The Jess Berry Podcast: Stories of Resilience, Leadership & Overcoming Adversity

How do you heal from childhood trauma, break free from survival mode, and rebuild your confidence after life's hardest moments?

In this powerful episode, I sit down with trauma-informed coach, author, speaker, and founder of Moyo Wellness Therapy, Vivian Moyo, to explore what it really takes to heal emotionally and create a life rooted in self-worth rather than survival.

Vivian shares her personal journey of overcoming childhood trauma, the inspiration behind her book The Invisible Girl: Breaking the Silence of Trauma, and the practical tools she now teaches to help others regulate their nervous systems, build emotional resilience, and rediscover their identity.

Whether you're a leader navigating pressure, an entrepreneur facing burnout, or someone committed to personal growth and self-development, this conversation offers practical insights and hope for anyone ready to move from merely surviving to truly thriving.

In this episode, you'll learn:• How childhood trauma influences adult relationships, leadership, and decision-making• The signs you're living in survival mode—and how to break free• Why nervous system regulation is essential for emotional resilience• How to rebuild self-confidence and self-worth after adversity• Practical steps to begin your healing journey• How healing yourself can transform the way you lead, live, and serve others

If you're passionate about leadership, mindset, emotional intelligence, resilience, mental wellness, and personal development, this episode is for you.

Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs encouragement today.

Connect with Vivian Moyo:

• Website: https://moyowellnesstherapy.com

• Book — The Invisible Girl: Breaking the Silence of Trauma: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0GW872QG7

• Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/76edyttlLES02qLHBdHrTH

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vivianmoyowellness

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MoyoWellnessTherapy

• Email: [email protected]

Can Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu be a tool for healing? In this resilience podcast interview, BJJ black belt and Netflix fight coordinator Ashley Laiko shares how jiu-jitsu became part of her own healing journey, and how it helps abuse survivors build confidence, strength, and resilience.

If you're a woman who wants to try martial arts but feels intimidated by a male-dominated gym, this one's for you. As a fellow BJJ practitioner and fighter, I loved getting real with Ashley about the challenges women face in the BJJ community and what it takes to create safer, more inclusive spaces for women and children.

Ashley has more than 13 years of competition experience and is passionate about empowering survivors through martial arts and making the mat a safer place for everyone.

In this episode:

• How Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu supports healing after abuse

• Building confidence and resilience on and off the mat

• The challenges women face in a male-dominated sport

• Where to start if martial arts feels intimidating

• Creating safer, more inclusive gyms for women and kids

Connect with Ashley:https://www.instagram.com/ashley_laiko

If you or someone you love is experiencing abuse, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is free, confidential, and available 24/7: call 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788.

Have you ever felt alone after leaving the military? In this resilience podcast interview, USMC veteran Jmach, founder and host of the Jmach Podcast, opens up about his own struggles after military service and how he's building a place where veterans can be heard, understood, and supported.

Transitioning out of the military brings challenges most people never see. As a fellow veteran, I know that firsthand. Jmach and I talk about what it takes to find community, open up about the hard stuff, and lead others through it, so no veteran has to face life after the uniform alone.

This is a conversation about emotional resilience, vulnerability, connection, and the courage it takes to ask for support.

In this episode:

• The hidden struggles of military-to-civilian transition

• Why isolation hits so many veterans after service

• How Jmach turned his own experience into a platform for others

• What real community and connection look like for veterans

Connect with Jmach:

YouTube: youtube.com/@jmachpodcast

Instagram: instagram.com/jmachpodcast

Website: jmachpodcast.org

What does it really take to move from simply surviving to truly thriving—and to build a life rooted in a strong sense of identity and wholeness?

In this episode, we sit down with Sara Kelsey to talk about navigating the hard seasons of life, including the challenges of chronic illness, sobriety, parenting, and the physical and spiritual work of becoming stronger. Sara shares how these experiences have shaped her resilience, strengthened her faith, and helped her discover an inner strength she didn’t always know she had.

We’ll explore what it looks like to rebuild yourself when life gets difficult, how strength training can shape more than just your body, and how writing and storytelling can help us make sense of our experiences and connect more deeply with who we are.

Sara Kelsey is the founder of Booked By Sara, where she helps entrepreneurs and leaders share meaningful stories through podcast and media opportunities. Her work is deeply shaped by lived experience, resilience, and faith.

Connect with Sara:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarafitover40?stkn=YW8wODF2NnpkYWI4

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-kelsey-35a472b1/

What if the discomfort you feel as a leader isn’t a problem—but an opportunity?

Have you ever found yourself questioning your leadership, feeling uncomfortable with the responsibility, or wondering how you’re supposed to take the next step? What if you could take that discomfort and turn it into something powerful?

This week, we sit down with Sasha R. Simmons, a leadership keynote speaker, writer, and founder of Witavation™, to explore a different way of thinking about leadership, growth, and transformation.

With more than 13 years of experience in communications, leadership development, and organizational strategy, Sasha knows what it takes to connect people, purpose, and performance. In this conversation, she shares what Witavation™ is, why discomfort can be an important part of becoming a better leader, and how we can learn to use those challenging moments to create meaningful growth.

Whether you’re leading a company, leading a team, stepping into a leadership role, or simply trying to become a better version of yourself, this episode will give you a fresh perspective on what it really means to lead.

So, are you ready to get uncomfortable?

Connect with Sasha: http://witavation.com

Who are you when the mission that defined you is over?

Have you ever faced a crisis of identity after a major life change — a divorce, a career ending, a role you built your whole life around suddenly gone? Maybe you've struggled to figure out who you are, where you fit, or what comes next.

In this episode of the Jess Berry Podcast, I sit down with Richard Mulder — former Army Captain, West Point graduate, and combat veteran of Afghanistan — to talk about what it really takes to rebuild your identity after military transition and civilian reintegration.

Richard opens up about the disorientation of leaving a career that gave him structure, purpose, and rank — and how that loss of identity became the foundation for the next chapter of his life. Today he's an author, entrepreneur, and founder of Apricus Coaching Initiative, where he helps veterans and high-performers navigate major life transitions and rediscover their direction.

Whether you're a veteran facing life after service, a high-achieving man in the middle of your own identity crisis, or someone who wants to be ready before the next transition hits, this conversation offers real insight into identity, purpose, and what it means to lead yourself through change.

In this episode:

• Why leaving the military can trigger an identity crisis even after a "successful" career
• The hidden cost of high performance and self-abandonment
• How Richard rebuilt purpose after Afghanistan and West Point
• Practical steps for navigating any major life transition — divorce, career loss, retirement
• Why identity work is different from just "moving on"

Connect with Richard Mulder:
Website: https://apricuscoaching.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/_richmulder

Subscribe to the Jess Berry Podcast for more conversations on identity, healing, and leading yourself through transition.

Can adversity become the foundation for extraordinary leadership?

In this powerful episode, leadership coach and self-mastery expert Princeton Clark shares how overcoming childhood trauma and personal adversity led him on a lifelong pursuit of inner mastery. As the founder of Evolved Mastery, Princeton has spent more than 20 years helping entrepreneurs and high performers master their mindset, emotional intelligence, and energy so they can lead with greater purpose and impact.

Together, we explore the difference between simply performing for success and truly embodying authentic leadership. Princeton also unpacks the psychology behind faith versus fear, how limiting beliefs shape our reality, and why healing from the inside out is essential for building a meaningful legacy.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, executive, veteran, coach, or someone navigating personal growth, this conversation offers practical wisdom on resilience, emotional mastery, leadership development, and transforming adversity into purpose.

In this episode you'll learn:

• How to overcome trauma without allowing it to define your identity

• The difference between external success and internal embodiment

• Why faith and fear cannot coexist—and how belief shapes your future

• How emotional mastery creates better leaders, relationships, and businesses

• Practical strategies for leading yourself before leading others

If you're ready to stop surviving and start leading from your highest self, this episode is for you.

Connect with Princeton:

evolvedmastery.com

www.instagram.com/princetonclaark

Rock bottom can break you — or it can forge the discipline that changes your life.

In this episode of The Jess Berry Podcast, I sit down with police officer and entrepreneur Daniel Jurkowitcsch to talk about adversity, accountability, and what it really takes to rebuild after a dark chapter. After the failure of his first business led him into a period of alcoholism and unhealthy habits, Daniel made a powerful decision: he wasn’t going to stay there.

Instead, he rebuilt his life through discipline, responsibility, and a renewed focus on family, purpose, and leadership. With over a decade of experience as a police officer and a passion for entrepreneurship and jiu jitsu, Daniel shares what he’s learned about resilience, growth, and becoming stronger through the hardest seasons of life.

This conversation is honest, grounded, and a reminder that the moments we think define us can actually become the foundation for who we choose to become next.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
• How Daniel rebuilt his life after the failure of his first business
• Insights on overcoming addiction and unhealthy habits
• Lessons from over 10 years in police work about pressure, people, and perspective
• How jiu jitsu and discipline shape mental resilience and character
• The challenge of balancing entrepreneurship, fatherhood, and a demanding career
• Why adversity can become a powerful catalyst for leadership and growth

If you're someone who has faced adversity and is committed to building a stronger, more disciplined life, this episode will meet you there.

Check out FlowSpaceMats: flowspacemats.com

Chris Avery is a husband, father, endurance runner, and faith-driven leader. In 2027, he and his family will travel the perimeter of the U.S. while he runs 50k a day for a year (Chris Runs America). His message is simple: daily obedience, not hustle, shapes the man you’re called to become. Chris challenges the idea that consistency comes from motivation or hustle. Using his 1,400+ day run streak as proof, he reframes consistency as a byproduct of alignment—when your daily actions match your identity, faith, and mission, showing up stops being a fight. Running became the forge where stress quieted, leadership sharpened, and clarity deepened—not the goal itself.

Key Insights:

• Alignment > motivation: consistency sticks when it’s identity-driven

• The “easy button” is simplicity—if you can do 1 aligned day, you can do 1,400

• Most people are doing too much; real progress comes from subtraction

• Your mission sets the rules—your lifestyle and responsibility follow

  
  

  🔗 Show Notes & Links

• Website: https://chrisrunsamerica.com

• Instagram (Coaching): https://www.instagram.com/chrisaverycoaching/

• Instagram (Chris Runs America): https://www.instagram.com/chrisrunsamerica

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chris.avery.9083/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-avery-coaching/

In this episode Jess Berry interviews Ulysses Lopez, a decorated U.S. Army combat veteran (2X Purple Heart) and co-founder of the AYA Mission, which focuses on expanding psychedelic therapy for veterans. Ulysses shares his journey from military service to advocating for mental health support through psychedelic therapy. He discusses the importance of community, personal transformation, and the healing power of nature. The conversation delves into Ulysses' experiences with jiu-jitsu, backpacking, and the significance of mindset in overcoming challenges. Ulysses emphasizes the need for vulnerability and connection in the healing process, offering insights into how individuals can navigate their own journeys toward wellness.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Ulysses Lopez and the AYA Mission

02:26 The Role of Psychedelic Therapy for Veterans

05:15 Real-Life Impact of the IAM Mission

08:03 Personal Transformation and Healing Journeys

10:44 The Importance of Mindset and Discipline

13:02 The Journey of Jiu-Jitsu and Personal Identity

16:02 Backpacking Adventures and Connection with Nature

18:32 The Power of Vulnerability and Community

21:17 Reflections on Childhood and Personal Growth

24:05 Closing Thoughts and Future Aspirations

https://theayamission.org/, https://mindopszenith.org/,

Facebook: The Aya Mission, Ulises Lopez Castaneda

Instagram: @theayamission, @sacredvibesbjj

LinkedIn: The Aya Mission, Ulises Lopez Castaneda