WHY THIS EPISODE MATTERS

This isn’t just a story -it's a guidebook for anyone feeling misunderstood, overwhelmed, or afraid to be themselves. Whether you're leading a brand, building community—or just trying to wake up as the truest version of yourself—Jax’s journey is a beacon of strength, clarity, and purpose. In this episode, I chat with Jaxon Feeley a TV personality, speaker, podcast host, and model who shares his powerful, unapologetically authentic path from female to male, all while working as a prison officer. It’s raw. It’s real. And it's packed with strategies to stay grounded, resilient, and true to yourself—especially when the world pushes back.

Key Takeaways

• Harness Hate as a Catalyst, Not a Crutch

Haters gonna hate—but Jaxon shows how resilience, self-worth, and an unshakeable purpose can turn negativity into unstoppable momentum.

• Authenticity Is the Ultimate Power Move

Living your truth isn’t just brave—it’s magnetic. When you’re rooted in who you are, you draw in the right people and opportunities.

• Inner Work Builds Outer Strength

Exploring identity and doing emotional work isn’t optional—it’s foundational. Self-acceptance and confidence stem from deep inner alignment.

• Tough Conversations Can Be Transformative

The hardest talks—like coming out to family—can lead to love, understanding, and transformation. Vulnerability invites connection.

• Representation Ripples Outward

Visibility matters. Jax's story doesn’t just empower—it educates and inspires, especially for trans voices craving role models. If you enjoyed this episode then please feel free to go and share it on your social media or head over to Apple podcasts or Spotify and give me a review, I would be so very grateful.

LINKS TO RESOURCES MENTIONED IN TODAY’S EPISODE

Connect with Jaxon Feeley on Instagram, TikTok, Youtube, Linkedin, Website Connect with Teresa on Website, (Grow, Launch, Sell), Sign up to Teresa's email list, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Facebook

Transcript

As a business owner, I think one of our biggest worries is putting ourself out there on social media, on stages in front of other people for fear of what they might say about us. Which is why I really wanted to bring you today's guest, Jaxon Feeley, who has had the most horrific and heinous things said about him and said to him online, and I really wanted to chat with him about how you manage that and how you keep going for a cause. Regardless, even though this is happening to you. Welcome to the Your Dream Business Podcast. I'm your host Heat wearing an international bestselling author, award-winning speaker, TEDx speaker certified coat, and the host of this number one righted podcast. I am so excited to guide you on the journey of creating a business and life that you not only love, but one that perfectly aligns with you and the season of life. That episode. [00:01:00] I'll share with you easy, actionable, and insightful strategies to grow your online business. Plus, we'll be diving into some mindset, tools and strategies that keep you focused, motivated, and are going to stop you from getting in your own way. So if you're a course creator, membership owner, or coach, you are in the right place. Let's get started. Hello and welcome back to another episode of the Your Dream Business Podcast. As always, I'm your host, Teresa Heath Wareing. And this is a podcast for course creators, membership owners, coaches who are looking to grow their business. But today I have a slightly different type of episode. Normally the episodes I bring you, if you're new. If you're new, welcome. Thank you so much for hanging out with me. Normally with these, with my episodes, we have solos where I give you very strategic, tactical, like do this, do that type episodes. And then I have interviews where I interview the best of the best in the [00:02:00] online space. And I've had the likes of Amy Porterfield and Michael Hyatt and Mike Stelzner, and Denise Duffield Thomas and Stu McLaren, and Dean Graziosi and Ryan Deiss, just to name a few. But today's interview is a little bit different. I am interviewing the very lovely Jaxon Feeley. I met Jaxon a number of different times in various different places, mainly through the very lovely Jo Simpson, and immediately got on with him, thought he was super lovely, and over the various different times of seeing him, he spoke at the Big Fest food. I started to hear more and more and more about Jaxon's story and. If I'm honest, I was hesitant to have him on the podcast, not because I didn't think he was amazing, and I didn't think he's awesome, which I do, but the conversation we're having is a little bit different to the one I normally have. However, after having the conversation with him, I am so, so glad I did. Jaxon is a TV personality, a podcast host, presenter, a speaker, a [00:03:00] model, and a lot, lot more transitioning whilst still serving as a prison officer in 2021. Jaxon uses his wealth of experience to inspire, motivate, and encourage people from all walks of life to find and most importantly live their truth. Jaxon's story is a really, really great story. Initially, I decided I wanted him to come on to talk about how he was treated on social media. Jaxon is very open and has an account where he talks about what it's like to a transition to go from being a girl to a guy, and because he's so open about it, he gets a lot of hate. Like he gets some pretty heinous stuff. And I thought initially it'd be great to have him on through the lens of how does he deal with this hate? How does he deal with people saying the most heinous things to him? Because I know as business owners, one of the things that worry us and I know worries me is I like to be liked. And the thought that I would have to deal with anything, [00:04:00] like even a percentage of what he deals with, I just can't imagine. But I couldn't have him on without him telling his story. And. As a parent, that was really, it was really hard to listen to and really kind of inspiring to listen to. And I guess ultimately I wanted to bring his story. I thought it was a really interesting story. I think he's very charming and charismatic and is a great advocate for trans people. Jaxon was the first trans person I think I'd really spent time with and spoken to. And that was why I decided to bring him on because I just think he gave me different ways of thinking and looking and seeing things and, and it was just, I think for me personally, it was really good to hear a part of a world that I didn't know very much about. So anyway, I feel like I could explain and talk and say all things. For ages when the best thing I can do is just let you listen to the conversation and I would love to know [00:05:00] what you thought. Without further ado, here is Jaxon Feeley. Welcome to the podcast, Jax. How you doing? Jax: I'm alright thank you. Lovely. How are you? Teresa: I am good. I've never said this to you before, but I do love your accent. It's a really, like, it's a really nice and warm and friendly and I, yeah, it's just really nice. I like it. It's all. But, but the Northern accent's so friendly. So if you are, 'cause we have an American, well we have people listening all over the world, but we have a fairly big American audience, so like Yeah. I think it must be fascinating for them when we bring different people on from the UK know and like these different accents, so. Yeah. Yeah. Jax: I know, right. Did, I did a podcast not long ago with, with someone in America and Oh, way up. The dogs are here. Teresa: It's fine. It's fine. Jax: And I was so conscious of like how I was speaking. 'cause I tried to like, obviously when I do talks and stuff, I tried to speak maybe a little bit less that, but I was really conscious of. Because they're not gonna know what the, what I'm talking [00:06:00] about. Teresa: Well, I mean I think you are just about safe. I think when we get into Scotland and I was at an event with someone from North Wales, and even that is like for someone who is British, you're like, What do they say? 'cause like that is really strong. So anyway, but we, I didn't bring you on to talk accents, although, you know, just lovely. You know, and they said it could go anywhere. I bought you on. To talk about lots of things, and this conversation is gonna go into lots of different places, I know it's. But where I want us to start is one of the biggest fears that I would say my audience, me, most people that I speak to have, is that when they put themselves out on social media that someone is going to say something. And in most cases they don't. Right? In most ordinary cases, people don't jump on and start saying mean things about people. But you have dealt with the worst of the worst. So can we start by just you [00:07:00] sharing some of the things that people have said to you online? So, sorry we jumped straight in with a deep one there, so. Jax: No, no, no. It's okay. It's okay. Uh, so yeah, I just wanted to give a little bit of context. So obviously I began transitioning from female to male. Did that while serving in a prison environment and started to share my own story on, on social media over the last sort of three years. And so that is more than anything the reason why I get quite a lot of, of negativity online. I do get a lot of positive as well, but obviously, you know, the negative can really, really outweigh that when, especially when it's a protected characteristic that a lot of people don't understand, don't agree with. And so I have had comments from, you know, ones that make me really laugh, but also ones that that go to, you know, you should have killed yourself. You need electrocuting, you need shooting, you know what's wrong with the world, freak, you know, all, all of those things. And. Teresa: Which. [00:08:00] I just can't imagine what that must feel like, like or how that, like the first time you got something like that, what, what went through your head? Jax: I think the first time it started to happen, I had the need to like want to retaliate or want to like say my piece, but all that ever does is consume you. Like, I, I don't need to argue with these people. You know, I think I've been lucky in the sense that because I came from a prison environment, I was very used to having abuse and threats and physical, you know, threats or physical violence, even. Straight, you know, five millimeters from my face. So something that is through a keyboard and through a computer has never really had a massive impact on me like that. Um, but I think you've probably heard me talk about this before. I think the biggest thing when it comes to dealing with online hate and, and comments and stuff like that is doing the, the inner [00:09:00] work on you and Yeah, really understanding, understanding you because. If I let all of the, the, the good comments in, I have to let all the bad comments in as well. Mm-hmm. And without any of those comments, I have to know who I am. I have to know my soul. I have to know that my self-worth doesn't depend on anyone else's opinion, whether they're giving me all the love in the world or all the hate in the world. Mm-hmm. Um, because you can't only let one in. You have to let both in. And so you have to be very careful of. Of putting your self-worth on what other people believe and think. And I think that's what gets lost a lot of the time when people don't do that sort of inner self-work that is terrifying and difficult because you have to know your self-worth and it has to be based on you and your opinion of you, um, to be able to navigate that thing. Teresa: So did you do that work prior to having a profile online and people knowing who you were, so had you [00:10:00] fully kind of got that straight in your head or was that kind of a process as this was happening? Jax: Yeah, it's just, it's almost like learning on the job. Right? Obviously transitioning in general takes a lot of, of self-reflection and, and a lot of. I've always been sort of really passionate about, especially since transitioning and, you know, understanding every corner of my soul. Yeah. And, and what makes me tick, what makes me anxious, what makes me feel triggered, what makes me feel certain ways, you know, why am I feeling like that? Why am I thinking that? What does that mean? And just constantly trying to understand. What's going on in my mind and in my body, and, and if I am feeling anxious or I am feeling a certain way, why is that? And how do I navigate that? And how do I build better relationships and how do I communicate better? And, uh, you know, what, what, what builds me up and what knocks my confidence and what should I be around and what shouldn't I be around? And I think I've just sort of done that. You know, and I, I'm still doing it now and, and don't get me wrong, [00:11:00] it's not easy seeing the comments in any way, shape, or form. The, the thing that I do is, is the thing that I try and remember is. I'm in a situation where I can let these things go over my head, but there's a lot of people out there, especially, you know, young trans people who won't and who will listen to these people and who may take their own life, who may do something stupid, who may have the confidence not because they're listening to all these trolls online saying, yo, what's wrong with the world? Or, you know, you shouldn't, you don't deserve to be alive. And if my thoughts have always been, if someone can see me. He's still happy, he's still living his life. He's still got great friends, he's still doing all these things. He's not stopping posting. Mm-hmm. So I don't have to listen to you. I can listen to Jax instead and just try and provide that little bit of, that little bit of positive representation for, for just being authentic and, and basically saying, you know, fuck you to anyone who doesn't like that. Sorry, can I spell this? [00:12:00] Teresa: It's fine, it's fine. You're fine. There was one thing that, there was one thing that you said that I thought, oh, that's sad. Like, and you are right, and I get it. If you're gonna let the nice comments in, you are, you are letting all comments in. So by going, you know what, and I guess it's not so much, you're not appreciating the nice comments, it's the fact of no, you are not having them create who you are as a person. Which just to kind of like add it to kind of a business thing as well. It's like, it's like when we only feel good about ourselves and people are buying our stuff, right? And it's like, no, no, no, we are that good all the time. Like just because someone's buying or someone isn't buying doesn't mean we're not that good, but we take an external validation. To tell us what, how we are and who we should be and that sort of thing, so. Jax: Right. Exactly. Yeah. Teresa: I had never had I had conversations with someone who had transitioned. I don't think so. I think I, I probably knew of some people who had transitioned. I don't think I'd ever [00:13:00] had a conversation until I met you. And one thing that really struck me, and not that I, I almost wanna go, you're not here to educate us, but I know that is part of what you do as well. Like you are trying to be the voice and, and helping people understand. But the one thing that really struck me, and I want you to go into your story a little bit more because you touched on it, the fact that you were, uh, working in a prison and I thought to myself like, could I imagine a worse place to be working and do that thing. Like, you know how some people make out, like, and, and you know, I don't know. I, I don't even know what you know. Who I've heard say this, but some people make out like, oh, you know, it's just a thing. And it's just, especially with children or younger people, it's just a phase. It's just a thing. And it's like if someone is willing to go through what you went through, this is not just you going, I think I'm, I am this, like, this is it. Like I said, yeah. [00:14:00] It's like how hard could you have made it for yourself? That freaking hard, like literally you could have found an easier like, you know. Get a different job for God's sake. Like, so talk to me about like, what that was like. So if you don't mind, like go back a bit about when was the decision that you were like, actually I'm not, I'm not who I'm meant to be, and how long did that take and, and how did that all fit in with work? Jax: So I'd always sort of like struggled with my mental health and, and feeling comfortable and, and, and feeling that sense of belonging sort of within myself from a really young age. I was a tomboy, you know, I didn't really wanna be very girly and I, and I always struggled with that sort of identity of being, being feminine, but I definitely didn't know that I wanted to be a boy or should be a boy because at, you know, 20 years ago, I didn't have the vocabulary to verbalize how I was feeling. Right. And I only [00:15:00] really started to understand and, and realize and learn about all that when I was sort of 26 years old. But when I look back now and I,