HAPPY BELATED 2026 :)

My darlings! I am sooooo happy to be back. To be honest, I have really missed writing this newsletter every week. It is one of my greatest joys in life.

2025 was a very BIG year for me and by the time we reached the ending of season two, I was TIRED. This break was needed! I did so much the last 10 weeks! Spent time with my loved ones in New York City, enjoyed the Miami breeze, went to South Africa and St. Lucia, hosted New Year's Eve and Benito Bowl parties, been super engaged with the boards I have joined and did my big one at All Star Weekend in LA. Not going to lie, my best life has been being lived.

I have soooo many things I want to talk to you all about, but for season three we're going to jump right in. At this point, most of you that have followed the newsletter know who I am and what I talk about.

… and for new subscribers, WELCOME! You can always access past content and newsletters here to catch up on where we have been and where we're headed.

As time has passed, I have come to the realization that my life as a founder & CEO is pretty incredible. Because I have always seen myself as Jessy from the block, I have struggled with giving myself credit for the kind of life I have built, the impact I've had and the very unconventional path to success I have taken. I find that most of the questions I get in this newsletter, DMs or when folks meet me in person have been about my entrepreneurial life.

At one point, I found it very cool to be able share tips, tricks and strategies with the folks that learn about me in their own ways. I know how incredibly difficult entrepreneurship can be and I made a promise to myself to share as much as I know with as many people as possible who are trying to build great things.

With that said though, I am changing a lot. I am changing every day.

Part of what I did during my end of year reflection in December was ask myself what this next chapter of my life is going to look like. As I've aged and matured, I am finding myself tremendously committed to making the biggest change that I can in the world. I mentioned to you all last week during my season three pre-launch newsletter that I really just want a whole bunch of purpose in my life and I mean that from the depths of my soul.

I am much more interested these days in giving people insight into what they need to be successful, but also what happens AFTER they have "made it". So much of the past twelve years of me building something from scratch was marked by incredibly long hours, sacrifices that I cannot fathom to explain and a whirlwind of emotions that find you when you're on an entrepreneurial journey.

But I am truly not there anymore.

I have a great team of people that I get to lead and trust every day to help me achieve our mission. I have systems. I have a reputation. I have a brand. I have social capital. I have a trusted entity and despite the external environment, I have a tremendous amount of bounce back that helps my work stay resilient in the face of adversity. I call that residuals.

And because I am changing, how I am spending my personal time is also changing. I am no longer deep into management books, accounting books, leadership books or books for founders. I am spending time deep in my faith and in the worlds of culture, politics, food, travel, leisure and more. I am spending deep, deep time with my loved ones. Hosting and catering my own gatherings have become a thing for me. Building community around me has been a big priority and pilates, peloton and hot girl walks have been part of many blissful days in recent times. It is a real beautiful season for your girl.

… but also let's be clear. The season is beautiful for me, but I am not unaware of how terrible the circumstances around us are. Between ICE raids, layoffs, job insecurity, food insecurity, housing insecurity, the disruption of the world and its systems due to AI, the wars we're in, the rising cost of living, I understand that the world is on fire and that many of us are trying to understand how to hold on to the little joys we have.

And that is why Behind The Work is evolving beyond talking about business, founder life and building things from scratch. There is a big place for that here, but I am also finding that there are other important conversations I want to pull back the curtain on.

This Week's Episode Is Here:

With that said, I want to introduce you all to Congresswoman Luz Rivas representing CA-29. Congresswoman Rivas and I met many, many moons ago. I want to say this was about 2014. I was just starting my entrepreneurial journey with America On Tech and during one of my visits to Los Angeles, she and I connected at an event highlighting women founders at The Impact Hub in the Arts District.

At the time, Congresswoman Rivas was running a very special nonprofit called DIY girls, which brought STEM education to young women and girls in the San Fernando Valley. Her and I immediately connected as Latina founders with a shared love for STEM, education and as passionate advocates for our communities.

Throughout the years, we have kept in touch and have followed each other's journeys. When I thought about guests for this season, Congresswoman Rivas was one of the first people that came to mind.

Our conversation this week reminded me of the importance of hope, change and the promise of tomorrow. While I will never run for politics, I know that I am my neighbor's keeper and it is my responsibility to ensure my platforms help elevate stories like hers and her community's.

Many of my students from America On Tech are part of Congresswoman Rivas' district. My hope for them is that their humanities are centered, that their families are kept safe and that their dreams are not deferred.

In the words of Olivia Dean, please remember that "we are nothing without each other".