In this insightful interview, Jessika Jake, an experienced wellness coach and leadership strategist, shares her fascinating journey from biochemistry and instructional technology to becoming a transformative leader in wellness coaching. With a deep understanding of the connection between the mind and body, Jessika’s unique approach to neuro-positivity, leadership, and organizational wellness is redefining how individuals and teams achieve purpose-aligned impact. Through her work, she integrates practical strategies, humor, and playful energy to create healthier, more productive environments. Join us as we explore how Jessika empowers others to thrive by aligning their personal and professional lives.
How did your background in Biochemistry and Instructional Technology influence your transition into leadership and wellness coaching?
I love getting into the nitty gritty of things and biochemistry really helped me understand what was going on at the microscopic level. I’m the weirdo who loved Organic Chemistry. But I wasn’t one who wanted to go to medical school and be a doctor. I couldn’t picture it for myself. My love of science was truly academic in nature. I went on to teach MCAT classes in Princeton, for the Princeton Review, and loved doing that. When I got divorced I moved to NY and my dad gave me a voucher to take a course at NYIT. I couldn’t believe what computers could do “these days” and decided I want to teach tech.
It took a while, but I did get my MS in Instructional Technology. My goal was to be a corporate trainer. However, in the process of getting my degree I had learned Flash, and people kept hiring me to make websites for them. I ended up working at NBC Universal at 30 Rock for several years as a web producer. I had also fallen in love with video editing and was trying to find a job doing that. It just wasn’t happening. Out of nowhere someone hit me up for a project management job. Frustrated, I said “This is what people want from me?” posted my resume for PM, and the next day I received an inquiry from someone who would ultimately hire me as a project manager. It’s funny because there I was in despair, throwing my hands up to sell out and be a PM, and in the interview for the position I was met with “Oh, yes, I can see how project management is the next logical step for your career.”
That job was amazing and my boss there is still a friend to this day. But other places I ended up working at were a different story. I got into wellness because I needed wellness for myself! It started with wrist pain actually. That led to RistRoller.com. And then, once we were surrounded by people in the wellness space, I wanted to jump in and be a part of that too!
Can you elaborate on the concept of “Neuro-positivity” and how it can be applied to enhance leadership and personal well-being?
I started saying neuro-positivity because I wanted to be clear that this is true, embodied positivity versus faking it. Our body is always scanning for cues of threat and safety, processing way more info than we can even comprehend. We also have a “bouncer” in the brain that decides what to let in. After reading Positivity by Barbara Frederickson, PhD, I asked the bouncer in my brain to let in more positivity triggers. It sounds weird, but it worked. Suddenly I was seeing hummingbirds outside of my apartment. I am sure they were always there, but now I was noticing them. Noticing all the micromoments of positivity, helped me get out of ever-stressed mode. I am also a big fan of polyvagal theory.
Neuroception is the behind-the-scenes scanning that our nervous system does, looking for cues of threat or safety. In the book Strangers to Ourselves, Timothy D. Wilson wrote that via our six senses alone, our bodies are processing 11 million bits of info a second. How many can make it to our mind’s eye? 40. Relating this back to the convo I had with the bouncer of my brain, I was basically asking to see some of the other 10,999,960 bits of info. Understanding polyvagal theory is a game changer, and I have brought this into the work context for more than half a decade now. It helps everyone easily appreciate three main physiology states and the full body consequences of each. For example, if you are stuck in YELLOW, a place that is meant to be a quickie life-saving state (fight or flight), you’ll have issues across many body systems. In a true life threat moment, where the body deems mobilization is the best choice, blood flow to the “smarty pants” brain is dialed way down, as are the immune, digestive, and reproductive systems. In YELLOW we have access to emotions along the lines of anger, fear, frustration.
As leaders we want to help our teams get to GREEN – the physiology of safety and connection, where their brains are “turned on,” their bodies are healthy and they can create, explore, connect, collaborate, and more.
What are the key strategies you employ to help individuals and organizations achieve “purpose-aligned impact”?
The first question is: Does the organization have a stated purpose? If it doesn’t, I use workshops — typically several — to really let everyone have a voice in creating a shared purpose. For individuals, I find that most people are freaked out by the concept of “my life’s purpose,” so I frame it as connecting with purpose.
I let them know that they already have all the data they need. It’s a matter of contextualizing that data to turn it into usable information. For example, I can ask you a bunch of questions and at the end you can understand what your core values are. I can ask you a different set of questions and I can better understand what personality parts are typically center stage for you. It amounts to a Venn Diagram of how you are wired and how you’re inspired.
The sweet spot for connecting with purpose is in the middle. If you are looking to connect with purpose in the work you do, draw a 3rd circle to represent what people would pay money for you to do.
How do you integrate elements of humor and playfulness into your coaching and training sessions, and what benefits do these elements bring?
One of the biggest points of feedback I get when I teach professional certification classes is gratitude for making class so fun and funny. It’s bad jokes. But it’s also a playful energy. I am not there to show that I’m a walking encyclopedia. I am there to make the concepts stick, to show them they can do this.
I’ve literally used kids software to make games for these courses — complete with sound effects and music. In other contexts it was naturally emerging “inside jokes.” I also like “nice breakers” which are like ice breakers but more clever. Getting people into nature is great. I’ve used VR too. Play is really the way, so let your team “play with it,” as they try to figure out a solution versus pressuring them to find a solution to something complex and innovative.
What advice would you give to aspiring leaders who want to create more positive and productive work environments?
I really would share polyvagal theory with the team. We’ve called it The SEC Check™ and even the Feather-O-Meter™ because if someone is stressed out, the last thing they want to hear is something terribly scientific (unless they are me, hahah). We actually have a lot of free resources on our Higher Mind Leadership page too!
To learn more about Jessika and her work, please visit https://betterandbetterer.com/
