always lit me up: online storytelling, lifestyle, wellness, beauty, home, parenting, and what it means to age and evolve as a woman… without losing yourself along the way.

This next chapter of Nesting Story is about showing up honestly, creating with purpose, and helping others do the same, whether through content, consulting, or simply sharing the story as it unfolds.

Welcome to Nesting Story.