Kody Brown hasn’t done much to support his polygamous family on Sister Wives. While he vaguely mentioned being in ad sales during the first season, he hasn’t seemed to have any sort of job (outside filming the reality show) for some time. His wives are left to pick up the slack. Robyn started selling jewelry online, Meri opened her bed and breakfast, and Janelle got her real estate license in Las Vegas, though that hasn’t seemed to be the best money-maker for the family.
The family’s financial woes are a common thread on the show. Part of the problem is Kody’s desire to keep moving without considering the financial risk or planning. The family built semi-custom homes in Las Vegas, Nevada, but only stayed there for a few years before picking up and moving to Flagstaff, Arizona. They dropped over $800,000 on a plot of land to build a shared house on. But with their Vegas homes not selling, the expense of renting four different homes, and the wives not getting along with each other or with Kody, that plot of land has sat empty for years.
Janelle worked outside the home since season one, running a business called E Z Pantry, which was involved in the food storage industry. After the move to Las Vegas, Janelle got her Nevada real estate license, but not much seemed to come from that. The family continued struggling financially. She tried to handle the selling of the families’ houses when they moved to Arizona, but her Nevada license expired before the properties sold and Kody had to hire another agent to eventually get the houses sold. Since it is entirely up to Kody when and where the family moves, and he seems to want to move often, real estate is not an easy career choice, as you have to study, take exams, and pay licensing fees in each state.
Janelle now has an online career more conducive to moving frequently. She became a certified health coach and started Strive With Janelle, an online coaching company. She uses it to sell merchandise and products from Plexus, an MLM health and weightloss brand. She also partnered with FabFitFun, a subscription box featuring health and beauty products, and promotes them on her social media. She is active on Twitter and Instagram with the same handle, @janellebrown117.
Janelle was born on May 6, 1969, making her 51 years old. Unlike many of her sister wives, Janelle didn’t come from a polygamous background. She was a mainstream Mormon, which is a religion that no longer practices polygamy. She was intrigued when she met Kody, who was looking for another wife for a "spiritual union." Janelle was married to Meri’s brother at the time, and may have started dating Kody while she was still married. In most families, this would be an awkward situation, but Janelle’s mother apparently encouraged it. Janelle’s mother also married Kody’s father, so the family dynamic is even more strange.
Life seems to be getting more and more miserable for the Brown family, but so far they have all dug in their heels, determined to cling to this polygamous lifestyle for as long as they can. Janelle is doing what she can to improve her own health and well-being while also supporting her family, who has already had to declare bankruptcy once. With Kody not doing anything to support his families, financially or otherwise, the responsibility falls on Janelle and her fellow wives.