You’ve already heard from today’s guest if you listened to last week’s episode on Playful Mind Project. This week we’re going to take a deeper dive with Jessica Brustad on the topic of play and mental health.

Jessica’s story touched me deeply. When I first learned about her work, I believed that she was one of those magical women who has it all. She’s a vibrant speaker, business owner, and mother with a powerful message to share. I’ve held back for so many years, comparing myself to women like Jessica, believing I’d never be in their league because there was “something wrong with me”.

During the years when I held back from continuing my work on PlayGrounding, it was because I felt I shouldn’t share my story or use my voice until I could find a way to “fix” myself. Then I could tell the story of the fixing. Isn’t that what inspiring people do? They overcome, then tell their story from a lofty perch high above us mere mortals?

Nope. Not Jessica.

During this episode, I got to hear Jessica’s story for the first time, which prompted me to begin telling my own. Her boldness combined with caring compassion brought out my courage. She helped me to reframe, or as she calls it, to SHIFT how I see myself and my own mental health struggles. I hope that as you listen, you’ll put yourself in my shoes and hear her speaking to you the way she spoke to me.

Meet Jessica Brustad

Jessica Brustad is the co-founder and Chair-Mom of Playful Mind Project. She’s an experienced sales and project manager who now does improv and stand-up comedy! Jessica earned her stripes in the corporate world early, with managing positions from start-ups in NYC to household names like Myspace. After taking an improv class in Los Angeles, she quickly realized the corporate world was not for her (or maybe the corporate world wasn’t ready for her?). Play had to take center stage.

She continued to pursue her joy, which included studying improv and stand up comedy at Mission Improvable in Los Angeles and The National Comedy Theatre in San Diego. She received her 500 Hour Registered Yoga Teacher (HRT) through YogaWorks at the Prana Yoga Center in La Jolla, California. She also became a certified Laughter Yoga Leader through the International Laughter Yoga University. These contradictory interests lead her to create her own business: The Funny Yogi. Not funny ha-ha, more funny weird. With The Funny Yogi Jessica started teaching her own classes, leading workplay-shops & seminars, and became a popular motivational speaker. Her passion is to help those suffering find relief by connecting & committing to their joy.

She has worked with individuals struggling with mental health issues like anxiety, OCD and postpartum mood disorders.  She has helped companies like Google and Microsoft improve their cultures through her original style and mindfulness programs, as well as transformed communities from California to Norway! Skol!