Life & Work with Bervin Jackson of Atlanta Georgia

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bervin Jackson.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My name is Bervin Jackson. I am a professional celebrity fitness trainer and international wellness minister that had my life destroyed by toxic mold in 2010. Before my mold sickness, I was a successful professional fitness trainer, and model working with stars such as Whitney Houston. I was featured in People Magazine as Whitney Houston’s comeback fitness trainer, NBC Blind Date Fear Factor Show Contestant, and I was about to appear on ABC, The Shark Tank Show for my healthy pizzas. My life was changed forever when I got exposed to mold in my Sandy Springs, Georgia apartment in 2010.

I hired an attorney for my mold lawsuit after meeting with him at his office. He claimed he was experienced in handling mold cases, and he did absolutely nothing to help me get a strong settlement. I ended up financially broke, and homeless living out of my car as a chauffeur driver in Jupiter Beach Florida. I was told by a medical team of doctors in Florida that I was the sickest man in the entire hospital. It has taken me over fifteen years to regain peace from my severe life threatening mold sickness. I then decided to start my own humanitarian program to support others in need of mold recovery.

When my parents moved from Chicago to Atlanta in June of 1977, we lived in the back of a rat infested church building in poverty. My father was a pastor and entrepreneur with a serious relentless work ethic, and he instilled his work ethic in me. At the time, I remember telling myself I was going to change our situation and I was willing to put the work in to make it happen. I am thankful for having supportive parents in every business venture I’ve started with no upfront working capital. All of the success I have experienced in life is because of my great parents Dr, Bishop Louis Howard Jackson (deceased) and Evangelist, Mildred Jackson.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, it has not been a smooth road for me. I grew up in poverty watching my father struggle to take care of his family. I grew up with 3 sisters and 2 brothers in Atlanta, GA. My oldest sister lived in Chicago, IL. My father was a pastor, carpenter, electrician, roofer, and a mechanic. He did whatever was necessary to support his family, and all I wanted to do was change our situation forever. My father was a man of faith, discipline, trust, integrity, and had a superior work ethic. When I was growing up under my father’s guidance, we were in church at least 4 days a week. In the summertime, when we were out of school, my father had us going to church conventions all the time. I didn’t grow up going to the movie theatre on the weekend, or playing a game on a sports team.
When my father moved us out of our rat infested church building into a nice neighborhood, I still had challenges to face. We were the second black family in the neighborhood and this took a lot of patience. My father told me early in life that things were not going to be easy for me and to do every job right the first time. He also told me, whatever you don’t like in this world to start my own.

My mother is a true lady. At the age of twelve, she taught that I was going to learn how to cook for myself and never depend on anyone. She also trained me that I was not going to dress and look weird, and made sure every time I walked out of the house I looked intelligent. My parents worked as a strong team to raise their 7 kids, and they instilled life long values in us.

I played football for the first time in my life at Forest Park High School. This was very new to me because the rest of the team had been playing football their entire lives. Our star quarterback was non other than the now famous, Hines Ward. I didn’t know how to tackle or strike anyone, but my work ethic in the weight room caught the attention of my coach. One early summer morning, I was working out in the weight room by myself. My coach approached me and said these words that I will never forget. “Bervin, if you continue with this work ethic, you are going far in life son!”

After high school it was time to decide where my life was going. I had two good friends who I grew up with in the neighborhood and also went to high school with named Ernest Grant, and Winchel Elibert. Ernest Grant was leaving to play football in college, and Winchel Elibert was a serious entrepreneur. Winchel Elibert stopped by my house one day and we had a serious conversation. This conversation gave me direction with my life. He said, “Bervin you need to become an entrepreneur and start your own business.”

After many long years of searching for my passion in life, I graced the Hollywood scene without any agent by appearing in People Magazine as Whitney Houston’s comeback fitness trainer. I also appeared on NBC, Blind Date Fear Factor Show after calling the show over 1000 times. I modeled for Russell Athletics, J.C. Cognac, Upscale Magazine, Jet Magazine, and Atlanta Sports & Fitness Magazine. I became the personal kickboxing trainer for celebrity real estate mogul, Debra Johnston from Atlanta. I also started a business making healthy homemade, handcrafted pizzas out of my one bedroom apartment in 2007. My pizzas were so delicious they were endorsed by celebrity fitness guru, Forbes Riley. I did all of this without any upfront working capital because I was denied every time. The income I personally made was used to pay bills, buy groceries, pay rent, and the rest was used for advertising. It’s extremely hard to grow any business without some upfront working capital.

My two best friends, Ernest Grant and Winchel Elibert in whom I grew up with in the same neighborhood, and went to the same high school with became very successful as well. Ernest Grant played professional football for the Miami Dolphins, and the Chicago Bears. Winchel Elibert and his wife, Felicia Elibert, opened the first black owned shopping plaza in Fayetteville, Georgia in November of 2024 called, Kingdom Corners. What is really awesome about all of this is that we all went to Forest Park High School, along with Hines Ward who played professional football for the Pittsburgh Steelers. My coach was right when he said, “if you keep that same work ethic you will go far in life.” I will be turning 50 years old on November 13th, and my work ethic hasn’t slowed down. My work ethic is the reason I survived my extreme mold sickness when medical doctors gave me two weeks to live in 2010. I got married in August of 2022 to an amazing lady named, DeeAnn Jackson. My wife is also a mold survivor, humanitarian, and health and wellness advocate.

I don’t believe in the term self-made. Yes, I had to build every business I started with no upfront working capital, but I had some good genuine mentors. Their names are minister Kenneth Johnson, who played professional football for the Cincinnati Bengals, and minister Allen Smith, who was a former school educator. These men of God watched me grow from a child into a man, and they always had a positive message to pass along to me. They enlighten me with their spiritual messages, or just a simple phone call to see if I was doing fine. They were assistant pastors to my father.

When my father moved his family into a nice neighborhood, we still had church services in our rat infested church building. My father’s biggest dream was to have a beautiful church building. After many years of hard work, his dream came true on October 19, 2008. We moved into a beautiful edifice in East Point, Georgia.

After my father’s passing, Minister Allen Smith and his dedicated wife, First Lady Carolyn Smith continued my fathers great work. He is the senior pastor of Greater Atlanta Healing Temple Church. Minister Kenneth Johnson, is his assistant pastor. My father made it very clear to me that if I wanted to go far in life, to only deal with people who are actually going somewhere. I will continue to follow my passion as a health and wellness minister, and continue to bring the world the genuine truth.

Bervin Jackson
A Lifestyle Driven By Passion, Integrity, Trust, Discipline, Diversity, and Self Determination

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I designed a very unique fitness training style called Cross-exercise. It’s a combination of my creative style of kickboxing with bootcamp exercises, resistance bands, plyometrics, and many different short running drills. What sets me apart from others is the passion I bring to my creativity, and to see my clients enjoy the passion I bring to my work. I am most proud of following my father’s directions when he told me to do every job right the first time.

What were you like growing up?
I have always had this positive go getter approach to life. I like to see people win and I like to help them win. I believe if you have a good personality and believe in doing things right the first time you will go far in life and people will support you.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.bervinj.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bervinjackson/