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From the Ground Up: Building a Dream House —and a Beautiful Life— through Grit and Grace

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Popular social media star Noell Jett shares the unbelievable story behind her beautiful 3,700-square foot custom farmhouse--built by hand and savvy influencer marketing--and the key strategies she learned while overcoming a difficult past.

Growing up with seven people in a small house that was missing windowpanes and had only a small fireplace to fight the bitter cold of Missouri winters, Jett and her siblings learned how to survive at an early age. As a young adult, Noell struggled to find her footing both personally and financially, becoming a single mother without much support. But then she met and married Daniel, who shared her dream of building a farmhouse on a budget. It was a task that seemed daunting, relying only on their own sweat and labor, until Noell started an Instagram account that grew to more than 365,000 followers and then a TikTok account that now has more than 2.7 million followers. Through those accounts she forged sponsorships that provided them with over $500,000 in materials and allowed them to build their dream home in St. Augustine, Florida.

In From the Ground Up, Noell shares the inside story behind their farmhouse and delivers a compelling vision for people who want to discover how to overcome their pasts and achieve their own dreams.    

256 pages, Hardcover

First published March 8, 2022

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Noell Jett

2 books6 followers

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5 stars
34 (30%)
4 stars
37 (33%)
3 stars
30 (27%)
2 stars
6 (5%)
1 star
4 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
Profile Image for Dea.
178 reviews760 followers
arc
March 10, 2024
I've followed Noell on Instagram for a while so found it really compelling to learn the full story of her journey to building her dream home (and life). I appreciated her openness, honesty, and vulnerability in sharing all the ups and downs and behind the scenes struggles. Overall an interesting read and a good reminder that what we see of anyone's life on social media is a carefully curated highlight reel rather than reality.
Profile Image for Mary Jackson _TheMaryReader.
1,768 reviews210 followers
May 20, 2022
This was so raw and open and honest. It was like talking with a close friend. Jett shares all her ups and downs. It's a positive book. One that just lets you know you can overcome and grace is there for you too.
This is a 4 star read and one you will go back to again and again.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are our own.
Profile Image for Meagan | The Chapter House.
2,091 reviews46 followers
April 9, 2022
This was a surprisingly quick read, one I completed in just a couple hours. And how fun that Jett cowrote this with Melissa Ferguson--an author I really enjoy and whose inspy-fic books I am always on the lookout for! (If you haven't checked out The Cul-de-Sac War or Meet Me in the Margins, may I suggest you do so right meow? :D #ifyouknowyouknow)

Jett has _quite_ a life story, and her journey is frankly what stood out to me the most in the read. I particularly appreciated that she made a point of reading Scripture for herself and seeing with her own eyes what authentic Christianity really is...and how her growing-up years unfortunately were wildly different. Heartbreaking.

Her family's journey to homeownership, building their own home, and the incorporation of social media was also fascinating. The struggles were, and are, very real, and her blunt honesty was refreshing--a view behind the curtain, as it were, reminding me that "not all that glitters is gold" (because, yes, I have to insert a Tolkien quote in everything). :) What we see on social media is carefully curated and not always reality.

I will note, there was some talk of "being one's best self"--a phrase I'll admit I'm not wild about. But that aside, the book was informative, inspirational, and encouraging, and I'd revisit it down the line.

4/5 stars.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Kristina B. NovelBoundBliss.
80 reviews12 followers
Read
May 13, 2022
From the Ground Up | Noell Jett

This beautiful copy was gifted from @uplit and I was so thankful to be chosen for this campaign!

Honesty time, I had not previously heard of @jettsetfarm prior to this. I went into her story completely blind. I closed that book as a new fan!

In this story Noell gives us a deep look at her real life story. An unfiltered story about her upbringing, scraping to save and living in a camper. All of her grinding to balance family, building a home with their bare hands and creating a social media presence with millions of followers. She’s truly inspiring. I say that knowing where she came from, what her story is and how hard she worked to make her dreams a reality!

My biggest takeaways from this book were to remember, everyone has a story. We all have baggage, hurt, peaks and valleys that made us who we are. So be kind, life one another up and do what makes you happy!
Profile Image for Andrea (Chicagobooklover).
368 reviews5 followers
June 6, 2022
For the past year or so I have been slowly starting to work on small projects around the house and have become fascinated with DIYers on Instagram!

Because of this, I had heard of Jett and her family but only knew what I saw on social media. This book gives us an unfiltered look at her upbringing, from the cult that she was born into, scraping by with barely nothing, until she was able to leave and start her own life. From there we are taken behind the curtain of her beautiful 3,700 square foot farmhouse that Jett and her husband built by hand and the use of social media marketing and strategies learned along the way in order to capture their dreams!

This book is a refreshing read and a great reminder that everyone has a story. We all have baggage and experiences that make us who we are. So be kind!

For a fun bonus you can follow along with Jett and her family at @jettsetfarmhouse 🙂
Profile Image for D.
522 reviews26 followers
February 20, 2022
"From the Ground Up" is an interesting, informative, and quite fascinating book about a woman who overcame a difficult girlhood to become a strong, resourceful, and independent woman. Noell Jett suggests that would-be successful bloggers and influencers need to educate, inspire, and/or entertain. She has certainly done all three in this book as an author. Of course, she also was especially perceptive and rather lucky to have become involved in the farmhouse renovation/building and decorating trend at the right time and in her own way fostered its success. You will find this a pleasant read. XOXOXOs to Noell for sharing her personal story:)

Note: This review is based on a copy received through goodreads.com.
Profile Image for Lori Taylor.
11 reviews
January 20, 2023
A friend gave me this book to read. She thought I’d like it because I enjoy projects and tackling things around the house. I liked this for more reasons than I expected. Noelle Jett shows a lot of grit. I can relate to her childhood - while my family wasn’t poor to the degree her family was, we pinched every penny and sometimes went without the basics. I know the anxiety that comes when you’re financial stability is quite unstable. This drove me in life, much like it drove Joelle. She succinctly shares stories of life’s realities and ways she moved past seemingly insurmountable obstacles using all she’s learned along the way. I like the summary of questions at the end of the book to help with personal evaluation. Oh! and I learned a lot about social media and what to do to put oneself out there.
Profile Image for Patricia.
124 reviews1 follower
March 12, 2022
This was a fun read! I knew nothing why the author before reading this book and now I'm a fan, so success lol.. Seriously though, the way the book was written I felt like I was sitting down for drinks with a new friend . The time was light and casual and still managed to teach me several things and intrigue me in many other levels to.
Profile Image for Melanie.
8 reviews
August 1, 2022
I enjoyed this book. In my opinion it is more of a “how to succeed in social media” rather than “my story” type of book. Granted, social media is what helped her and her family get to where they are at, but there is just a lot of succeeding in social media talk. I loved the life stories, advice, and talking about how Noell brought herself to where she is today not only physically but mentally. I would definitely recommend this book to another!
Profile Image for Kristen Claiborn.
686 reviews4 followers
April 13, 2022
Back before I actually owned and lived in a house, I was obsessed with any show on HGTV. I almost always had my TV tuned into that channel, dreaming of what I would do when I owned my own home someday. I gathered inspiration for what I wanted my rooms to look like, and I discovered I absolutely can’t stand shiplap. However, I didn’t have a house…so it was a moot point. When I finally got into a free-standing home of my own, I struggled with the motivation to get anything done because it seemed so overwhelming…and impossibly expensive. After three years, I’ve still only managed to get one room taken care of.
This book helped me to realize I’m not the only one who sees any home project as an insurmountable obstacle. It seems to happen to all of us. I found myself intrigued by how she managed to “finance” her home-building project. I suppose on many levels I was aware that influencers trade exposure on social media platforms for free products. I, too, receive free things in exchange for reviews….many of us do that. I just didn’t realize the amounts are far greater than I ever thought possible. Noell Jett got my wheels turning.
I found this book to be an easy read. While I had some issues (minor) with the organization, it’s well-written and flows pretty well. At many points while reading, I felt like I was sitting across a patio table, enjoying an afternoon conversation with somebody who I could call a friend. I was impressed that Jett was able to make me feel that comfortable with her story, even the uncomfortable parts. I was truly impressed with both her story…and this book. Definitely give this one a shot.
Profile Image for Nikki.
485 reviews43 followers
June 3, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed 𝑭𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑮𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝑼𝒑 𝐵𝑢𝑖𝑙𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎 𝐷𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚 𝐻𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑒-𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎 𝐵𝑒𝑎𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝐿𝑖𝑓𝑒-𝑇ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝐺𝑟𝑖𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐺𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑒 by well-known influencer, 𝑁𝑜𝑒𝑙𝑙 𝐽𝑒𝑡𝑡. Thank you so much to @uplitreads and @jettset for #gifting me a copy of this beautiful book and for including me in this campaign tour.

This book reads as part autobiography of Noell’s life and the hardships that she’s overcome; part motivational/life advice when it comes to taking a leap of faith regardless of what may be holding you back; part how-to/DIY regarding navigating and utilizing social media marketing as a career path, and how she used it to create the home of her dreams from scratch.

📸 “𝐼𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑎 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑, 𝑑𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑙𝑒𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘.”

| 𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤 |

I was fascinated from the start of this book, as Noell shared her difficult upbringing and how she had to break down the barriers that held her back so as to make way for personal growth and happiness. I also loved learning about her tips and tricks for utilizing social media and finding collaborations to build her 3,700 sq. ft. Farmhouse, which she and her husband did literally from the ground up. Being a bookstagrammer, I personally found her chapters regarding social media to be super relatable. She shares insightful advice on how to navigate the ever changing world of social media, how to use it as a tool that works for you, and what to do when it starts to feel discouraging or overwhelming. I found the overall message of the book to be one of resilience, persistence and that regardless of your history or story, everyone deserves to find their happiness.
Profile Image for Michelle Kidwell.
Author 36 books85 followers
February 5, 2023
From the Ground Up
Building a Dream House---and a Beautiful Life---through Grit and Grace
by Noell Jett
Pub Date 08 Mar 2022
Nelson Books, Thomas Nelson
Christian



I am reviewing a copy of From the Ground Up Through Nelson Books, Thomas Nelson and Netgalley:


Noell Jett's home was built by hand, built to last.


From the Ground Up is a great idea that the best dreams start with love.


Noell's home is more than a a farmhouse. It’s a testament to overcoming challenges, working side by side with those you love, and learning to say yes to your dreams again and again, even when the world says no.


Noell Jett knows what it is to struggle, to work hard simply to survive, she grew up in poverty in a family with extremist religious beliefs. When she married Daniel and they began a family together, she discovered the joy of working hard to achieve her dreams.



From the Ground Up shares the unbelievable story behind her 3,700-square foot custom farmhouse built by hand and savvy influencer marketing and the key strategies she learned about never giving up. With beautiful photos, reflections questions, and Noell’s trademark DIY tips, From the Ground Up offers a vision for living beyond the confines of your past, inspiration for home renovation on a budget, tricks to make influencer marketing work for you,
spiritual insight into finding true freedom, and encouragement to take that life-changing leap of faith.


From the Ground Up is a powerful reminder that following your passion is worth a few sacrifices along the way. After all, some dreams are worth giving it all you’ve got. Why not follow yours?


I give From the Ground Up Five out of five Stars!


Happy Reading!
Profile Image for Sarah Carper.
549 reviews13 followers
February 18, 2023
Scrolling through the comments on Noell Jett’s social media, it’s hard to ignore the comments of people who are jealous of her lifestyle and criticizing her for doing things the way she does. She lives, what looks to be, a dream life to many people. But we often forget that there’s more to a person’s story than what we see on social media. Her book was very eyeopening to the struggles that she has faced in her life.

From the Ground Up is more than just a book about how to build a farmhouse. In fact, she and her husband wrote a book together that looks to fit that more. This book is a memoir of her life and she does an incredible job at sharing her journey through life. While her life may look perfectly curated online, her life has been anything but that. In fact, I have so much more respect for her than I did prior to reading this book. To read about the situations she was in as a child, to hard life lessons she had to learn as a young adult, to the struggles she still faces as an adult, it truly is heartbreaking. Yet, so motivating and encouraging to see what she has been able to do in her life.

I listened to the audiobook and I’m glad I did. As always, there’s much more power to her words when she is reading it out loud, than if I was reading the words on the page.

Whether you are wanting to build a farmhouse of your own, start your own social media page, or just want to thrive in your own life, there’s absolutely something in this book for you!
Profile Image for Jasmine.
22 reviews1 follower
December 19, 2023
I had not heard of Noel Jett before, but the title and cover caught my interest and it was a genre that I find myself often gravitating towards. It is of a memoir style, and towards the latter half of the book, it also has advice on how to build a social platform, which kind of took me by surprise, as it’s not really represented in the title at all. Maybe an existing fan of Noell would see that connection quicker than I did, but it was a little out of nowhere for the topic and title as a newbie to this author. I will be honest, I wasn’t drawn in—the style of writing and message. There was a part about a small group (pod) of Instagram women she had done like for like or similar style to boost engagement, and then there was a falling out. Sounds like a lot of hurt still present from how I read this (again, a newbie to this author and her style) but maybe that’s the “grit and grace” aspect? I don’t know, I understand everyone gets hurt, social media is easy to fall into that hole too (people are people, online and offline) but it wasn’t uplifting to me. It left me with a sour note that I couldn’t quite reconcile and that’s why it didn’t get a high rating from me.
Profile Image for Erica WhimsicalyMe .
289 reviews10 followers
May 31, 2022
✨Book Feature & Review ✨

First I’d like to thank @uplitreads and @noelljett @jettsetfarmhouse for my copy of From the Ground Up to review!! I follow Noell on TikTok and adore her videos so much.

I don’t do a lot of nonfiction reviews because I think it’s so hard to critique someone’s personal story, but I made the exception for this one and I’m so glad I did.

In a time when everything feels heavy and so hard this book was inspiring. It spoke about hard work and perseverance. Building a home and using social media to source the products to make her family’s dreams come true is both brilliant and amazing.

There are gems of information and wonderful quotes throughout this book. I am sure it’s one I will read again because in a world that feels like too much this book made me lighter. I felt hope and I can’t be anything but thankful for every ounce of hope I get!!!

If you need to infuse your life with inspiration and feel like you can overcome anything with “grit and grace” then grab your copy of From the Ground Up today!

Profile Image for Kayla Willis.
248 reviews10 followers
June 12, 2022
From The Ground Up
By: Noell Jett with Melissa Ferguson

I just want to say @jettsetfarmhouse the strength you have is amazing! Born in raised in a small Missouri town, Noell knows poverty. I can't fathom what it was like growing up the way she did and have the strength to make more for herself and her family.

Noell and her husband became Insta famous while building their own very large home from the ground up themselves! All with little children and regular jobs and a normal life.

While reading this book so many passages were highlighted as they spoke to me and I'm not one to write in books. Noell gives amazing advice as a parent, as a wife and as a Christian. She also touches on a few tips on some does and don't to becomes an influencer but that was the least I took from this book.

This book is such an encouragement - not to become an influencer as that's not what this is about - but about picking yourself up and being your best self "through grit and grace" 💜

Thank you @jettsetfarmhouse
& @uplitreads for a copy of this beautiful book 🤍
Profile Image for Jane Dennish.
1,537 reviews12 followers
June 2, 2022
I knew nothing about Noell Jett before reading this book, but it lead me to her Instagram page, which is filled with videos that show you how to clean household items. I found it extremely satisfying to watch and informative. I will not be going on a cleaning spree!

Now to the book, which I am rounding up to 3.5 stars. There were parts I struggled with. It jumped around a lot in terms of timeline. I was able to figure it out. It started out in chronological order and then felt like it jumped to topics. I feel like it should have done one or the other, not both. But I enjoyed reading it and it was a really fast read.

Noelle's life experiences are very interesting. She has definitely struggled, but used those struggles to push her to success. I appreciated her candid commentary on her childhood. I also enjoyed the parts that talked about social media, especially since I am trying to find my way through Bookstagram. That made it very relatable to me!

Thanks so much to Uplit Reads for a gifted copy of this book!
Profile Image for LESLIE J (mrsj_readsbooks).
984 reviews31 followers
May 16, 2022
I’ll admit to not knowing much about Noell Jett but I was intrigued when I read the book synopsis. This is a very quick read and details Noell’s journey from poverty to social media star. It has a very positive and uplifting message which is much needed in todays world. She also includes tips for how to go about building your brand. It was very refreshing to see how she navigated the naysayers and trolls on Instagram. "So try your best to ignore the trolls who stumble onto your page. More importantly, recognize what it says about their lives....Anyone who has that kind of time on their hands to mock me, well, it tells me everything I need to know about their lives."

You be you and chase your dreams. What a powerful concept. Thank you Noell!

The included photos of the finished build were absolutely stunning.

Thank you to @uplit and @jettsetfarm for including me in this book tour.
Profile Image for Charlotte.
102 reviews
April 3, 2022
I love watching the Jett’s on TikTok and when I found out she wrote a book I got excited. My husband and I have always wanted to build a house but we had no idea how much love and patience it took. This book has given me courage and excitement to have a little faith and just put our heart into whatever projects we do.
1 review
May 2, 2022
I really enjoyed this book

It's a quick, honest, and inspiring book that gives you a lot to think about in your own life without feeling/being "preachy". I admire Noell and her family. Everyone will likely see parts of themselves in this book, or parts they would like to see. I highly recommend this book.
Profile Image for On_a_sandbar (Carol).
391 reviews13 followers
May 13, 2022
From the Ground Up: Building a Dream House - and a Beautiful Life - Through Grit and Grace
by Noell Jett

Instagram influencer Noell Jett explains her journey from living in poverty in a strictly religious household to becoming successful in her life, marriage, family, business and building their dream home. It didn’t happen overnight and there were many challenges. This inspirational book explains that through hard work and hope dreams really can come true. I think many readers will find encouragement and motivation by reading Noell’s story.

Pub date 5/8/2022 Out now!
Profile Image for Jody.
335 reviews48 followers
June 3, 2022
This is an amazing book not just about design but about the struggles of Noell’s life along the way and how she literally worked with her bare hands to make her dreams a reality all while balancing family. As her Instagram and Tik Tok blew up, she has used the platforms to help others realize their dreams! For me this book is an absolute ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars!!
Profile Image for Kate Nack.
170 reviews10 followers
December 28, 2022
This was a quick read, and I’m definitely interested in learning more about Noell Jett. I’ve started following her on IG. If you are looking to get started in the social media influencer world, this books seemed to offer several helpful and actionable tips. I found the memoir aspects of the book more interesting. It does include heavy topics of abuse and cults.
Profile Image for Ginger Hudock.
320 reviews21 followers
March 16, 2022
This book is a memoir by a Instagram designer. It also includes advice on how to start an Instagram page. I read this book after I read Designed to Last which was another similar memoir. From the Ground Up was not as good of a book. The writing was not great and the story did not really stick together for me. If you are already a follower of Jett on social media it might be of interest, though. It would have been helped with having photos of Jett's house and designs.
I received a complementary copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Pip.
111 reviews1 follower
March 20, 2022
One part memoir, one part how-to manual, Noell Jett brings us an honest and intimate look into her life journey, and how she became a social media maven. A really compelling and inspiring read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy!
Profile Image for Dawn McGill Dalrymple.
1,486 reviews47 followers
May 31, 2022
I'm not a big non fiction reader but enjoyed this one. Growing up poor Noell definitely learned a lot about life real fast! Through hard work and dedication she overcame her rough childhood and is thriving! Very inspiring read!
Profile Image for Liliya.
552 reviews12 followers
November 4, 2024
Audiobook

Scant on life details and all the home building details are told through the lens of social media. This whole book is a how to on social media influencing. I think the info is good albeit not the most unique. I am not interested in social media so not the book for me.
14 reviews1 follower
April 8, 2022
I love how she gave design top and also gave tip of how to grow your business/ social media. I like how she also taked about her relgouis extremest family
Profile Image for ellis!.
81 reviews
April 16, 2022
not my typical book, but very much needed! since the beginning I had always been enamored with the idea of building a farmhouse like Noell. although farmhouses aren’t really my style, she made the process direct and was able to build a beautiful home.

I’m so glad she was able to share it with all of us!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews