Meet Cody Jackson

We recently connected with Cody Jackson and have shared our conversation below.

Cody, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

I began to build my self-confidence when I made the decision to be true to myself, rather than putting on a façade to please others. Once I stopped worrying about others’ opinions, I found a deeper sense of confidence in who I am. My self-esteem grew significantly during a challenging period in my life when I spent three years incarcerated. This experience allowed me to truly understand myself, clarify my values, and define what I wanted for my future.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

My name is Cody Jackson and I am 35 years young. I was born in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, but moved to Charlotte at a young age, where I grew up. My mother raised me and my brother on her own, as my father was absent from our lives. While I grew up in a relatively good neighborhood, my teenage years took a dark turn. I began experimenting with drugs and alcohol to fit in, which quickly escalated into a destructive habit that began to ruin my life.

I started using drugs at the age of 12, and by 16, I was an IV heroin user. My life spiraled out of control over the next eight years. Every day was consumed with the search for my next fix, and I even resorted to selling drugs to support my addiction. It was an incredibly difficult time.

However, on my 24th birthday, a turning point occurred. A friend called me to help them score some drugs, and I went to meet them. Once I met them, the police surrounded our vehicle. Little did I realize that the so-called friend I had been selling drugs to for the past two months was actually an undercover police officer. They had been monitoring me for some time. I was arrested on my birthday, which, surprisingly, turned out to be the greatest gift I could have received. That day marked the beginning of a profound change in my life, and I finally found the path to recovery and a new beginning. Now, fast forward, and I am proud to say that I have been sober for 11 years and my sobriety date is August 6, 2013. Now back to the story.

I spent the next three years in prison, but those years marked the beginning of a transformative journey for me. In that time, I created a blueprint for the life I wanted to build. I earned my GED and pursued an associate’s degree in business through college courses offered within the prison system. I made a conscious effort to use my time constructively, unlike many others who either didn’t seek change or ended up repeating the patterns that led to their incarceration.

Despite the lost time to drug addiction and imprisonment, I was determined to chart a new course for my life. My initial plan was to switch my degree to simulation and game development upon my release. True to my goal, I enrolled in community college to pursue that path. However, during my incarceration, I developed a passion for fitness and healthy living.

While finishing my semester at college, I discovered that the school offered a personal training degree. My newfound enthusiasm for fitness led me to pivot from game development to personal training. I embraced this new direction and completed my personal training certification, along with additional certifications in diet and nutrition.

Within a year I landed a job at a friend’s gym and began my personal training career. I worked there through the pandemic, but when the gym eventually closed, I found myself starting over. With a few years of experience behind me, I decided it was time to launch my own personal training business. I named it “Body Code,” and managed to retain some of the clients I had worked with at the gym.

I transformed Body Code into a mobile personal training service, where I traveled to clients’ homes to train them. I invested in new equipment and transported it all in my small car. That’s how my business began—built from the ground up with determination and a commitment to providing personalized training wherever my clients needed it.

Despite my success with Body Code, I still had a strong desire to develop video games. A part of me urged me to give it another shot, believing that a different outcome might be possible. I enrolled in online courses to learn game development and acquired enough skills to start working on my first video game.

As the project progressed, the idea of opening my own video game studio began to take shape. I brainstormed names and decided to build on the foundation of my personal training business. By adding “Games” to the end of Body Code, I created Body Code Games. That’s how my video game studio was born, blending my passion for both fitness and gaming into a new venture.

My first video game, titled **Besotted**, is set to release at the beginning of 2025. It’s a classic 2D-3D JRPG that I’ve poured my heart and soul into. Throughout my journey as a personal trainer and video game developer, I’ve documented my progress on my YouTube channel, **Body Code Games**. On this channel, I share insights into personal training and, more recently, offer tutorials on game development, helping others learn how to create their own video games.

This is just a brief glimpse into my life, and I could go into much more detail—enough to fill a book, in fact! I’ve kept it to the essentials for now.

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?

The three most important qualities and skills I’ve developed are self-belief, resilience, and perseverance. First and foremost, always believe in yourself and ignore the naysayers who doubt your potential. I’ve consistently proven others wrong, despite my challenging past. People often didn’t think I’d make it to where I am today, but through hard work and unwavering self-belief, I’ve achieved success beyond what many thought possible—surpassing those who haven’t faced the same struggles and you must always stand up for what you believe in.

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

The most significant area of growth for me in the past 12 months has been launching Body Code Games. I started this journey at the beginning of the year, and now, looking back, it’s incredible to see how far I’ve come. From starting with no game or studio to now preparing for the release of a full-length game called Besotted early next year, the progress has been remarkable. I recall the days of working over 14 hours a day, questioning whether it would all be worth it. Despite the doubts and the long hours, I persevered. Now, seeing everything come together, I know those challenging nights, that it was well worth it in the end.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2920790/Besotted/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559818732945
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@bodycodegames?si=8wflZ0-KFWQC9We9