Turning 30, Getting Engaged & Creating Without a Timeline

Turning 30, Getting Engaged & Creating Without a Timeline

After a long hiatus (blame the microphone cords), Cageless is back! And a lot has changed. I am officially 30, newly engaged, and planning two weddings across two continents. In this honest episode, I share the story behind my surprise East Texas proposal, what intercultural love has taught me about myself, and why I'm finally giving my younger creative dreams a second wind. This episode explores creativity without a timeline, the loneliness of creating in isolation, and why the most important moments in life are rarely the ones you planned for. Plus: Saint Teresa of Avila, the cultural gap between French and American communication, and why your twenties are your primer, not your prime. ;) Cageless is a podcast about creativity, personal growth, and living life outside the box.

Finding Your Place (and yourself)

What if moving abroad, writing online, or starting over in your 20s isn’t running away? What if it is expanding? And perhaps where ever you run; there you are... Valerie Estrina doesn’t just write about girlhood, comparison, self-worth, and identity—she names the things most of us are too scared to say out loud. She is a writer and founder of club reticent—a global community based on Substack of observant, quietly powerful women who are redefining vulnerability, boundaries, and belonging on their own terms. In this conversation, we dive into: * Comparison hinders progress and enjoyment of experiences * Growing a community online * Valerie finding Substack as a safe space for her to share her work * Re-navigating self-discovery in your 20s * Language barriers enhancing observational skills * So much more! If you’ve ever daydreamed about moving abroad, becoming a writer, starting over in your late teens or twenties, or finally letting yourself take up space—this is the episode you’ll feel. Click play. Join club club reticent: https://clubreticent.substack.com/ Watch the full video on Substack: https://thejennijohnson.substack.com/

Dating in France vs. America

In this episode, I’m answering your questions and reflecting on what it’s really like to date /make friends in France vs. America. Think less “Emily in Paris,” and more (almost too chill) French nuances. I’m also talking about dealing with the language barrier in relationships, Texas Hunting Wives and the 50-50 rule. Pardon My French(Man) TikTok: LINK [https://www.tiktok.com/@pardonmyfrenchman/video/7416046904812817697] Substack: LINK [https://thejennijohnson.substack.com/]

weight-loss drugs (body image and America)

With the rise of Ozempic, plastic surgery and toxic societal expectations, how does American celebrity culture shape us? In this episode of Cageless, I explore what I’ve learned as an American woman who has healed from an eating disorder and now lives in Europe. Let's stop letting body image, self-worth, and male validation control your life once and for all.If you're tired of chasing ever-changing ideals and ready to find peace, this is for you. Subscribe to Cageless for weekly conversations about self-trust, womanhood, and healing in a world that wants you to shrink. 🫂 Get your Future Self Template: https://thejennijohnson.gumroad.com/l... [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa1BxbmRldnJiemtWUmNaVlVQanlod2dNck02UXxBQ3Jtc0trQ0N1N3o3VlQ4TmZIRFhiakVaUXRzTko4TV9xZTJQSjNEbjg0bE0xMDZFYW51N0UyRloyUTNzZHB2OXQ0QW5uMVpmc2VjalVlYUJIZGhhU1U5eGEyb0Mxb3dqSzg3eGtoYm1fMU1OQnN0dVAwSnZVVQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fthejennijohnson.gumroad.com%2Fl%2Ffuture-self&v=cVgiwXoXQhk] 📚 Subscribe on Substack: https://thejennijohnson.substack.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbnRfYS1SWUJkRnh3RFF2VUlFcklncnBpUC12QXxBQ3Jtc0tuS3ZZY3lBdmFuWUk4SGNaX2trZEFZN1ZrMFNnaW5ucllPVVplQzBscllna0RQeFdUT3hPd1RwN0VabVhjYlNEWEdQVXZTcndkRnQ3eXgtYjM0LU1pWktEd0dEdmFxVW15ZjRGdTMyd0RlUFZ4ZXJIcw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fthejennijohnson.substack.com%2F&v=cVgiwXoXQhk] 📸 Instagram:   / jennijohnson   [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbTI5WmdNYlBXSWROUjZxaE9xZ0l3Yks2NFJ0Z3xBQ3Jtc0ttcklRWDFrWkFiRzZHOEdSbnNlZDM5Vk12UVlRVGtWSWc2OHdOdkpZT0RLTEJMeTk2NWpKOG0ydmhTZnNNLVdjdGtnbXd0M09VUmdEMXgxZzdlWG5CRy1jTDVVWFphS3ZlUk1aZWdvU0VNUlR1ckdEQQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fjennijohnson&v=cVgiwXoXQhk] 🎤 Follow the Pod on YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVgiwXoXQhk&t=51s Weight loss stats from Hims & Hers 2024 report, “The Shape of America,” [https://www.hims.com/forhims/image/upload/v1726056665/reports/The_Shape_of_America_Report_Final_2024.pdf]

Getting a 4-Year France Visa (and Finding Myself in the Process)

I just got approved for my 4-year visa in France, and it hit me how much this place has shaped me. In this episode, I talk about French bureaucracy, living far from home, and growing older in a city that once felt like a dream and now feels like real life. If you’re navigating your twenties, thinking about moving abroad, or just craving a slower, deeper way of living—this one's for you. I share thoughts on identity, courage, loneliness, and what it means to create a life you actually want in a country like France. Follow me on IG: https://www.instagram.com/jennijohnson Substack: https://thejennijohnson.substack.com/