the magic in manifesting
Do you believe in magic? I do.
Look, I went from spending my weekends in prison on the lap of Mom’s roommate — Charles Manson cult killer, Susan Atkins to spending my days in Dad’s meth house where my eyes felt like they were going to dissolve out of my head from the fumes... to what? To living an incredibly beautiful magic-filled life. How?
With my thoughts. And with some help from the magic of The Universe.
I have manifested so many magical realities in my life that I often can’t believe that this is my actual life. I don’t say this to brag, I say this because one) I am so grateful that my heart would explode if I didn’t say these things once in awhile and two) I hope that if you’re wanting to manifest magical things in your life, maybe this will help.
Remember, the life you want is already here.
It’s through our thoughts that we create our reality. And how we choose to perceive our reality determines our whole experience on this planet.
Don’t live from a place of lack.
Thinking that you can’t have what you want cuts you off from the flow of manifesting it. And if you keep expecting life to let you down, then it will. We are so caught up in all the stories we tell ourselves or the fear that society feeds us that we are barely scratching the surface of what's available to us in every moment.
Ask yourself: Has anything good ever happened in my life? Yes? Okay. Then something good can happen again. It’s out there. It exists.
You need to have the audacity to be honest about what it is you actually want (not what you think you should want) and believe that everything you desire is already available to you regardless of your present circumstances. You have to harness the energy to make it happen.
Shout it from the rooftops, write it in a letter, send thoughts up to the stars — it doesn’t matter how you do it just as long as you do it.
Put simply, the biggest thing is believing that The Universe will bring you what you desire and be sure to be grateful *before* it does.
Gratitude is like the secret sauce to manifesting.
I’m sharing some magical realities that have manifested in my life because of the very things I just mentioned above. I’m always searching for the magic because I believe that what you focus on you create more of. And these magic manifestations are living proof…
Manifestation: Homeschool
I didn’t even know that I wanted to be homeschooled. I just knew that sitting in class for 8 hours a day was a huge waste of time and wasn’t allowing me to live up to my potential. There was a whole out there and I was missing it sitting in a classroom with teachers who didn’t care and people who didn’t get me.
So, I manifested my freedom.
Problem was that sometimes manifestations come in a form that is unkind or unsettling, and in this case, my opportunity at homeschool came by way of excessive bullying. Mom pulled me out of school because when she reported the bullying they didn’t do shit about it. And it was either pull me outta school or go to jail for beating the hell out of a minor.
Mom doesn’t play when it comes to bullying. When I was seven I was being bullied by a nine year old and when the girl tried to beat me up Mom chased her with a sledgehammer. The girl grabbed her bike but she couldn’t out peddle Mom’s rage and when Mom caught up to her she grabbed her and said, “I don’t care if you’re 9 or 90, I will beat the dog shit out of you if you touch my kid. Now go tell your parents what I said.” And the girl did. And the cops came. And man, childhood was ridiculous. (The full story is in my memoir. I can’t wait for you to read it.)
So, that’s why Mom enrolled me in “independent study” and it was awesome because I flew through my assignments which led to me finishing high school early, which led to me finishing college early which led to me being one of the youngest people to ever work at Atlantic Records.
Some great things have a shitty beginning. Lean into it. Keep your head up. Believe in the magic. Good things will come.
Manifestation: Atlantic Records
I always wanted to work for Atlantic because it was the label that Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, and Zeppelin had been on. I had no idea how I was going to pull it off but I knew I would.
Everyone told me there was a line out the door to work at Atlantic and my chances were slim to none. Some kid from a nowhere meth town who lived on welfare and didn’t even have money for college would never pull off working in the music industry, especially not at the mothership.
Mom and Dad said fuck ‘em.
Mom said I could have everything I wanted and not to let anyone tell me different. And Dad said “you gotta think big, little girl.” So I did and I separated myself from anyone who told me otherwise. My parents may have been drug addicts and barely knew how to take care of us but man, they sure knew how to show up when it really mattered.
Those haters were right though. I didn’t have money for college, but there were school loans available for poor kids like me and I racked up about $60k in debt to graduate but whatever, I’d figure that part out later.
During my freshman year I heard about this “secret show” in Huntington Beach for one of my favorite bands at the time. No one wanted to go with me but luckily I talked my brother into it because on our way back from the show my car broke down and I was stuck on the side of the road for five hours. Dad said he was going to come get us and then never did. Junkies. Whatcha gonna do? 🙄
Anyway, after the show I saw two gals walking with the band’s guitars so I figured they worked for the label, or at least knew the band. I introduced myself and we talked our heads off about music. At the end of the conversation they handed me their card.
“Come intern for us at Atlantic.”
And I did. No interview. Nothing.
I drove the three hours total in traffic from OC where I was attending college to Atlantic in Burbank three-four days a week to work for free for three years, on top of the countless label shows I attended — to show my face and hustle like mad.
And once I graduated I was hired full time as a publicist.
Boom.
Manifest.
Work your ass off.
Achievement unlocked.
Fulfillment level 100%.
Manifestation: Travel
Ever since I was a little girl I wanted to travel. My grandparents used to take my brother and me on long road trips across the country from California to Michigan when we were kids and I couldn’t get enough. Dad took us once but when he got to Michigan he left us there with our grandparents and he went back to California. I guess we were a handful. 🤷🏼♀️ When he finally did come back for us I didn’t want to leave but he enticed me with the road trip. He said we could stop at all the weird roadside attractions, eat ice cream whenever we wanted, rock out to Rush, and sing “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall” at the top of our lungs. I was in. Not that I really had a choice. Dad would have thrown my ass in the car whether I liked or not but he made me feel like what I wanted mattered. And he was always good at turning things into an adventure.
Anyway, besides road trips to Michigan I didn’t get an opportunity to travel until my internship bosses at Atlantic told me about working a summer with Warped Tour. Um, yes. I would have done it for free just to travel the country with some of my favorite bands. But they paid me and it was going to be a hell of a lot more fun than working some shitty retail job.
I got paid to travel the U.S. with some of best friends and favorite bands.
As grateful as I was for the gig, it was the most grueling summer of my life. Up and out to the trucks in the early morning to unload tons of boxes and then I’d sling merch until after dark. After the last bands were off the stages, I’d pack up all the boxes and get everything back to the trucks to load up, just to do it all over again the next day and the day after that, for 3 months. I never knew what day it was or when I was going to get my next shower.
But it was one of the most rewarding summer’s of my life.
And that’s where I met Perry who was my saving grace.
I’ve since had many opportunities to travel and spent a whole five years traveling, but this is an example of the first manifestation of it. And what a dream it was, a sweaty dusty dream but an incredible one. (P.S. How young + ridiculous do we look?! This was 13 years ago.)
We went on to travel all over this gorgeous country and throughout Europe. We put together this video for Perry’s beautiful song Singing of the Rails from the footage we shot when we were in France, Italy, and England. I still get butterflies when I watch this. It takes me back to such a raw and passionate time in our lives. Watching it set to Perry’s music gives me all the feels. I am constantly amazed at how he sees me. The light that I am bathed in from his love is so warm and bright. A daily reminder of how much love exists here.
Manifestation: Perry Rhodes
When I was on tour I certainly wasn’t looking for a relationship or anything serious but I was yearning for friendship. I yearned for good conversation and quiet moments with someone. That someone ended up being Perry. He was the singer of a band and it was his first time on Warped, too. We were both wide-eyed, filled with dreams and naivety. I can’t be sure which state we were in when we met but I know it was in the South somewhere. With his big brown eyes and long black hair weighted down with lazy curls, I was instantly smitten.
Every night the tour put on a BBQ for the late nighters and hungry workers. Perry invited me to join him on the evening of the day we met. Hot dogs in hand we stood about the humming tourbuses and chatted about family, the stars, dreams, God, and everything under the stars. I had found the conversation I was yearning for.
If we were lucky we would get an off day in a city that was worth visiting. We spent a couple days in NYC, both our first times. It felt like a dream. Me, a girl escaping my broken family in a dusty nowhere town and him too, fleeing from his broken home in a dusty nowhere town about five hours north of where I grew up.
But there we were, all the way across the country walking the streets of New York City, under her bright lights and tall buildings, arm in arm like we didn’t have a care in the world.
And we didn’t.
We wandered with no plans and nowhere to go. When we got tired of walking we’d find a bench and read to each other. This was all we needed. Just us in a city where we didn’t know anyone and no one knew where we were, under the night sky with music in our heads and books in our bags.
Fast forward 13 years and not only did I find the best friend I’ve ever known but he also ended up being the love of my life.
Thank you, Universe.
The funny thing is that Mom knew even before I did. She knew from the very first day she met him when she came out to see me on tour on our stop in Pomona, California. She said, “That’s the guy you’re going to marry.” I scoffed at her because that was the most ridiculous thing I had ever heard. But she was right. She always is. 🔮
Manifestation: Freedom
When I moved on from Atlantic I was desperately searching for something to soothe my soul. I had spent the entirety of my life up to that point manifesting a career in music, so now what? I wasn’t sure what I wanted but I knew that I wanted freedom.
I didn’t want to work in an office. I wanted to be able to work from anywhere. I went on Craigslist every damn day and went on interview after interview until the perfect gig presented itself: Social Media Manager. Work from home. And it wasn’t just managing the social accounts for a company or brand I didn’t care about, it was for one of the leading business coaches for women entrepreneurs in the country.
I put in my application and I so desperately wanted it that I prayed and thought about it all day, every day. I needed it, not just for my soul but because my grandpa (who had been my spiritual rock) was dying of cancer in Michigan. I had to get out there to be with him. I had no idea how long I’d be out there. I just knew I would stay with him until the end.
I was going to go to Michigan whether I got the job or not. I had to.
I kept praying and manifesting and I had the job a week later.
I was in tears when I told Perry. I told him I was going to fly out to be with my Grandpa and I didn’t know when I would be back. He said, “Like hell you are. You aren’t going by yourself.” He said we would drive out together and he would bring his jewelry workshop so he could still work. He had never met my Michigan family and he would be meeting them in the worst of circumstances but he didn’t let that stop him from being there for me.
And the job needed up being one of the greatest blessings I’ve ever received. People were paying thousands of dollars to learn from this incredible coach, and here I was getting the inside look into her brilliance. And not only did she not need me in an office but she encouraged my traveling lifestyle.
Almost a year after working with her I sent an email that began,
“I’ve booked a one way ticket to Hawaii…”
…and my boss replied, "I want to live vicariously through you.”
From writing social media copy I moved into producing her five star podcast that was recognized as a top podcast by Inc. and Entrepreneur Magazine, writing her blog copy, facilitating her high-level events, and co-hosting her iconic cocktail parties. yes. yes. yes.
Manifestation: Nirav
When we first started our custom engagement ring and wedding band company, Rhodes Wedding Co. I was trying to think of ways we could work with people in the wedding community on a real level. I wanted to connect in a way that met something to me (and to them). I knew I loved the ring part of the whole getting married thing, and the finding your person in life part, but what else did I love? Art. Photography. Love. Humans. Which led me to exploring the in-depth world of wedding photography and wow, what a beautiful world it is.
That’s how I found Nirav Patel, a photographer who made me feel so much through the moments he captured. I remember scrolling through his galleries and being in tears over how special and emotional the images were. Even though I knew nothing about Nirav, I could tell there was something special about him and if we could connect with him then magic would happen. Well, it did. And so much bigger than I imagined.
I wrote him asking if he would want to use our rings in one of his photoshoots with a model. When he replied he said he wanted to tell our love story and the story of the company we built together. WHAT?! um, yes. I had never been photographed by anyone but Perry and felt super nervous about it, but omg yes. He booked us all a cabin in Northern California for the weekend and when we weren’t shooting and exploring his favorite spots, we were getting to know each other on a deep and raw level. You can see the full gallery of that time together here.
Since then we’ve been blessed to create with him again — two years later he came to our home in the Blue Ridge Mountains the first weekend we purchased our house, before we even really had furniture or dish ware. We ate pizza on our laps and talked family, art, and love. What a dream. Nirav holds such a real and special place in my heart, well beyond business, photography, or anything else. I am so grateful to call him family. You can see the full gallery of our time together here.
And if you haven’t seen his work, get quiet, open your heart, and step into the beautiful world he creates — his fine art and editorial work and his wedding and couple work (we’re on the home page and it’s truly an honor). Both are pure magic.
Thank you, Nirav. Thank you for forever inspiring me. Thank you for being you.
Manifestation: Gregory
I found Gregory Alan Isakov’s music randomly one day on Spotify. I remember exactly where I was, what the day looked like outside, and how I was feeling — and I remember how different everything felt after hearing one of his songs. I put him on repeat for two years (who am I kidding? I still have him on repeat. I can’t stop).
After I quit the music industry I had a massive hole where music had filled so much of my heart.
Gregory filled that space with his beautiful sad songs about the stars.
I’ve always said listening to his songs is like reading a beautiful book. They take you to another world, traveling through different landscapes and stories, sometimes leaving you there, somewhere completely new and when you finally make your way back, you’re so much better than when you started out. I had never been so moved and inspired by someone I didn’t even know.
When Perry and I were in Barcelona, Gregory was playing a show. I tried to get tickets but it was sold out so I contacted all my peeps still in the music industry to see if anyone had the hookups, and I contacted Gregory himself. Worth a shot, I thought.
He put us on the list and then wrote me after to see if we wanted to get coffee the following day. Um, yes.
That was the start of a friendship with my hero.
Since then we’ve visited his gorgeous farm in Colorado and he played a part in our engagement earlier this year. I couldn’t have asked for a better a proposal. Our friends Peak of the Mountain put together this wonderful video of the night of the proposal. I am so grateful to have these moments captured.
Such magic. The ultimate manifestation. 🌌
And seriously, if you haven’t listened to his music, do it already.
It has changed my life. And it could change yours, too.
Manifestation: Book Editor
I knew I would need to find an editor for my memoir eventually but my book wasn’t ready and I had no idea how to go about that process. Then I came across a TED Talk of an author/editor who resonated with me and even though my book was far from finished I thought maybe she could help me in these early stages to flush out the structure of my book. She was swamped as she was working on a book of her own but she gave me a list of editors who she thought could help me. Although I was incredibly grateful I didn’t even open the list because I realized I wasn’t ready.
A year went by and I wrote and wrote and nearing the end of my book I had hit a roadblock. I needed a break so I began to scroll through the list of editors I was sent. It was eight pages long and overwhelming. But I was just browsing to take my mind off my writer’s block. I clicked on one. I recognized her name. Where had I seen that name before? Omg. I realized I had seen her name in the acknowledgements of one of my most favorite memoirs. I began reading the editor’s testimonials from people who have worked with her and there it was, beautiful words from one of my most favorite memoirists. That was it. I had to work with her.
My book wasn’t ready but I wrote her anyway. I figured she wouldn’t reply and if she did then it would be ages from now anyway and maybe my book would be in better shape. Three hours went by and there it was...
“Dear Jessy, Can we set up a call? I'd love to hear more about your project…”
WHAT?! Um, yes. We set up a call and less than two weeks later she had my manuscript.
This whole thing has been the hardest and most emotionally trying thing I’ve ever done. I’ve found so much healing through this process but it requires so much solitude and so much energy. But I’m grateful for my story and the universe has already delivered so much magic. I’m going to keep reaching for the stars ✨ and this is a reminder that you should too.
Whatever it is — keep working and seeking the magic, respect the process and the time it requires and the universe will deliver.
Manifestation: Home
We had traveled this country (and others) for five years searching for adventure, and for home. In 2013 my uncle asked me if I would accompany my Grandma to Asheville, North Carolina. He said my Grandpa Press (who I never knew because he died before I was born) grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountains there and he had family that wanted to see Grandma. She was afraid to fly alone so I would need to go with her. Of course, I told him. And Perry came too. I had never even heard of Asheville but we loved every second it and really felt the magic of the mountains. But we were just getting started on our traveling adventure so I wasn’t yet looking for home.
Fast forward four years later and we were tired, and needed a place to rest that was ours when we weren’t traveling. Asheville came back to our minds.
The Blue Ridge Mountains of the South.
I made a completely anal spreadsheet of a bunch of houses, their square footage, if they had a place for Perry’s workshop, and how far they were from the best cafe in town. We went down the list with our realtor, seeing house after house.
A week into our search when we were on our way to see another house, there it was. A gorgeous two story house from the 1940s sitting on an acre and a half — the place I wanted to call home. I saw the for sale sign in the front yard.
“That’s our house!”
I called our realtor and she showed us the inside. Original wood floors, full of windows, 2,100 sq. ft with a huge porch, completely renovated inside, and a beautiful basement for Perry’s music studio and Rhodes Wedding Co. workshop. I made an offer that same night. It wasn’t on my spreadsheet because it was a ways outside of Asheville. But that was my house. I just knew it. And it was. It’s two years later and I’m even more in love with this house than when I first saw it.
We’ve done a lot to the inside to make it feel like ours. All the furniture was either built by Perry or we got second hand. We still have a lot we want to do. One of the rooms upstairs has nothing in it but a hammock 🤷🏼♀️ we don’t have much stuff because we traveled for so long but I am really enjoying the open space. What a gift. Thank you, Universe.
Manifestation: Cabell
So, because we bought outside of Asheville we have basically spent over a year in a coffee wasteland. And we are super passionate coffee. No. Not Starbucks. That doesn’t count. I’m talking specialty coffee —single origins, vibrant naturals, and beautiful red bourbons. I bought Perry a Rocket Espresso Appartamento espresso machine so we could just make our own cappuccinos. And man, does he sure know how to make a good cappuccino. And it’s great, but the Universe brought us something truly magical.
The Universe brought us Cabell.
The Universe brought us 3x World Latte Art Champion, 10 years in specialty coffee, Cabell.
The Universe brought us Cabell who is opening up a cafe in our tiny mountain town. This guy could have opened up his cafe anywhere in the country and he chose the Blue Ridge Mountains, where we also call home. Like he opened up a map and picked this town. Seriously, a dream.
It gets even more big magic... There’s this gorgeous building in the downtown where we live and every time Perry and I would pass it we would talk about how great it would be to open up a cafe there. I mean seriously, every single time we would pass it. So, one day as we were doing our usual dreaming in front of the building Perry notices a niiiice espresso machine in the window of the top floor of the building. He points to it to show me. We hear a voice yell down, “Heyyy, you like coffee?” It’s Cabell, shouting out the window. “Yeah! Nice espresso machine!” Perry shouted back. “Thanks! I’m opening up a cafe downstairs. You guys gotta come over for coffee,” Cabell replied. It was like an episode of Seinfeld. And we have been friends ever since. And it gets better. He’s now roasting us our very own coffee because of course he can roast like a pro, too.
Cabell is not only making our life SO much better with Orchard Coffee but he is also an incredible human being. He has the sweetest family and he has been so giving with his time, his coffee, and vibrant spirit. And what are the chances that this driven and talented human opens up a cafe in our little town?
Magic. Manifestation. The Law of Attraction, baby.
Thank you, Universe. We love you, Cabell.
Thank you for reading. I hope you found some power in the magic of manifesting.