Life does not give you what you want. It gives you what you are.
~Jerod
Born in Miami, a city of vibrant light and deep roots, Jerod Simon learned early that even in the most beautiful jungles, life asks us to grow through seasons of profound transformation. He was raised by parents who taught him to witness the world with clarity and intention. However, when he witnessed a traumatic act of violence at the age of nine, the world he knew shifted.
While other children were learning to play, Jerod was learning to navigate the depths of his own spirit. He began to find sanctuary in the small, sacred details of his environment, like the soft texture of green grass beneath his feet and the eternal rhythm of the ocean tide. He did not have a name for it then, but he was already practicing the alchemy of gratitude. He was discovering that to be alive is a precious, singular gift, and that even in the face of chaos, his heart could find reasons to beat in harmony with the world around him.
If his childhood taught him survival, his father taught him friendship. Jerod’s father was his best friend and his primary anchor, a constant source of wisdom and strength. When he passed away in 2019, the world felt suddenly and terrifyingly quiet. It became an immense challenge for Jerod to navigate the path forward without his hero by his side.
If his father’s absence taught him how to endure, his mother’s presence taught him magic.
Jerod grew up watching her in the kitchen. She did not just cook; she massaged ingredients together until they became love you could taste. They were two of a kind, so much alike that they often bumped heads, but she was the one who watered him so he could grow. She embedded in him the tenacity to fight and the soul of an artist.
But on October 11, 2024, the world lost one of its most precious souls. Jerod lost his mother.
When both pillars of your life are gone, the silence can be deafening. Jerod faced a choice: let the darkness dilute his fire, or find a new way to stand.
To be great, you must first be grateful.
~Jerod
While navigating through traumatic life experiences, practicing gratitude became his literal lifesaver. By committing to a daily practice of logging what he was thankful for, he found a way to center his heart even when the world felt heavy. It taught him a lesson that would become his mantra. He stopped looking for what he had lost and started looking at what he was. The Gratitude app became an essential outlet for him and a vital tool for his journey.
Today, Jerod identifies as a Black King and an Artist, in that specific order.
When he could not find books that showed his daughter the beauty of her own skin, he did not wait for someone else to write them. He became the author. Through JLS Publishing, he wrote I’m Naturally Beautiful and I Am Black and Strong to ensure the next generation of Young Kings knew they came from royalty long before they ever heard the word slavery.
Through his catering business, JLS Catering, he continues the magic his mother started, using food to unite people and make life happen.
Jerod is the first to tell you he is not perfect. Some days he moves mountains; some days he cannot even move a pebble. But he is obsessed with getting better, one second at a time.
He has learned that the mind is a terrible master but a wonderful servant. By feeding his mind gratitude, he has turned a life of trauma into a life of bliss. He is the light walking down the tunnel, reminding us all that whatever you do not nurture does not grow.
Jerod Simon is a man who lost his pillars but found his foundation. His story is a reminder that no matter how harsh the jungle, your fire belongs to you, and no one can dim it if you keep your heart full of thanks.
Jerod’s journey reminds us that the Magic City is not just a place on a map, but a mindset we choose to cultivate every day. The same light that guided him through his darkest moments is available to you, too.
If you would like to know more about his journey, you can reach out to him personally at jerodlsimon@gmail.com.
We hope this story helps you find the magic in your own journey.
If it moved you, please share it with someone who might need to hear it today. 🌻
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