NATE: Hey, welcome back to another episode of the Million Dollar Body Podcast—the intersection of physical freedom, time freedom, and adventure. I’m here today with a very special guest, my friend Jessi McAnelly. We’re going to be talking about her business, Moon Hypnosis. Jessi is a certified hypnotist and the founder of Moon Hypnosis. She has a pretty crazy story.

We met a couple years back when we were working together on content creation, and I’m so excited to have her on the show today because not only has she gone through some aspects of the Million Dollar Body program and had amazing success, but she also brings a unique way of looking at mindset and habits that goes beyond the lifestyle and grit I usually talk about. Jessi, I’m pumped you’re here. I’m just going to say this is going to be a top-three episode. I’ll manifest that right now.

JESSI: Yeah, I’m so psyched. I’ve known you a while now, huh?

NATE: It’s been a minute—and you’re still here, which is cool.

JESSI: I know. And I’ve lost 60 pounds since we met. That’s a pretty big deal.

NATE: That’s a huge deal. Are you really proud of yourself for that? Because that’s incredible.

JESSI: So proud. Right before I got on here, I had my morning special of three eggs and some vegetables. You’ve made food so easy for me.

NATE: We love that. And side note: I did not pay her to say this, but I will be sending her money after this episode, just so everyone knows. Also—amazing job. We can talk fitness and nutrition, but you still have to do the work. I can’t do your push-ups for you. I can’t even make you breakfast. So this is an awesome testament to what you’ve put together.

NATE: People are probably thinking, “Great—60 pounds, easy food. Did you say hypnotist?” Can you tell us a little about that? How long have you been in hypnosis? How did you get certified? And is it like what people see in Vegas shows?

JESSI: Answering the Vegas show question first: hypnosis is putting the mind in a suggestible state—on stage, in an office, or even on the street. It’s about helping someone enter that suggestible state and then offering ideas for change.

JESSI: Any time you’ve listened to a guided meditation, that’s a kind of hypnosis. Also, when you’re driving, get lost in thought, and suddenly you’re in your driveway—same state of mind. You’re doing it all the time.

NATE: So, that flow state—you’re just moving through. I was there last night. I was driving and thought, “Was that light green? I have no memory.”

JESSI: That’s it. Exactly.

NATE: You help people find that more suggestible state—open to suggestions from you, an app, a recording, or themselves—and use it to create change, instead of white-knuckling with willpower.

JESSI: Yes. For example, I had a weight loss client who’d eat a bunch of wafer cookies—like 15 in a sitting. Our work took her from mindless overeating to bringing full awareness into the experience. We planted the suggestion that when she ate one, she’d fully experience the pleasure of a couple and feel satisfied when she actually felt satisfied. It’s similar with smoking—often mindless. Hypnosis adds awareness.

NATE: How did you get into this? You’ve got a wild story.

JESSI: About five years ago, I was doing transcripts and podcast descriptions—that’s how I met you. I worked for a hypnotist who helps poker players and UFC fighters. I saw incredible transformations: better self-control and mindset, leading to better results at the table or in the ring. I got curious, hired a hypnotist myself to quit cocaine, lose weight, and change how I felt about myself. I got great results and realized I loved the work (and I’ve got the voice for it). Maybe I’ll give you a sample later.

NATE: Please do. Honestly, you should host this podcast—your voice is better than mine. Want to take over the Million Dollar Body Podcast when this episode ends?

JESSI: I’ll do it from now on. Sure.

NATE: I want to go back to what you said about changing who you believe you are—identity—rather than just adding a green juice in the morning. Overeating, drug use, whatever… they can be symptoms of how we feel about ourselves. How did that shift happen for you?

JESSI: I was in a going-nowhere relationship, doing cocaine, drinking a lot. One day I realized: I don’t want this life. On an identity level I thought, “This doesn’t have to be my life. I can enjoy myself and change over time.” I started seeing the path from where I was to where I wanted to be. You can’t take on everything at once. I focused on one thing per week—the thing with the biggest impact over the next 1–3 months. That’s what I do with clients too. Those changes stack. Day-to-day you don’t always see it, but when you pause and look back—suddenly the graph is down, the weights feel lighter, your body feels strong. It adds up.

NATE: We spend five or ten years getting out of shape and want to reverse it in two weeks. We overestimate what we can do in three months and underestimate what we can do in three years.

NATE: Did your “one thing” approach come from putting yourself in a suggestive state? What are the suggestions you used (or your hypnotist used) to shift identity and support the long-term view?

JESSI: Willpower and self-control are real, but they need practice. Expecting total discipline overnight sets you up to fail. People can change overnight, but more often, hypnosis plants a new idea. Where before you’d automatically overeat when stressed, hypnosis inserts something between you and that unconscious behavior.

NATE: Almost like adding a layer of friction?

JESSI: Exactly. One client worked from home. When he went downstairs, he’d turn left to grab a snack. The suggestion: next time you go downstairs, it feels easy and obvious to want to go right—outside—because the fresh air and weather feel great. We make the better choice more appealing, shifting from “I should” to “I want to.”

NATE: I love that—getting away from obligation into integrity and alignment with your core values and who you’re becoming.

JESSI: And there are words you can drop from your vocabulary.

NATE: Let’s hear them.

JESSI: “Should.” “Have to.” You can even reframe DMV errands: “I want to go get my license today because I’m excited about my road trip in two months.” It’s a perspective shift. Ditch obligation words.

NATE: I’ve heard these called “weasel words.”

JESSI: I like that. Also drop “hope” and “try.” “I hope I can lose 20 pounds.” “I’ve tried everything.” “Try” often implies failure. What will actually help? Doing—taking an action. Not to get all Yoda, but you know.

NATE: “Do or do not. There is no try.”

JESSI: There’s real wisdom there.

NATE: So, changing self-talk is huge. It’s less “You love eating carrots” and more about how we self-hypnotize—recognizing subconscious patterns and rewriting them to reflect who we’re becoming. Agree?

JESSI: Exactly. In a session, we relax the conscious, thinking part of the brain. We get you into a daydream state. Your mind may wander and come back. We bring awareness to where you are.

NATE: How do you do that—practically?

JESSI: We shift awareness: how you feel, what you hear, what you see. We get very fascinated with one thing, then shift that fascination to another. You realize you’re doing this all the time. Gradually, over about an hour, we guide your awareness from where you were to where you want to be.

NATE: How many sessions to see results?

JESSI: Often one to start the change, then follow-ups to tie up loose ends and reinforce. For example, quit-smoking clients usually stop in the first session, then we reinforce the new lifestyle in later sessions.

NATE: If someone is reinventing a habit or identity—fitness, business, relationships, smoking—it’s great to use tactical programs (like Million Dollar Body or AA), and it’s powerful to work with a hypnotist on the backend to shift the undercurrents.

JESSI: Exactly. You can have a step-by-step program, but if your beliefs aren’t on board, sticking to it is hard.

NATE: We act in alignment with who we believe we are. If you don’t see yourself as healthy, you can white-knuckle tilapia and asparagus for a bit, but eventually you’ll revert to “normal.”

JESSI: For me, the biggest change was, “This is who I am.” I eat for the body and fitness I want. Even before I got there, I acted in alignment with that identity. I tracked daily—not to punish myself, but to get information. That data makes a huge difference when you’re aiming at a goal.

NATE: What gets measured gets managed.

JESSI: Exactly. I could see how a muffin or cheese danish affected water retention and weight. It became obvious—and easy—to let go of foods that weren’t helping. Over time it became easy because I preferred the identity-aligned choice.

NATE: And then it’s actually more comfortable to eat well.

JESSI: You’re acting in alignment with your identity. And you can still enjoy treats. I’ll have a piece of cheesecake and truly enjoy it—maybe half now, half later—without guilt.

NATE: Right—you’re a fit person who occasionally indulges, not someone who indulges and wishes they were fit.

JESSI: And you drop the guilt and shame. That’s freedom.

NATE: For listeners: Jessi’s an amazing writer—get on her email list. For the Million Dollar Body Podcast and MDB Project Facebook community, she’s offering a free 20-minute call to talk through what you’re working on. Take advantage before her schedule fills up. Jessi, what’s the blend of tactics (conscious) and hypnosis (subconscious) look like in your world?

JESSI: Tactics are conscious, left-brain: writing, planning, structure. You need that. Hypnosis is mindset—the right-brain, subconscious, metaphor, visualization. Together, you’re wiring the brain for logical, tactical success while feeding it images and beliefs that support the outcome. Instead of telling yourself you can’t, you’re rehearsing the ways you can.

NATE: Love that.

NATE: Many of my clients want to lose 30–60 pounds—40 is the sweet spot. If someone says, “Help me lose 40 pounds,” what should they do first in an ideal setup?

JESSI: If they start with you, they’ve got the tactical plan. With me, we talk goals, spot mental and emotional hang-ups, and set a program. Usually an intensive: three or four sessions over a month, then check-ins monthly or bi-weekly.

NATE: And how does the tactical plan integrate in the first month?

JESSI: If they bring a mapped plan from you, Session 1 is making the entire change-path feel possible—belief, motivation, visualization. Subsequent sessions troubleshoot where they got hung up or plateaued. We keep breaking them free from stuck states. It’s customized, but that’s the general arc.

NATE: So it’s most effective when someone has a clear goal and some self-awareness—“help me walk the path.”

JESSI: Yes—and keep in mind most people struggle to get that clarity. The best clients are 10/10 ready to change—even if they’re unsure how.

NATE: More important than perfection is being willing, coachable, and showing up.

JESSI: Exactly. The best results come from simply following instructions. If I say think about something, think about it. Imagine it? Imagine it. Breathe and relax? Do that. By following a series of instructions, you realize your power over your habits, actions, reactions, and behaviors.

NATE: It’s interesting how submitting to the process reveals your own power.

JESSI: It is. By letting someone lead for a bit, you learn to take back control of what felt out of control—unconscious eating, skipping workouts, etc. You find the resources within yourself.

NATE: A lot of us want control, and it creates anxiety—the weight of the world on our shoulders (literally: traps and neck pain). High performers tell me about anxiety all the time; it’s often that grasping for control.

JESSI: The body holds tension where we resist flow. Traps for the “weight of the world,” facial muscles for decision fatigue or hyper-focus. You can get woo-woo with it, or just notice that emotions express through muscle tension. Our metaphors exist for a reason.

NATE: We could go deep on collective awareness and archetypes—maybe next time. If you’re watching live in the Million Dollar Body group, I dropped Jessi’s Anxiety Relief Kit—free on her site. If you’re listening later, go to n8systems.com/group to access it. Jessi, where can people find you?

JESSI: I’m on Facebook—add me, Jessi McAnelly—and at moonhypnosis.com (moon, like the big moon in the sky).

NATE: Is there another way to spell moon—like with an umlaut?

JESSI: Cute, but not great for Google.

NATE: Fair point.

JESSI: I’m also on Facebook and Instagram at Moon Hypnosis Ypsi—that’s Ypsilanti, where I live. I’ll post the link.

NATE: Anything you want to leave us with—about hypnosis, you, or your first car?

JESSI: Let this be your nudge to drop words that don’t serve you. Get rid of “try,” “should,” and other obligation words. Notice when you use them. Once you see it, you can’t unsee it. That awareness alone changes things. As Yoda says, “Do or do not.”

NATE: Love it, Jess. Thanks for hanging with us on the podcast. We’ll have links to her socials, the Anxiety Relief Kit, and a way to get on Jessi’s schedule—probably limited to the first five to ten people—so jump fast. And like she said: do or do not; there is no try. Bye!