We were lucky to catch up with Darrell Jones recently and have shared our conversation below.

Darrell, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.

Letting go of what was in order to embrace what is becoming. This had happened at multiple times in life. Divorce, career shift/change, returning to school for higher education.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m Darrell Jones, founder of the virtual Soul Gym Community and author of Soul Gym: A Manual to Connect Mind, Body & Spirit for Soulful Living. I’m a mindfulness educator, spiritual director, meditation guide, and keynote speaker, and my work is about helping people slow down, wake up, and live on purpose—because meaningful change always starts within.

My path to this work began over twenty years ago, when my own spiritual practice became the foundation for navigating life’s challenges with peace and purpose. I discovered that meditation and mindfulness weren’t just spiritual disciplines—they were practical tools for living well, healing, and leading with authenticity. That realization led me to pursue a Master’s in Consciousness Studies, become a licensed minister, and devote my life to teaching others how to integrate these practices into daily life.

Through one-on-one coaching, group programs, workshops, and corporate trainings, I help people reconnect with what matters most using my Four P Framework: Peace, Purpose, Passion & Persistence. Whether working with a business team struggling with burnout or an individual seeking greater clarity and fulfillment, my goal is always the same—to provide the tools, structure, and accountability that turn insight into lasting transformation.

The biggest challenge most people face today is the impact of stress—on their focus, their health, and their relationships. While stress is inevitable, suffering isn’t. My work offers hope, inspiration, and practical methods to manage the impact of stress so that peace, purpose, and passion become the rule rather than the exception.

What sets my approach apart is its grounded blend of spiritual depth and everyday practicality. I bridge ancient wisdom with modern tools in ways that make mindfulness accessible—whether you’re in the boardroom, the classroom, or your own living room.

I’m proud of the thousands of people I’ve guided through meditation and mindfulness training—both privately and in corporate, educational, and spiritual settings. I’m also honored to be a featured guide on the Chill Anywhere meditation app and a trusted consultant to organizations seeking authentic, sustainable transformation.

Ultimately, everything I do—whether through Soul Gym, speaking engagements, or one-on-one coaching—is about helping people remember who they truly are and live from that place of power, peace, and possibility.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

So THE thing that really kicked me into gear in my adult life and moving into my current work was going through separation and divorce in my first marriage over 20 years ago. I had started traditional talk therapy which was great, but I knew I needed to do more personally on my own. This was the late 90s early 2000s so the internet wasn’t what it is today. I spent hours at the Border’s Bookstore self help section with a venti coffee, pouring over the latest books on divorce, co-dependency, personal and spiritual growth and everything had a common theme of self awareness. One of the common paths to greater self awareness was meditation and journaling. I have been practicing both consistently for 25 years, this persistent exercise has led to my resilience in being present and available for life whether it feels easy or difficult. It allowed me to find love again in a much more balanced and healthy relationship and continues to foster a deep ability to manage the stress of day to day living.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

In the self help space, coaching and guidance, I think being authentic with my own struggles and learning from pain points helps me with success in two ways. First, I have to apply all the principles and practices that I utilize in my coaching and teaching on myself. So I have first hand experience with everything that I bring to others. Second, I think people have a pretty good BS monitor, so to not present myself as a flawless human, that doesn’t still have stress or struggle with things in life to me would present as ver inauthentic. I have had many clients and attendees from speaking engagements thank me for being so real. They mentioned that alone, eased some of their suffering. Knowing that someone in my field, with my training and knowledge still has challenges…I am still human. This to me is why I emphasize practices and exercises in my work, intellect will only get you so far. Just because we mentally understand something, doesn’t mean that we are proficient in our practice of it. I do my best to keep my training and knowledge up, however, personal practice has been the biggest contributor to being successful in my field.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.gosoulgym.com
• Instagram: @gosoulgym
• Facebook: Darrell Jones
• Linkedin: Darrell Jones
• Twitter: @Darrell_Jones_
• Youtube: @gosoulgym
• Other: Substack: Soul Gym with Rev. Darrell Jones or my name Darrell Jones
  TikTok: @darrelljonesspirit