We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jana Blankenship. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jana below.
Jana, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
As a child I was very shy, which feels hard to believe now. I honestly attribute the shift to finding my own voice and not trying to be anyone but myself. When I was first out of college I worked as a tour guide in an amazing Himalayan art museum, The Rubin Museum of Art, which sadly just closed. I crafted tours of the museum for everyone from kids to seniors and I begun to gain my confidence in storytelling. I had studied Tibetan Buddhism and the art of the Himalayas in college so it felt really exciting to help bring to life for others something I felt so passionate about myself. I think that experience was really a breakthrough for me and instilled in me a confidence in myself and my abilities. I have really channeled this energy into my life and my work where I’m often taking risks without fear of failure. Now for my work I’m often on video or teaching groups and it really brings me such joy.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am multifaceted but all extensions come from my deep love and respect for Mother Earth. I was a kid who was also making potions outside with plants as a child and I now have two little potion makers myself. I live in the Hudson Valley in New York with my husband, children and two huskies. If I am not working, I’m hiking in the mountains near our home and following animal tracks in the snow.
A deep love of plant-based ingredients led my to become the CEO and founder of Captain Blankenship, a seaweed powered hair care company that is vegan, MadeSafe certified and a B Corp. We use seaweed sourced from Maine not only because it a super hero ingredient for hair and scalp health, but also as a blue carbon ingredient that sequesters carbon. We have some very exciting new products launching in 2025 including a seaweed based hair gel and hair creme.
I am also the author of two books. Wild Beauty (2019) which is a holistic love song to the natural world and plant-based beauty with 45 recipes for natural perfumes, skincare, body care, hair care, teas and tonics. Seasonal Family Almanac (2023) co-authored with Emma Frisch is an indispensable guide and hands-on resource for families that want to joyfully build or deepen their connection with nature. It features an extensive range of over 100 recipes for cooking, wellness, personal care, and crafts all year long and gives families the tools to rediscover the soul-stirring magic that comes from living in tune with the seasons.
And I also love to teach classes ranging from natural perfumery to lotion making to herbal recipes. I’m hoping to do a lot more teaching this year and more writing.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I think the three qualities that are most important to my journey are my creativity, curiosity and passion. I’ve had a lot of great opportunities in my life and I’ve let my heart and intuition really guide me. I don’t say yes to things that don’t excite and inspire me. I try not to let the expectations of others or society shape the way I move in the world. You are on your own path here, no one else’s. I do think we are all here to find our own purpose and to do that you really need to learn how to be present, pay attention and listen to your intuition.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
I think about this question a lot as a parent to my 9 and 11 year old children. My parents were incredibly loving and supportive and really let me follow my passion. They didn’t try to fit me into a box, they let me try a lot of things and didn’t make me stick with something that wasn’t for me. I was dyslexic as a child and it became clear quickly ballet wasn’t for me! They let me keep evolving. As a very creative kid, this meant giving me outside art lessons and even somehow enrolling me in a high school art class when I was in sixth grade.
My dad loved to read my writing. He would read my papers in high school and college and then comment on my two theses I wrote in college and grad school. I got the final edits for my first book back when he was dying and I read it to him. I know how proud he would have been of me.
My mother was a fashion designer and had her own brand. Seeing her creative practice turned into a business was a huge inspiration behind my own brand. Even after I had gotten a Master’s in Curatorial Practice and left a job as a curator to found Captain Blankenship, their support was unwavering. I think it is essential as a parent to try to see your child’s passion and let them follow it, even if the path meanders places we don’t expect.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.captainblankenship.com ; www.janablankenship.com
- Instagram: @captainblankenship ; @janablankenship1
- Linkedin: @janablankenship
- Other: Substack: Witch Way by Jana Blankenship
Image Credits
Joe Lingeman, Allison Usavage, Amy Schneider and Julianna Blizzard
