James J Varela 
Life Coach

James Varela was born in Dubuque, Iowa, and raised in Sarasota, Florida. James’ life has been a roller-coaster ride across the socioeconomic landscape of America. When he turned 23, his mother was diagnosed with terminal liver disease which required her to have a transplant. This event interrupted the course of his then-young life and the effects of this health crisis on James would last for years. During the hard years of early adulthood, James was living in a small Florida town and unable to move away to pursue a career and educational opportunities because of his mother’s succession of illnesses. During these years James had to deal with a personal illness with no money or health insurance, face legal problems when professional legal advice was unaffordable. James knows how it feels to be forced to work a job that is beneath one’s skills, education, and intelligence and to endure unkind remarks and gossip from ignorant strangers who are unaware of your circumstances. 

Despite these early obstacles, James earned two university degrees. A.S. in Computer Information Systems & B.S. in Public Administration. The home he lives in was built in 1987. When the house was built, the neighborhood was considered a working-class neighborhood. Today, many of his neighbors are young college-educated people. During the thick of the Great Recession friends and acquaintances having hard times for the first time came to James for advice which he tried to give, and these people often would comment “You Should Write a Book! “During his adult life, James worked in retail sales and management, auto and real estate sales, technology sales, and human resources. Today James works for the State of Florida, Department of Children & Families.