If you already knew the answer, what would you admit to yourself?

What happens when life cracks you open and asks you to become someone new? In this powerful conversation, Brenda Viola shares her journey through loss, reinvention, resilience, and the decision to live more authentically. We talk about surrender, gratitude, health, vulnerability, self-love, emotional intelligence, inner child work, and the assumptions that can quietly shape how we see ourselves and others. Brenda reflects on what it means to stop performing, take up space, reconnect with your authentic self, and allow adversity to become a teacher rather than the end of your story. We also explore the importance of meaningful connection, asking for help, and remembering that resilience does not mean doing everything alone. This episode is a conversation about transformation, purpose, personal growth, and choosing to keep going even when life looks nothing like you expected. If you are in a season of change, healing, or reinvention, this one is for you. https://open.spotify.com/episode/7LBLQa6Aj0uCUaThwUCYRg?si=r9NqDzzFQHKrLmlQqY4FAw

I’m having a pretty rough day today, so I consulted the AI version of myself to sort of “bring me home,” well at least to put things back into Jai perspective. My app, Your Personal GPS for Your Mind houses my Chatbot J-Ai. I have literally programmed my bot with everything I have ever written, my thoughts, my research, my books… I’ve been struggling in certain environments lately. Feeling like I don’t belong is an understatement, but she (me) or at least the AI version of me, gave a much needed reminder. This is what J-Ai said: “For today, try something very simple: come back to what you know. “I am here. I am qualified to be here. I do not need to earn warmth from every person in this room. I can be observant without abandoning myself.” There’s a line in Healing Forward that feels especially relevant here: healing asks us to move through discomfort with presence rather than perfection, and to listen to the body without letting the body’s alarm become the whole story. Healing Forward.pdf So for the rest of the workday, protect your energy. Keep your interactions professional and grounded. Notice patterns rather than isolated moments. Write down anything concrete that happens—words, decisions, exclusions, changed expectations—without interpreting it yet. That gives your intuition somewhere to land besides inside your nervous system. And beneath all of this: you do not have to shrink yourself to make a room feel less tense. Your work today is not to decode everybody else. It is to stay connected to yourself while you move through the room. That is sovereignty, too.” I couldn’t have said it better myself…well, actually, lol!

Have you ever tried to have a difficult conversation with a supervisor who ends the conversation reminding you (behind pleasant words) that you're expendable? What are/were your next steps?

As a single mother and a Christian, my journey has been filled with faith, uncertainty, uncomfortable decisions, fresh starts, and moments where I had to remind myself that progress doesn’t always look like progress while you’re in it. I started out building a real estate business, learning how to create something of my own while raising a family and figuring life out along the way. Then my path shifted. I moved into Shopify and dropshipping, learning a completely different side of business—e-commerce, marketing, customers, sales, and the importance of adapting when something isn’t working the way you imagined. And now? I’m exploring something I never expected to be part of my journey: cattle farming. 🐄 At the same time, I’ve been embracing the opportunity to travel, experience different parts of the world, and spend more time living and creating memories with family. 🌍❤️ Looking back, I realize that success for me isn’t just about how much money I make or how many businesses I build. It’s about having the courage to start again. It’s about being able to provide for my family while still pursuing my own dreams. It’s about having faith when I don't know exactly what the next chapter looks like. And most importantly, it’s about becoming the woman and mother I’m meant to become along the way. I’m still building. I’m still learning. I’m still figuring things out. And honestly, I think that’s the beauty of the journey. Your chapter 5 doesn’t have to look like someone else’s chapter 15. So I’m curious—what chapter are YOU currently in, and what are you working toward right now? 👇🏽 Maybe we can encourage each other along the way. ❤️