We were lucky to catch up with Jacoby Plunges recently and have shared our conversation below.
Jacoby, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?
The defining moment in my professional career occurred when I experienced burnout as a software developer working for a startup. It was a time of personal and emotional turmoil, including a breakup with my girlfriend of four years and the additional stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic. The situation was further complicated by my inability to visit my dad and my grandma, who had been diagnosed with dementia, in Korea for four years due to the pandemic. It was during a visit to Korea to see them that I had a profound wake-up call, highlighting the fragility of life and the importance of cherishing small moments.
The realization that life is fleeting and can change in an instant led me to reevaluate my priorities. Upon returning from my trip and dealing with jet lag, I found myself naturally waking up before sunrise. This prompted me to start a morning routine, a commitment I made to take my life more seriously. While I initially experimented with practices like breathwork and journaling, it was the cold plunge that was the only practice that got me out of my own head.
As I continued my daily cold plunges, friends began to take notice and would ask to join me in my morning routine, and soon, the word spread, and more and more people wanted to participate. The overwhelming response led the city to take notice, and shut it all down until I got a permit. While waiting for the permit, I decided to reach out to a local wellness center that offered cold plunges to host events there. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with each event selling out at a capacity of 50 participants every Friday morning at 7 am.
My work shifted from a personal journey of self-discovery to a broader mission aimed at empowering individuals to unlock their highest potential. Cold plunging serves as a metaphor for overcoming life’s stressful challenges. In the same way we feel anxiety and doubt before immersing ourselves in icy waters, we also encounter similar feelings before facing the daily stressors of life, whether it’s giving a presentation at work or pushing ourselves to go the extra mile during a workout.
My goal is to inspire others to silence the voice of doubt and fear, and to tackle their dreams and aspirations with the same unwavering determination and resilience that I discovered through the practice of cold plunging.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Jacoby and I grew up in Seoul, South Korea. I moved to the the states to pursue my education, ultimately at Vanderbilt University, where I started my career in software development. This path, however, led me to a point of burnout that felt like the end of the world. At the same time, my four-year relationship came to an end, and I made the decision to quit my job. In the midst of these changes, I traveled back to Korea after four long year to visit my dad and my grandmother, who had been diagnosed with dementia.
It was during this visit to Korea that I had a profound wake-up call, highlighting the fragility of life and the importance of the small moments. Upon returning from my trip and grappling with jet lag, I made a commitment to take life more seriously, starting with a morning cold plunge. It was the only practice that got me out of my own head. This experience changed my life.
Over time, my friends would join me in the practice of cold plunging and eventually led me to curate wellness experiences for other health spaces, facilitate guided cold plunges for retreats, and offer coaching services to help people clearly define their goals and turn them into tangible achievements.
My core mission is to help people break free from their thoughts and overcome challenges. Cold plunging serves as a transformative tool to simulate the daily stressors we all encounter as humans, whether it’s giving a high-stakes presentation at work or pushing ourselves to go the extra mile in a workout.
What sets me apart in the wellness industry is not only my identity as an Asian male in a field primarily dominated by females and white individuals, but also my diverse upbringing, having moved frequently and adapting to various environments and understanding different cultures.
My proudest achievement is the community I’ve cultivated, which has shared stories of overcoming life’s challenges through their experiences with me. This positive feedback underscores the profound impact of my work and the transformative power of cold plunging and personal growth.
In essence, my brand is dedicated to building resilience and empowering individuals to unlock their full potential through the transformative practice of cold plunging. It’s about embracing challenges and becoming the best version of ourselves.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
The real turning point in my journey occurred when the City of Austin contacted me, expressing concerns about the growing number of participants at our Barton Springs cold plunging sessions. I remember feeling like it was the end of the world – the very activity that had become so fulfilling for me and a source of inspiration for our community was suddenly at risk.
I faced a critical decision: either wait indefinitely, hoping for a permit that might never come, or take action to keep our mission alive. I chose to take action. I embarked on a mission to find a space that would allow us to continue our transformative work. It was a frantic period of reaching out to every place that offered cold plunges in Austin, searching for a partner that shared our vision.
Ultimately, I found a wellness center that resonated with our mission. They opened their doors to us, providing a new space where we could continue our journey of resilience and personal growth. This pivot was a testament to my commitment to the community I had built and to the belief in the power of cold plunging to bring positive change to people’s lives.
Choosing to press on in the face of adversity wasn’t easy, but it reinforced the idea that challenges can be overcome and that resilience is a powerful tool for personal and collective growth. It marked a critical moment in the evolution of our journey, demonstrating that even when faced with obstacles, we can adapt and find new paths to achieve our mission of empowerment and transformation.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
A valuable lesson I had to unlearn was the idea that working non-stop and neglecting self-care were essential for success. I found myself caught in a paradox where I was advocating for wellness and personal growth while, at the same time, neglecting my own well-being.
There came a point when I began to sense the familiar signs of burnout creeping in, reminiscent of the time when I hit rock bottom in my previous career as a software developer. It was a stark realization that I was on the verge of repeating the same destructive patterns, despite my commitment to promoting wellness.
This wake-up call led me to reevaluate my own practices and the importance of walking the talk. I understood that self-care and personal well-being were not a hindrance to success; they were essential to it. It was a crucial lesson in aligning my actions with my beliefs and values, ultimately reinforcing my mission to empower others in their journeys toward personal growth and resilience.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thespringsatx.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacobyplunges/
Image Credits
Cristian Romera, Alex King