Meet Deena Jonez

We recently connected with Deena Jonez and have shared our conversation below.

Deena , we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

I get my resilience from my mom. She passed away from cancer when I was 21yrs old. When she was alive she was the one that pushed me in everything that she knew I had the talent to do. Whether it was martial arts, boxing, music, school whatever. She made sure I didn’t give up on my dreams. She would always tell me that god gave me a gift and if I don’t use it I will lose it. I watched her not take no for an answer, I watched her open up doors that I thought would never be able to be opened up us. She rode me pretty hard coming up. She would drive next to me while I ran miles to build my conditioning. She would sit in the living room and watch me practice for hours for tournaments. All of these things at the time I didn’t realize it was molding me. I’ve had some hard times but I’ve also hit a lot of great milestones in my life and I couldn’t have done it without her.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

My name is Deena. I’m an artist, a 2nd-degree black belt, a breast cancer survivor, and the owner of Hip Fit Fitness, Hip Fit Foundation, Modern Martial Arts Westside.

I started Hip Fit Fitness in 2012 with the goal of creating a welcoming and positive community for women who look like me—women who wanted to begin their kickboxing, boxing, or fitness journey. The hip-hop artist in me also wanted to build a space that celebrates the art.

With a background in both mixed martial arts and music, I wanted to merge my two passions to inspire, help, and motivate people. Through Hip Fit Fitness and Modern Martial Arts Westside, I mentor and help build confidence in children and young women.

I’ve always searched for my purpose in life, and it’s important to me that I leave a positive mark on the world. Through Hip Fit Fitness, the Hip Fit Foundation, and Modern Martial Arts Westside, I’ve found that purpose.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Looking back, the three things that had the biggest impact on my journey were resilience, persistence, and consistency.

Life is gonna throw punches, and I’ve taken my fair share. But no matter how tough things got, I refused to stay down. I’ve faced challenges that could’ve broken me, but giving up was never an option. Resilience kept me moving forward when things felt impossible.

Then there’s persistence. I learned real quick that sometimes “no” just means “not yet.” Whether it was competing, growing my businesses, or proving myself in spaces where I wasn’t always welcomed, I had to make my own opportunities.

But none of that would’ve mattered without consistency. it’s about what you do every single day. I didn’t become a black belt, a business owner, or a mentor overnight. It happened because I kept showing up, even on the hard days.

My advice is to Keep pushing. You’re gonna hit roadblocks, you’re gonna hear “no,” and you’re gonna have days where you don’t feel like putting in the work. Do it anyway. Stay focused, keep showing up, and don’t let temporary setbacks stop you from reaching your goals. The work you put in today will pay off in ways you can’t even imagine yet.

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

My mom played the most significant role in helping me overcome challenges and become the person I am today, even after nearly 20 years since she passed. Everything she taught me and pushed me to do for success in life still guides me.

She was always there, watching me practice for tournaments and shows, cheering me on every step of the way. She would even drive alongside me while I ran miles to help with my conditioning. She was my biggest supporter, always believing in me, even when I doubted myself.

The things I thought I wasn’t ready for, or didn’t feel good enough to do, she pushed me to face head on and to this day, I’m still reaping the benefits of her encouragement.

When she was alive, I was the “talent,” and she was the one doing all the talking, making connections, and ensuring I was where I needed to be. After she passed, I didn’t think I had it in me to carry on without her, especially since she had such a gift for connecting with people. But over time, I realized she had already instilled everything I needed within me.

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