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

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.