Meet Jessica Burch

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jessica Burch a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jessica, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

I’ve always been a confident person—or maybe stubborn is the more accurate word. Even as a kid, if an idea popped into my head, it wasn’t enough for it to just exist. I had to bring it to life.

But the truth is, confidence is often an illusion. I can feel sure of myself and my ideas and still carry the weight of self-doubt. I know I’m intelligent, creative, and ambitious—but that doesn’t make me immune to fear. Especially when it comes to being vulnerable, and putting my work out there for others to judge. It’s one thing to believe in yourself privately. It’s another to say, “Here, this is mine,” and invite the world to have an opinion.

What’s helped me most is accepting that failure isn’t just likely—it’s inevitable. And more than that, it’s necessary. Failure is a teacher. It holds up a mirror and asks, “Will you keep going?” The people we admire—writers, artists, athletes, entrepreneurs—didn’t become great on the first try. They became great because they showed up after the tenth, the twentieth, the hundredth failure.

So I’ve learned to stop tying my confidence to perfection and start tying it to persistence. I don’t have to be fearless—I just have to keep moving through the fear. Confidence, for me, looks like trying again. It looks like launching a podcast without knowing what I was doing. It looks like writing a book unsure if anyone will read it. It looks like walking away from a steady teaching career to chase a creative design dream I had no formal experience in.

And it looks like letting my kids watch me do all of it—imperfectly but wholeheartedly—so they learn it’s okay not to have all the answers, but if they have a dream…go for it.

In the end, confidence isn’t about never doubting yourself. It’s about refusing to let doubt be the reason you stop.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I definitely wear a few different hats—but one of the most unexpected and fulfilling roles I’ve taken on is podcast host. I’m the creator and host of The Binge Bucket Podcast, a show that started as a passion project and has grown into a platform that celebrates creativity, entrepreneurship, and authentic human connection.

The name actually has a very personal origin. After my marriage ended, I found myself struggling with my identity. I was in therapy, working through an unhealthy pattern I had developed with food—specifically, binge eating. One day during a session, I shared a small strategy I had created to help manage my impulses. I kept a container in the fridge, filled with fruits, vegetables, and protein snacks. I called it the “Binge Bucket.” If I felt the urge to binge, I gave myself permission to eat from that bucket. Because let’s be honest—eating a whole bag of grapes feels a lot better than polishing off two tubs of cake frosting.

My therapist said, “That’s actually a great name—you should do something with it.” That comment stuck with me.

I’ve always had a deep admiration for entrepreneurs. As a young mom, I started a blog called Everything Entrepreneur, where I visited local farmers markets and interviewed anyone willing to share their business story. I loved every moment of it, but between teaching, raising small children, and the demands of life, I eventually had to press pause. Now, with a new idea glowing in my mind like an ember, I decided to merge it with that old passion—spotlighting entrepreneurs.

And that’s how The Binge Bucket Podcast was born.

The name felt like the perfect fit—not just because of where it originated, but because of what it now represents. The idea of “binging” has often carried negative connotations, but I wanted to reclaim it. This podcast is about binging on the good stuff—stories, inspiration, creativity, and connection. It’s about filling your metaphorical bucket with the kind of content that feeds your soul. Just like my fridge version offered something nourishing during moments of struggle, this show offers stories that uplift and remind us we’re not alone in our journeys.

The podcast is rooted in storytelling. I sit down with small business owners, creatives, and everyday visionaries who are doing incredible things in their communities—many without the recognition they deserve. We talk about the highs, the lows, and the lessons they’ve learned along the way. From estheticians to nonprofit founders, aspiring composers to bookstore owners, the guests I interview are as inspiring as they are relatable.

What I love most about the podcast is the intimacy of the conversations. There’s something powerful about creating space for someone to share their “why”—that moment they took a leap, the challenge that nearly broke them, or the small win that reminded them to keep going. People are craving that kind of honesty, and these episodes deliver just that.

The most exciting part? The community that’s forming around it. Listeners aren’t just tuning in—they’re connecting, collaborating, and cheering one another on. I’ve had guests land new clients and opportunities simply because someone heard their story and felt moved to reach out. That ripple effect is why I do this. I’ve also built lasting friendships and curated meaningful opportunities through this podcast—something I hope only continues to grow in the seasons ahead.

If I could sum up my mission in one line, it would be this: to help people feel seen, supported, and celebrated. I believe in the power of connection, and I’m building something that honors that truth.

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 had the biggest impact on my journey are resilience, creativity, and self-awareness.

Resilience has carried me through some of the hardest chapters. From navigating the end of a marriage to leaving a stable career in education, to building something from scratch while raising two kids—it hasn’t been easy. But I’ve learned that being resilient doesn’t mean pretending everything’s fine. It means feeling the fear, the grief, the frustration—and still choosing to take the next step anyway.

That’s still something I’m learning every day. I have to constantly remind myself that it’s okay to not be okay, and that admitting it when it’s hard is actually a strength. For anyone early in their journey, my advice is this: don’t fear the uncomfortable moments. They’re shaping you in ways that the easy seasons never could—and it’s in those moments that you learn the most about who you really are.

Creativity has been the spark behind every pivot I’ve made. Whether I was writing, designing, podcasting, or simply trying to make something out of nothing—creativity helped me stay flexible and resourceful. It’s not about being “artistic”; it’s about seeing the world differently and giving yourself permission to try. If you want to build something that feels authentic, nurture your creativity. Read things that inspire you. Have messy brainstorms. Let your mind wander.

Self-awareness has kept me grounded. It’s the skill that helps me check in and ask, “Is this still working for me?” It’s knowing when to push through and when to pause. It’s the difference between hustling for validation and doing something because it genuinely aligns with who you are. My advice? Spend time learning you—not just your business or your brand. Self-awareness helps you build something sustainable, not just impressive.

These three qualities—resilience, creativity, and self-awareness—haven’t made my journey perfect, but they’ve made it meaningful. Focus on becoming the kind of person who keeps showing up, keeps learning, and keeps evolving. That’s where growth really lives.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?

The number one challenge I’m currently facing is finding balance—especially when it comes to everything that happens behind the scenes. Hosting a podcast isn’t just recording an interview and uploading it. It’s the outreach emails to entrepreneurs, the social media content creation, the marketing strategy, the editing, the scheduling, the follow-ups—it’s a lot. And most of it is invisible to the outside world.

What people hear is a polished episode. What they don’t see is me up late at night editing audio, drafting captions, sending cold emails, or researching potential guests—usually while juggling work, motherhood, writing a book, and managing the rest of life. Finding the time to do it all without burning out has definitely been a challenge – and yes, I have had my fair share of hide-in-my-closet-breakdowns.

To manage it, I’m working on shifting from doing everything myself to focusing on doing the most important things well. That means setting clearer boundaries with my time, getting more organized behind the scenes, and giving myself permission to not be superwoman. I’m also exploring systems and tools to streamline tasks—and reminding myself often that slow progress is still progress.

I’m learning to build something meaningful without sacrificing my peace in the process.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @thebingebucketpodcast
• Other: A website is currently under construction and scheduled to launch at the beginning of 2026.

Image Credits

Photo Credits: Jaquie Mathews