ABOUT US

Strategic Parenting was born from one big idea and decades of dedication.

It all started with Marko Juhant, a man with more than 40 years of hands-on work with families, and a belief that parenting should be practical, down-to-earth, and, most importantly, effective.

As a former special education teacher, school principal, and author of 16 best-selling parenting books, Marko became a trusted name in Slovenia because of his no-nonsense advice. His approach is refreshingly simple and rooted in something (sadly) rare these days: common sense, real understanding, and a commitment to setting firm, healthy boundaries.

In his workshops, home visits, and especially his summer camps, Marko saw something amazing happen time and again. With a few simple changes and a little consistency, kids who once pushed back started leaning in. They started listening. And parents who already gave up suddenly found their kids responding in ways they hadn’t thought possible. This was the work that gave him purpose, that defined him — and he loved every moment of it.

Then, in 2020, the world changed, and suddenly, so did everything about the way Marko could help. When the pandemic hit, it shut down all the usual, in-person ways of connecting. Families still needed support — if anything, they needed it more than ever — but the usual channels were off the table.

For Marko, stepping back wasn’t an option. Instead, he saw this as an opportunity.

He knew he had to adapt, and so, with the help of Spela Repovs and the Strategic Parenting team, he brought his decades of knowledge online, to this very website you’re on right now. And from that point on, our community just kept on expanding, with parents from around the world joining us to learn and connect.

And as Strategic Parenting grew, so did our network of top experts.

We teamed up with Deborah McPhilemy, an award-winning author and Master Certifying Trainer of Emotional Intelligence, who shared her expertise in helping families understand and manage their emotions. We worked with Elaine Taylor-Klaus and Diane Dempster, leading voices in ADHD parenting who deeply understand how to support families through the ups and downs of raising kids with ADHD. Soon after, Jennifer Kolari, a child and family therapist with over 30 years of experience, joined us to help families build strong, lasting connections.

In April 2024, we hosted the Empowered Parents Summit, our first large-scale virtual event. 

This was a milestone moment for us. We brought together Dr. Shefali Tsabary, Tia Slightham, Dr. Vanessa Lapointe, and 45 other experts to cover topics that today’s parents care about most — children’s mental health, screen time and tech addiction, school struggles, and yes, finding ways to take care of yourself too. 

When over 57,000 parents signed up, with a reach of 3.2 million on social media, it became clear that parents everywhere were looking for this kind of connection and guidance.

And with such an incredible response, we knew we had to keep going.

Just a few months later, in September, we launched the ADHD Parenting Summit. We gathered some of the most trusted names in the field, like Dr. Ed Hallowell, Dr. Robert Brooks, and Dayna Abraham. Over 78,000 parents joined us, many feeling worn out from trying everything they could think of to help their kids. 

We were overwhelmed by the positive feedback. Parents told us they finally felt heard. They expressed relief at finding a community that gets it. Families were finding small, steady changes that made a difference they could see and feel right away. It really opened our eyes to the fact that the summit is not just a space for learning, but also a space for finding hope and direction.

And all of this — the summits, e-books, courses, and every new resource we create — has been possible because of Spela Repovs. Since 2020, she’s been right by Marko’s side, bringing his practical strategies to the digital world. Spela’s dedication has ensured that Marko’s hands-on approach to parenting can reach families everywhere, right from their homes.

That’s really what Strategic Parenting is all about. 

We’re here to offer real, actionable support for the everyday challenges of raising kids — the kind of stuff that doesn’t always make it into the parenting books. Whether it’s getting them to actually listen (without resorting to yelling), keeping them motivated on the tough days, managing those inevitable meltdowns in the middle of the grocery store, or riding out the ups and downs of the teenage years when they start pushing boundaries.

Our goal is to give you the support and understanding you need to help your kids grow into the happy, capable individuals they’re meant to be. We know that with a bit of guidance everyone can create the home and connection they want for their kids.