Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle Jones.
Hi Danielle, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My story into by business started back when I lived in California. To give you some background, I’m a Texas native that has lived in a few different states. Being from Texas nutrition isn’t spoke of outside of being told to eat your vegetables and eat your full plate of food so you’re not being wasteful. You MUST eat meat because where are you getting your protein!? Most vegetables were cooked with some sort of meat involved. Many of the vegetable dishes cooked all of the nutrients out of it so you had to drink the juice from the vegetables because that is where you got the nutrients. Now, I’m sure a lot has changed, but I’m speaking from my childhood. All that to say, I didn’t grow up thinking about how I was eating or what to eat in order to live an optimal healthy life.
Fast forward to moving to California, I was married at the time and moved there due to his job. I was excited for the change and looking forward to doing all the California things! Well, I didn’t make friends fast and that led to depression which I didn’t even realize I was experiencing at the time. With that came weight gain and me not feeling like myself. That is when I started the journey of finding out what it means to eat “clean” or healthy. I then saw a nutrition certification at San Diego State University and I decided to take it. I wanted to learn the WHY behind eating healthy so I was simply taking these courses to learn for myself.
Once I learned the importance of eating healthy I recognized more people needed to understand the why behind it, and the more people I was thinking about was my family and friends. I started with them and my journey has evolved since and I haven’t looked back.
As someone who struggled with my wellness journey trying to workout, eat healthy, and still find time for family and friends, it felt overwhelming at times so I had figure out the balance for me, something that didn’t make me feel bad for missing out.
I’ve consistently been in corporate roles and I recognize the struggle to gain balance in doing it all and I found strategies and the mindset to make it work. That is where the shift in helping more people outside of family and friends came in.
My passion became, and still is, helping women create that balance for themselves. I guide busy, ambitious, corporate and entrepreneur, women on their journey to optimal wellness through nutrition and herbs to manage stress, eat for energy, focus, and get back to feeling like themselves!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not always been a smooth road for me. As I mentioned I’ve struggled with depression when moving to a new place. It was hard to adjust to people not being as friendly as they are in Texas. That then lead into weight gain and me not feeling like myself and trying to figure out how to balance it all. I eventually made friends and figured out what worked for me but that took time.
When we moved again and I had a much better experience in Arizona – I made friends quicker, got into the wellness space, and met some amazing women. Months into living there I then went through a divorce which really catapulted my wellness journey and I got in the best shape I have ever been.
I had already created a great wellness routine while there. After the divorce I didn’t know where I was going to live. Going through the initial phases of the divorce took a lot out of me. I was working a full time job, had travel planned, and on top of that I had to sell a house on my own as well getting rid of the items in it. Mentally and physically I was drained going through that process and ran out of time to look for somewhere to live so I ended up nomadic. That’s what my friends wanted me to call it, because I called myself homeless. I went on this journey for 9 months – living in airbnb’s, staying with friends, and family trying to decide where I wanted to live. I decided to move here in Tampa seven months into the journey but couldn’t move in until two months later as that when the apartment would be available.
Throughout all of the time I was traveling I found ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I would find markets to shop for groceries and cook when I could no matter where I was staying.
I also kept up an exercise routine, believe it or not, all places did not have a gym so I traveled with a jump rope and bands to workout with. Going through a divorce, I had to really work on my mental wellness and that is when I learned about more techniques to manage stress.
This was a long way to say, no, this journey hasn’t been easy but it’s been an adventure and it’s made me who I am today and better able to guide women through their wellness journey.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Dandie Living?
Dandie Living is a where my clients get to create their own healthy holistic lifestyle. I guide these busy, ambitious, corporate and entrepreneur women on their journey to optimal wellness through nutrition, herbs, and detoxing. Other areas of focus are stress management, mindset matters, eating for energy and focus, as well as getting women to feel like themselves again – creating a healthy lifestyle, not just for an occasion but for a lifetime.
I also do office wellness where I host virtual or in-person wellness workshops for businesses (big or small) – I speak to topics such as the brain and gut connection, building healthy habit, and even virtual cooking classes for teams within organizations. We’ve also created vision boards.
What sets me apart from others is I make it easy, I provide techniques you can apply right away. I make each interaction we have together fun and we create realistic strategies for you to move forward in your journey. We’re not counting macros and micros with me. It’s more about getting the nutrients you need.
My goal is to make healthy eating easy, delicious, and something you want to do – not just eating the same boring meals over and over again. Reminding you herbs aren’t just for the tea blends I create but they are also great for cooking.
What I’m most proud of is being able to be authentic in my brand. I do not sugar coat and I offer the importance behind getting healthy outside of appearance, it’s deeper than that. I recognize that it’s not always an easy journey for everyone and I meet women right where they are. It’s not me coming in changing your whole life at once, we gradually move into the journey and find what works for you personally, there’s no cookie cutter way to do it.
What I offer, well, whether you want to work with me individually or have me come to your office and host a wellness class, I’m here to support. I offer:
– 3-6 month individual wellness programs.
– One hour wellness strategy session for those who don’t want to dive into along term program.
– DIY 14-day seasonal Fresh Start Detox.
– Host workshops throughout the year on various wellness topics relevant to what I hear women want to work on.
– Vision board experiences at least twice a year which are so much fun for me and for those who come!
You may also see me at a local market or event selling my tea blends, even if you don’t buy, please stop by and say hi!
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I don’t believe anything in my life has happened due to luck. I believe my life has played out just as it was destined. I know it sounds cliche but I do believe that. Each experience has stretched me to grow into the person I am today. It’s helped me to better serve my clients, to be a better friend, and partner. Would I like to change some things? Of course, as mentioned here, it has not been an easy journey for me, but I wouldn’t be who or where I am today without both the good and bad experiences. I’m happy to have met some amazing people and friends along this journey of life and in business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://dandieliving.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dandie_living
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/Dandieliving
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-jones-5115dj/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dandieliving
Image Credits
Michael White NspiredArt
