MINNEAPOLIS — Ari Jackson has always had a hard time sitting still. Even as a teenager, she was determined to carve her own path.
"At 17 or 18, I worked for Lamborghini. Then, I got into the event space, doing marketing for big corporations and conferences, a lot of freelance work," Ari recalls.
But that was just the beginning.
Over the years, Ari wore many hats. After taking a gap year, she attended Nova Southeastern University and earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing. But when her son, Aiden, was born, she decided to put nursing aside—just as the world was thrust into the chaos of the pandemic.
Undeterred, Ari returned to her roots in marketing, freelancing, and eventually taking on the role of COO for a marketing company in South Florida.
“That’s when Theo’s career really started to take off,” Ari says with a smile.
Theo, as in Theo Jackson, the Vikings safety, Ari’s husband.
Being married to an NFL player comes with its own set of expectations, but for Ari, it doesn’t define who she is.
“Yes, I’m Theo’s wife, but I can also be a COO, a great mom, and a business owner. The ‘and’ is not an option,” she explains with determination.
But the life of an NFL wife isn’t all glitz and glamor. The Jacksons split their time between Minnesota and South Florida, and Ari finds herself on a plane once—or twice—every week.
Eventually, the constant travel, work pressure, and the demands of motherhood started to take a toll.
“I started having anxiety attacks. My body started to shut down. My son started misbehaving at school,” Ari admits.
That was the moment Ari realized something had to give.
“I realized I was juggling so much—I was a single mom during the season, juggling my career, and being there for Theo. It was all just too much,” she says. “It got to a point where I had to take a backseat, and that was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make.”
So, Ari stepped down as COO and took a break to focus on her family, dedicating herself to being a mom and wife for a few months. But, of course, she wasn’t done yet.
When the time was right, Ari returned to her marketing roots, founding her own company, Novelist Muse, a consulting agency.
But she didn’t stop there. She also became the marketing chair of Women of the NFL, an organization that brings together women from NFL families to share experiences and support one another.
“There’s no resources. There’s no community. There’s so many misconceptions about NFL wives," she says. "But with Women of the NFL, I felt like I found a group of women who understood what we go through—the moving, the constant changes, and starting over in a new city every season.”
Ari’s resume just kept growing. Recently, she added Executive Marketing Director at Set Media, a lifestyle sports magazine, to her impressive list of titles. Oh, and did we mention she’s seven months pregnant?
“There’s a lot going on with the Jackson family right now, specifically with me, but I feel like they’re all blessings from the start,” Ari reflects..
Though Ari decided to step back from some of her career ambitions to focus on family, that doesn't mean she's doing it alone.
Theo has been an unwavering source of support throughout their journey.
“I know that, no matter what, I will have you,” Theo has told Ari. “No matter what you go through, no matter if it fails, no matter if you’re stressed out, I will always be here.”
And with that support, Ari keeps pushing herself to new heights.
Despite putting her career in the passenger seat for a while, Ari Jackson is very much still in the driver’s seat when it comes to her ambitions. Through it all, she’s found a way to balance family, career, and self, never compromising on the pursuit of her passions—on her terms.