Tiny Talk with Jess Hana

You recently went on a mountain biking trip to Japan!! 👆 How did that feel compared with the places you’ve been and people you’ve biked with all over the US?

Yes! I feel incredibly fortunate that with my content creation business I get to travel to some truly amazing places across the U.S. and around the world. 

My favorite part about this sport isn’t just the places, but the people it’s connected me with. Sure, there might be a language barrier and cultural differences, but as soon as we’re on bikes, you instantly have something in common.

Japan was a trip of a lifetime. Mountain biking is still in its early stages there and the tourism scene is slowly growing. The trailbuilders we met were so stoked to show us what they’d created. It’s not every day that you get a private tour of a trail system from the people who actually built it! It was pretty special to experience that.

One thing that stuck out to me was the respect that the Japanese have for nature. They have a deep sense of responsibility to take care of the places they enjoy and leave them better than they found them.

What’s the most challenging thing about being in front of the camera and cranking out regular content? 

I think the most challenging part for me  is showing up consistently. My brand is centered around humor and joy so if I’m having a rough day chances are I won’t be in front of the camera that day. 

I used to struggle a lot with all or nothing thinking. For example, if I didn’t post 3x per week I wasn’t being consistent enough. It doesn’t help that there’s a lot of validation and pressure when it comes to being a content creator. It can feel a bit like a hamster wheel.

Things really changed for me after having a 3 month hiatus away from social media (I’ll talk about this more in a later question). My perspective shifted and I realized that I didn’t have to always show up 100%. Sometimes showing up 30% is just fine.  Building rest periods into my process also became important because I’m no good to anyone if I’m burnt out.

I met you in Ithaca but you’ve bounced around since then, landing for a little bit in the Ozarks/northwest corner of Arkansas. What brought you there and what kept you there?

Funny enough, my husband, Tony, and I have been living in Northern California for the past 2 years and just recently decided to move back to Arkansas! This is something I haven’t shared online, which is why your question feels interestingly timed.

If you were to have told me I’d end up in Arkansas 10 years ago, I wouldn’t have believed you.

Arkansas is a pretty special place (minus the politics, humidity and ticks). It’s nicknamed “The Natural State” and they’re not lying when they say that. It surprised me how beautiful it was.  

What drew us there in the first place were mountain biking and affordability. Even now, it’s still relatively affordable compared to many areas in the U.S. Plus, mountain biking is continually growing. I believe 1-2 miles of trail are added per week on average. That’s just crazy!

What is bringing us back now; community. We met so many great people, people that I consider some of my closest friends. And also, mountain biking. 

There are world class trails right out our doorstep that are accessible, approachable and give you the chance to progress your skills.

About a year ago you and your sister were in a nasty car accident. I know about this only because you share vignettes of your life online (which I love). How do you decide which parts of to make public vs. keep private? 

This is a tough one for sure. I struggle with this quite a bit. The line between what I keep private and what I make public.

When it comes to sharing something more serious online, like the car accident or my political beliefs, I’ve just gone with my gut. That method, so far, has never failed me. Really, I’ve been met with compassion and support. And yeah, trolls too. It’s something I’ve come to accept and have learned to ignore.  I remember posting something political and knew that I’d likely lose followers. And I did. But I ended up gaining more than I lost.

Truthfully, I think that sharing more of my private life has helped me connect with more people. And in the end, that’s why I do what I do. But I also think not everything needs to be made public. It’s a balance.

More recently, I’ve been sharing and integrating the fact that I’m neurodivergent into my content. I was diagnosed with ADHD 3 years ago and at first I struggled with whether or not that was something I wanted to share with the world.

But let’s be real, being neurodivergent is probably why I ended up doing content creation in the first place. It started as a side quest and then became my full time thing Now I see ADHD as my super power.

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