Amb. Dr. Daniela Peel Hunter shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Amb. Dr. Daniela, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: Are you walking a path—or wandering?
I am boldly walking a path—one that’s purposeful, visionary, and designed to transform the global wellness landscape. Every season of my life—every pivot, loss, and breakthrough—has refined my mission to help women heal, lead, and live well in alignment with who they truly are.
Through The Heal Well Collective, I’ve built an ecosystem where healing meets innovation—where women learn to PivotWell™ through life’s defining transitions with courage, grace, and intention. And alongside my incredible co-founder, Dr. Marrika King-Ortiz, we launched GlobalWell Xchange, a global platform that bridges wellness, leadership, and technology. Together, we’re creating cross-cultural spaces for collaboration, education, and impact—empowering women leaders, founders, and practitioners to exchange ideas and accelerate holistic wellbeing worldwide.
I’m not wandering—I’m walking a sacred, strategic path that connects purpose with progress. My work is about disrupting outdated systems of wellness, redefining what it means to thrive, and amplifying women’s voices in spaces where they’ve historically been unseen or unheard.
This path is global, intentional, and generational. It’s not just about healing ourselves—it’s about healing the systems we live and lead within.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Dr. Daniela Peel Hunter, a United Nations Peace Ambassador, author of Shattered Silence: Navigating Workplace Trauma and Thriving, and founder of The Heal Well Collective—a global wellness brand helping women PivotWell™ through major life transitions such as divorce, grief and loss, blended families, perimenopause and menopause, trauma, toxic work environments, burnout, and more.
My work bridges healing, leadership, and AI technology in wellness, creating innovative solutions that empower women to lead from a place of wholeness. Through The Heal Well Collective, I’m reimagining how mental health, leadership, and personal growth intersect—building programs, retreats, and frameworks that make healing accessible, practical, and transformative.
Alongside my co-founder, Dr. Marrika King-Ortiz, I also lead GlobalWell Xchange, an international platform that brings together visionary leaders, practitioners, and changemakers to redefine what collective wellness and leadership look like in the modern world. Our mission is to elevate the conversation around mental health, women’s leadership, and sustainable global impact—bridging communities from Atlanta to Africa to the Caribbean to the United Nations stage.
What makes our work unique is the integration of wholeness and innovation. We’re building systems that honor the human experience while leveraging technology and collaboration to create a global ripple of wellness, equity, and empowerment. Healing well is the foundation for leading well.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
The part of me that I’m releasing is the version that once felt the need to carry everything—every responsibility, every expectation, every weight of proving my worth. For years, I operated in survival mode, doing, achieving, and holding space for everyone else, often at the expense of my own peace. That version of me was necessary then—it helped me persevere, build resilience, and create the foundation I stand on today. But she has served her purpose.
Now, I’m releasing the need to overextend and embracing the power of ease, flow, and trust. I’m learning that purpose doesn’t require exhaustion; it requires alignment. I no longer need to hustle for worthiness or perfection. I am walking in wholeness, supported by faith and community, knowing that my path—through The Heal Well Collective and GlobalWell Xchange—is meant to empower others without depleting myself.
Letting go of who I was makes room for who I am becoming—a woman leading with peace, innovation, and intention.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
One of the most defining wounds of my life came from surviving a toxic workplace—a culture that looked polished on the outside but was emotionally corrosive beneath the surface. I worked under a manager who slowly dismantled my confidence and credibility, using subtle tactics that left me questioning my reality. My duties were stripped away without cause. I was excluded from meetings I once led. After returning from FMLA, instead of compassion, I was met with retaliation and isolation. My goals were suddenly made unattainable—moving targets designed to make me fail. Colleagues whispered about me, narratives were twisted, and I was gaslit into believing that I was the problem. Every day felt like walking on eggshells, performing through pain just to survive.
That experience broke something open in me. It revealed how many of us—especially women and women of color—are silently enduring psychological warfare in the workplace, told to “be strong” while our spirits are slowly eroded. I realized how deeply these wounds cut, and how rarely we name them for what they are: trauma. That season birthed my book, Shattered Silence: Navigating Workplace Trauma and Thriving. Writing it became both confession and liberation. I learned that healing isn’t about pretending it didn’t happen—it’s about reclaiming your voice, redefining your worth, and remembering that you deserve to work and lead in spaces that honor your humanity.
Healing taught me that survival is not the same as thriving. I learned that no paycheck or position is worth sacrificing your peace. I learned that speaking truth to power isn’t rebellion—it’s liberation. Now, through GlobalWell Xchange, I use that lived experience to drive global conversations about wellness, leadership, and equity. My story is no longer one of pain—it’s one of transformation. I healed by reclaiming my voice, honoring my boundaries, and creating pathways for others to do the same.
To anyone reading this who has endured toxic leadership, bullying, or gaslighting—please know this: you are not imagining it, and you are not alone. You have a right to peace, dignity, and purpose. You have a voice, and your healing begins the moment you decide to use it. No title, paycheck, or position is worth your well-being. I am living proof that you can walk away, heal deeply, and rise stronger—leading not from your wounds, but from your wisdom.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What truths are so foundational in your life that you rarely articulate them?
One foundational truth that guides everything I do is that healing is leadership. We often separate the two, but I’ve learned they’re intertwined. The way we heal determines how we lead—how we show up for ourselves, our families, our work, and the world. True leadership isn’t about titles or accolades; it’s about emotional integrity, compassion, and courage. It’s the ability to walk through fire, learn from the burn, and then light the way for others. That truth shapes everything I create through The Heal Well Collective and GlobalWell Xchange. When women heal well, they lead well. And when they lead well, the world changes.
Another truth I hold close is that God wastes nothing. Every loss, every pivot, every heartbreak has meaning. Even the seasons that felt like breaking points were really becoming points. I’ve stopped seeing pain as punishment and started seeing it as preparation. The moments that brought me to my knees are the same moments that built my voice, my resilience, and my calling.
And finally, I believe that peace is the new power. In a world that glorifies hustle, my power comes from alignment, not overextension; from clarity, not chaos. I don’t have to prove what’s already divine. I don’t have to chase what’s already mine. These truths are so ingrained in who I am that I rarely say them out loud—but they shape every path I walk, every space I create, and every woman I empower.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What light inside you have you been dimming?
For a long time, I dimmed the light of my voice. Not because I didn’t have something to say—but because I had learned, consciously and unconsciously, that my brilliance, my boundaries, and my boldness made others uncomfortable. In professional settings, I was told I was “too passionate,” “too confident,” or that my vision was “too big.” Over time, those words became invisible shackles, and I started shrinking to make others feel safe. I muted parts of my personality, softened my opinions, and delayed my dreams, thinking that humility meant hiding. But what I now know is that false humility is just fear in disguise.
The light I had dimmed was my leadership—the audacity to disrupt, innovate, and lead differently. I’ve always seen the world through the lens of possibility, wellness, and transformation, but I used to second-guess whether I was “ready enough” or “qualified enough” to bring that vision forward. Today, I no longer dim that light. I stand fully in it. Through The Heal Well Collective and GlobalWell Xchange, I’ve reclaimed my voice and built platforms that amplify others who are ready to do the same. My light is no longer negotiable—it’s necessary.
To every person reading this: your light doesn’t need permission. You don’t have to wait until it’s convenient, perfect, or approved. The world needs what only you can illuminate. When you stop shrinking, you don’t just rise—you give others the courage to rise with you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thehealwellcollective.com
- Instagram: @thehealwellcollective
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/drdanielapeel
- Other: Email: contact@thehealwellcollective.com
