We were lucky to catch up with Danielle Richardson recently and have shared our conversation below.
Danielle, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
Short answer: God, Family, Experience! I was blessed to grow up with parents who constantly poured encouragement and positivity into me. They had me memorize bible verses like “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” which served as an early affirmation. The supported any and all of my endeavors and reminded me that I could do anything I put my mind to. They have given me a strong mindset of empowerment and not taking NO as a final answer. I was also a college cheerleader (go Hoosiers!) and we were actually taught how to project confidence! My foundation coupled with my IRL experience created a strong seat of power and positive self-esteem.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am Los Angeles based author, optometrist, and the founder of Fierce Clarity. My first book, The Glow Up Journal, has officially been released and I’m so excited because it’s a culmination of my work since 2015!
When I was in optometry school, I experienced stress-related illnesses that weren’t able to be cured with meds. Eventually, one doctor recommended I try yoga to reduce my stress so I did. I ended up loving it and decided to take a monthlong solo graduation trip to Bali in 2015 to practice yoga and relax.
It was there I had my first direct experience of holistic healing. Being alone provided the space to realize my sickness was not coming from the physical level. I needed to heal on a soul level if I wanted to improve my physical health. I nosedived into healing via yoga, energy therapies, Balinese medicines, massages, and radical self-love + self-care. This intensive healing experience gave me space to finally focus on true health and happiness and within 2 weeks the issues I’d had for years all cleared up.
That experience inspired me to create Fierce Clarity, originally as a wellness retreat company bringing a similar transformative holistic experience to other busy women. This Glow Up Journal is an extension of this same inspiration and this same work. It’s the book I wish I had when I began this healing journey because on the other side of healing is truly your best and baddest self!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Resilience — “Fall down seven times, get up eight” is a mantra you have to burn into your brain! People will tell you no, your resources will be stretched thin, and you will be uncertain about your choices. Regardless, you have to keep going. What separates successful people from others is that they didn’t quit!
Owning Who You Are — You have to be honest about the world we live in where preconceived notions and judgements are common. But you have the power to influence how you’re perceived! Leaning into your unique qualities and showing them off is the #1 way to be memorable. Don’t ever feel like you don’t belong somewhere. Dress to impress, hold your shoulders back, and smile! It will take you so far.
Vision + Imagination — We have the power to create the life of our dreams, but most of us are not using our power wisely. As children we’re encouraged to dream and imagine but we lose this ability as we get older and are told to be “realistic”. You’ll need to be able to imagine and hold a vision for the future because that has to be your North Star. You cannot create a future you can’t see!
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
Journaling has played the biggest role in my development! I’ve been journaling since I was younger. I have all my journals with me so it was fun to go through them while writing The Glow Up Journal.
I strongly believe in journaling because it gives you an opportunity to release your thoughts, emotions, dreams, and wishes in one place! But over the years many people told me they don’t know how to journal or that journaling doesn’t work for them.
I created The Glow Up Journal and included all of the best journal prompts, exercises, and activities that have helped me over the years. It has five chapters: Routines + Schedules, Diet + Exercise, Holistic Self-Care, Visualization, and Beauty + Style full of guided questions to help you create a vision + plan to be your best and baddest self!
While writing The Glow Up Journal I read my earliest journal entry from 12/25/1999 when I got my first journal for Christmas. I was 11 years old and worried about the Y2K bug! It was cool to witness my own evolution through my journaling practice and to read about the life that was yet to unfold. My first Fierce Clarity product was a journal that said “Ask. Believe. Receive.” and so many of my dreams in those journals have come true. It made me very grateful for the opportunity to create a journal for others because the practice is so special to me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://fierceclarity.shop/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fierceclarity/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYfMrCiPgBM_qeDgAE3pctg
- Other: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Glow-Up-Journal/Danielle-Richardson/9781507220399
Image Credits
Professional FC Activewear images (by pool + in photo studio) via Myai Anthony Photography — Event images (at workout class for Glow Up Journal) need no credit