Behind the Scenes with Jonna Naegele: The Art of Acting, Coaching, and Empowering Others! 

Interview by Gina Sedman | The Indie Post Magazine Head Editor 

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Jonna Naegele, a truly dynamic talent who’s made her mark in both acting and life coaching. Jonna’s journey is inspiring—after stepping back from acting in 2017 to focus on life coaching, she’s returned to the screen in 2024 with a renewed passion and dedication. We dove into her recent roles on TV One and Amazon Prime, including her memorable performances in The Expats, For the Love of Ruth, and the heartwarming Tubi Christmas film My Favorite Holiday. Each role highlights her versatility and commitment to bringing meaningful characters to life. 

Jonna’s journey extends far beyond acting; she’s an accredited life coach and mentor who combines her love of psychology with her expertise in behavioral science and the Chubbuck Technique. Her holistic approach to coaching focuses on emotional intelligence and empathy, guiding actors in overcoming limitations and stepping into new dimensions of their craft. She’s passionate about empowering others to grow, whether it’s helping actors tackle challenging roles or fostering a collaborative, ego-free environment on set. 

In our conversation, Jonna also shared some valuable advice for aspiring coaches and actors, encouraging them to “show up and show out” in every opportunity. Her wisdom and authenticity are a testament to her incredible journey and remind us all of the importance of resilience, empathy, and creativity.  

Gina: Hi Jonna, good to meet you. 

Jonna: Good to meet you as well, Gina. 

Gina: Thank you for joining me today; it’s truly a pleasure to have you here. I’m excited to delve into your remarkable career. One of the greatest joys of being a journalist is the opportunity to explore and experience snippets of various lives and industries. It’s such a rewarding experience! I’m thrilled that you’re willing to share insights from your world as an actor and acting coach. To kick things off, could you tell me where you originally hail from and where you’re currently living? 

Jonna: I'm originally from Tennessee here in the US, and I now reside in Atlanta, GA. I've been asked to travel to Los Angeles and have a home there, which is a great pit stop for me every couple of months, but home is in Atlanta, GA, and here to stay. 

Gina: That sounds fantastic, Jonna! I’d love to hear more about your journey. You’re currently an acting coach, and I know you’ve experienced some incredible moments in your life, including being a life coach. It’s clear that reaching this point doesn’t happen overnight; there are steps and experiences that shape our paths. So, let’s take a moment to reflect on your early years. What events or influences in your youth guided you toward your current career? What were your natural inclinations, and what ignited your passion for this field? 

Jonna: Well, I grew up on a farm here in the US, so it was hard work and construction. I grew up around livestock and agriculture and farm life, so I've always been thrown into nature. Everyone around here has always been helpful with each other, just doing what they can to make ends meet but also to help family and friends. The people were giving and extremely hospitable. 

So, all that was ingrained in me at an early age. But for me, my interest and desires were always on the creative side of things. I think there's a lot of creativity in any profession, whether it be working on a farm, being a painter, being an actor, or being a musician—it's all the arts. 

I was always intrigued by anything that moved people. My mother and my grandmother always said that I was a professional observer. I was always very quiet, but I was always watching people and adapting to make sure I could communicate and converse with many different types of people and personalities. 

So going into school and high school, I didn't have one type of group of friends; I was friends with pretty much every different type of group. I played basketball until my freshman year of college. I really enjoyed sports. I had a lot of different interests in people, and it was rooted in me since I was a little girl. People really interest and fascinate me. 

I also loved seeing people being empowered and the effects they have on others. That was something that kept my attention and captivated me, leading me into a career in entertainment. My interest in human psychology also played a key role in my current profession. I majored in psychology during my first run in college, and currently, I'm at the tail end of getting a philosophy and film media degree. 

Even though I'm already in the arts—teaching it in films and doing a lot hands-on as an executive producer—I’m still a constant learner. Education, meeting new people, and being part of different organizations are wonderfully accessible through college, which led me into focusing on the human mind and human nature. That’s why behavioral science is my focus right now. 

I’m also an Accredited Acting Coach who specializes in The Chubbuck Technique, and a Certified Brain Health Professional affiliated with Amen Clinic and Dr. Daniel Amen. I do brain-type consultations, helping people figure out if they need supplements or dietary adjustments to support a better balance in life. It’s about trying your best to stay in the healthiest, most capable state possible. 

My career in entertainment began in college. I had a minor in theater, but while caring for my grandmother, who passed away from cancer, a part of our daily routine was watching America's Next Top Model together. In 2008, a franchise of the show came to Tennessee, and my grandmother encouraged me to audition. 

I ended up competing, made it to the top ten in Tennessee, and ultimately won the title of Tennessee's Top Model in 2009. Winning that came with free acting classes, which started my journey in acting. 

Gina: Congratulations, Jonna! Well done! I know your grandma was so proud of you! 

Jonna: Thank you, Gina. It was exciting! So, after winning, I took acting classes and eventually moved to Atlanta when my now ex-husband was drafted into the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons. Atlanta was just becoming a hub for the industry, so I enrolled in the Alliance Theatre School of Performing Arts and studied there for two years. 

Afterward, I became head coach at an acting school and specialized in the Chubbuck Technique, which I’m accredited in now. Since 2017, I've been teaching that technique in the US and internationally. I’m also the only accredited instructor for the continent of Africa, teaching mostly through Zoom but traveling there twice to Ghana and Nigeria. I hope to expand in Africa, especially now that we’re post-COVID, and continue teaching internationally. 

Gina: Thank you, Jonna, for sharing such valuable insights about your entire career and life journey. I genuinely appreciate your willingness to be open and share your experiences. Now, let’s revisit your acting career. You brought up acting earlier—have you had the chance to star in any notable films? What role did you take on? I’m eager to learn more about that experience. 

Jonna: Personally, Gina, I took a break from 2017 to focus on coaching until just this January of 2024. So, I'm just back into acting. I have been blessed with a couple of roles, a few that you can find on “TV One” and on Amazon Prime as well. We've also got some great stuff up on “Tubi,” but I have just now gotten back into the swing of it. 

I have a role in “Expats,” where I actually play a life coach in one of the episodes. The other one is “For The Love Of Ruth,” which had Loretta Devine, and I played a cop. And the one that's up on Tubi is a great Christmas movie called “My Favorite Holiday,” where I play Aunt Sherry. All great roles. 

I've done films pre-2017 that you can find as well if you
search me under my former married name, Jonna Johnson. So, everything I just expressed is going to be under Johnson. It’s like picking back up and starting over again with my new persona. 

Gina: Jonna, I completely get where you're coming from. Many women have gone through similar experiences, dealing with name changes and having others piece together their pasts. However, in time, everything falls into place. While starting anew can often feel overwhelming, it can also bring a sense of renewal. There’s something truly wonderful about hitting the reset button on our lives. So, Jonna, how do you think your passion for psychology and brain coaching enhances your mentoring and teaching in acting? 

Jonna: You know, Gina, just the fusion of behavioral science, human language, and my love of philosophy and psychology helps me be a better coach by learning people. I absolutely love cultures, values, and morals. I’m understanding of the way that we must make certain decisions because nothing is A or B or black or white with me. I understand that a lot of times we create habits based on exterior influences, like environment, upbringing, or lack of exposure. These factors often limit actors or pretty much anyone. 

So as a coach, I listen for those limitations, and I’m skilled in guiding them to a place of open-mindedness to explore and discover new things. 

Often, actors are sent to me by productions or their agents or managers who want to help their talent expand their abilities in areas they may find challenging for certain roles. These may be roles they feel they can't handle or endure the pressure of, or even media backlash. 

In storytelling, being empowered through the arts and acting as a vessel to tell stories requires skill and vulnerability. So, I feel I do a good job by listening first. I'm a deep listener, which goes hand in hand with life coaching. That’s my niche—deep listening. I listen and piece together strengths and challenges we can emphasize and improve to overcome obstacles. 

One thing I always share with my actor students is that unless you’re aware of potential problems or turbulence, you won’t have a plan to get around them. So, we must speak about them, be aware of them, and plan to overcome these challenges, whether in the career or in the script itself. I’m trained not only in the Chubbuck Technique but also in behavioral science and body language. 

I teach actors to support one another on set and to be open to what each person brings. Once they’re open enough to receive it, we can collaborate effectively. This creates a compassionate, ego-free environment on set, promoting teamwork instead of competition. 

Recently, I took an emotional intelligence workshop through the International Intimacy Coordinator professionals' program. Even though I'm not an intimacy coordinator, I’m a chemistry coach, and it’s important for coaches to learn how to manage situations that arise between actors, directors, and producers. Sometimes, actors come to us when they can't reach the director, or to prepare for roles without chemistry reads or rehearsals. We must be skilled enough to help them learn to support one another on set. 

Gina: Awesome! Sounds like you have your hands in many things, and I’m sure you have been able to help many actors navigate through their roles successfully. Thank you for sharing, Jonna. Now, could you share with everyone the best way to reach you? What’s your website, and how can people connect with you on social media? 

Jonna: Yes, my website is www.coachedbyjonnainc.com and my Instagram is www.instagram.com/jonnathecoach. 

Gina: Awesome! Jonna, can you give us some quick words of encouragement for those who are coming up in this business? Maybe they want to be an acting coach, or a life coach—what would you say to them? 

Jonna: For anyone looking to empower others in any way—acting coach, life coach, actor, entertainer—I’d say you have to show up. Show up first and show out when it’s your time. When you’re there, give it all you've got. 

Gina: That’s beautiful, Jonna. Thank you so much for your time and for shedding light on the inner workings of your career. I’m sure many will learn so much from your story. My prayer is that the Lord will bless the works of your hands in alignment with His will for your life. I pray He will protect you and your family, keep you safe, and bring wonderful, supportive people into your life who will look out for your best interests. I want you to know I’m incredibly proud of you for everything you've accomplished. It’s been an honor and a privilege to speak with you today. Thank you, Jonna. 

Jonna: Thank you, Gina. I appreciate it.