Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Jacqueline Dow.
Dr. Dow, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
In 2018, I graduated from Morgan State University with my Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree. As I prepared for graduation, I reached an interesting period in my career. As an employee (of a corporate organization), I did not have the freedom to focus on my passion and professional expertise, which is women’s health. As a result, I took the steps necessary to take my destiny into my own hands and created J. Dow Fitness, LLC. In the beginning, I conducted a significant amount of research aimed to assess current athleisure apparel trends and worked to identify gaps and limitations among my intended target audience.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As expected when starting any business, there have been challenges experienced along the way. However, I’m fortunate in that my blessings have significantly outweighed any challenges I have experienced. Since launching in July 2018, J. Dow Fitness athleisure apparel has primarily been sold online at www.jdowfitness.com. However, J. Dow Fitness has also been showcased at large events such as The Village Market, The Black Women’s Expo, and Pretty Girls Sweat Fest.
In regards to advice, I would highly encourage women preparing to start their own business to create something unique. In this social media-crazed culture, you often see people mimicking someone else’s businesses concept, which is not sustainable. To ensure longevity, I would encourage women to identify their true passion and use that energy to fuel the development of a business that addresses a specific need or fills a void within the market.
What should we know about J. Dow Fitness, LLC.? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
A native of Chicago, Illinois, I received a Bachelor of Applied Health Sciences from the University of Illinois, a Master of Science from Meharry Medical College, an Executive Certificate in Health Policy from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Doctor of Public Health from Morgan State University. My dissertation research is entitled, “Maternal Body Mass Index Prior to Pregnancy and Risk of Preterm Birth among African American women of Reproductive Age.”
After receiving my Doctorate of Public Health degree, I wanted to create a unique platform to highlight the importance of women’s health. As a result, I created and launched J. Dow Fitness, an athleisure apparel line design for women of all shapes, sizes, and walks of life. J. Dow Fitness offers unique athleisure apparel different from any other company. Our leggings are high-waist and provide amazing tummy control. Our sports bras are longer when compared to traditional sports bras and provide great support. In addition, our athleisure apparel offers bright colors, fun patterns, and quality fabric. Our ultimate goal is to promote physical activity, proper nutrition, and the adoption of healthy lifestyle behaviors among women.
For good reason, society often focuses more on the problems rather than the opportunities that exist, because the problems need to be solved. However, we’d probably also benefit from looking for and recognizing the opportunities that women are better positioned to capitalize on. Have you discovered such opportunities?
This is the ideal time for women to utilize their gifts and talents to develop their own business. Here in Atlanta, we have a community of female entrepreneurs with businesses that include technology, fashion, beauty, empowerment, wellness, and fitness just to name a few. I’ve lived in several other major cities and I have never experienced this intense amount of support and encouragement surrounding around female entrepreneurship. I would definitely encourage any woman looking for a place to grow and cultivate her business to truly consider Atlanta!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jdowfitness.com
- Email: info@jdowfitness.com
- Instagram: @jdowfitness
- Facebook: @jdowfitness
Image Credit:
Philana Greene
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