Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle Dondiego
Hi Danielle, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Sure! I’m a board certified family and obesity doctor so many of my former years were spent in medical training. During that time and after, I experienced my own mental health struggles that I’ve had to overcome and realized so many of my colleagues experience the same. I started coaching physicians through burnout by helping them build businesses that they can thrive in and prevent burnout, and get excited about their careers again. Medicine has a very high burnout and suicide rate, and this was my method of trying to help this community.
As an obesity doctor most of my patients are going through a major physical health and mental / emotional health transformation. Most battle society and stigma living in larger bodies, and unfortunately many of them face stigma for losing weight with medication! It’s a population I have dedicated most of my career to, and it’s a field of medicine that is growing exponentially. In the past I was a personal trainer, sports athlete and bodybuilder, so healthy lifestyle has always been a part of my life and my medical practice. Recognizing obesity as a disease and treating it with medication like any other medical condition has been absolutely life changing for my patients. Creating a safe and empathetic space in medicine for those with obesity is also important to me, as this population has often been dismissed as “lazy” told that their obesity is a choice, which is false.
I recently launched a new program Thrive Beyond Stigma meant to focus on mental and emotional health for patients battling obesity, focusing on community support and tools to handle societal judgement and conversations that are often faced.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Nothing has been smooth, but for that I am grateful! I’ve had a tough journey personally, yet today I am so much stronger for it. During medical school and residency I was in a long term abusive relationship that I did escape from. I’m a survivor of narcissistic abuse and domestic violence, and wrote a book about my experience called “Self-Care Rx: A Doctor’s Guide to Transformation After Trauma”. I am not sure how I managed it all, but it’s taken many years of therapy and personal development to find who I really am today. After almost losing my life, I swore I wouldn’t take the second half of my life for granted. I stopped living for the accolades and climbing an academic ladder, and instead focus on what makes me happy and where I can find purpose in my life’s journey to help others. The work I do goes much beyond my degrees and certifications, it’s personal. Empowering others to dig their way out of their own valleys and live fully for themselves is a huge part of my brand and ethos.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I wear many hats! Medically I focus on obesity management and metabolic health, mostly prescribing GLP-1 medications and encouraging resistance training and lifestyle changes along the way. Obesity is something most Americans struggle with, and preventing the downstream effects of this disease and its comorbidities have given many their life back. Patients are more active, happier, and able to thrive with the help of some of these medications. Most of my patients have been dieting their whole life, and their body has been fighting them. They are finally experiencing relief and their life no longer revolves around counting calories and restrictive diets.
Additionally, Thrive Beyond Stigma helps the emotional and mental health side of this journey which is missing in a lot of GLP-1 programs today. There are many companies and practices prescribing obesity medications, but I can’t say all are providing adequate support. I created a support group alongside a licensed therapist to tackle this part of the journey, as most patients face judgement and discrimination along their metabolic health journey. They are judged for living in a larger body, and also judged for seeking medical treatment. We’re putting an end to that here!
I run a Mastermind called “Mosaic” for healthcare entrepreneurs. I earned a Masters in Business Administration while in medical school (can we say overachiever?), and I’ve been coaching doctors and other professionals through building their own businesses online outside of their medical practices. I’ve found that we spend so many years in medical training we often lose ourselves and forget who we are or other things we are good at. We may even be able to combine our medical knowledge with other passions. Creating a business that is outside of the walls of the office or hospital has been freeing for doctors who feel multi-passionate, and I help give a guidebook and support during their process. Most people don’t need another degree, they need to just start. It can be scary and intimidating, and business isn’t intuitive for everyone. Mosaic is a space where professionals can feel empowered and supported during their journey.
What were you like growing up?
I was actually a really shy kid. I still am! I tend to open up to others after I feel comfortable around them. Simultaneously, I’ve very extroverted. I love being in a crowd, at a concert or sporting event, and feeling complete freedom. Rarely do I enjoy being center of attention, but I’ve had to get used to some of that as my career and business have grown. I was a multi-sport athlete growing up and was never afraid of hard work. I think it helped me get stay disciplined in school too. I have always loved music and I feel most myself when I”m at home with my headphones on, or at a concert for one of my favorite artists. As much as school was a strongpoint and I managed to complete medical school without excessive struggle, I have felt constrained by a strict, outdated version of professionalism and much prefer to be more relaxed and myself in my career path. Living outside the boxes society likes to put us in has been fun for me. I’ve enjoyed posting about my journey learning to pole dance, and recently I started learning how to DJ just because I wanted to. Don’t be afraid to do things just because, we don’t have to justify everything with a goal. It can simply be because it brings you joy.
Pricing:
- Thrive Beyond Stigma $1500 for 3 months
- Mosaic: The Mastermind $9,000 for 6 months
- 1:1 Business Mentorship $2000/month for minimum 6 months
- Self-Care Rx is on Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/drdondiego
- Instagram: @drdondiego
- Other: TikTok @drdondiego
Image Credits
Photographer: Steven Watson @facenphotography
Creative Director: Alessio Filippelli @ale_ssiofilippelli
