Meet Jacob Swanson | Teacher & MMA Fighter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jacob Swanson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jacob, do you have any habits that you feel contribute to your effectiveness?
Habits that have led to my success include being organized, keeping a calendar and planning my day, week and month ahead of time. This helps me manage my time and all my responsibilities. Communication within work life and peers is essential, you must learn how to effectively communicate. Other habits that have led to my success are going to the gym and staying consistent in the gym, having discipline and maintaining that discipline when it comes to everything,
and being dependable. Goal setting, continuous learning, resilience, networking, living a healthy lifestyle, reflection, and gratitude are also habits that have led to my success.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am currently on a journey of two equally important career paths. The first path I am on is as a high school teacher where I help mentor, educate, and shape the next generation as I make a positive impact in their life. I am continuing my education as I work my way towards my doctorate degree, I want to lead by example for my students and I do my best to accomplish that everyday. Teaching is very rewarding when I see the students have fun in learning and helping a student overcome a particular subject he is struggling with and showing him or her that it can be done. My second career choice is fighting, I am currently ranked in the top 10 for welterweights in Georgia. Each fight camp becomes more difficult as the more experience you gain the tougher opponents you face. The reward comes from overcoming the adversities faced in fight camp, stepping into that cage and completing the game plan to come out with the win. Currently I am undefeated, my next match is October 26th in Buford at the Tannery Row in the National Fighting Championship. I plan to continue to make a positive impact for the upcoming fighters in my area and help lead and mentor them to live up to their full potential. In both careers, I share that same goal, and hold myself up to higher standards knowing not only my students are looking up to me but so are the other fighters and teammates at my gym and everyone in my city that follows along with my journey.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If you are in the Atlanta area, I would advise you to check out Six Flags over Georgia, the largest roller coaster in Georgia is there. If you are into fish and the sea, you can check out the Georgia Aquarium, one of the largest aquariums in the world. For those who love shopping, check out the Mall of Georgia. Stone Mountain Park is great for family events. Little Five Points is great for nightlife, shops and street art. You can also check out some fights of the National Fighting Championship at the Battery, Monday Night Garage or Tannery Row. Atlanta Botanical Gardens is a great date idea and Laughing Skull is a fun comedy bar. If you find yourself in Milledgeville, you can take your friends and family to the lake country lanes for fun and games. Pickup on the fastest growing sport in the world by stopping by Milledgeville Academy of MMA or have a lake day at Lake Sinclair. Places for nightlife is an arcade bar known as Dungeons and Daquiris or popular scene of Capital City. Places to eat include Longhorn’s Steakhouse, BollyWood Tacos, Kai Thai, Chilis, and the Brick.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would first like to thank my mma coaches Frank Mullis and Bubby Mitchell as well as my primary training partner Joseph Fortune. I would not have the success I have without them backing me. I also would like to attribute my success in mixed martial arts to my mentors and teammates at both Milledgeville Academy of MMA as well as Rush MMA. As a support team I would like to thank my beautiful girlfriend Destini Freshour, she has been by my side since the beginning and is my main support system. She makes sacrifices everyday to allow me to do what I love to do and I appreciate her for it. I would also like to thank my father for encouraging me to become a teacher as himself and helping mentor and guide me through the entire process.

Instagram: swankutz