Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jessica Greene. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Jessica, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?
When building a career around the things I am passionate about, I’ve learned to tap into what makes me stand apart from others. By being my most authentic self, I know I will always bring something unique to what I am trying to pursue. There have been times in my life where I’ve wasted energy trying to fit a specific mold and things didn’t work out. I realized this wasn’t a failure but a lesson in redirection. An opportunity to better understand myself and use that energy to move forward on a more aligned path.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Alongside pursuing my acting career in film, TV, and commercials, I am also a yoga instructor. I have my own retreat company “Just Let Go” as my initials are JLG, where I lead international yoga retreats as well as plan wellness events around LA. In May 2024 I led my first international retreat in Azores, Portugal and my next two upcoming retreats are in El Salvador and Riviera Maya Mexico.
To me, yoga is an inward journey to better understand the self. It sheds light on the way we react to challenges, and can teach us to channel breath and thoughts to let go of what is not serving us. This practice is vital to my work as an actress. By taking the time to better understanding myself and my emotions, I have the capacity to tap into these feelings to build characters and tell stories.
My artistic statement in my acting and yoga career is to make people feel more connected to themselves and the world around them. We often think we are dealing with problems that no one else can relate to, but then we watch a movie, or find a community and suddenly realize a lot of our problems are universal. We feel less alone. By being vulnerable about our lives we can support others in theirs.
“Just Let Go” is an embodiment of living this way. Let go of the expectations of others, the doubts, the to do lists, and just be present. A yoga class, wellness event or week long retreat is a magical place to create that environment, but there real magic comes when you can keep that mindset and let it influence all other aspects of your life. This also relates to the previous question of how to be yourself – just let go.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Find what you love and what you are good at and do THAT.
Its important to learn to take constructive criticism, but even more important to learn how to trust your instinct.
When things get hard instead of complaining that you have to do something, reframe it that you get to do the thing.
Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
I think it is better to invest in your weaknesses as well as your strengths. We don’t have to be experts at everything, but being more well rounded and understanding all the aspects of any business makes you better at what you specialize in.
For example when it comes to acting, my focus is my performance on camera. However I went to film school. I studied screen writing and production. Understanding what goes on behind the camera makes me a better actress. Between the camera angles, framing and lighting I can tailor my performance to how the shot is set up. In addition nothing happens in isolation, so by being familiar with all the elements of a production, I have more empathy for all the moving parts of the project I am not directly involved with.
When it comes to yoga retreats, I love curating the experience and bringing people together. I don’t love the financial planning and pushing people with registration deadlines. But if I didn’t work on these aspects the retreats would not happen.
And sometimes by investing effort on improving other areas where you aren’t as strong you learn new skills that become you strengths. Years ago I was helping friends produce a film, something I did not have much experience with at the time. Through the process I realized I liked creating the artistic vision behind a project. Later on I applied those learned skills in planning my yoga retreats.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jessica-greene.squarespace.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessica.lelia/
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