Jessica Wiley shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Jessica, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
I’m going to say that it brings me joy every week that I have to do research on the guest for my new Podcast “Ur Dif’rence is Dope”(UDIDPODCAST) and have to create segments. Not sure why, but I find a sense of calm knowing that I’m the only one who knows what’s about to be asked.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Picking up from where I left off in my previous interview, I still do my Google reviews which now sits at 44M+ views and unfortunately On Da Block wit Bricks and Jessica was discontinued, but for my birthday in February 2025 my husband (Rocky Maverick) surprised me with my own podcast!! As of June 15, 2025, the Ur Dif’rence is Dope Podcast (UDIDpodcast) which is hosted by myself and Terance Hardy while coordinated by my husband. The concept of our podcast is all about celebrating the people who uplift and inspire the world through their uniqueness while helping our guest and audience connect in an innovative way.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
My earliest memory of feeling powerful would have to be when I was 11 years old. July 4, 1998 my 40 year old married neighbor decided to act on his desire & attempted to SA me after luring both of my siblings and other kids from the neighborhood away from my house with fireworks. Prior to this age, I had been SA’d by a family member(never told), teenage neighbor(told, but all they did was make him kiss my feet-still baffled about that one) and a married church member(never told), so home became my safe haven…or so I thought! At this time, my mama worked at the St. Louis Police Headquarters so I was very familiar with all types of possible crimes, but never in a million years would I think it would happen to me. On this particular day, my mama decided to give me 2braids to the back and dressed me in this ugly 2 piece outfit before she was picked up by her coworker. Her words before walking out was, “you better not leave my house & lock this door!” As I watched her drive off, of course the first thing we did was go outside and my neighbor called us over asking if we’d like to make some money helping him out. He noticed that my sister didn’t have any shoes on so, he told her to go get some and then told my brother to go find a rake…now I’m standing here with him alone and he says, “you can make more money than them! Do you know anything about sex?” This was a red flag for me, but only enough to pretend I heard my brother call my name and I ran home crying!! My brother wrapped his arms around me as I told him what just happened and his response was, “if he does that again, kick him in the nuts!” & then my siblings went right back outside so I locked the door behind them and went straight to watching Rocko’s Modern Life in my mamas room. About 30 minutes go by and I make my way to the kitchen when all of a sudden there’s a knock at the back door…I figured it was my siblings since I did lock them out & almost unlocked the door without looking out of the window, but something told me to pull back the curtain and it was in fact my neighbor!! Looking me dead in my eyes and demanding that I let him inside-I yelled no and ran back to my mamas room and locked myself in after grabbing a yellow bat she kept under the bed…now, I bet you’re wondering why I didn’t call 911-well I actually paged & called my mama at headquarters but she hadn’t made it in yet so I left a message instead of saying what was happening. Another 15 minutes go by and I hear noise coming from inside my house when I should be the only one there, so I slowly open the door and met eyes with my neighbor!!! He starts running towards me and I tired to get away, but he yanked the collar of my shirt sending my glasses flying while tossing me across & onto my mamas bed! I’ve watched and read enough about crime, so all I knew was to leave my mark-so when he put his hand over my mouth & nose, I bit/scratched him. He removed his hand after I promised not to scream & once he did, thru tears and snot, I asked him “Why Me!” He replied, “I’ve always wanted you & I know you want me to-all the whole I can hear my siblings and friends popping the fireworks he gave them. By the grace of God, he couldn’t perform, so he stood over me & said, “if you tell anyone, I’ll kill you!” and he stepped on my glasses while fleeing back out of the slashed screen window in our living room. I waited for about 5 minutes before deciding to run half naked up my street & into the arms of my friend’s father where he called the police. At 11, I had to testify against my 40 year old attacker in open court and WON!! Definitely something I’ll never forget
When you were sad or scared as a child, what helped?
When I was scared or sad as a child, music became and still is my sanctuary because it has a way of alternating my mood.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What do you believe is true but cannot prove?
That EVERYONE is on the autism spectrum!
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
Truthfully, I have and will always give everything my best and coming from humble beginnings, I’m actually someone uncomfortable winning so praise isn’t necessary, but welcomed if people feel it’s deserved.
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Image Credits
Images by Elevated Eyes
