Today we’d like to introduce you to Jillian Gundy.
Jillian, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My journey started with a simple desire to create a healthier lifestyle for my family. What began as a search for more natural skincare and home products gradually grew into something much bigger, a focus on living intentionally and raising our children with practical life skills, confidence, and strong family connections.
Before having children, I worked in business management and marketing, leading marketing departments for various companies. That experience gave me a strong foundation in business strategy, branding, and growth. Today, while my primary focus is raising and homeschooling my children, I still work with small businesses on the side, helping them grow and achieve their goals. Those experiences have also given me the skills and confidence to grow my own businesses and pursue creative projects that are meaningful to me.
As a homeschooling family, we’ve fallen in love with hands-on learning and the incredible community that surrounds it. We believe some of the most important lessons happen through everyday experiences, conversations, and real-life situations.
One tradition that became especially meaningful was taking a few minutes each night before bed to share something positive, encouraging, or thought-provoking with my children. I started writing down ideas and conversation starters so I wouldn’t have to come up with something new every evening. When I realized our nightly conversations were helping my own children open up, solve problems, and build confidence, I knew other families might benefit from these tools as well. Before long, those notes turned into my first book, 5-Minute Daily Connection for Kids: 100 Daily Readings to Build Confidence, Emotions & Life Skills.
The response from my own children was amazing. The conversations became deeper, communication improved, and I saw firsthand how powerful a few intentional minutes together could be. That experience inspired my second book, 5-Minute Daily Connection for Kids: 100 Days of Helping with Big Feelings & Calm Down Skills.
As a mom of boys, I wanted practical tools that would help them understand emotions, navigate sibling disagreements, ask for help when needed, and build healthy communication skills. Seeing those lessons make a difference in my own home inspired me to share them with other families.
At the same time, I am continuing to build Tiki Hut Life, my natural skincare and home-care brand. Today, both my products and my books reflect the same mission: helping families create healthier, happier, and more connected lives. And the journey isn’t over yet. I currently have two more books planned for the 5-Minute Daily Connection series.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Like most entrepreneurs and parents, there have definitely been challenges along the way.
One of the biggest challenges has been balancing family life, homeschooling, business responsibilities, and creative projects. My children are my first priority, so finding time to work on new ideas often means using the small pockets of free time I have throughout the day.
Creating has always been my creative outlet. Whether I’m developing a new natural product, writing a book, or brainstorming ideas for future projects, I genuinely enjoy the creative process. When the kids are busy, that’s often when you’ll find me writing, planning, or working on a new idea. It’s something I look forward to and something that energizes me.
The challenge is that there are never enough hours in the day to bring every idea to life. I’ve learned to be patient, focus on one project at a time, and trust that the right opportunities will unfold when the timing is right.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Tiki Hut Life was created from my desire to provide cleaner, more natural alternatives for everyday products used in the home. I specialize in handcrafted skincare and home-care products made with simple ingredients and a focus on supporting a healthier lifestyle.
My product line includes natural skincare products, healing salves, detox bath products, laundry powder, and other home essentials designed to help families reduce unnecessary chemicals in their daily routines.
Alongside Tiki Hut Life, I write books focused on helping parents build stronger connections with their children. The 5-Minute Daily Connection Series provides simple, meaningful daily readings and discussion prompts that encourage confidence, emotional awareness, communication, and life skills.
What sets both my products and books apart is that they were created out of real-life experience. Everything I make is something I have used, tested, or practiced within my own family. My goal is always to create practical resources that make life easier for parents while helping children grow into confident, capable individuals.
The thing I’m most proud of is seeing families use these resources to create stronger connections and more meaningful conversations with their children. As parents, we all want to raise children who feel loved, heard, and prepared for life, and it’s rewarding to know that something I created may help make that journey a little easier.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Without question, my family matters most.
Everything I create is inspired by my desire to raise kind, capable, well-rounded children. I want my boys to grow up confident in who they are, equipped with practical life skills, and connected to the people around them.
We value an active lifestyle, time outdoors, nature, learning through experience, and creating meaningful memories together. Whether I’m developing products, writing books, helping small businesses, homeschooling, or spending time with my family, my goal is always the same: helping create a healthier, happier, and more connected life.
Those values guide every decision I make, both personally and professionally.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://MyTikiHutLife.com
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@JillyBeesCorner
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jillian-Gundy/author/B0GV65VWPW?
