The Power of Surrender and Trust with Jerrid Sebesta

Welcome back to another episode of The Amberly Lago Show! In this episode, I'm in San Francisco sitting down with my good friend Jerrid Sebesta, best-selling author, transformational coach, speaker, and event creator.

Jerrid and I have both experienced what it looks like to have success on the outside while quietly struggling on the inside. In this powerful and vulnerable conversation, Jerrid opens up about the turning points that forced him to stop running, step out of a defensive posture, and begin living with greater authenticity, faith, and purpose.

Jerrid shares how, on New Year's Day in 2022, at 43 years old, he told his wife that he was done playing small, done playing defense, and done running away. He realized that much of the success he had built had actually been a coping mechanism rooted in uncertainty and fear.

We talk openly about the anxiety, self-doubt, and fear that can happen behind the scenes, even for people who appear confident and successful. Jerrid shares what it feels like to wake up at three in the morning questioning whether he has a message or a business, only to later experience powerful breakthroughs that restore his belief.

One of the biggest themes throughout this conversation is surrender. Jerrid explains that while there is a time for work, effort, and action, there also has to be a willingness to release control and trust that everything doesn't have to be figured out by us.

We also dive into what it means to receive life's challenges instead of simply enduring them. Jerrid shares how shifting his perspective has helped him see difficult situations as opportunities to learn, grow, and become the person he is meant to be.

Jerrid opens up about his family and the people who help him grow. He talks about his wife, who serves as his encourager and rock, and his daughter Everly, who has challenged him in ways that have forced him to look at his own behavior, emotions, and areas that still need healing.

One of my favorite lessons from this conversation is Jerrid's simple reminder: "Respond, don't react." When someone triggers us, instead of immediately firing back, we can pause, recognize the situation as a gift, and ask ourselves what it is trying to teach us.

We also talk about burnout, alignment, and the pressure high achievers put on themselves to constantly do more. After an intense 2025 filled with events, travel, speaking, and coaching, Jerrid realized that his joy was beginning to disappear. Instead of simply taking a break, he chose to reevaluate and realign his business around what he actually wanted to build, and what would bring him joy.

If you've ever felt exhausted, overwhelmed, stuck in self-doubt, or like you're constantly trying to keep everything together, this episode is a powerful reminder that sometimes the breakthrough comes when we stop running, surrender control, listen to what life is teaching us, and have the courage to realign.

We Discuss

Jerrid's journey as a best-selling author, transformational coach, speaker, and event creator
The major turning point that happened on New Year's Day in 2022
Why Jerrid realized he was tired of playing small and playing defense
How success can sometimes become a coping mechanism
The difference between what people see on the outside and what can be happening internally
Dealing with anxiety and self-doubt before stepping onto a stage
What Jerrid does when fear and negative thoughts hit at 3 a.m.
Turning to God, surrender, trust, and releasing the need to control everything
Why high achievers can be especially hard on themselves
How other people can sometimes see our potential before we see it ourselves
Learning to receive challenges instead of simply enduring them
Asking, "What is this trying to teach me?"
How difficult experiences can help us grow and become who we're meant to be
The importance of having people in your life who encourage you and challenge you
How Jerrid's daughter Everly has helped him recognize areas within himself that needed healing
Why the people who trigger us can sometimes reveal something that needs correction in ourselves
The powerful practice of pausing before reacting
Choosing to "respond, don't react"
Why challenges and difficult people can become opportunities to harvest important lessons
The difference between being tired and being out of alignment
Recognizing when your joy starts to disappear
Why high achievers struggle with erasing goals from their whiteboard
Re-evaluating your business and creating something that brings you joy
Letting go of excess and being open to receiving the right people and opportunities
Finding greater alignment instead of constantly pushing, scaling, and doing more

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction to Jerrid Sebesta and the Better Human Project

03:00 Jerrid's journey and the success that was happening behind the scenes

05:00 The January 1, 2022 turning point and deciding to stop playing small

08:00 When success becomes a coping mechanism

11:00 The hidden anxiety and self-doubt behind success

14:00 Waking up at 3 a.m. with fear and questioning your purpose

17:00 Turning to God, surrender, and learning to release control

20:00 Why high achievers are often so hard on themselves

23:00 How other people can see things in us that we don't see ourselves

26:00 Receiving challenges instead of simply enduring them

29:00 Asking what difficult situations are trying to teach us

32:00 Learning to see challenges as opportunities for growth

35:00 The people who help Jerrid through difficult seasons

38:00 His wife as his encourager and rock

40:00 How his daughter Everly challenges him to grow

43:00 Why the people who trigger us can reveal something within us

46:00 The "pause, respond, don't react" framework

49:00 How to respond differently when someone pushes your buttons

52:00 Praying for difficult people and situations

54:00 Burnout versus being out of alignment

57:00 Losing joy and recognizing when something needs to change

01:00:00 Re-evaluating goals, letting go, and creating a business that brings you joy

To Connect with Jerrid Sebesta

Instagram instagram.com/jerridsebesta

Website jerridsebesta.com

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