Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle A. Vann.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
This is a big question that can easily be summed up by saying: My purpose was born from pain and harrowing experiences.
Little did I know that this would be a common theme that I would see not only in my life, but now see in my clients and those I interview on the Get Your Life Together, Girl Podcast.
As for my personal story, I’ve spent my entire professional career curious about what makes us human and how we respond to the events in our lives. After attending university, I was a news anchor and reporter, which deepened my curiosity around emotions, behavior, and human reactions. This inner push never left, and I found myself weaving it into writing novels and commissioned self-help books after leaving the news industry.
Yet, in 2016, everything changed in a matter of a few months that would tie back to that internal curiosity. A series of four events rocked my world and shaped everything that has unfolded since. First, in July, I lost my father-in-law to cancer. Then, seven days later, I lost my stepmother of over thirty years to cancer. Forty-five days later, I found myself holding our middle daughter in my arms as I was told she was in kidney failure and was gravely ill. With no time to process, I felt as though I could not slow down, catch my breath, process my thoughts, or work through the heaviness I was experiencing.
Things didn’t stop there, though. Less than twenty-four hours after our daughter, who was nine at the time, had her kidney removed, I became extremely ill and was admitted to the hospital. Life had hit so hard, so fast, I needed something to pull me out of the overwhelm. During that stay, a nurse opened my eyes when she asked what had led up to me becoming so ill. As I weaved together what had happened over those last few months, she smiled and said, “That’s emotional pain, sweetheart, and it will kill you if you don’t handle it.”
There it was again—emotions, reprocessing, reactions. The one thing I had spent my life studying was happening in real-time within my own life.
It was then that I began to explore different healing tools and ways to help myself process. One thing led to another, and I went back to school. I knew I was not alone in grief, complex experiences, emotional disruption, and all the movements we experience in life. More so, I knew if I could help myself heal, I was being called to help others do the same. I now have the pleasure of doing just that as I guide women through processing their experiences, dive deep into trauma, emotions, personal understanding, and help them get their lives together as a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist, Life Coach, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Practitioner, Meditation Instructor, Trauma Specialist, Master-level Neuro-Linguistic Programming Practitioner, Emotional Freedom Tapping Teacher, blogger, and podcast host.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Healing and this work are never a straight or completely smooth road.
As for the work I do, there have definitely been highs and lows. It is exceptionally gratifying to watch someone who has labeled themselves as “stuck” or “broken” find a new path and ownership of life.
At the same time, it can be challenging to guide someone through deep trauma, divorce, low self-esteem, and any manifestation of the wide range of experiences and emotions we carry.
In the end, I always say, “Healing and finding new ways to show up is like life itself. Of course, it will have an ebb and flow, ups and downs, but if we continue to learn, grow, and reach for even one percent better, we have the power to create the life we’ve always desired.”
For me, the biggest challenge has been making sure I meet people where they are, not where I know they have the potential to be. Additionally, creating a balance between being a wife, mom of three, business owner, therapist, podcast host, writer, blogger, and extremely active on Instagram (@getyourlifetogethergirl), where I offer daily life tools and creating original meditations and courses on Insight Timer has been a struggle. With so many balls in the air, I often have to remind myself to practice what I teach. This doesn’t stop me from showing up, but somedays are harder than others.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
This is a tough one!
What am I most proud of…I’m not sure I can pick one specifically, but if I must, it would probably be a tie between the Get Your Life Together, Girl Podcast and the community that has been created on Instagram.
Why?
Let’s start with Instagram: Each day, I write new, original quotes, tools, tips, affirmations, or meditations that are posted in the morning to serve the over 15,000 women (and some men) that are active in the community. It’s so rewarding to watch others respond to the tools and hear the stories of how they are using them to change, elevate, or better themselves and their lives. When I started the @getyourlifetogethergirl page in 2019, I honestly thought it would just be a place to dump my thoughts and writing. I never expected to create deep, long-lasting connections or watch so many women change based on a class I’ve taught, a challenge I’ve created, or a tool that came to me while I was driving down the road or formulating how a personal client can move through their experience. It is truly humbling and has gifted me more than I can ever express.
Next is the Get Your Life Together, Girl Podcast. This was born out of a need to expand on the tools, classes, and teachings I offer on Instagram, when I speak, or books I’ve written. I knew there had to be a way to reach more women and provide skills that others may need. So many are looking for ways to heal, especially with the state of the world and the changes COVID has created, but do not have the resources to pay for a coach or a therapist. Additionally, so many in the field have taken a step back or are overwhelmed because of the increased demand. The podcast is a great way to serve those individuals who are not being served. It has been a beautiful process to combine my journalism experience, interviewing, writing, and therapy skills into one experience. The podcast has been downloaded in nearly every country around the globe and has gained so many faithful listeners since its’ launch in August of 2021.
Truthfully, I began the podcast wondering if anyone would ever listen to a single episode. Today, I stand back in awe of everything I’ve learned from listeners, the topics I’ve written about, and the amazing women who have shared their expertise, experiences, and life revolutions. Despite location, race, religion, upbringing, and any other factor we use to separate ourselves, we all have a story, and those stories tend to have many similar factors. I often pinch myself when I think about how lucky I am to be the one to share these experiences.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My family deserves ALL the credit. I’ve been blessed to learn from outstanding individuals, but my biggest cheerleaders are my husband and our three children.
They have walked my path with me, eaten far too much takeout when I’ve been deep in a writing project or a new certification course, and they have supported everything I’ve done, created, or taken on. I would not be doing this work without each of them. In fact, in times that I have wanted to quit or lessen the load of how I show up, each of them has reminded me that my passion and purpose are more significant than any amount of exhaustion I felt that single day.
Pricing:
- I do offer personal one-on-one sessions. Sessions are $75,00 an hour.
- Meditation Instruction is $65.00 an hour.
- Courses vary.
- Everything can be found on my website www.getyourlifetogethergirl.com
- The podcast is free to listen to at this time.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.getyourlifetogethergirl.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getyourlifetogethergirl
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/getyourlifetogethergirl
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/authordaniellev
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kysQQrl3g1k
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-29399704/get-your-life-together-girl
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/show/2HbXZQP2HNMfhv2gC3KExS
