We recently had the chance to connect with Jen Blackstock and have shared our conversation below.
Jen, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What do you think others are secretly struggling with—but never say?
I think deep down, most people are secretly struggling with feeling SEEN. We live in such a fast-paced world right now with content coming at us from all angles, strategies and hacks and blueprints and magic bullets that promise to take care of the things we think we are struggling with.
But in my experience in 17 years now in the health + wellness and coaching spaces, most people don’t need more ‘how to’s’ or strategy to get through the day. Instead they need safe spaces to be seen- truly SEEN- for who they are, what their story is, and to explore how to move forward in only the way they uniquely can.
I’ve seen people change literally overnight when they finally feel seen.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I started my career on Wall Street in the early 2000’s and quickly learned that there is a fine line where the quest for success can often come at the expense of our health + vitality. After a myriad of health problems came as I ascended the corporate ladder, I left the world of finance in 2008 to instead find the intersection of where success and vitality meet.
For 17 years my business has evolved from fitness instructor to healer to success + business coach and now full circle back to include fitness and run coaching again- both stand alone and as a hybrid with my success + business coaching programs.
Everything I create is in service to helping my clients come home to your body, find your fierce and redefine what badass and successful mean to you on your own unique journey.
More recently as I myself have entered my mid-40’s my focus has been especially focused on helping women in mid-life not only feel great in your body AND career, but to thrive as well. This includes 1:1 coaching programs, my Substack, relaunching my podcast very soon, and coming soon a virtual Run Club for women to connect around the power of movement as medicine.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who taught you the most about work?
My grandfather and parents were major influences for me in following my heart and showing up for the things I believe in, as well as being in service to others.
My grandfather was in the first wave that hit the beach on D-Day in WW2 and was seriously injured a month later with significant damage to his face. For most people, this would have been an excuse to never work again and hide in the shadows.
But instead my grandfather saw it as a blessing to be ALIVE at all and strived every day of his life until he passed away at 84 to show up in the world fully and help others.
This same ethic was instilled on my dad and later his wife- my mom- and passed down to me.
A few years ago as I was navigating the changing online landscape and trying to find my place in it, my dad said to me “When you stop creating, you stop living” and that mantra has been a guiding force for me since he passed away a few years ago of a sudden heart attack at 69.
What both men taught me is that showing up daily with a heart of service is the key to not only a lasting career, but a fulfilling life. And to take every day we have here as a blessing to be fully lived.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
One of my core beliefs is that a secret to life is to walk through fires of our choosing, so that we can handle the fires we must walk through in our life.
What this looks like is actively choosing ‘hard things’ to do regularly to train our mind, body and spirit on how to navigate tough life situations we may be faced with- with our head held high knowing how to navigate those moments when we will most certainly WANT to give up.
On a practical level, this means doing the things that scare us regularly, training ourselves to endure through physical pursuits, and actively engaging our minds on a daily basis with puzzles & challenges to keep our mind sharp.
My favorite way to do this is through endurance running, though for you it may be in martial arts or other sports. Every marathon I’ve run has helped me get through business challenges, relationship tight spots, navigating being a creative in a world full of content now, and so much more.
When you’re at mile 23 of a marathon and everything in you is screaming to give up but you finish anyway, you can pull on that experience when it feels like maybe a project is failing or your business is not doing well or a health scare comes along that even when the feeling is SO strong to give up, you CAN keep going and you CAN get through this fire. And maybe you might feel even better with a major expansion of yourself on the other side.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
Absolutely the public version of me is the real me. I don’t know how to do things any other way! I’ve been blogging since 2007- before it was a ‘thing’ and have been sharing myself vulnerably ever since.
I don’t hide the hard stuff, even when it would be so much easier to do so. I’ve never focused on creating a large audience or trying to be an influencer- to me choosing to share my life online is all about connection.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: When have you had to bet the company?
With being in business over 17 years, I’ve had several times where I had to make the choice to follow where my heart was leading- even if it could disappoint those already working with me.
In 2013 I was feeling pretty burnt out from a wait-list CranioSacral Therapy practice in San Francisco and was feeling a deep pull to launch my coaching business. My now-husband and I really wanted to move to San Diego and I knew a virtual coaching business would help make that possible. So many of my clients who saw me for CST were also seeking life and career advice when they came in for sessions so it felt like the natural next step- but I was TERRIFIED that making the full switch would crash my business.
But through the help of a wonderful coach at the time, I took the leap and within just a few short months I easily replaced my income and my coaching business started to soar. And we soon after made the dream of moving to San Diego a reality.
To be honest, I’m currently in the midst of another ‘bet on myself’ era with adding Running and Fitness Coaching to my business. My coaching business has been wildly successful for over a decade, and over the years I found that the clients having the most success ALSO had a daily physical practice. As well as seeing the power of running in my own life and wanting to show what is possible when we do Hard Things on purpose.
So I spent most of 2024 getting certified as a Run Coach and Personal Trainer to add these services to the mix. It’s meant a shift in my content & messaging, new conversations, a lot of betting on myself and what I KNOW can be so powerful when utilized. And I can’t wait to see how this bet truly pays off over the next few years!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jenblackstock.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenblackstock/
- Other: Substack: jenblackstock.substack.com
Image Credits
The Boudoir Divas Photography
