Meet Jes Mendoza

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jes Mendoza. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Jes, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

I get my resilience from the people and experiences that built me — and, honestly, from the ones that almost broke me too. Life’s thrown its share of curveballs my way, but every time something came undone, I learned how to rebuild a little stronger, a little wiser, and with a softer heart.

My resilience doesn’t come from pretending everything’s fine — it comes from showing up when it isn’t. From choosing to keep moving, to keep creating, to keep connecting. The people I love, my community, and my own stubborn hope have been my anchors. They remind me that even when things fall apart, I don’t have to. I can bend, I can adapt, and I can begin again — that’s where my strength lives.

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?

I’m a storyteller, a poet, and the host of The Art of Showing Up — a podcast and creative space that’s all about what it means to be human in real time. By day, I’m an engineer; by heart, I’m someone who believes deeply in the power of words, presence, and honest conversation. My work — whether it’s through poetry, podcasting, or community — lives at the intersection of vulnerability and resilience.

What excites me most is connection — the kind that happens when someone hears a story or a line of poetry and says, ‘that’s exactly how I feel, I just didn’t have the words.’ That moment of recognition, of not feeling alone in our mess or our magic — that’s what I live for.

The Art of Showing Up isn’t about perfection. It’s about the small, often quiet acts of courage that make us who we are. I want people to know that my art — and my brand — exist to remind us that showing up for ourselves and each other, even imperfectly, is more than enough.

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?

Looking back, the three qualities that shaped my journey most are curiosity, resilience, and emotional honesty.

Curiosity taught me to ask better questions — not just about how things work, but why people do what they do, and what stories live underneath the surface. It’s what keeps my work creative and human. For anyone early in their path, I’d say: protect your curiosity. Let it lead you into uncomfortable or unexpected spaces. That’s where growth hides.

Resilience came from falling on my face more times than I can count — personally, professionally, creatively. But every time I got back up, I learned that strength isn’t about endurance alone; it’s about recovery. So build your toolkit for recovery — rest, reflection, community, therapy, art, whatever reminds you that you’re more than your productivity.

And emotional honesty — that one changed everything. Once I stopped trying to be ‘fine’ all the time, I started creating and leading from a more authentic place. My advice? Don’t polish yourself out of your own truth. The world needs your real voice, not your rehearsed one.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

Honestly, the people who’ve been most helpful aren’t mentors in the traditional sense — they’re the small tribe of chosen family I’ve found over the last decade. The friends who showed up when everything felt uncertain, who reminded me that soft doesn’t mean weak, and who held me accountable to my own growth.

They’ve taught me what real support looks like — not fixing, not rescuing, but walking beside me while I figure it out. They’ve celebrated my wins, called me on my bullshit, and helped me remember who I am when I start to forget.

Every skill or quality I’ve developed — resilience, empathy, courage — has roots in the way they’ve loved me. My success is a collective one. I’m standing where I am because they stood with me.

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