Meet Jordan Burstion

We recently connected with Jordan Burstion and have shared our conversation below.

Jordan, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?

My optimism comes from pain and parents who spoke life into me. I say pain because to this day the worst physical pain I’ve ever experienced was a migraine. My first memory of a migraine was actually the first day of kindergarten. I know it must have been debilitating because my mom made my favorite meal- barbecue chicken and macaroni and cheese- but I didn’t have an appetite. Even though migraines remain the worst pain I’ve ever felt, they always improve if I’m willing to wait.

My early twenties was the first time I began to articulate how helpful migraines had been for me. I was referred to a life coach by one of my mentors and in that conversation we talked about my migraines. She asked, “What good has come from your migraines?” Surprisingly, I was able to list all of these positive things that were part of my life because I had that experience with chronic pain.

In college I avoided parties and alcohol in part because I didn’t want to disrupt my brain’s already sensitive balance. I didn’t procrastinate because I never knew when a migraine would come and debilitate me. My experiences gave me a wealth of compassion for other people.

My migraines may have subsided, but my parents’ encouragement has remained. Though my decisions did not make sense to them at times, they always came around and supported me, shared my excitement, and loved me through quitting a six-figure job, dwindling my savings and retirement, starting a business, moving back home and abroad.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am in the midst of pivoting professionally. I’m working remotely as an adjunct instructor for a community college, downsizing my virtual tutoring business, and relaunching my wellness platform, Kosabena, which produces bespoke meditations. As I turn 27 next month and enter my “late twenties”, I’m prioritizing intentionality and working to curate a professional life that is aligned with my introversion and love for change.

I’ve grappled with outgrowing my one-to-one tutoring model and am coming to terms with the fact it’s okay to walk away from something I still appreciate. Now that I’ve started working through visibility blocks (driving an SUV with squeaking brakes and a cartoon of my face plastered on the front definitely helps), I’m excited to relaunch Kosabena with a focus on serving women who secretly wish they could re-do their twenties.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

A willingness to start small, teach others, and build a life outside of my resume have been the most impactful influences on my journey. If I wasn’t willing to serve one customer, who paid a third of what I charge now, with no guarantee of what was to come, I would not have the beautiful life I have now. If I wasn’t willing to tell other people about what I was building and help them do the same I would never realize how unique my talents were. Stepping away from traditional milestones and accolades resulted in me giving away most of my possessions, moving to another country, dating and loving in a foreign language and achieving the dreams of 17 year old me.

Start talking about your interests or goals with friends, family, co-workers (even strangers on the internet). If you talk about your goals enough you’ll connect with the right people who are going to give you the positive feedback that’s going to help you overcome imposter syndrome.

For example, when I started my tutoring business I had a waitlist of a hundred people, and I just could not serve all those families, so I posted on the Facebook page for Duke alumni asking if anyone wanted to start their own tutoring business. People were eager to help others and have additional income. So, I showed them how to set up their video conferencing software, scheduling platform, and payment processor.

One of the alumni I helped commented, “How do you know how to do this?”.

I didn’t realize what I was doing was special until someone else pointed it out.

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?

My biggest area of growth has been moving to Mexico without a safety net to fulfill the dreams of 17-year-old me. My yearbook quote for senior year of high school said, “I either want to travel through South America making indie films or become a geneticist. Either way, I hope to teach and empower others.” Though I ended up in Latin America rather than South America, 17-year-old me was on to something. I’m not making independent films but I did try to be a YouTuber for a little bit, and I am teaching and helping people through my online businesses.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kosabena.com/
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/kosabena