We were lucky to catch up with Jama Oliver recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jama , thanks for joining us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

Growing up with undiagnosed Autism/ADHD (AuDHD), I never had a clear grasp of who I was, what I wanted to do, or how to build a “regular” life. I jumped from interest to interest, focus to focus, major to major, thinking that with each switch, THIS was the thing I’d be able to do forever. I wanted to be a doctor, teacher, psychologist, historian, politician, lawyer, college professor, researcher, stay at home mom…the list is miles long! Addiction and alcoholism added an entirely different complication and having a “career” seemed completely out of reach. I got married during college and was pregnant by the time I graduated, so my life as a stay-at-home mom began without me ever using my degree (in Philosophy and Legal Studies) professionally.

I always loved to write. Using social media to combine my love of writing with photos became a creative outlet, but it wasn’t until I began working in fitness that I found my niche. My job as an on screen fitness coach with Echelon offers the benefits of a “regular” full time job with the flexibility of a creative field. The autism side of me loves the structure and stability while the adhd side of me thrives with variety and the freedom to create. Truly, I don’t think I could survive a regular 9 to 5 and feel unbelievably fortunate to have found this balance.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My career is officially in fitness, but being in recovery and neurodivergent allows me to relate to a different population. People who have never fit in, who always felt a bit on the outside, who didn’t excel in sports, or who have struggled with substance abuse are able to connect with me in a way that they often can’t with other fitness coaches.

I’m a lot more punk than jock and found that a lot of the fitness coaches out there reminded of the people who picked on me in high school. I offer a vulnerable, weird, accepting type of fitness where we just want to feel good, live our lives, and maybe be a little more comfortable with who we are.

While my classes are available only through the Echelon Fitness App, my social media presence allows people to see how I am figuring out sobriety, motherhood, mental health, neurodivergence, work, physical health, and aging. I live out loud, sharing the good, the bad, and the super weird, so that others can maybe feel a little less alone.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

My work online (beginning with blogs in college) has been a learning experience from the start! Like in life, I tried to be what I thought others wanted me to be. It’s still a struggle not to follow the trends or try to post what I think will get me views and likes, but I have found that being myself is not only more comfortable and sustainable for me, but it reaches those who are going to meaningfully connect with my story.

Any time I start to post for the sake of posting or try to follow a trend, I notice that I not only lose my passion for this creative outlet, but I start losing touch with those I most want to connect with.

My best advice is to be unapologetically you and focus on building relationships more than viewers. Anyone can be famous on social media, but if you want to have an impact, if you want to make the world a better place, then focus on sharing your real life.

That being said, you don’t have to share EVERYTHING. I’m sure people think they truly know everything about me through my classes and online presence, but its truly just the tip of the iceberg. I still save a bit of myself for those who know me in real life.

Finally, never ever rage bait, tear others down, or use your platform to divide. Social media is so full of negativity it’s easy to fall for it – anger gets attention. It’s not worth it!

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Everything I do is focused on paying it forward and sharing the lessons I’ve learned with others so that they can feel a little less alone and maybe a bit inspired.

My life has not been easy: my dad died when I was 17. My mom was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease when I was 19. I’ve faced addiction and homelessness. Even after getting clean, I struggled with alcoholism, depression, anxiety, and suicide. My story is one of hope and the belief that everyone deserves a second chance (or a third, fourth, or tenth chance!) It is never too late to change your ending and no matter where you are in life, you have something to offer.

One of my favorite sayings is “you can only keep what you give away,” so I spend my life giving away hope, joy, and truth with a dash of weird and awkward!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jamaoliverfitness.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jama_oliver_fitness/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamaoliverfitness/
• Other: Threads: https://www.threads.com/@jama_oliver_fitness