Conversations with Jessenia Galvan-Lloyd

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessenia Galvan-Lloyd.

Hi Jessenia, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today. 
Even as a little girl, I was hyper-aware of suffering and injustice, both in my environment and in the world at large. And I made it, from a very early age, my mission to try to contribute to a better world. That mission has been my guiding light through my entire life. 

I went on a creative and healing journey that led me where I am today. I needed to heal from my own trauma and learn how to navigate my mental health. Along that journey, I gained so many tools that I began sharing as a life coach and a space holder. Simultaneously, I began writing a book of poetry. A chronicle of my own healing journey. I learned that by living out my own truth that inherently makes a positive impact. Like I always wanted. 

In September of 2023 I decided to finally take the leap and start my own podcast, One Wild Ride – the podcast on Spotify. A space where I could share little gems of wisdom that I’ve learned on this wild ride called life! It’s in that space that I am able to reach a larger audience and share stories, lessons, and tools that I hope bring some light into the world. 

I’m so grateful to be living my childhood dream and being able to help people while having the creative freedom to express myself. When I’m doing both of these things, that’s when I’m in my authentic power and feel like I’m contributing to a better world! 

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Some of my biggest struggles have been internal. I had to overcome the limitations that I was putting on myself. I used to tell myself that I had to be running a thriving business in order to give my creativity the attention it’s so desperately craved. I always put my creativity on the back burner, which only made my soul suffer. 

Last year, me and my partner moved to the California desert. We uprooted our lives for a work opportunity, and two and a half weeks into the job, we were let go. It felt like we lost everything. We were away from our family and friends, and now, without those jobs, we had to figure out how to survive quickly. 

It was in those lows that I was reminded how vital creativity is to my existence. Creativity became my life raft. I was confronted by the fact that I was stifling my own creativity because of self-imposed limitations. I had to set myself free! 

I began giving my creativity the attention it deserved. I started my weekly podcast; I hosted my first writer’s workshop called Vibe & Flow, and I continued working on my upcoming debut book of poetry, Bloom Babygirl! 

In that low of being completely lost, I found my creativity, and, in the process, I found myself again. 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Everything I do, whether it’s my life coaching, hosting events, writing and performing my poetry, or creating my podcast, I always intend to shine light in what can feel like a dark world. 

I’m proud of many things. I’m proud of my consistency in my projects. I didn’t think this book would take me over 4 years to write, but I sure am proud that I’ve stayed the course because it has been a dream come true to watch it come to life. 

I hesitated committing to a weekly podcast because I didn’t know if I could show up consistently. But I continue to prove to myself that even when things are hard, I show up to what is most important to me! And that fills me with a lot of pride. I’m proud of the lives that I have helped change through my life coaching. Seeing my clients have breakthroughs, heal, and move forward on their dreams brings me so much satisfaction. 

But most of all, I’m proud of who I’ve become on this journey and the way that I have trained myself to show up even when facing the toughest obstacles. My younger self, that little girl with such big dreams, would be so proud! 

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
My networking advice is to be yourself and honor your word. When you are being your true self that is your filtration system. You will naturally attract like-minded people and repel the ones that aren’t for you. It can feel like you need to wear a mask, but it really saves so much time to just be you. And when you say you’re going to do something, follow through. Do your best at all times so that people know that you are in integrity and that they can trust you. The rest will fall into place! 

Contact Info:

• Website: JNGLSOUL.com
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zQ35mFmKQRgnxzxLWDsM0?si=ZlJ3KcinRR-dS2UDaixNQA
• Other: https://www.jnglsoul.com/my-podcast

Image Credits
Sheri Sue