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Daniela's journey to becoming an Integrative Health Coach wasn't a linear path. It was a winding road filled with challenges, unexpected detours, and a constant desire to empower others. From witnessing the struggles of navigating language barriers to facing her own health battles, she's always been driven to help people reach their full potential.
Meet Daniela Edith Flores, GlobalMindED class of 2018.
From Type 1 Diabetes to Integrative Health Coach: Meet 2018 GlobalMindED Graduate Daniela Edith Flores
What impact did GlobalMindED have on your professional success?
I loved my GlobalMindED experience, and I loved seeing people from my community speak and encourage students to take the road less traveled. I learned that to be a leader you have to be passionate about your message and lead by example. You have to be willing to walk the walk and talk the talk every day because you never know who is watching. I hope to attend the conference in the future and connect with like-minded individuals who can help me accomplish my goals and make it a win-win situation for both of us.
What is your personal/professional story?
I am a First-Generation Mexican American, first daughter, first granddaughter, and first to attend university. All through grade school, I was described as a "natural born leader", but if you ask me, I think it is the Aries in me shining through. I come from a family that values a strong work ethic and who are self-starters. Growing up within a small family business, I knew at a young age that I wanted to be a business owner. As early as third grade, I understood that we have the power to create our own path, and although you do not have to go to school to have a business, you do have to go to school if you want to specialize in whatever you want your business to be.
With all the free time I had from the shutdown, I started dabbling in beauty and health. I went to beauty school and realized that being behind the chair was not for me. The opportunity to purchase an already-operating women's clothing boutique came up, and I took it. I managed the store and a team of four store managers for two years. Here, I learned the process of managing payroll, inventory shopping, social media marketing, clothes modeling, and being an
efficient communicator.
At fifteen, I got diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes and had to change my lifestyle completely. I felt like I had matured in a matter of days and could not relate to my high school experience anymore. I graduated high school a year early with college credit and an acceptance to the University of Colorado Boulder. I started as an Engineering major but ended up majoring in Spanish for the Professions with business and ethnic studies minors. I planned to work for a company to help bridge the gap between English and Spanish-speaking businesses in whichever way that looked.
I graduated in May of 2019. I was burnt out. My Type 1 Diabetes was uncontrolled, so I decided to take some time to focus on getting my health in order before entering the workforce. Little did I know that when I was ready to start my career in March 2020, the whole world would shut down and we would be in a Global Pandemic. During this time, I continued to work at the family business. Thankfully, being in construction made us an essential business. Work continued during the pandemic, and I got more experience being a business owner since I had been working at my family business my whole life.
At the same time, I continued to focus on my health by learning how to better manage my blood sugar and other health issues, because when you have one autoimmune disease you often have another. With these health issues, doctors told me I would never be able to get pregnant due to infertility. I am proud to say that I had to close my boutique in July of 2023 because I was six months pregnant with my son. I put my professional life on hold to grow a healthy baby while being considered a high-risk pregnancy. I continued my health education to become an Integrative Health Coach and graduated with my certification in July 2024.
Currently, I am a stay-at-home mom transitioning her boutique to the online world, trying to grow my social media, all while figuring out how to focus on health and beauty awareness in my community. I honestly do not know where my professional life is going, I just know that I am not where I want to be and there is more to be done to get there.
Can you share a turning point in your life that sparked your interest in helping others succeed?
For as long as I can remember, I have been helping others. I have been a translator from a young age, and that sparked my interest in being a bridge between English and Spanish. I love that being bilingual has offered comfort and security to people who are lost in an English-speaking society. With it being a legal form or a meme on social media, fully understanding the information is the key for anyone to succeed even if it is just to understand a joke.
What key moments in your life led you to where you are today?
First, my parents migrated to the United States. Even though they met here, they both come from rural Mexico where there are not many opportunities to succeed unless you leave your hometown. Knowing this information has made me take advantage of all the blessings and privileges put in front of me, and my family has supported me the whole way. Other key moments include becoming diagnosed with Type One Diabetes and being pregnant with my child.
What does success look like to you?
To me, success is when you have a picture in your mind of where you want to be. You embody the energy and work towards that picture. It is also understanding when you need to stop, reset, and take a new approach to reach your goals.
Click here to watch Daniela's YouTube video with her health coach.
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