Grit doesn’t always shout; sometimes it packs snacks, lays out a quilt by the mats, and shows up anyway. We sit down with jiu-jitsu competitor and young mom Jayden Alexander to trace a line from a leaky-roof gym in small-town Mississippi to a high-standard room at 10th Planet Atlanta—and the mindset that made that leap possible. Jayden’s story is raw and practical: training 24 hours a week, serving tables to fund the dream, and raising a four-year-old who knows the gym as home.

What stands out is her shift from emotion to analysis. With coaching from Sean Applegate, Jayden learned to strip away the drama of losing and study the film of her own choices—what worked, what didn’t, and why. That same lens steers her parenting and her schedule: decide, act, iterate. No waiting for perfect conditions; no excuses. She shares how systems make the impossible doable, from her daughter’s mat-side routine to boundaries that protect learning in a room built on respect. The result is a life that fits her goals rather than fights them.

We also get into tradeoffs, co-parenting across states, and the service industry grind that sharpened her patience. Jayden’s take on wants vs needs is no-nonsense, and her view on “manifesting” is grounded in sweat equity: show up as your best, serve others, and watch doors open. She tells the story of how one standout shift led to a job that now flexes around training and competition. Through it all, she treats certainty like a practice—something earned in reps, not granted by luck. If you’re chasing performance, balance, or simply a reason to stop complaining and start building, this conversation will meet you where you are and nudge you forward.

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Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff