Citizen J Podcast with Jillian Rebekah: Overlanding News
Marriage, family, business, mental health: Citizen J digs in with XOverland founder Rachelle Croft, KC HiLiTES CEO Alan Wang, Brad Kowitz of Trail Recon and Marco Hernandez of OVRLNDX.
Debuting at Overland Expo West 2022, overland content creator Jillian Rebekah’s expansion into the poscast world breaks the mold of overlanding podcasts. In her first three episodes of the Citizen J Podcast, Jillian gets relatably real with her guests. She hosts open and honest conversations with people she considers “larger than life” among the overlanding community. Jillian doesn’t limit her interviews to discussions of overland adventures. She and her guests talk about living lives of adventure – and all of the challenges that come along with it.
The Mind Behind Citizen J
Jillian Rebekah has been part of the overlanding community for about six years. Her main vehicle is a Toyota Tacoma, but she also dabbles in dirtbikes and recently upgraded her rig to tow her Husky FE350s. She’s an active presence on Instagram (@jillianrebekah) and has expanded onto YouTube in the form of the Citizen J podcast. She also writes the occasional blog post, creates content and organizes events on her website, mountainyot.com.
Jillian explained, “I believe there is real power in sharing your story and in encouraging other people to recognize the value of their own unique voice. I hope Citizen J can help spark that movement of self discovery and personal freedom… especially among other women.”
On Instagram, @citizenjpodcast‘s bio reads, “If you believe growth is born of adventure you are Citizen J.” While her audience is very much rooted in the overlanding community, it seems as though her goal is to shine a light on the tough realities of the adventurous lifestyles of her guests.
Into the Episodes
Jillian’s Citizen J podcast, filmed in her SoCal bunker, takes a step beyond overlanding content. Though her guests are big names in the community, the conversaions she has with them range from family to business and everything in between.
Available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple podcasts, the new episode of Citizen J airs tomorrow, July 1, 2022. All we know for now is that Jillian’s next guest is female.
If you’re interested, keep reading below to get a quick snapshot on the episodes she’s already put out.
Breaking the Mold
Episode 1 guest Rachelle Croft and husband Clay founded Expedition Overland, or, as they’re better known, XOverland, back in 2010. A longtime friend of Jillian’s, Rachelle reminsced about adventures they’ve had together as well as the experiences they’ve shared.
Rachelle and Jillian discussed being women in the overlanding world and finding community and solidarity on their atypical overlander-style “girls trips.” They’ve been known to include canyoneering and other exhilarating overland activities. They talked about the Morocco Rebelle Rally, as well as balancing business, marriage and motherhood. Then they moved into an honest dialogue about prioritizing personal needs and keeping the spirit of adventure during tough times.
XOverland is one of the original groundbreaking content creation outifts of the overlanding community, inspiring Jillian and many others on their own journeys. Combined with the friendly bluntness of Jillian’s interview skills, this unique perspective on overlanding sheds light on the realities of life in the spotlight.
The Expedition Overland team makes their way along the 675-mile long Arizona Peace Trail.
Back to Basics with KC HiLiTES
Speaking of the spotlight, there aren’t many more famililar than Alan Wang of KC HiLiTES. He is, quite literally, a spotlight professional. His family business dominates the vehicle lighting market. Just like Rachelle, Alan is an old friend of Jillian’s. They jump into it right away, tackling Alan’s work relationship with his dad and their different love languages.
Alan shared that he is all about life balance. Between working with family and being a husband and father, his life gets busy fast. He and Jillian shared experiences of prioritizing their mental health in crazy times.
Mixing business and pleasure, Alan explained, can sometimes cause him to forget to find the fun in what he does. Alan is an avid overlander himself, but his fast-paced lifestyle is the root of much of his stress.
Finally, Alan and Jillian unpacked stressors about money and what they define as success. They were able to remind each other of where their priorities lay – with family and happiness.
“Jeep Guys” Slowing it Down
Being the “jeep guy” is a label that both Brad Kowitz and Marco Hernandez share, though they both told Jillian that they don’t think of themselves as “jeep guys” in particular. Brad and Marco reminisced about the first times they had both met Jillian and the adventures they’d shared since then.
The three longtime content creators shared how film and photography have changed their adventures. Getting on the trail without cameras might be a rarity these days for some, but Brad emphazised that he makes it a priority. He and his wife frequently hit the trail all by themselves, enjoying the peace and quiet. (And the challenge, too.)
Slowing down that pedal-to-the-metal lifestyle was a theme of Citizen J episode 3. Brad and Marco recounted several trips they’d taken together to Baja, Mexico. There, they found themselves stopping at a beautiful camp spot and staying for two whole days. (Experienced overlanders – you know how rare this is.)
Marco is a master trail chef according to both Jillian and Brad. Eating well on the trail is important to him, and he shared that building a community around the food he cooks is a huge part of his platform.
For More Content…
Follow Jillian Rebekah’s adventures on Instagram @jillianrebekah or @citizenjpodcast, Rachelle Croft at @xoverland, Alan Wang at @kchilites, Brad Kowitz at @trailrecon and Marco Hernandez at @ovrlndx.
