Jesse Golden is a renowned yoga instructor, author, entrepreneur, and wellness expert. You could say she’s living the dream. But this dream wasn’t handed to her. In fact, she fought every step of the way to make it happen. The golden girl paved her own streets of gold.

Here’s her story

Jesse grew up in Chicago. Her mom ran a dance studio, so naturally, Jesse grew up training as a ballerina. Her childhood was very regimented, and was a bit rough. One day, while on a trip to Florida as a 17 year old, Jesse decided she was staying. She wasn’t going home.

Florida allowed her the freedom and independence she craved. Jesse had a tough start in Florida. She lived out of her car and cleaned houses for a living. But she didn’t care. She was happy.

Eventually, her aunt dragged her to a modeling call. Jesse signed as a model in South Beach. After living in Miami for a while, Jesse moved to L.A., after a brief pit stop in Vegas.

She was living the life. At 25, she found out she was pregnant. She proceeded to deliver and raise the child, all on her own. At 29, she figured to extend her modeling career, she would earn her yoga teaching certification, to give her a leg up with new brands like Lululemon.

That’s when her world came crashing down.

Here body shut down. Jesse was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. The outlook for those with RA isn’t good - After ten years, 60% of people with RA are considered completely disabled.

Jesse didn’t walk for a year. And every other movement she made was slowly, and with pain. But instead of being the victim, she became the victor. Her illness gave her a platform to share her story. Today, she is known for being able to accomplish incredible feats of strength and flexibility. And her mind is just as strong - she’s determined to find the positive in every negative situation. Today, Jesse is a well-known yoga teacher, author, wellness expert, and influencer. But she’s got one more credit to her name - entrepreneur. Even after everything she’d been through, Jesse wasn’t done. She launched her own organic skin care line, another of her many successes.

Throughout her journey, Jesse learned a lot. Here’s a snapshot of the top lessons she learned, lessons that have impacted her life for the better.