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

Arielle, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’re complete cheeseballs and so we love asking folks to share the most heartwarming moment from their career – do you have a touching moment you can share with us?

There’s one moment that stays with me. Not because it was big or dramatic, but because it was real.

I was in a therapy session with a veteran. Tough guy. Quiet. He sat across from me with his arms crossed and said, “I don’t even know why I’m here. Nothing’s going to change what I’ve seen.”

But he kept coming back.

Over time, we worked through years of trauma. Combat loss, childhood pain, betrayal by systems he once trusted. Then one day, after an EMDR session, he just sat there and said, “For the first time in years, I slept. I didn’t wake up afraid.”

That moment hit me.

Because I remember what it felt like to carry invisible pain. To be called resilient when what you really are is exhausted. I know what it means to lead while grieving, to smile while unraveling, to keep moving without a roadmap.

That session reminded me why I do this work. Not just as a therapist, but as a speaker, a veteran, and a woman who rebuilt her life through healing.

Helping someone finally exhale is heartwarming. It is sacred. And it reminds me every time I step on stage, I am not performing. I am holding space for someone else’s breakthrough.

Arielle, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m Dr. Arielle Jordan. I’m a speaker, therapist, author, and the creator of the STARS Resiliency Framework. I work with veterans, service-driven leaders, and high achievers to help them heal from trauma and grief so they can lead with clarity, peace, and wholeness.

I came into this work through experience, not just education. In 2014, I lost my daughter, my father, and my marriage all in the same year. At the time, I was still in the military. I was expected to lead, to perform, and to keep going like nothing happened. But something had happened. Everything had happened. And I didn’t have the space or tools to process any of it.

That year showed me that the definition of strength I had been taught was not serving me. So I set out to become who I needed. I studied psychology, earned a master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and eventually completed my PhD in Counselor Education. I became a licensed therapist and started focusing on trauma, grief, racial equity, and post-traumatic growth.

My work is grounded in science and shaped by story. I’ve written two books, Holding Space and United We Serve, United We Heal. I’ve spoken on stages for veterans, mental health leaders, corporate teams, and wellness retreats. I offer keynotes, workshops, training experiences, and retreats that help people reconnect with themselves and with their purpose.

What makes my work different is that I don’t treat healing as a side project. I teach it as a leadership tool. My STARS Resiliency Framework blends research-backed methods like EMDR and Internal Family Systems therapy with lived experience and emotional clarity. I create spaces where people can finally set down what they’ve been carrying and learn to lead from a place of truth.

I’m most proud of helping people who are used to being the strong ones. The quiet leaders. The ones who have shown up for everyone else while silently unraveling. Those are my people. And I want them to know that healing is not a break from the mission. It becomes the mission.

If you’re tired of surviving and ready to lead from wholeness, I’ve got you. You don’t have to do it alone.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Yes. Three books have had a powerful impact on how I lead, build, and serve: Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink, The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber, and Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins.

Extreme Ownership taught me that leadership is not about assigning blame. It is about taking full responsibility. As a veteran and a mental health professional, I have had to lead through situations that were overwhelming, unfair, and emotionally devastating. That book confirmed what I had already lived. True leadership means owning every outcome, adjusting quickly, and staying calm under pressure.

The E-Myth helped me understand the difference between working in my business and working on it. Like many therapists and creatives, I started out doing everything myself. I was helping people, but I was also burning out. That book showed me how to build systems that could scale, so my message could reach more people without sacrificing my peace. It helped me see that healing work can be structured and strategic, not just emotional.

Can’t Hurt Me reminded me that my pain had a purpose. David Goggins’ story pushed me to look at my own limits differently. I related to his experience of being doubted, dismissed, and underestimated. That book helped me claim my mental toughness without letting it harden me. It taught me that you can be both resilient and human, both unbreakable and still in need of healing.

Together, these books gave me a blueprint for how to lead with clarity, courage, and compassion. They shaped my mindset and continue to influence how I serve every client, every audience, and every room I step into.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your firm or practice?

I bootstrapped my entire practice from day one.

There were no investors, no grants, and no outside funding. I started with what I had. At the time, I was a single mom, working full-time, going to school, and building my business in the margins. Every decision had to be intentional. I used my paycheck to cover the basics. Licensing. A simple website. Some marketing materials. I worked with what I had and made it stretch.

I took on contract work. I reinvested any money I earned. I stayed focused on building something that felt aligned with who I am and how I want to serve. There was no fast growth, just consistent work. I learned to do a lot of things myself. I studied business systems, created my own materials, and made sure every part of what I built reflected my values.

Starting this way taught me how to be efficient and clear. I did not have room for wasted energy or wasted dollars. I focused on creating real results for the people I wanted to serve. That trust turned into referrals. Referrals turned into opportunities. And over time, I grew a business that now includes therapy, coaching, speaking, writing, and leadership development.

Bootstrapping gave me ownership, but more importantly, it helped me build something solid and lasting. I did not need perfect conditions. I just needed to start.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bio.ariellenjordan.com
• Instagram: bio.ariellenjordan.com
• Linkedin: bio.ariellenjordan.com
• Other: All my links are under bio.ariellenjordan.com