Meet Jada Sullivan

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jada Sullivan. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jada below.

Jada, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

I believe my resilience was built through the game of sports. From a young age, I was always competing with older kids and grown men — my dad, his friends, and even the neighbors. There were about a dozen of them who played pickup games at the park, and there I was, just 11 or 12 years old, learning how to hold my own. That environment taught me toughness, grit, and how to push through challenges that felt bigger than me. But beyond sports, my greatest example of resilience came from my dad. I watched him battle drug addiction throughout my childhood and teenage years. After being clean for 22 years, he relapsed — and I witnessed firsthand what it looked like to fall and fight your way back again. Today, he’s been clean for over a year, and his strength reminds me daily that no matter how hard life hits, you can always get back up. His resilience became my blueprint — it’s the reason I refuse to quit, no matter what I’m facing.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’m an entrepreneur with two main passions that reflect who I am and what I stand for. I own J. Sullivan Moving, a company built on hard work, trust, and service, and I’m also the founder of F3 Focus Fight FINISH — a lifestyle brand and mindset built around three powerful words that can truly change lives. F3 stands for focusing on your purpose, fighting through adversity, and finishing what you start. I’m a prime example of that mindset in action. In college, I suffered a career-ending football injury during spring practice going into my senior year and left school just one semester shy of earning my bachelor’s degree. But 19 years later, in December 2024, I walked across the stage and finally received my degree. It took a lot of resilience, faith, and discipline to get there, and I had to channel that F3 mindset and FINISH what I started. Beyond business, I’m a high school football coach at my alma mater, Hillcrest High School, now in my fifth season. It’s a blessing to be back home, not only coaching the game I love but helping young men grow into strong, disciplined, and responsible individuals. I’m also a motivational speaker, having spoken to youth camps, AAU basketball organizations across the Upstate of South Carolina. What excites me most about F3 is that it’s more than a brand — it’s a movement. The world, especially this generation, needs more positivity, encouragement, and real examples of perseverance. My calling is to be that light. Through F3, my goal is to inspire the youth — and anyone, really — to believe that they can accomplish anything they set their mind to, as long as they stay focused, keep fighting, and always finish strong.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Looking back, the three qualities that have been most impactful in my journey are faith, believing in myself, and the ability to inspire others. Faith has always been my foundation. It’s what’s kept me grounded through storms, setbacks, and seasons of uncertainty. Believing in myself came with time and growth. I had to learn that confidence doesn’t come from people’s validation; it comes from trusting your purpose and the work you’ve put in when nobody’s watching. And lastly, I’ve learned that people naturally gravitate toward authenticity. My gift is being able to inspire others, make people feel seen, motivated, and capable of doing more than they thought possible.

For anyone just beginning their journey, my advice is this: stay true to who you are, even when it’s uncomfortable. Strengthen your faith, speak life into yourself daily, and understand that your energy is contagious. Use it to lift others. The moment you start believing in yourself and walking in your purpose, people will feel that. That’s how movements start. That’s how change begins. That’s exactly what my brand, F3 Focus Fight FINISH, represents. Staying focused on the task at hand, fighting through adversity , and finishing the deal no matter what life throws at you. It’s not just a slogan; it’s a lifestyle, and it’s the mindset that’s carried me through every chapter of my journey.

Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?

One book that has played a major role in my personal and professional development is The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon, who happens to be my favorite author. This book truly helped me shift my mindset and take my life to another level. It’s built around ten rules designed to fill your life, work, and team with positive energy and that message speaks directly to who I am and what I stand for. Positivity is everything to me, and this book helped me understand how powerful it can be when you choose to live it every day.

One of the most impactful lessons from The Energy Bus says, “The best legacy you can leave is not some building that is named after you or a piece of jewelry, but rather a world that has been impacted and touched by your presence, your joy, and your positive actions.” That line hit home because that’s exactly the kind of legacy I am going to leave. One built on positivity, joy, and a genuine, uplifting presence that impacts people long after I’m gone.

Another major takeaway was the reminder that “the people we surround ourselves with have a bigger influence on the life and success we create.” I live by that. I always tell people: who you surround yourself with, you will become at some point, rather that’s good or bad. The choice is yours.

Another powerful lesson that stuck with me from the book is this: “You haven’t failed until you stop trying.” Life is always going to knock you down, but the important thing is that you get back up. Don’t give up on your dreams and goals. Failure is just a part of the process. You just have to get up, refocus, and try again. Every setback is just another opportunity to grow and show your resilience.

But my absolute favorite story from the book is “The Positive Dog.” It’s about a man who tells a wise elder man he feels like two dogs live inside of him. One dog is positive and kind, the other dog is negative and angry. They’re always fighting and he don’t know which one is going to win. The wise man tells him, “I know which one will win. The one you feed the most so feed the positive dog.” That message stays with me every day. I remind myself constantly to feed the positive dog. The negative one will bark and try to drown out the good, but if you stay focused, feed positivity, and live with gratitude, the right dog will always win.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: f3focusfightfinish/jsullivanmovingllc
• Facebook: Jada Sullivan/J, Sullivan Moving
• Other: Tik Tok: coach_f3