Jessica Buchanan
Teacher, Author, Humanitarian, Speaker, Coach, Survivor
On October 25, 2011, while on a routine field mission in Somalia, working as the Education Advisor for her non-governmental organization, Jessica was abducted at gunpoint and held for ransom by a group of Somali pirates for 93 days. Forced to live outdoors in deplorable conditions, starved, and terrorized by more than two dozen gangsters, Jessica’s health steadily deteriorated until, by order of President Obama, she was rescued by the elite SEAL Team VI on January 25, 2012.
Jessica’s ordeal is detailed in her New York Times bestselling book, Impossible Odds: The Kidnapping of Jessica Buchanan and Her Dramatic Rescue by SEAL Team Six.
Jessica has been named one of the ‘150 Women Who will Shake the World’ by Newsweek, and her story was the most highly viewed 60 Minutes episode to air, to date. Jessica is a highly sought-after inspirational speaker and her TEDx Pearl Street talk, ‘Change is Your Proof of Life’ has been the foundation for which she travels the world, inspiring audiences to access their resilience by identifying their own autonomy and choice in the middle of their own life-changing event.
Jessica is the host of the popular conversational podcast, We Should Talk About That where she and her co-host attempt to unpack the uncomfortable topics that nobody is talking about, but definitely should. Jessica also offers soul-centered coaching & brand development services for women who are looking to write and speak professionally.
Change is Your Proof of Life:
Surviving Impossible Odds
Did you know you are SIX times more likely to demonstrate strong resilience in the middle of a life-changing event if you can identify your autonomy and choices within that change?
My unique perspective and experiences will empower you to discover your 'WHY' as you collaborate with change. Change is an inevitable part of life. Whether the change is something you have chosen or if the change has chosen you, the one thing you ALWAYS have is a CHOICE. Through sharing the dramatic story of my rescue by SEAL Team VI after being held hostage by Somali Pirates, I will show you how to become a collaborator with change and create the strategies you need to survive and thrive no matter what life has place in your path and launch you into a space of abundant growth and success.