Meet Dani Frank

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dani Frank. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dani below.

Dani, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

I grew up in a home where my father was very successful and my mother stayed at home to care for me and my three other siblings. I was raised thinking the most important thing in life was being successful. In second grade I won 1st place in the state of Georgia as a gymnast and went on to be a competitive tennis player. In high school, the strive for success was still on, and after becoming captain of the Color Guard, we won 6 consecutive division titles, something that had never been done before. Again, I still thought success was the most important thing in life, and I created this little lie in my mind that being successful was “the only way my parents would love me.” When it was time to pick a major in college, I felt lost. As a person with Dyslexia, I knew I would not be able to pass several classes in majors like engineering, chemistry, and biology. I decided to settle on teaching. I obtained my Bachelor’s Degree in elementary education and although I loved working with children, I felt unaligned with my purpose. I always knew I wanted to be a therapist. My therapist whom I had seen since 10th or 11th grade was my single biggest supporter. I call her my “Go Girl.” She encouraged me in everything I did and loved me when I didn’t love myself. I got clean and sober from drugs and alcohol my senior year of college. I remember my sponsor in AA telling me “Your purpose is to be of maximum service to the people around you” and it clicked. The pieces started to align and I obtained my Masters in Social Work from the Univeristy of Georiga. While graduating I worked as a Behavioral Health Tech at a Rehab and interned at an outpatient substance use treatment center. I found, what I call “My people.” I understood what my clients were going through. It is terrifying to be unable to give up a substance even when you know it is ruining your life and the lives around you. After working as a substance abuse therapist for a few months, I joined a coaching program that was run by my therapist from when I was in rehab, Leanne Jamison. It was called “Next Level Life Purpose.” I joined mainly because I wanted to connect with other women and be able to share how I was doing, but I got so much more out of it. One day when I was driving my hour-long commute home from work it hit me. I impact people so greatly on a small scale, but what would it be like to impact people on a larger scale? I quickly started thinking of names for my budding podcast which would later be named “Illuminating You.” On my podcast, guests share their stories of overcoming a struggle by remaining resilient. My goal is to help others feel a little less alone and encourage others to keep going. I am the founder of the company “Society of Authentic Living” and right now we are working on our first documentary. I try to follow what I call “My God Consciousness” with everything that I do. When I follow that, my values are aligned with my purpose and I am ultimately the happiest version of myself.

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 a substance abuse therapist by day and work as an individual therapist on the side. I am the founder of “Society Of Authentic Living” and the host of the podcast “Illuminating You.” You can find out more on my website https://societyofauthenticliving.com. A quick bio of me that is on my website: In her early years, Dani struggled with depression, an eating disorder, and self-harming behaviors. It wasn’t until she got clean and sober in 2020 that she began aligning with her authentic self. Today, Dani describes her life as peaceful, fulfilling, serene, and joyous. Dani has always had a passion for helping others, and her passion has lead her to help others share their stories in hopes of inspiring those who still struggle. Dani earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Kennesaw State University and her Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Georgia. In her free time you can find Dani spending a day on the lake with her boyfriend, trying out a new restaurant with her friends, and cuddling with her cat, Millie.

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?

Find that “God-Conciousness” within. Let your actions and words match your values and everything that you do.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

Get help! Whether it is seeing a therapist, talking with a colleague who had a similar issue at work that you are struggling with, or starting a documentary. We can’t do it alone! There are so many people out there who are willing to guide us if we just ask.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://societyofauthenticliving.com/podcast
• Instagram: Societyofauthenticliving
• Facebook: Society of Authentic Living
• Other: Podcast is on spotify, apple, and amazon and titled “Illuminating You.”

Image Credits

Jasmine Fortner of Simply Shay Photography