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

Hi Jessica, thanks for joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I grew up in the age of YouTube. Daily vlogs were the main source of my entertainment on any given evening. But as a visibly disabled woman, I never saw myself represented. Throughout high school and college, I made small attempts to be a content creator, uploading occasional cover videos and sunset pictures. At the time, I thought these were monumental masterpieces that deserved all the attention in the world. In hindsight, I’m relieved only a handful of people ever saw these creations.

After I graduated from the University of Notre Dame where I studied English literature, I began working for my Alma Mater in their development office. My job was to write and share student stories with financial aid benefactors, but my sights were set much higher. I dreamed of being a part of the storytelling team. So, I met with the director of storytelling and he told me that if I wanted to be a writer or creator, I needed to start a blog and tell stories every day.

That night, I went home, set up a website, and devised a launch strategy. Within a month, I had produced four blog posts and accompanying image advertisements to share on Facebook and Instagram. It was fun, but I didn’t see it as anything more than a hobby until the pandemic.

Suddenly, I was living at home with my parents, experiencing a horrible illness and waiting for the immigration offices to open back up so I could move to London. During this time, writing, creating, and telling stories became my refuge. I treated it like a full-time job, even though I wasn’t making any money from it at the time.

This was around the time that short-form video content really began taking off. Once I dipped my toe into that challenge, there was no turning back for me. I knew I had found something I was passionate about beyond just the potential for fame and fortune. My work had joy, substance, and a purpose. From that point onwards, I have maintained my work as a content creator, even while taking other jobs from time to time to make ends meet.

Jessica, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Jessica Jordan Ping and I was born with a rare disease called CHILD Syndrome. There are only 60 known cases worldwide and it affects limbs and skin on one side of the body. Throughout my life, I have used a mix of mobility aids to get around, including wheelchairs and prosthetics.

Growing up disabled left me feeling excluded, discriminated, and out of place. I never saw myself in anything, books, TV, politics – I was an outsider.

As I grew up, the ableism I faced every day took a toll on me. My mental health suffered and I began to feel hopeless that I’d ever feel welcome in the world that surrounded me.

Never being one to give up, I got the help I desperately needed through regular counseling sessions at my University and started to speak up against the discrimination I was experiencing.

When I started my blog, The Rolling Explorer, it was a bit nerve-wracking putting my experiences out for the world to see. Would I be judged? Would people actually listen to what I have to say? Or would it just cause me more problems, forcing a deeper divide between me and non-disabled people everywhere.

Over time, it has become clear that I not only have the support of other members of the disability community, but non-disabled allies around the world too. I create content to educate the masses on the disabled lived experience, be the representation I didn’t have growing up, and to spill the AccessibiliTEA on everything from local establishments to larger political systems in 2025. Whether I’m yapping on my podcast, Access Denied, or filming a silly little dance over on Instagram reels, my purpose remains the same: normalize disability for what it is, a natural part of the human condition.

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

I always say four things matter when building an audience: consistency, personality, purpose, and luck.

You can have the best strategy and content in the world, but if the algorithm isn’t playing ball, it’s not playing ball. Luck is an important factor when it comes to landing in front of the audience you actually want to attract.

Consistency can help with this by keeping algorithms warm and being recognized for the work you do. They say it takes someone several encounters with someone’s content to hit the follow button. Therefore, making sure that you show up regularly in a way that aligns with your overall online image is important.

Personality is what people stick around for. If a video goes viral and then you stay consistent posting similar content to the one that took off, that is only a piece of the puzzle. Creating community is about creating trust, intrigue, and care. There are a 1001 videos about any one topic on the internet. Why should someone watch yours? Because of YOU, obviously.

Finally, sometimes your luck is going to be down and you’re not going to be getting the views you want. Staying consistent in a world as chaotic as ours can be tricky. And showing up with 100% energy every single day is impossible. Throughout it all, the most important foundational trick to growing an audience is having a purpose that goes beyond the numbers, money, or recognition. You HAVE to believe in what you’re doing and WANT to be doing it. That is the ONLY way to build a long-term community that YOU want to show up with and participate in every day.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I’m a perfectionist and as a creator, I’ve had to learn that absolutely NOTHING will ever be perfect. I will spend 4 hours editing a 90-second video, think it looks amazing, and upload it to social media. An hour later, when responding to comments, I will almost ALWAYS see something I would change. At that point, it’s up, people have seen and engaged with it. Resisting deleting the video is TOUGH, but an essential part of the growth process. There will ALWAYS be something you could do “better.” But doing things imperfectly and learning new skills and techniques along the way is truly the only way anyone can get started.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://therollingexplorer.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therollingexplorer/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therollingexplorer
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicajordanping/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@therollingexplorer

Image Credits

William Yi – photographer