Women Unlocked: The birth of Jenni Johnson’s Baby Clinic

Meet Jenni Johnson, the 59-year-old owner of the Jenni Johnson Baby Clinic in Berea. From La Lucia, Jenni has built a successful clinic where they help moms throughout their pregnancy, birth, and taking care of their babies.

This is Jenni’s story:

1.     What inspired the idea to start an ante- and post-natal clinic?

My third child was a year old and I needed to get back to work. I wanted flexible working hours and as a nursing sister with small children it was a perfect place to be. The young mums were able to identify with me age wise and felt comfortable talking about the challenges that a young family brings.

2.    Starting a business comes with its own challenges, how did you overcome them?

I had been working in a clinic for someone else so I had experience from the work point of view. I was also 40 years old when I started my own business so a certain amount of maturity made it easier to cope with challenges. I tend to focus more on the positive than the negative, so I found it exciting. I was proud of myself for giving it a go.

3.    Do you still remember the first time you helped a woman birth a child? What was the delivery like?

I remember it so well. I studied Midwifery in Cape Town and the babies I delivered were born at Groote Schuur Hospital and in Khayelitsha. The mum came into hospital or the clinic when she was nearly due to deliver, I helped her deliver naturally, no epidural and she went home six hours later.

4.    What are some of the success stories you can share with our readers?

I had a partner when we opened the clinic in 2001, and we started with 45 mums on our books. Within a few months we had hundreds of clients and it just kept on growing and has never stopped. I am lucky enough to have local, national and international clients from all over the world. If you give your all, word of mouth will grow your business.

5.    If someone wants to follow your route, what are the five ingredients for success?

• Work hard, go the extra mile, always.
• If you are a nursing sister, think about what you’re good at. Is it children? Do you like the adrenalin rush that a casualty department would bring? Maybe you’re calm and patient so working with people who have disabilities, or in the community or with the mentally ill may feel right for you. Nursing is one of the most rewarding careers because if you find your niche the rewards you get from helping others will give you enormous satisfaction.
• Never stop learning, read, study, keep up to date and change with the times.
• Believe in yourself, you are a powerful woman.
• Do everything with love.

6.    What are some of your short and long-term goals for your business?

Short term goals were to have a good name in the marketplace and for me to make someone’s life easier, these two things still define my work ethic. My long-term goal is to build my online business so I can still earn a salary when I retire, but I have no intention to retire for a long, long time!