Today, we’d like to introduce you to DANIELLE MONTANYE. DANIELLE was introduced to us by the brilliant and talented Keenan Roden.
DANIELLE, thank you so much for joining us today. We’d love for you to bring our readers up to speed – can you introduce yourself and share your story?
Growing up as an only child I put a ton of pressure on myself to make my family proud. All through high school and college I took on as many things as I could to prove I could handle it all. Sports, activities, clubs, internships, and multiple jobs, I sacrificed much of my social life in order to create a reputation for myself that would make others say “wow.” As an adult I’ve continued down that same path, while also continuing to want to make others proud of me. Besides being a single mom and working full time, I have played semi-professional women’s tackle football, competed in Strongman competitions, completed Spartan races, ran bootcamps for youth, and coached multiple youth sports. The difference now is that I no longer sacrifice my social life. I have learned through the years that in order to make my family proud, I have to make myself proud. In order to do that I’ve had to learn that it’s okay to say no and it’s okay to put myself first. I still feel the pressure, but now I do things because they make me feel good. When I feel good, I can actually do more for others and in turn, help them to feel good.
Let’s talk about your work and career – what else should we know?
I am a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) for the New York State Unified Court System and have been for 15 years. What’s great about this is that every day brings new information, challenges, and outcomes. Most people identify auditors as bad. However, I take pride in making everyone as comfortable as possible when working with them and reminding them that as an internal auditor, we are on the same team. Although I do find wrongdoing and fraud in some instances, I think of my job as helping people become better at what they do by giving suggestions and recommendations. My work requires a lot of patience, observation, and listening. These are skills that not only help me at work but assist me in everyday life. I have the opportunity to travel throughout the state, meeting may people and seeing many different cities and towns. Having that opportunity has pushed me to go many other places and meeting many other people.
So, as we mentioned to our audience earlier, you were introduced to us by Keenan Roden and Gear By J and we really admire them and what they’ve built. For folks who might not be as familiar, can you tell them a bit about your experience with Gear By J.
I have known Keenan for around eight years. We first met on Instagram and throughout the years we built a strong friendship. He came to me prior to starting Gear By J and asked if I would help promote some shirts he was creating. I loved his concept and his design and didn’t hesitate to say yes. Since then, I have helped him review his website and updates he made, designs he created, and tested products to see how the material felt and help determine how well certain material used to create designs held through wear and wash. I have gone to Gear By J for so many custom designs, from birthdays to holidays to any crazy idea that popped in my head. Keenan has been able to take all my ideas and create something fabulous using various fonts, patterns, and texture. Communication couldn’t be easier, whether it’s through the website or text. From the initial idea, to receiving the invoice and payment, and receiving the final product, the entire process has been nothing but smooth.
Instagram: Adidaswoman
