Many remember Jerrid Sebesta from his time as a meteorologist on KARE-11. He left that position before the COVID-19 pandemic to pursue a career in finance. Between the pandemic and a self-described mid-life crisis at age 43, Sebesta made what some would call a radical decision to leave the finance world behind and transform his life. His next chapter involved playing offense in his own life. As a transformation expert, Sebesta now travels the U.S. to keynote conferences and annual meetings. He’s also written a book titled, “Life Undeferred.” 

 

Sebesta will keynote the Saturday general session of the MFBF Annual Meeting on Nov. 22 at the Marriott Southwest in Minnetonka. We sat down with Sebesta to discover more about his journey and the topics he will cover in his talk.


What exactly is a transformation expert? 

 

I help people get to their next level. There really is no limit as to what people can do, create and collaborate with if you have this [points to his head] in the right spot. So, I help people unlock this [points to his head] and unlock this [points to his heart] so they can get to their next level.


Three years ago on New Years Day, you had this epiphany. How did your wife react?


Well, I have a very supportive wife. For years, she’d tell me, “I wish I could take from you. I wish I could take that feeling from you.” And now as I have aggressively started to transform how I think, act and feel so I can be more aligned, those feelings are gone. So, me leaving my job in TV, me leaving my [finance] job last year to step into this full time, she’s like “Good, good, because this is you becoming you.”


What does living undeferred mean to you?


Life deferred is living a suppressed life that’s not in alignment with who you are. Life undeferred is aggressively pursuing a greater connection to who you were created to be. And there is no limit. The journey isn’t you against the guy down the street or the farm down the road or even advancing your career. The journey is you becoming a deeper more connected version of yourself.


Your keynotes often emphasize rewriting your story and turning triggers into teachers. Can you share a specific story that illustrates one of those principles in action?


I left my finance job in July 2024. I decided to write my book. I had no backup plan. I put all of my energy into the second half of last year to write said book and launch said book. On Nov. 19, I launched my book. Two weeks later to the day, I got my identity stolen. By the end of the day on Dec. 3, all of my accounts were frozen. … That was the worst day of my life.


[My friend Craig] said, “Jerrid, this could be the best thing that ever happened to you. … Spend some more time with your wife, connect with old friends.” I took his advice. I believed it. And I’ll spare all the details, but I’m having an explosive 2025, and I can guarantee you the reason I’m having an explosive 2025 is because my identity got stolen. It’s because of what I was able to correct in my own mind, my own heart, my own soul.