We recently connected with Jey Tran and have shared our conversation below.
Jey, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
I credit my resilience to the struggles and challenges that shaped my early life. I was born in a war-torn country toward the end of the Vietnam War, a time when opportunities were scarce, especially for families like mine from the countryside. My father understood this reality, and like many others, he risked everything to escape the Communist regime in hopes of giving us a better future.
On July 13, 1982, when I was about nine years old, my father escaped from prison and took my older sister and me on a perilous journey with 25 other people on a tiny fishing boat. My parents made the heartbreaking decision to split our family in two — my mother stayed behind with my younger siblings. That night changed the trajectory of my life forever.
It was during my two-year journey from Vietnam to America that my resilience was forged. I endured separation from my mother and siblings, long stretches with little or no food on the boat, confinement in a detention camp in Hong Kong, and the overwhelming challenge of arriving in America unable to speak the language. I was bullied, misunderstood, and struggled to navigate the cultural and language barriers of my new home.
But each hardship added another layer to my strength.
Through prejudice, fear, and uncertainty, I made a promise to myself:
I would never allow others to break me or define my worth.
No matter how people treated me, I refused to return hate with hate. Instead, I chose forgiveness, understanding, and a belief that the world is too beautiful to carry bitterness.
America opened the door to opportunities I could never have imagined. Had I stayed in Vietnam, I likely would have become a fisherman or a farmer. Instead, I was given a chance — a chance my family risked their lives for — and I carry that gratitude with me every day.
My resilience was not something I was born with.
It was something I built, moment by moment, challenge by challenge, across oceans and borders.
And it continues to guide me in everything I do.
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?
After college, I began my career as a special education instructor. I taught for five years, and during that time, I truly believed education was where I would stay long term. But when my father passed away suddenly, everything changed. His death had a profound impact on me, and I found myself losing the passion I once had for teaching.
Fitness had always played a major role in my life. I started working out in college, and it gave me immense confidence — both physically and mentally. Even during difficult times, fitness was something I could count on. After my father’s passing, I decided to follow that passion more intentionally. I enrolled in a one-year program, became certified, and in 2002 I stepped into a gym as a professional personal trainer.
For eight years, I worked at four different gyms, learning, growing, and developing my own style of coaching. In 2010, I launched JeyFit, my personal fitness brand. My philosophy is simple but powerful:
Long-term, manageable lifestyle changes.
I preach consistency in training, moderation in food intake, and a realistic approach to health. I believe in this philosophy because I live it every day — I am proof that sustainable habits lead to lasting results.
In addition to private training, I began teaching fitness classes for local companies throughout San Diego. Employers quickly realized that healthier employees are more productive employees, and that investing in physical well-being reduces long-term health care costs. For over a decade, I’ve continued training clients privately while supporting corporate wellness programs across the city.
In 2023, I felt called to do something more — to share the story that shaped who I am. I began writing a book about my two-year journey escaping Vietnam and resettling in America. I wanted to shed light on the resilience of the Vietnamese Boat People and inspire others to share their own journeys.
After nearly two years of writing, my first book, Eyes Shut, Mouth Closed, was published on November 7, 2025, through Austin Macauley Publishing and is now available on Amazon. This book is deeply personal to me. I want my daughters to know their roots and be proud of their culture. I want second-generation immigrant children to understand the sacrifices their parents made so they could have the life they enjoy today — and to grow up grateful, grounded, and aware of the history that brought them here.
Whether through fitness or storytelling, my mission is the same:
to empower, to inspire, and to help others become the best version of themselves.
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 on my journey — from escaping Vietnam, surviving two years as a refugee, rebuilding my life in America, and eventually becoming a father, trainer, and author — three qualities stand out as the most impactful:
1. Unshakeable Optimism & Hope
Throughout every hardship, I held onto a “glass half full” perspective. Even when my family and I drifted across the South China Sea with no food, I never lost hope that we would reach our destination. That mindset carried me through every dark moment in my life.
The same optimism guided me years later when my first daughter was born at 25 weeks, weighing under two pounds. From the moment she arrived in the NICU, my wife, Linh and I believed she was meant to be here. I learned early on that life gives you things you can control and things you cannot — and you must not waste your energy on the things beyond your reach.
Advice:
Focus on what you can influence. Protect your energy. Feed the hope that keeps you moving forward, even when the outcome is uncertain.
2. People Skills & Empathy
One of my strengths is my ability to connect with people — with open arms, open conversations, and without judgment. I respect that everyone has their own beliefs, experiences, and perspectives. I’ve always believed that people don’t have to think the same to treat each other with kindness and respect.
There’s a quote I live by:
“If you find yourself the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.”
Surround yourself with people who challenge you, who inspire you, who teach you. That’s how you grow.
Advice:
Listen more. Judge less. Build relationships with people who elevate you — intellectually, emotionally, and ethically.
3. Discipline & Determination
When you put your mind to something, you can accomplish far more than you ever imagined. I never thought I would one day write a book about my journey — but I set the intention, committed to the work, and now I’m officially an author.
My path has never been easy, but I’ve always believed in moving forward — even if the steps are small. Better days come to those who keep going.
Advice:
Set goals. Stay consistent. Don’t quit when it gets hard. The breakthrough always comes after the struggle.
Final Thought
Every challenge in my life — from escaping Vietnam to adapting to a new country, to becoming a father and building JeyFit, to writing Eyes Shut, Mouth Closed — has shaped me into who I am.
My advice for anyone early in their journey is simple:
Never give up. Keep moving forward. Trust that your resilience will carry you. Better days are ahead.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
Feeling overwhelmed is a natural part of being human. No matter how strong or grounded we think we are, life eventually puts pressure on us. I can’t tell others exactly how to handle their overwhelm because everyone’s situation is different — but I can share what has worked for me.
When I start to feel overwhelmed, the first thing I do is identify what I can control.
Once I separate the controllable from the uncontrollable, more than half of the anxiety is already reduced. From there, I break everything down into small, manageable steps. I focus on one thing at a time, not the whole mountain at once.
After I’ve handled the things I can control, I revisit the things I thought were outside my control. Sometimes, when emotions settle, I realize that those problems aren’t as impossible as they felt in the moment. We often overwhelm ourselves because everything hits at once, and our minds jump straight to worst-case scenarios.
But the reality is this:
When you slow down and take things piece by piece, challenges become clearer and far less intimidating.
So my advice is this:
1. Pause and breathe.
Don’t react while your mind is spinning.
2. Identify what you can control.
That alone will calm a huge part of the overwhelm.
3. Break everything into smaller steps.
Momentum comes from small wins.
4. Revisit the things you thought were impossible.
You’ll be surprised how many of them become manageable once your mind is clear.
5. Focus on the good.
Gratitude and perspective create emotional space to deal with the hard stuff.
Overwhelm doesn’t mean you’re weak — it means you’re human.
When you slow everything down, take control of what you can, and let go of what you can’t, life becomes much easier to navigate.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.amazon.com/Eyes-Shut-Mouth-Closed-Tran/dp/B0FT8PNGBJ
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jey.fit/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JeyLinh/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jey-fit-b3aba66/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Jey-Fit
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/jeyfit-san-diego-2?osq=jeyfit
Image Credits
Jey Tran
