Life coaching as we know it started in the 1980s as a way to help people. Life coaches make it clear that the service they provide is not therapy, but they help you organize and focus to become the best person you can be.

This is Peter Gourri - British transplant, Jersey City enthusiast, and a great coach. I worked with Peter, deep diving into overcoming fears, working through issues, and learning techniques to help myself. Peter has also become a friend and I love being able to share his story and his passion.

Let’s start at the beginning. Tell us a little about yourself.

I am a British expat living in the Tri-state area, who works with clients all over the world including New York, Jersey City, Los Angeles, London, and Singapore.

I grew up in London, United Kingdom. My parents were both immi...

Riding a bike takes practice. Riding a bike through Jersey City takes gumption and a really good helmet. Riding miles through the local counties takes dedication. And riding to raise money for local organizations should be celebrated.

The star of the event was 16-year-old Anaya Singh of the Sunrise Movement, who received the loudest ovation of the evening for her impassioned speech about fighting for her future under the specter of a changing planet. Though she roused the crowd with her hopeful rhetoric, particularly in regards to the Green New Deal, the teenage activist was also clear about naming the culprit standing in the way of reform: energy companies. “I think when we have environmental science classes… they focus entirely on the intensity of the problem, and ‘oh, here are the solutions—clean energy, and things like that,” Ms Singh said in response to a question about how climate change could be better addressed in the education system. “But it’s not often understood that there’s a huge barrier to achieving those...

Access to alternative modes of transportation is essential to all residents as the city continues to grow. “Bike sharing has significantly grown in Jersey City and the expansion of the low cost membership program with Citi Bike provides greater accessibility for our residents,” said Mayor Stephen M. Fulop. “As we move forward with plans to create safe, multi-modal streets that support and improve biking in Jersey City, it’s imperative that all of our community members have the opportunity to utilize alternative means of travel.”

Wellness Day came about as an outgrowth of a series of posts on healthy living and I thought the best way to bring it together was to create an event that did just that. The first Wellness Day was held at Hudson County Community College - food and beverages were provided, we had three classes, five breakout workshops, and a panel discussion. Thirty-five people attended this event. For the second year, we moved to Nimbus Dance Works. It was a choose-your-own adventure with 15 classes, a Health and Wellness Market with 30 vendors, and 120 total participants. We covered all of the fitness classes from Zumba, yoga, Pilates, meditation, total body works, and more. In addition, we had vendors covering home, health, fitness, and wellness.

For the third Wellness Day event, I thought let’s go even b...

I, your Editor in Chief Jenna, needed a little bit of a break from writing.

Why did I need a break? If you didn’t know, I work full time. My company did some rearranging and my workload got heavier, even though on paper it looks the same. Creativity needs to flow and I need be able to get into that groove. A lot of the GJC articles are creative, but also a little technical because we are writing interviews with other people. So, I have not had the creative juices because of how stressful work was, but I have absolutely thought about it almost everyday. Also, while people might write for me, editing still takes focus that I truthfully have not had.

Even though I stopped writing, I was able to continue to produce Growing in Jersey City events because many of the events we do repeat throughout...

Well, as it turns out, I have the same taste in food as her daughter as I made the quesadillas and loved them. They had  the perfect amount of crunch and mush and flavor. I made a few modifications to the quesadillas and now it is a staple in my meal prep and lunch box.

When I made the shift, I was so good the first week and made sure I had enough food. And just like in life, it cycles, so some weeks I’m really good and some weeks I don’t know what to eat. I have gotten creative changing recipes, finding replaces, getting interesting veggies pastas. I have the same amount of energy if not more, my body feels great, and I make sure that I get enough of everything. I am a meal prep queen cooking lunch and dinner most week. I have also decreased my eating out habits significantly.

Michelle is just one of the many people and businesses that feel so connected to Jersey City - “Jersey City is fantastic in that way, small businesses connecting to help each other succeed in our dreams! Without support from others, I never would have been able to quit my other jobs and take this on full time,” said Michelle.