Daily Inspiration: Meet Jessica Kjeldsen
Originally posted on VoyagePhoenix.com
Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Kjeldsen
Hi Jessica, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
This is always such a tough question—not because I’m that cool, but because my story feels so all over the place. I’ve lived so many lives in this one precious one I’ve been lucky enough to receive—but here goes nothing and everything.
Feral Attuned wasn’t something I set out to create—it was something I lived into. My journey started over three decades ago, when I fell in love with movement—specifically dance. I was going to be a backup dancer for Janet Jackson, and honestly, I’m still holding out hope. Throughout my teens, I immersed myself in movement—whether through sports, dance, or just being outdoors. It was where I felt the most joy and the most connection to who I was meant to be.
At the same time, I started my professional career in the music industry, first as a marketing rep for WEA (Warner/Elektra/Atlantic), then moving into PR and touring at Columbia Records. I loved working in music, but—and this is aging me—streaming disrupted everything, and the traditional industry didn’t know how to pivot. The stubbornness, the resistance to evolution, it didn’t sit right with me. So I left.
I shifted into brand strategy and development, which took me to New York, working with some of the most influential cultural institutions. I’m still amazed I was lucky enough to touch those brands. Whether crafting a brand’s voice or curating an artist’s world, I became obsessed with the interplay of emotion, identity, and raw expression. I leaned into storytelling that wasn’t just polished—it was felt. Clever, sharp, unfiltered. The kind of messaging that moves people because it’s honest.
But after a while, something inside me stirred. There was more I was meant to explore. So I did what most would call reckless—I took off. I left my apartment, sold my belongings, and traveled the world for roughly two years. From Bolivia to Laos, Serbia to Croatia, I experienced. I moved, I listened, I watched how different cultures embodied themselves, how movement wasn’t just exercise but a language. And during those years, something dropped in.
At the time, I called it Dead Medium. It started as a branding and design studio, but my intention was to fuse movement, energy healing, and brand strategy into one. I knew there was a way to do it, but honestly? The movement and energy work were a harder sell than the branding. So Dead Medium ended up being more of a design studio—with a little Reiki and movement on the side.
But deep down, I knew. Working with movement, energy, and the body was the key to unlocking deeper truths. I saw how movement wasn’t just about physical fitness—it was a mirror, revealing where we hold ourselves back, where we’re disconnected, and where we crave freedom. And that’s where our personal brand truly lives.
I realized that the same principles that guide movement and energy healing—intuition, alignment, and authentic expression—are the foundation of the most powerful, magnetic brands. I started blending the work—bridging movement, holistic healing, and creative strategy. That’s when it clicked. Unlocking bold, transformative brand strategies starts with deep self-discovery. When visionaries truly understand themselves—their desires, their fears, their energetic blueprint—they can create brands that captivate, connect, and inspire.
That’s where Feral Attuned was born. The name itself carries the essence of this work—“Feral” speaks to the wild, instinctual nature we’ve been taught to suppress. “Attuned” is the balance—the ability to be deeply present, receptive, and in flow. Together, they represent a way of moving and living that is both grounded and untethered, structured yet free.
Building a brand isn’t just about aesthetics or messaging. It’s about embodiment—how you carry your mission, how you communicate your essence, how you move through the world as the fullest expression of your vision. When we remove the energetic blocks, when we trust our instincts, when we fully step into our own frequency—that’s when brands become unstoppable.
At its core, Feral Attuned is an invitation. An invitation to move, to feel, to reclaim. To find peace in your body, trust in your instincts, and step fully into the life—and the brand—you’re meant to create.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Absolutely not. And honestly, if it had been, I don’t think I’d be doing the work I’m doing now.
The road to Feral Attuned—to integrating movement, energy healing, and brand strategy—has been filled with bumps, sharp turns, and a few full-blown dead ends. I’ve had to pivot, backtrack, and sit in the discomfort of “what the hell am I even doing?” more times than I can count.
More questions than answers became the norm.
When I first started merging movement, energy healing, and brand strategy, it didn’t land. People wanted branding. The design. The pretty stuff. That’s what sells, right? The aesthetic. Strategy? Also an easy sell—because building a brand or business without strategy is kind of silly. But the idea that your body holds the key to your brand’s essence? That movement could unlock identity? That was met with skepticism at best, indifference at worst.
I had this big vision, but the world wasn’t quite ready for it. And trust me, I heard it all—everything from “We don’t need that woo-woo stuff” to “This is going to change the world.” Yet somehow, no one was buying. My brain hurt from the noise, the contradictions, the confusion.
My first attempt was Dead Medium—a branding and design studio with a little movement and Reiki on the side. It paid the bills for a while, but I knew it wasn’t it. The message wasn’t landing because I wasn’t fully in it yet. I was playing it safe, keeping the two worlds separate, instead of trusting that the right people would get it.
Dead Medium quickly became more of a side project altogether. I went back to office life—a 9-to-5 to fund my passion. I became a Brand Strategist/Movement Facilitator/Reiki Practitioner – just someone who happened to do these three things. And while that return to a more traditional career gave me answers, experience, and perspective, it still wasn’t it. And I knew it.
Then came the ego deaths—the moments where I had to admit that what I built wasn’t quite right. That I had to let go (again), start over (again), and trust the pivot (again).
Feral Attuned wasn’t something I just launched. It’s something I stumbled into, fought for, almost gave up on—then resurrected. It took time to fully trust that this work matters—that the connection between movement, energy, and branding isn’t just interesting, it’s necessary.
So no, the road hasn’t been smooth. But if it had been, I would’ve ended up with something too safe, too expected, too small. Instead, I built something wild, intuitive, and deeply powerful—because I had to live it first.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I work at the intersection of movement, energy, and brand strategy, guiding visionaries, creatives, and founders to build brands that aren’t just aesthetically beautiful—but deeply embodied and energetically aligned.
Through Feral Attuned, I help people unlock bold, transformative brand strategies by diving into their own personal energy, movement, and intuitive expression. Because branding isn’t just visuals and messaging—it’s an extension of who you are, how you move, and how you show up in the world.
I specialize in identifying what’s blocking a brand from truly resonating—whether that’s fear, stagnation, or simply playing too small—and using a mix of strategy, storytelling, and deep self-discovery to create brands that don’t just exist but captivate, connect, and move people.
I’ve built something different. Something that fully integrates who I am, how I move, and what I believe in—instead of trying to fit into a box.
I’m proud of the moments when someone comes to me stuck—burnt out, uninspired, or unsure of their next step—and through our work together, they experience that massive shift. That click where they finally see who they are, their voice, their power in a way they never have before.
And honestly? I’m proud that I never settled for what was easy. That I kept pivoting, kept evolving, kept trusting that the right people would find this work.
Most brand strategists focus on the external—the logo, the colors, the copy. And while those things matter and are things I do help with, they’re just surface-level if the internal alignment isn’t there.
So what truly sets me apart is the way I fuse movement, energy work, and strategy to get to the heart of a brand.
Because if you’re disconnected from yourself, you’ll be disconnected from your brand. If you’re holding back in life, you’ll hold back in your messaging. If you don’t trust yourself, your audience won’t either.
I help people embody their brand—not just create it. I help them step into their power, their essence, their frequency so that their brand isn’t just something they build—it’s something they become.
That’s what makes this work different. That’s what makes it powerful.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up, I was a little bit of everything—and I felt everything. My superpower was my ability to connect with anyone. I wasn’t necessarily the “popular kid,” but I could move between groups effortlessly. I was just as much friends with the cool kids as I was with the band kids, the athletes, the quiet ones, and the ones who felt a little on the outside. I could find common ground with anyone, anywhere.
Later in life, through my work in Human Design, I would learn that I’m a Reflector—and that my ability to blend in wasn’t just a skill, it was my role. I was meant to mirror people back to themselves. But growing up? I didn’t understand why I could move so fluidly between groups, or why it seemed so obvious to me that everyone should be able to get along.
I was funny, loud, bold, and definitely “too much” for some people. I was adventurous—always down to try anything at least once (or twice). I climbed trees, played with Legos, and spent hours rollerblading (probably way too fast for my own good). I grew up watching MTV and VH1 (back when they actually played music) and would act out music videos like I was headlining a world tour.
I had this wild, creative energy that found its way into dance, writing, graphic design, and storytelling. I wanted to experience everything, push limits, and feel life fully.
And honestly? Not much has changed.
